To make a Weatherbird wind vane, Download the Bird and Arrowhead PatternPrint on heavyweight paper, cut and pin to a foam tray, then cut out the foam with a hobby knife. (You can also laser cut the paper bird pattern using the SVG file you downloaded.)
Or use the paper template as a guide with a hot wire foam cutter – so much fun and gives perfect results. make: In Volume 16 (or follow the link), 5 Minute Bubble FactoryThere’s so much more foam cutting fun to be had!
Of course, it doesn’t have to be a fancy bird design, a simple arrowhead and fin shape will do.
Insert the foam bird cutout into one end of a large straw. Carefully insert a straight pin into the top of the bird’s legs, through the foam inside the straw, and out the bottom. Make sure the pin is inserted perpendicular to the straw – it’s the vertical axis the bird will rotate around.
Insert an arrowhead into the other end so that it is level and flat. Place the pin into a small mini straw and make sure the Weatherbird spins freely. Blow on it to make sure it is pointing into the wind. Cut a larger straw if necessary for balance.
Drill a small hole in the center of a 2″ long stick or dowel to thread a mini straw through. Cut a mini straw to be just a little longer than the pin. Glue or screw the dowel into the center of a 3″ diameter circle of clear acrylic. I painted the straw and dowel black to match.
Finally, print the panel with the cloud wheels (in the previous download) and, if desired, laminate it with clear plastic to make it weatherproof.
