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VIDEO: Bring Light and Movement to the Garden with a DIY Wind Spinner

This easy-to-make garden decoration spins in the wind, creating a mesmerizing optical illusion where it looks as if the marble is spinning up and down the wire coil surrounding it. I love to hang these in the garden because they bring interest and movement, and the wire reflects sunlight so the whole thing dances and sparkles beautifully.

DIY Optical Illusion Wind SpinnersHang just one wind spinner in a spot that needs some livening up or make several and hang them side by side for a more eye-catching display.

Materials

ring mandrel, wire, and wire cutters for making a wind spinner

Make it!

For a visual guide to help with the written instructions below, take a look at this video I took while making my own wind spinners:

YouTube video

Begin by choosing your marble or bead. If using a bead, you want something that is perfectly round and has a very small hole that won’t be very noticeable. Choose something that has an interesting color or pattern (I love vintage marbles for this) that will be eye catching as it dances in the garden.

Choose a pretty vintage bead like this blue swirled one

Cut the wire to an appropriate length for your bead or marble. For a regular-sized (half-inch) marble, I used a 12-inch length of wire, but for a larger or smaller marble you will need a longer or shorter wire accordingly.

Using a ring mandrel makes coiling the wire super easy and quick. Simply wind the entire length of wire tightly around the mandrel and slip it off. You will have a perfectly shaped, tapered coil.

Bend the wire into a loop at one end so that you can easily hang the spinner.

Open up the wire coil a bit in the middle so that you can insert your marble, then reshape the coil around the marble so that it sits snugly inside the coil.

Add the marble into the wire coil

String a length of fishing line through the wire loop and tie the fishing line into a loop so you can hang your wind spinner up. Choose a place in the garden where the spinner will catch the light and glint as it dances in the wind.

DIY wind spinners hanging in the garden

More Fun Crafts for the Garden:

 

 

Comments

  1. You mention a small hole in marble but I dont see that in video?
    Awesome video.
    Dont have mandrel but will figure something out.

    Reply
  2. Mine looks very pretty but although I have tried adjusting the wire coils etc I can’t get the illusion of the marble moving up and down. Any suggestions? Thanks

    Reply

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