I have had this pinwheel twirler for several years. I purchased it one year at a camp trailer park where one of the campers made and sold all sorts of twirlers. This was my first introduction to twirlers and of course I just had to have some of them to hang on the trailer awning and then to decorate my garden.
I’ve never been able to find an actual pattern for this twirler, or whirigig, as some call them. So when it started to get brittle, which happens to all plastic canvas that is left outside for quite a few years, I decided I had better take it apart and see how it was made, so that I could re-create it.
You need 3 sheets of 7 count plastic canvas. You choose the colours you like best, but 3 different colours looks the best. Cut a square 42 holes by 42 holes. This gives you a square approximately 16 cm. (6.5 inches). Each sheet of plastic canvas will give you 2 squares, with some strips left over to add the “tail” part of the twirler. In total you will have 6 squares. Cut some strips, 30 holes x 5 holes to fasten to the bottom Find the center of the square and mark. I usually stick in one of the butterfly clips. This is just a guide to help you with the cutting. Cut from the corner (on the diagonal)towards the center. Stop about 5 holes from the middle. Repeat on each corner. Repeat for each of the 6 squares.
You need a piece of wire about 40 cm. (16 inches) in length. I use old wire coathangers. Cutting off by the bend at each end is just about the right length. On the bottom of the wire, bend it so there is a loop. This is where to attach the strips.
Add some beads, 3 is about enough, and then poke the wire through the center of the first square. Don’t let it slide down too far as you need to bend one of the corners up and poke the corner hole over the wire. Do this 4 times so that each corner is poked through the wire.
Now it should look like a pinwheel. Add another bead, just for a spacer.
Slide this pinwheel down to the bottom of the wire so that it touches the 3 beads. Then add the next colour of square to make the next pinwheel. Continue adding a bead as a spacer and then the next square until you have all 6 squares on the wire. Add 3 beads at the top and fold over the top part of the wire to make a loop.
Add a fishing swivel to the wire loop. Tie a piece of fishing line, or strong elastic thread, onto the fishing swivel and then onto a clothes pin. Fasten the clothes pin onto a branch of a tree and watch your pinwheel twirler move in the breeze
More twirler ideas:
Make a twirler/wind spinner
