Craft Project - Pinwheel Plant Stake

By Jana Ewy

Materials
AMACO® Friendly Plastic® — one each:
Turquoise/Blue
Avocado/Black
Purple/Black
Swirl/Blue
Fuchsia/Black
Burnt Orange/Black
Orange Copper/Black
Gold/Black
AMACO® Fun Wire™ — Clear/Silver (24 & 18 Gauge)
1/8″ Eyelets and Eyelet Tool
1/8″ Leather Hole Punch and Hammer
Teardrop Bead
Silver Head Pin and Jump Ring
Round Nose Jewelry Pliers
AMACO® Needle Tool
Scissors

Step 1
Cut the plastic into triangle pieces and place one of each color on the baking sheet in the pattern shown below. Make different size pinwheels by cutting different size triangles.

Step 2
Soften the Friendly Plastic® according to the package instructions. Using a needle tool, start in the center of the softened plastic and slowly draw outward in a spiral motion. Allow the cut lines to seal back together. Cool the plastic and remove it from the baking sheet.

Step 3
Make a 1/8″ hole into the center of the plastic pinwheel with the leather punch and a hammer. Place a 1/8″ eyelet into the hole and secure it with the eyelet tool.

Step 4
Cut a 32″ length of 24 gauge wire and wrap it around the pinwheel in a random pattern. Secure the wire on the back.

Step 5
Cut a 36″ length of 18 gauge wire, bend in half around the round nose pliers and twist tightly leaving a loop at one end. This forms the base or stake. Insert the twisted wire stake through the eyelet center of the pinwheel. Slide the pinwheel up against the loop. Cut a 16″ length of 18 gauge wire. Make 4 wraps with it around the twisted wire stake, just behind the pinwheel to secure it into place. Form a random design with the remainder of the wire. See photo.

Step 6
Cut a 16″ length of 22 gauge wire. Make 4 wraps with it around the twisted wire stake just under the wraps made with the 18 gauge wire. Twist and spiral the remainder of this wire around the stake as shown in the photo. Tightly wrap the end of the wire around the stake to secure.

Step 7
Grip the stake with the pliers just behind the pinwheel and bend the wire 45 degrees.

Step 8
Place the teardrop bead onto the head pin and form a loop at the point of the bead with the round nose pliers. Add the bead where desired using a jump ring.

Pinwheel Jewelry Plant Stake in PDF format