Crazy Colorful Ferris Wheel

By: Cindy Kennedy

If you aren't sure what to do with that extra PVC pipe, consider creating a whimsical creative project like this one. Kids and adults alike will love the look of this Crazy Colorful Ferris Wheel - make one for your next party or place it in a living room. The eye-popping color and unexpected materials make this project a real gem. Dip into your stash of nuts and bolts to put the piece together - it takes less time to complete then you might imagine. Add little plastic baskets to your ferris wheel for a true-to-life feel and delightful personal touch. Our church Vacation Bible School theme was amusement-park inspired, so we needed a ferris wheel for decoration. From plywood, the circle was made to use to shape the PVC pipe which was a bit difficult to bend, even with the heat gun. Too much pressure, and it bends leaving a fold; too little pressure and it doesn't curve. Use patience. Plywood, PVC joints and pipes, threaded rods, washers and bolts, cheap plastic baskets, and Krylon Fusion spray paint add up to one ferris wheel to complete the set for Vacation Bible School.

Primary TechniquePainting

Intermediate

Materials:

Multiple pieces & sizes of PVC pipe & joints
Rods
Washers & nuts
Cheap, plastic baskets from dollar area of discount retail store
2 sheets of plywood
Screws
Pipe clamps

Instructions:

Shape PVC by heating (my husband used a heat gun) and bending it (he used a circle cut from plywood sheets to get the shape, then used the scrap from those sheets to make the smaller circles that cover the center where the spokes come together).
Connect PVC pipe with PVC joints and attach "spokes" to plywood circles using metal pipe clamps to hold them on the back of the plywood circle. (My husband did this part, too. The clamps are strips of metal that clamp a pipe to a wooden surface. Make sure to use wood screws that aren't too long--you do not want them to show through the plywood, although if they do, the Krylon will cover them.
Paint PVC pipe and plywood circles with Krylon because it sticks to PVC (and covers all that print on the pipes--although 2 coats may be needed on very dark lettering, especially if you use white, like I did) and to wood.
Spray a little Krylon Fusion spray paint into the cap and use a brush to do the decorative painting, if desired. Use a utility knife to cut out a square on the front side of each little basket, then use the desired colors on the cheap little plastic baskets if they weren't the right colors (mine weren't). Allow plenty of time to dry before touching, especially if the weather is humid.
Use for decoration only. Do not leave children or pets unattended around the ferris wheel or there may be disastrous results. Don't ask how I know. I just know.