How to Mark Metal Whirligigs

Whirligigs are a form of lawn ornament that have one or more rotating elements driven by small sails that catch the wind like a pinwheel. Most whirligigs are simply decorated in a way that makes their whirling sails attractive. You can decorate the sails of a metal whirligig with the traditional art of metal punching, using a hammer and nail to mark a simple design.

Pencil
Paper
Masking tape
Metal whirligig
Cardboard
Hammer
Nail

Instructions

- 1
  Draw or trace a simple drawing of the pattern with which you want to decorate your whirligig onto a piece of paper.
- 2
  Tape the paper to the metal surface on the whirligig that you want to decorate. Lay the metal onto a surface covered with a layer of cardboard.
- 3
  Line the point of the nail up with a point on the drawing, then tap the head of the nail gently with the hammer to dent the metal.
- 4
  Move the point of the nail 1/4 inch along the drawing and make another dent in the metal. Continue tapping dents along the lines until you have traced out the whole design.

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