A fun yard toy that can be used two ways! You can put a dowel into the ground and stick it on that or you can also hang it from a tree. Either way, when the wind blows it spins like crazy! You can see it in action below.

Supplies

2 Liter Soda Bottle with straight sides
X-acto type knife
Wipe off marker
Goo Gone
Acrylic paint
Dowel 5/8″ diameter, 36″ tall or longer. (for staking into the yard)
Nut and bolt and fishing line (for hanging rather than staking)
Drill if you’re hanging it.

REMOVING LABELS

Remove the labels on all your bottles. After doing so use Goo Gone or something similar to get rid of the residue without marring the surface.

Roy designed this for me as follows:

1. Marked around the bottle in 4 even spots for where the cuts would go. He used tape but its not necessary.
2. Roy made a nice pattern to cut the opening with. You can also just use a nice curve. If you want to use his pattern you can download it here as a pdf.
3. Trace the pattern at the 4 spots you marked around the bottle. You are only tracing ONE side though he cut a full pattern. The pdf above is only one side.
4. Using an X-acto knife cut out the designs you traced.
5. Fold the design flaps outward. We found that two tongue depressors work well to help with this so you get a straight fold.
6. Fold back the flap.
7. Step 7 below shows the flap pulled out though it’s a bit hard to see. This allows it to catch the wind.
8. Paint on any desired designs you wish.
9. For placing on a dowel in the ground hot glue the lid upside down inside the bottom of the bottle. You can use the dowel to help get it in place.

If you wish to hang your spinner rather than place it on a dowel in the ground do the following:
1. Drill a hole in your lid.
2. Place a nut and bolt in it as shown. The hole needs to be larger than the bolt to allow for spinning.
3. Attach fishing line to the bolt for hanging.

Hammer your dowel into the ground. You can whittle the end to be sharper if the ground is hard. Place your bottle over it making sure the end of the dowel goes into the lid that is hot glued inside the bottle.
This shows the hanging version.