I found a tutorial for making wind spinners from two cans and I may have a problem. These are easy to make, I can make them while still being present for my kids and watching after them as they do their homework, each one doesn’t take much time, and I really like watching them spin. I’m currently experimenting with the best way to get them to spin easily. I have some set up as traditional pin wheels, and some set up on vertical spikes. I’ve been using old wire hangers as supports (seriously, I think these propagate in the dark, I always seem to have some even though I haven’t had dry cleaning done in months).

I found that marking 3/4” around my cans gives me 11 even spokes. It is easiest for me to remove the top of the can with a craft knife, then cut the spokes with kitchen shears. My fingers work fine to bend the spokes out at the base.

Bent nose pliers make folding up the ends of the spokes easier, and to start, I just bend up about 1/4” to 90 degrees. Then when putting two spokes from different cans together, I finish crimping down the fold, and add a corner fold to secure the connection.

So the best way is stringing vertically and hanging, by far. The hanger wire mounts seem to have too much friction. I hung three with beading wire (nylon coated steel cable), with glass beads and separated with fishing swivels. Even the slightest breeze gets these spinning!!