For a recent swap, I made pinwheel magnets. They do actually spin when you blow on them, too.
To make them, I started with small wooden blocks that I got at my local creative reuse store. You could use any scrap wood for this. Paint and decorate it however you’d like.
Drill a small hole in the top (for the wire stems) and a larger hole on the side (for the magnet). You could use a self-adhesive magnet if your wooden base is large enough. I used E6000 to attach the magnets and wires, then let everything dry overnight.
I have a stash of flat metal pieces harvested from beverage cans. For tips on cutting out and flattening the metal, search on YouTube or via Google.
I punched out large squares. (Yes, good paper punches will work on beverage can metal.) You can turn the punch upside-down to choose which part of the can to punch.
Next, I used a Sharpie marker to draw an X, corner to corner, across the silver side of each square.
Then I used a circle template (available on my ruler) to draw a small circle at the center.
Using scissors, I cut into all the corners, follwing the lines I’d drawn. Each time, I only cut up to the edge of the small circle.
Next, I made small holes in the very center of each square, large enough for a pin to easily pass through.
Rubbing alcohol will remove all the Sharpie lines.
If there are any rough edges, you can file them down.
Then I shaped the turbines. You just curl them inwards, keeping the cut lines aligned. You can use a knitting needle to help shape them.
I rounded the tips so they would not be sharp.
The next step was to bend one end of each stem into a spiral shape. It’s important to leave a small opening at the center, about the same size as the hole in the metal.
To connect everything together, I trimmed a headpin shorter and ran it through the pinwheel and its stem, then attached it to an earring back (I had a little bag of earring backs from when I was making earrings to sell, years and years ago. They were a bit yellowed from age! I myself do not have pierced ears.)
Don’t attach them too tight, or the pinwheel won’t spin properly. You’ll want to keep testing it as you make adjustments. You can add a drop of glue at the very back if you want more security, but be careful that the glue does not interfere with the motion of the pinwheel.
All done! Give it a whirl!
I also made some flowers in the same manner. Punched the shapes with paper punches, put holes in the centers, and used a tiny brad to hold everything together. These don’t spin, though.
P.S. These are not for kids. The magnets can be dangerous when swallowed, and metal edges can be a bit sharp.
Well, lookie here! Your cool craft is one of this week’s Featured Projects! Congratulations!