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Crafts With Anemometers

Anemometers are devices used to measure wind speed. There are very high-end versions as well as very simple versions that can be made at home. A basic anemometer has cups that capture the wind and spin, allowing someone to measure wind velocity as each cup passes a certain designated point. Its simplicity lends it to many different types of crafts, from decorating the anemometer to making a larger scale project with them.

Decorative
- Decorative arts are a very good way to do a craft with anemometers. You can make an anemometer at home with paper cups, a pencil, and two small sticks. However, a more complex craft project can use different materials and make a more intricately designed version. Instead of paper cups, try using plastic Easter eggs, lightweight aluminum cups, or very lightweight bowls like bamboo. Anything that is light enough to spin freely could be used as a decorative cup, enhancing the look of your anemometer. There is more room for creative expression in the "barrel" of the device upon which the cups spin, which can be as simple as a pencil, or as complex as a carved log. One possible craft is to make them all from carved wood, giving a distinct aesthetic. Another approach is to use lightweight plastic cups in varying or the same colors, and mount them on a plastic or PVC barrel. Or, you can paint the anemometer.
Landscape
- Depending on where the wind blows in your area, a yard or outdoor area can be "landscaped" with anemometers by placing them in different locations. This creates a unique design and down-to-earth landscape aesthetic. Try placing a group of similarly designed anemometers on each corner of your house, or on different edges of your roof so they spin in unison. Or, group several at various points in an outdoor space to add energy and movement to a landscape.
Costume
- Anemometers can be quite lightweight and a unique use of them is to make a costume featuring an anemometer. For example, a helmet outfitted with an anemometer or two portable ones carried in each hand would make a good meteorologist, scientist, inventor or space alien costume. A more fantasy-type costume could incorporate several anemometers into a mythological creature or wizard costume.
Recycling
- Using recycled materials to make an anemometer is a great craft for a family, class or other group. Using plastic soda bottles, aluminum cans, string, wood, and other recycled materials to construct the anemometer combines science and art crafts. For example, you can cut soda bottles in half, make the anemometer, and then decorate them. Or, you can make a series of identical anemometers for a yard from the same type of material, which is a nice visual effect.

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