23 DIY Windmill Ideas-Learn How To Make a Windmill Cheap

A DIY windmill can provide you with free energy anywhere you might be and is ideal for an off-grid location. The following 23 DIY ideas will show you how to make a windmill that can produce large or small amounts of energy to meet whatever energy needs you have.

DIY windmills are very simple to construct and if you can turn a wrench and operate a drill, then you have enough skills to build a homemade windmill. A windmill generator harness the power of the wind to create electrical power and depending on the size of the windmill can supply part or all of the energy you need.

Check out these 23 DIY windmill ideas and discover how you can save money and have all the electrical energy you need without having to spend a lot of money.

You may also like to read my other relevant and interesting articles such as: diy wind turbine,

DIY solar panels, diy solar water heaters, diy solar pool heaters, diy solar generators, diy solar ovens, and off grid washing machines.

1- DIY Windmill Redo

Windmills are exposed to all the weather elements year-round and sometimes they need a redo to keep them in good working order. This YouTube video will show you an easy and cheap DIY windmill redo to keep your windmill turning smoothly.

Whether your windmill is decorative or functional, it will need a little maintenance every few years. Might as well give it a face lift with some new sails and a coat of paint while you’re at it.

To make this diy windmill, use leftover parts, like metal duct work, metal rods and PVC pipe to update the diy windmill and the redo will cost you almost nothing. DIY windmills are constructed with minimal parts, so saving leftovers from other DIY projects will soon add up to enough components to redo and update an old windmill.

Reusing, recycling, repurposing, and redoing are at the heart of most DIY projects. It’s all about creating what you need with what you have to save money and be kind to our planet.

2- Wind Turbine

This is a great project for a school science fair and it’s cheap to build. Watch this YouTube video to discover how to build your own wind turbine using PVC pipe.

Take small sections of PVC pipe, cut in half and attached to the ends of the blades to catch the wind. As the sails begin to turn, they will increase in speed and generate electricity. Very simple principle and an easy DIY project that can be increased in size for use on an off-grid homestead.

Anywhere you need to generate free electricity, this powerful PVC wind turbine can do it.

3- Deck Sized Windmill

This stylish wooden windmill is small enough to fit on your back deck. It adds decor and keeps the air circulating while you enjoy sitting outdoors.

The wooden tower is crafted in an octagon shape and has a double set of sails that allow the windmill to swivel and turn with the wind. A great addition to any backyard deck!

This video and written instructions will take you through the building process with ease. The extra airflow created by this homemade windmill will also help keep the mosquitoes and flies away so you can enjoy your outdoor space without fear of bug bites.

Get this diy windmill project at Instructables

4- DIY Dutch Style Windmill

Popsicle sticks, craft sticks, and wooden dowels are some of the main building components for this DIY windmill. Learn how to make a windmill that looks like a miniature version of the traditional Dutch windmills and is powered by a wind turbine.

This is a fun DIY project that will teach students several lessons about generating electrical energy. A wind turbine will be constructed along with the Dutch windmill and a solar panel is used in this design.

This would make a fun project to build and place in the garden. The popsicle sticks are easy to paint and this wind-powered Dutch windmill would make an attractive piece of outdoor decor.

Get this diy windmill project at Instructables

5- Cardboard Windmill Project

Students can learn how to build a small wind turbine cardboard and glue. The result of this cardboard windmill project will provide enough power to run a small LED light bulb.

It’s easy to construct and this idea takes the design one step beyond building the cheap windmill, but also a small scale house is created with cardboard with an LED light inside. This DIY project provides detailed instructions for creating a visual display of how a windmill works as an alternative energy source.

6- Homemade Wind Generator

Watch this detailed video to discover how that bicycle repair shop owners created a homemade wind generator to provide electricity to their off-grid shop.

When you want to create something useful in a location where electricity is not provided, you may have to create a way to generate your own electricity. A homemade wind generator like this one will do the job nicely.

This DIY windmill can generate enough electricity to provide lighting and power electronics for the workers while they repair bicycles. The extra energy is stored in batteries for use on days when the wind may not be blowing enough to turn the sails.

Nothing is wasted, not the excess power not the salvaged components used to build the windmill. Use this idea to recycle and repurpose old material into a homemade wind generator for yourself.

Get this diy windmill project at dw.com

7- Table Fan DIY Windmill

Learn how to make a windmill from an old table fan with this idea. The finished windmill will produce 24 volts AC at a couple hundred milliamps but more power can be generated by using a more powerful magnet.

These pictorial instructions are easy to follow and give you advice for using a box fan instead of a table fan to generate more power.  This is a great way to recycle an old fan or two and generate enough free power to keep an off-grid lifestyle well-powered and comfortable.

Get this diy windmill project at The Do It Yourself World

8- Printer Parts DIY Windmill

This is a great way to recycle parts from an old printer to make something new and usable. This homemade windmill can generate enough power to charge your electronics and will produce a steady 5V 1A output on a breezy day.

Learn how to harness the power of the wind with recycled parts by watching this instructional video. Great for an off-grid fishing or hunting cabin when all the energy needed is for charging a phone and iPad.

Get this diy windmill project at Tree Hugger

9- Printable DIY Windmill Template

Create an attractive and functional DIY windmill with this easy to use template. Teaching students how to make a windmill couldn’t get any easier than this free template can make the project to be.

Making a craft at home or in the classroom not only entertains kids but also teaches them how stuff works.This template idea also promotes using different blade angles and the number of blades to discover the amount of energy output is changed.

This idea is more than just a windmill template, it’s a valuable learning experience for kids. Get your template printed today so you can start this fun learning project.

Get this diy windmill project at Adventure-In-A-Box

10- Small DIY Windmill

This YouTube video will provide you detailed instructions for constructing a small wind-powered generator. The generator is small, easy to build and ideal for providing electrical energy for outdoor lighting or other small-scale power needs.

11- DIY Mini Windmill

This is a great project for a school class that is learning about alternative energy sources. This YouTube video contains step by step instructions for building a mini windmill that is functional and can provide a few watts of power for lighting.

12- Working Cardboard DIY Windmill

Here is another cheap idea for building a windmill as a school science project, and it’s made from cardboard.

This idea for a cardboard windmill comes with downloadable PDF instructions so it’s very easy to follow during construction. Minimal building materials are needed so it’s very cheap to build.

Get this diy windmill project at paksc.com

13- DIY Small Windmill

This is a good place to start if you have never built a windmill before. The instructions are clear, easy to follow and the homemade windmill needs very components to build.

This is a great DIY project for the novice builder and the finished windmill will produce enough power to recharge a rechargeable battery.

Get this diy windmill project at Newphysicist.com

14- Minute DIY Windmill

This idea will show you how to create a homemade windmill cheaply and in just 10 minutes using an old computer fan.

A fan removed from a non-working computer can be the main component in a mini homemade wind turbine that will generate enough power to light a small LED light bulb.

Get this diy windmill project at Instructables

15- DIY Mini Windmill Craft

Here is a YouTube video that will show you how to construct a mini windmill craft that is both fun and educational for kids. The windmill works and makes an ideal science project for the classroom.

No cutting or large tools required, which is another plus for building a DIY windmill with kids. The components for this building project are inexpensive and you may already have them laying around.

16- DIY Miniature Windmill

Wind power is quickly becoming the desired energy source. It’s clean, free, renewable and available to everyone, everywhere. No matter where you live it’s possible to have a consistent source of electricity that won’t cost you anything after the initial investment of building materials for a wind turbine.

Learning how to build a miniature DIY windmill cheaply and discovering how it works to create energy through wind power can provide you with the know-how for building a larger scale wind turbine for your homestead.

Get this diy windmill project at Popular Mechanics

17- Garage Sale DIY Windmill

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and you may find building materials for a DIY windmill at a garage sale like the maker of this YouTube video did.

Watch and learn how to transform garage sale finds into a usable windmill that can produce enough watts to meet the electrical needs of an off-grid cabin.

18- DIY One Pound Windmill

This idea is for a portable windmill that only weighs one pound and is easy to carry with you into the back-country.

When camping, hiking, hunting, or fishing, you still need to stay connected to loved ones but finding an electric outlet to recharge your cell phone is not easy in the back-country. Change that by building this DIY windmill that weighs only one pound and is easy to carry with you in a backpack.

Just a light breeze will be enough for this small windmill to generate enough power to recharge a cell phone and other small electronics.

Get this diy windmill project at Instructables

19- Wooden Windmill Base

Watch this YouTube video to learn how to build a windmill base from a few peices of wood. This is a great way to use some leftover 2×4‘s or similar pieces of wood and create an attractive wooden windmill for your garden.

For this DIY build, the sail was recycled from another windmill and updated with a good cleaning and painting. All that was needed was a solid base to mount the sail on. Used sails can often be found at flea markets or thrift shops very cheap and a wooden base like this one is cheap to build.

This would make a nice addition to the front yard, garden area, or anywhere else that you want a windmill. The height can be customized to fit into your outdoor space.

20- Windmill Water Pump

A windmill water pump is a cheap, efficient, and low maintenance way to get fresh water out of the ground for use on your homestead.

As the sails of the DIY windmill turn, water is pumped up and out of the ground for your use. This YouTube video will show you how to build a cheap and functional windmill water pump for your off-grid homestead or camp site. No more buying fresh water or hauling it in from the closest water source, you can have fresh water right in your own yard by using wind power to draw it up from below the ground.

The fresh water will be available even in the winter when other water sources are frozen.

21- Ductwork Pipe Blades

This YouTube video will show you how to use what you have on hand to create something new – like ductwork pipe blades for a DIY windmill.

The base of the windmill is a simple wooden structure that is several feet tall but you can build a DIY to a customized height. The blades of the sail are created from metal ductwork pipes in this instructional video but other similar materials can be used.

By using what you have on hand you can build a DIY windmill generator like this one very cheap. Use the windmill to pump water, generate electricity, or increase the air circulation around your home and garden.

22- Energy Generating Windmill

With the uncertainty of the economy and high cost of electricity, people are looking for alternative ways to power their homes. We all want electricity to power our appliances, electronics and to give us light but we also want to be eco-friendly and budget friendly.

This energy generating DIY windmill is cheap to build and will provide free electricity to your home. The use of inexpensive, lightweight PVC pipe and recycle wood material keeps the cost low and electricity output high. This little energy generating windmill can help reduce your electrical consumption and lower your monthly bill.

Ideal to build as a school science project or for use at an off-grid homestead. Watch this YouTube video and learn how to make one for yourself.

23- Straw and Fabric DIY Windmill

This miniature wind turbine is made of drinking straws and fabric. The straws are used to create the frame of the windmill blades and then covered with lightweight fabric that can easily turn in the breeze.

This idea will show you how to create a cheap and functional wind generator that will produce enough electrical energy to power an indoor or outdoor light. This will make a great school project for a science class and inspire students to create a larger scale wind turbine that can generate more energy.

Get this diy windmill project at Instructables