How to Make a Prize Wheel

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Last Updated: July 5, 2024 Fact Checked

A prize wheel, like the one used in the popular game show Wheel of Fortune, is a round wheel that you can spin to determine what you win—or lose! You can use prize wheels at carnivals, festivals, or parties. Making a prize wheel requires some basic knowledge of woodworking as well as some special tools and materials, so you may need to advance your skills and develop your inventory a bit before you can get started.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Making the Wheel

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1
Create or purchase a plywood round. You can cut a circle out of a ¾ in thick piece of plywood or you can also purchase a plywood round at most home improvement stores. You will need a three-foot (90cm) round with a thickness of 3/4-inch to 1 inch (2cm to 2.5cm) is ideal. The round should be big enough to develop some momentum, and still small enough to carry around.
- If you decide to make the round yourself, then draw a line from one corner of the plywood to the other. Then, draw a line between the other two corners. The central “X” that these two lines create can serve as your center point for cutting out your wheel.
- You can cut out your wheel using a straight bit with end cutters that you attach to the center of your plywood. Make sure that you go slowly as you cut out the round.
2
Sand the round. After you have created or purchased your round of plywood, sand it well to ensure that there are no rough edges on the side you will be painting or on the outer edges of the wheel. You can either use a power sander or sand the wheel by hand.
- When sanding wood, it is best to start with a coarser grit and then move up to a finer grit to get rid of minor imperfections.
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3
Measure and mark the wheel wedges. After you have sanded the round, you can begin measuring and dividing the wheel into wedge segments. Just place a small pencil mark to designate the space for each wedge. Then, draw a small circle between each of the lines about an inch or two from the outer edge of each wedge. These circles will be where you will drill holes for the spinner nails.
- Use a protractor to get more accurate measurements.
- If you want, you can adjust the shape of the pie wedges, making some larger, and some smaller. Larger slices will have a bigger chance of winning, and smaller slices will have a smaller chance of winning!
You will not be adding the spinner nails yet, but you will need to drill holes so that you will know where to put them when it is time. Drill into the spots you marked, but do not go all the way through the wood. Only drill a hole that goes about 1/3 of the way in.
5
Create a template. Before you connect your wheel to the base with your lazy Susan, you will need to use the lazy Susan to create a template. This template will help you to determine where to drill holes on your wheel and base.^{[1]
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- Get a piece of plain white paper and place the lazy Susan on the paper.
- Then, turn the lazy Suzan so that it looks like two squares overlapping each other at different angles. You should see eight points instead of four.
- Trace the outer edges of the lazy Susan and create a dot for each of the holes as well as the center point of the inner circle.
After you have created the template, use it as a guide to drill holes through the spots you have marked on the wheel and the large piece that you will be using for your base. You can screw the wheel onto the base to make sure that it works, or do this later. Just keep in mind that you will need to remove the screws to paint your wheel and base.^{[2]
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7
Decorate the wheel. Paint the wedge sections different colors, or alternating colors, or any color scheme that suits your fancy. You can use a large piece of butcher paper and some tape to make it easier to paint the sections. ^{[3]
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- Cut a wedge out of the butcher paper in the desired size and then use masking tape to tape it onto the wheel. Then, apply spray paint or apply paint with a brush. Allow each segment to dry before you start a new one.
8
Mark each section with a certain prize or number. Depending on how you plan to sue the wheel, you will need to assign a prize or number to each wedge. For example, if you plan to use the wheel for a raffle, then you might assign a different number to each wedge. Or, if you plan to give away certain prizes with the wheel, then you might attach a picture of a different prize to each wedge. ^{[4]
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- You can either glue numbers or prize images onto the wheel or draw/paint them on. It is up to you!
9
Add nails. Next, you will need to add a nail to each wedge. The nails are necessary for stopping the spinner. Do not nail the nails in all the way, most of the nails should be sticking out of the wheel. However, make sure that the nails are secure.
- After you add the nails, you can paint the tops of the nails if you like. Try painting the tops of the nails white or gold to add some contrast to the wheel.^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Making the Base

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It should be about an inch (2.5cm) thick, and as wide, or wider than the round. For our example, using a 3-foot (90cm) round, you'd want a base that's approximately three or four feet (90-120cm) wide. Make sure it's deep enough to be able to support the weight of the round (plus the force used when spinning the wheel). Anywhere from 20 inches (50cm) to three feet (90cm) is good.
It should be 3/4-inch to 1-inch (1-2cm) thick, and at least a foot (30cm) longer than the round's diameter. For example, for a three-foot round, the backing should be at least four feet tall, and the same width as the base.
3
Build the base. Draw a straight line across the bottom of the base, perpendicular to the long edge and about two-thirds of the way from one side to the other. Draw another matching line across the top. (This offset will keep the spinning wheel unit from tipping over when you spin vigorously).
- Drill four guide holes across that line using a 1/16th-inch bit. Measure the distance between the edge of the base and the first hole and last hole. Make the same measurements on the bottom of the backing piece, and drill guide holes there too.
- Draw a bead of glue along the top line, place the backing perpendicular to the base, and using a wood screw that's at least twice the thickness of the base, screw the two pieces together.
- Use your drill bit through the base to set guide holes for the middle two holes, and then insert those two last screws. Tighten up all the screws, then let the base dry for 24 hours.
4
Decorate the backdrop. When everything has dried and set, decorate the backdrop as you desire. You might just want to paint it all one color, such as black or brown, so that the wheel will be the center of attention. Make sure that you let the paint dry completely before you attach the wheel to the base.^{[6]
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- Try using only primary colors or arrange the colors like a rainbow: blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and purple.^{[7]
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5
Attach the wheel and base with the lazy Susan bearing. After you have completed the wheel and the base, then you can connect them with the lazy Susan bearing. Drill through the holes that you have already created to connect the two pieces.^{[8]
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- Make sure that the lazy Susan bearing is well lubricated before you attach it or it may not spin well. Spray some WD-40 on it if necessary.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Making the Flapper

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1
Make an arrowhead and two square wedges. To complete your wheel, you will need to create a flapper. When you spin the wheel, the flapper will slow down the wheel gradually until it stops. You can make a flapper by creating an arrowhead shape and a couple of square wood pieces about twice the size of the arrowhead.^{[9]
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- You can use a piece of plywood that is the same thickness as your wheel to make these pieces.
- When you create the arrowhead shape, cut three notches into it. Cut two notches on each side of the arrowhead base and one notch on the bottom of the arrow. Make each notch about ½” to 1” deep. Cut one ½” to 1” deep notch into the side of one of your square pieces as well.
- Paint the wood pieces however you want. You may want to paint these all one color, such as black, or brown, or white. Allow the pieces to dry completely before you go on to the next step.
2
Cut up a soda bottle. Rinse out an empty two liter soda bottle and then cut it into two strips about one inch wide and four inches long. One of these strips will go into the notches on either side of the arrowhead to cover the pointed end. You can attach this piece now.^{[10]
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- The other strip will go into the bottom of the arrowhead to connect it to the base, but do not attach it yet.
3
Attach the flapper to the base. Next you will need to put everything together and attach your flapper to the base. Start by drilling the square without a notch onto the top left corner of the base. Then, drill the square that has a notch onto the top of this square. Make sure that the notch is pointing down towards the wheel.^{[11]
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- Then, insert the soda bottle piece into the square notch and insert the other end into the bottom of your arrowhead.
After you connect your flapper, you can give your wheel a test spin to see how it works. Spin it gently the first few times to ensure that it is sturdy. If your wheel seems wobbly in any way, stop it from spinning. You may need to check the screws and reinforce the wheel in some places.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Rules When Playing

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Rules to have when people play your game help make the game more exciting and remove any squabbles about winnings.

You can figure this out by taking the cost of making the wheel and buying the prizes, the number of people who are going to play (this can be an estimate), and the probability of people winning the grand prize.
People sometimes "get into a groove" and start to win prizes by the boatload. To prevent this, designate a number of times a person can spin the wheel.

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Question

The wheel in the video doesn't look to be 3 ft around. Did you make it smaller in this video? Three feet seems huge.

Gabrielle Levick

Community Answer

They can be all different sizes. As long as they serve the purpose of a prize wheel, size doesn't matter!

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Considering that lazy susan hardware is designed for vertical downward pressure, should I expect any difficulties spinning when it's on its side?

Diamy Wang

Community Answer

I should think so. Lazy susans are designed to be laid flat, so if you tried to spin it on its side, I'd assume the front would sag or the wheel spin would be uneven.

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Is there any way I can make it out of cardboard?

Community Answer

Yes, but you might need to use a few layers of cardboard, to make it sturdy enough.

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Warnings

Observe all safety precautions when using the drill and other equipment and keep machinery well away from smaller children.

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