How to Make a Kinetic Wind Bird

Trace a bird shape onto the thick piece of wood, then cut it out with a jigsaw or other tool capable of cutting curves.

Trace two sets of propellers onto the thin wood. The propellers have a general "8" shape, but you can shape them to look winglike. Each propeller must consist of two wings that connect together at their thick ends, not the tips of the wings. In addition, the wings must face in opposite directions. Cut out the propellers with a jigsaw.

Cut two small, thick wooden blocks. Each block must be small enough to fit neatly into the middle of your propellers. Glue these into the middle of the propellers.

Drill a thin hole that runs through the middle of each propeller and wood block, then drill a thick hole through the body of the bird at the middle, where the wings would be on a real bird. The thick hole must be the same diameter as the metal tubing.

Sand all of the wooden parts.

Paint the bird body and wings. Any outdoor paint is suitable; acrylics are a good choice because they are easy to clean up after painting. Protect your work with a clear spray-on sealer after it has dried.

Insert the metal tube through the body of the bird. It must fit the body exactly without protruding significantly on either side.

Place the propeller wings on either side of the body, blocks facing in. Run a piece of thick wire or very thin metal tubing through each propeller and the body of the bird. Secure each end of the wire by curving it with a pliers. Cut off excess. The wings must be loose enough to move freely on the wire.

Drill a hole into the bottom of the bird body, add glue, then insert the dowel rod. This creates a stand for you to put the bird in the ground or attach it to other objects.