Learn how to make an inexpensive DIY tumbler turner in two different ways — the low tech super cheap method of a cardboard box and PVC pipes, or the still inexpensive rotisserie turner method! Both are easy ways to make cup turners for your glitter tumblers!
I just made a batch of super pretty glitter tumblers (check out the post to see the full process!). I’m already getting questions about the exact methods we used to create our two tumbler turners (also known as cup turners), so this tutorial shows you exactly how we made them. The low-tech cardboard tumbler turner was less than $10 and the rotisserie tumbler turner was about $35.
See the tumbler turners in action in this step-by-step video below:
So let me show you how to make these tumbler turners! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.
Materials for DIY Glitter Tumbler Turners
Cardboard (Unpowered) Tumbler Turner Method:
- Cardboard box
- 3/4″ PVC pipes
- PVC couplers (optional)
- Small foam football rockets from the dollar store (or a styrofoam insert like this one)
- Duct tape
Rotisserie Turner (Powered) Tumbler Turner Method:
- Universal Rotisserie Kit for Grills (we used this exact one) — my rotisserie turner is 2 RPM
- A piece of scrap wood about 6″ x 14″
- Screws
- Duct tape
- Small foam football (or a styrofoam insert like this one)Tip: If you don’t want to make a powered tumbler turner yourself, you can buy them here but note that they aren’t always in stock)
How to Make the DIY Tumbler Turner Wands
Your first step is to make the “wands” for your tumblers or cups. You’ll use these for either DIY tumbler turner. Here’s how we did it:
Buy some foam football rockets from the dollar store. The kinds with these tails (the “rockets”) work best. If you can’t find those, get the normal kind and cut out a hole.
Remove the fins from the tail of the foam football rocket. They will tear right off.
Now cut some PVC pipe to at least 18″ long, or longer if you want to make them double-ended (more like 30″). I recommend having them be double-ended so they are balanced. But if you want each wand to be separate, you can cut them shorter and use PVC couplings to join them as we have.
Insert the tail of the foam football into the PVC pipe.
Now just duct tape the pipe to the football to keep it in place.
We made six of these for our cardboard tumbler turner!
How to Make a Cardboard (Unpowered) DIY Tumbler Turner
Find yourself a cardboard box that is short and wide, then cut off the top. Ours is about 3 feet long by 1 foot wide by 1 foot high. A 1′ x 1′ x 1′ box (or thereabouts) would be fine if you plan to have just two wands.
This is what our box looked like with the top cut off.
Mark the spot you’d like your wands to go into the box. You’ll probably want them in the middle so they aren’t too low or too high.
Now cut out the hole with a knife.
Insert your tumbler turner wand you already made into the hole, push it through to the other side of the box, and mark the spot again. Take special care to keep your pipe level.
We decided we wanted our wands to be removable, so we joined two with a coupler.
So here’s what that looks like in our DIY tumbler turner:
And here’s me using the DIY tumbler turner with six tumblers at once!
In retrospect, it would have been better if the box had been a bit shorter — 30″ would have been fine for six tumblers. But we used what we had!
How to Make a Rotisserie Turner (Powered) Tumbler Turner
If you’d like to make a wand that attaches right to the rotisserie, here’s how to do that:
Here’s what you’ll need to make your DIY tumbler turner with power!
If you make your own tumbler turner, please share a photo in our Amazing Cricut Facebook group, email it to me at [email protected], or tag me on social media with #makershowandtell.
Love,
Want to remember this? Save the DIY Tumbler Turner Tutorial to Your Favorite DIY Pinterest Board!
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