Spinner - how to make it yourself, step-by-step instructions with drawings, diagrams and pictures

The anti-stress fidget spinner toy is becoming more and more popular every day. Various unusual new spinners appear on store shelves, but often after purchasing a spinner you either have to wait a long time for it to be delivered from an online store, or you have to overpay for boring spinners that offline stores are littered with. In this case, many people wonder if it is possible to make a spinner yourself and how to do it? In this instructional article we will tell you how to make several types of different spinners from a variety of materials, both with and without bearings or glue. When following the instructions below, it is recommended that you observe basic safety precautions. If text instructions with a step-by-step diagram in the photo are not enough, then below each diagram you can find complete video instructions. We also remind you that different spinners will perform complex tricks differently, and you need to choose a certain option of materials and assembly based on your specific needs.

In addition, by clicking on the links below, you can read other articles about spinners on our website:

What is a toy for, what are the pros and cons of using a spinner?
Spinner top 10 tricks with video training
Spinner list of the most unusual spinners
Spinner where to buy and how much it costs
Spinner top 5 simulators for smartphones
Spinner memes and comics in Russian

How to make a spinner from paper or cardboard without a bearing yourself

We make a template for the spinner from any cardboard using a cap from a plastic bottle or a cap from a glue stick. We outline it, forming a triangle from the strokes of the lid (one in the center and three at the edges). If you are using paper rather than cardboard, it is better to make several outlines and glue them together for greater strength. In addition to the spinner base, we will cut out two more round pieces of the same thickness as the base. After gluing the base and round pieces, we dig a hole in the center of the body of the future spinner and cut off the paper rags along its edges. We make similar holes in two round pieces. Next, take the rod from the handle and try to spin the base of the spinner on it. If it doesn’t rotate very well, it means you need to widen the holes a little more. Next, we cut off a piece of the rod, string the base of the spinner onto it and then close it on both ends, first with rings from the pendants, if any, and then with round pieces, having previously glued soft and thick cardboard or other similar material to them from the outside and dripping glue into the holes round ones. All that remains is to press the resulting spinner toy, wait for the glue to dry, and you can spin it to your heart’s content!

Boring holes for bearings

In addition to the external part of the case, the internal part also needs improvement, i.e. holes for bearings. They turned out to be 3 mm smaller than required. Using a round file and following the markings, we bore the holes so that each bearing fits very tightly. It’s better, of course, to do all this with a machine, if you have one.

Making a luminous spinner made of wood yourself at home quickly and easily

The basis of most long-spinning spinners are bearings. And glowing wooden spinners are no exception. Bearings for them can be obtained either from a sports store or from roller skates or skateboards (but it’s better to buy them in a store). You need to remove the anthers from the selected bearing. After this, it should be washed with gasoline (to wash off the lubricant) and then dried. Next, we will need a feather or step drill of the required diameter (like a bearing). On three-layer plywood, mark two rectangles approximately 10 by 3 cm and drill a hole in the center of each. Then we cut out the rectangles with a jigsaw or hacksaw. Now we fold both planks and insert the bearing into the hole. Then we will drill two more small holes on both sides of the main one (which houses the bearing). After the above procedures, briefly remove the bearing and use sandpaper to erase the sharp edges and corners of the plywood. Now we have made a simple wooden spinner without lighting or weights. It's time to fix it. Next we need five-millimeter LEDs, hundred-ohm resistors and a KR2032 lithium battery and switch. For the LEDs, you need to drill a deep and almost through hole with a five-millimeter drill. To control the depth of the drill, it is recommended to wrap it at the required level with electrical tape. As a result, after drilling we will have three blind and three through holes. Now let's drill out the blind holes with a 5.5 mm drill. Let's cut off everything unnecessary from the switch and cut a hole for it. For equal brightness, the red and yellow LEDs must be connected through a 100 Ohm resistor, and the green and blue ones can be connected directly to the battery. Then you need to cut out channels for laying wires - from the switch to the light bulbs (LEDs). Next, you need to solder the LED wires to the resistors (see diagram and instructions in the video). Then we cut channels for laying wires from the LEDs to the battery, which we will place on the back side. The LEDs should be secured with glue, then connect the contacts to the battery (the minus is the wire opposite to the switch). Finally, you can combine both halves of the plywood body and fit them tightly together. To increase the spinning time of the spinner, you can also weight it in various ways at both ends (but do not forget that both ends should be as close in weight as possible)

How long does it take to spin?

How long does the spinner last? Rotation time is an important quality and one of the main indicators of a good machine. Connoisseurs of quality toys use only expensive bearings, calculated balance and the right materials for long-term rotation of the spinner.

This may not seem like a big deal, but believe me, once you spin your first spinner, you will be surprised at how quickly you will want the spinner to spin faster and longer.

The price of a spinner starts from a dollar. Inexpensive trinkets spin for a couple of minutes. The duration of rotation of serious units (using steel, copper, brass) reaches tens of minutes.

The greater the weight of the product, the faster the bearing works and the device rotates, the louder the sound and vibration. Ceramic and composite bearings vibrate less.

How long does it last

There is no clear answer to the question of how long a spinner lasts. The criteria for long service life depend on the materials used, careful operation, and the absence of mechanical damage. Metal bearings will extend the life of the device for many years.

Those who are skeptical about these toys simply have not tried to twirl them. Once you find “your” device, you won’t want to part with it, the activity is addictive.

Spinner - how to make a homemade spinner from bottle caps

The most necessary spare parts when assembling a spinner from bottle caps are, of course, bottle caps (from 4 to 7 pieces), from one to four bearings (under number 6000RS) and glue. You will also need a knife or a spade/step drill. Sandpaper along with a glue gun will also come in handy.

First you need to get the bearing, which will occupy a central place in the future, remove the anthers from it and wash off the lubricant. The other three bearings can be inserted in their original form into the remaining three side covers. If bearings number 6000RS are used, then to secure them, you may not even need to lubricate their side faces with glue before inserting them inside the side covers (it fits tightly into most of the covers anyway). The lids can be painted (optional).

What you will need

Materials

20 popsicle sticks.
Bearing with dimensions 8 × 22 × 7 mm. Choosing a ceramic bearing, due to its low weight, will help increase the rotation time of the spinner.

Buy a metal bearing on AliExpress for 48 rubles (2 pcs.) →
Buy a ceramic bearing on AliExpress for 93 rubles →

12 coins of 50 kopecks.
4 bolts and nuts of small length and diameter.
2 buttons from denim (can be replaced with pushpins with wide heads).

Tools

Stationery knife.
Universal glue.
A sharp knife or awl.
Sandpaper.
Aerosol paint.
Ruler.

How to make a spinner with your own hands from Lego without a bearing quickly

To make a Lego spinner, you don't need anything other than spare parts from standard Lego sets. The most important thing to remember when assembling a spinning toy is that the spinner should be as balanced as possible. The most important spare parts when assembling a spinner from Lego are: a flat and long Lego cube 2 wide with holes in the middle, a rod, two round and hollow stops for it and round flat cubes for the fingers.

In order to assemble a spinner from Lego, you need to insert a rod into the central hole of a long cube, secure it with stoppers, put round and flat platform cubes on top for your fingers, and then assemble the side “ribs” of the spinner toy so that they are symmetrical and maximally balanced in mass, and their dimensions did not interfere with rotation. Below you can find a step-by-step instruction diagram for assembling spinners (clicking on the diagram will enlarge it). If you can’t figure it out according to plan, just below is a video version of the instructions on assembling a spinner from Lego without glue and bearings.

History of origin

The fidget spinner was invented by American chemical engineer Katherine Hettinger. According to her, the idea of creating anti-stress came to her in Israel. Watching the picture of children throwing stones at the police, she wanted to make a toy that would occupy the thoughts and hands of the boys, freeing their minds from pranks.

According to other sources, the scientist invented an activity for her daughter, with whom she could not spend much time due to illness.

In the 90s, a woman offered her invention to manufacturers, but no one took the patent. Currently, the device is not similar to the previously invented one.

In 2014, businessman Scott McCoskery created a similar product to relieve stress. It represented an iron rotating device. All his friends liked the invention, and in 2016 McCoskery filed a patent for himself.

The product appeared on the Russian market in 2016.

Spinner without glue from Lego video instructions

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“>Spinner - where to buy, how to make it yourself according to the drawing, how much it costs, price, photos, videos and tricks

Bonus

The video instructions below talk about the three easiest ways to make a spinner at home. All of them in one way or another repeat the last three instructions (No. 4, 5 and 6), but in this video you will also find some important tips for making a popular anti-stress toy.

Choose the method that seems most interesting and understandable to you. It’s quite possible to make a spinner with your own hands in 2-3 minutes, or you can get confused and make a toy in a more labor-intensive way. The result will directly depend on your efforts. However, no matter which method you choose, at the end you will definitely get a cool anti-stress toy, which is so popular today.

Key disadvantages of the invention

Marketers sing enthusiastic odes to this bright trinket, but any reasonable consumer should be wary of this:

There is no official scientific evidence of a therapeutic effect for autistic people or those suffering from depression. According to experts, if the effect exists, it is only as a placebo (self-hypnosis);
The calming effect is only possible with slow and careful rotation of the blades. Fast and sudden movements, on the contrary, will set a negative mood and cause aggression;
Schoolchildren who use a fidget spinner in class are seriously distracted from their studies and interfere with the educational process. That is why the accessory, before it became popular, was banned in a number of American schools;
High-quality “turntables” made in the USA or Great Britain cost a lot of money for Russians. Chinese crafts are sometimes ten times cheaper, but the materials used in their production can be harmful to health, especially for children;
There are no known cases of serious injury from a spinner, but there is theoretically a risk of injury to the fingers if it is used incorrectly.

Cool spinner tricks for advanced people

If ordinary tricks are already too boring for you, and you want something exotic, then try adding foreign objects or new people to the action.

You can throw the spinner with your friend using basic movements, but only together.

Or you can do like these guys, shooting with a bow and throwing... a sword... throwing darts at a spinning spinner:

Is it still easy? Then connect your pets to the spinning rod. The main thing is not to pester wild animals, they may not appreciate it

What other tricks can you do with a spinner? Yes, what will come to mind, what people have not already come up with, and I’m sure they will come up with even more. For starters, another video selection with 50 interesting tricks:

What original movements and tricks can you do with a spinner?

Main types of device

Various modifications of spinners are sold on the market, differing in price and features of use:

Metal. In most cases they are made of copper, brass, stainless steel or titanium. The main advantage of such models is their smooth movements and low noise level. This allows you to use the toy anywhere (even at school, which teenagers are well aware of);
Wooden. They cost much less and have a higher rotation speed than metal counterparts. They are distinguished by their low weight and elegant appearance. With proper storage, a long service life is guaranteed;
Plastic. They are often printed on a 3D printer. The most popular variety, due to its low cost, variety of colors and form factors. However, they are quite loud during operation and quickly break down.

These are the three most common product categories. In rare cases, ceramics is used as a raw material (which inevitably affects the price) or a combination of several materials is used.

Who will find it useful?

It is worth noting that when playing with this simple mechanism, you get a certain pleasure that does not dull even with regular use of the toy. Both adults and children can play with this device; the level of positive emotions does not depend on a person’s life expectancy.

An additional factor that makes it clear why a spinner is needed is stress relief. Yes, this simple little device helps cope with the stress that constantly surrounds us.

In addition, the use of such mechanisms is useful for people engaged in mental activity. The tactile sensations of the presence of a toy in your hands allow you to switch, change your occupation.

Many people use a spinner while talking on the phone, when they definitely want to twirl or twirl some object in their hands. It all depends on the habits a person has formed. It will be useful for office workers to stop chewing pencils, breaking off and bending the tendrils of pen caps, unbending paper clips, and switch to rotating a non-standard object.