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.
Hang 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
- 18-guage wire
- Wire cutters
- A decorative round object, such as a marble or large bead
- Fishing line
- Ring mandrel
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:
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.
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.
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.
More Fun Crafts for the Garden
- Metal Stamped Plant Tags from Hardware Store Finds
- Jazz Up the Outdoors with DIY Bug Hotel Fence Art
- Leaf Imprint Stepping Stones
- Bee a Good Garden Host: Make a Bee Bath
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Might put a swivel at the top. Then it would continue to spin and not “unwind” in the opposite direction. Probably a fishing line swivel would do the trick.
Mine absolutely will not spin! Just blows back and forth. Tried a fishing line swivel, too. Nothing. How do I get it to spin? Looks just like yours.
This is such a cool idea. Thank you!
you’re welcome, Cassie!
Is Rose your last name from birth? My maiden name was Rose.
No, I married it :)
I really love ur ideas. They are so simple to do, well they appear to be anyway as I haven’t tried them yet. One question regarding the the wind chimes, do u bring the thread from the last bead back down to the bell r have I miss read it. If u do how can the down thread b hidden.
Regards Kay Scannell