Clay Pot Wind Chimes

Recycled Clay Pot Wind Chimes

Approximate Time: 1 hour or less (drying time of paint)

Supplies:

• piece of wood any length (this one is 12 inches)
• Drill with smaller drill bit to drill your holes in the wood to hang it and to add your clay pots)
• amount of clay pots you desire (get the ones with holes in the bottoms already)
• nylon cording to hang your pots
• acrylic paints of your choice to paint your theme
• paint brushes various sizes
• washers to add to the bottoms to create the chimes sound (clay pots will also create a separate sound as well when they hit)
• clear spray paint to protect your finished piece after your done with your design and it has dried)
• Sailboat theme paint colors are: 2 tones of blue sky blue for sky /slate blue for the ocean water level line/flesh for the sand/white for the waves break around the sailboats bottom and on the shoreline/gray and white for the seagulls flying/ any color for sailboat but I used gray for the boat and mask pole then white for the sails/red & white for the washers to look like life preservers
• water to thin out your paints to give a muted hazy effect
• old newspapers to lay your items on to paint and use as a paint pallet for your paints colors to easily reach

Instructions:

So simple to make and both pretty to see when it's done as well as the lovely sounds both the pots & washers will make.

1. Start by drilling two holes in the top of your wood piece about 1/4 way in on each side so you can attach your string here for hanging. For my sailboat theme I let my knots be tied on the front side to be revealed giving it more of a sea fairing look.

2. Drill your holes desired in the bottom side of the wood going by the number of pots you will use. Here I used 3 so my holes were spaced out in the center.

3. Paint your scene on the wood and clay pots turned upside down then let dry. Anyone can paint this sailboat scene, the next few directions discuss how to do it.
4. Using a medium sized soft paintbrush wet it first then wipe off with old rag then put out a quarter size or less amount of each color paints on a piece of newspaper. Starting at the top of the wood first use the lightest blue just a bit in your brush and just paint across the first top 1/4 of your wood in a wave motion until you have your sky
5. Then rinse your brush and wipe it almost dry on your rag and do the same thing using your 2nd darker blue color which will create your ocean water line on the 1/2 of your wood across which creates your deepest water.
6. Take the gray color for your sailboat paint on a smile like shape on the darkest water line and paint on a line up the center of the boat for your mast.
7. Paint your sail doing the same smile shape on one side of the mast pole but paint it on vertically. Take the white of your paint brushes end just tab on in a light punching method some white paint around the bottom edges of the boat and across the darkest water line horizontally which will create your water break on the ocean.
8. For painting on seagulls, use a thin liner brush and paint on v shapes in 2 or 3 tiny sizes far apart then go over again just lightly on the edges with white paint still using your liner brush and this will create the wings color of your seagulls.
9. If you desire to carry the same theme onto your clay pots you do the same thing but next to the last bottom edge of the pot will be flesh color paint for the sand beach line then I added the blue below it as water rushing up into the sand.
10. The washer for life preservers will be painted white then just paint on red every other area in a curved on way. Let all dry then spray with 2 coats clear spray paint to seal it.
11. The nylon string will be different lengths that you decide. You just want your clay pots and washers to barely over lap while hanging beside each other so when the wind hits them they will touch and create sounds.
12. Put your nylon string through the clay pots after you get the distance you desire and tie off knots underneath them. That way they stay in place.
13. Then extend your string on down and tie on your washers. Usually I would of used fishing line in most of my projects but this being a sea theme the white nylon string look best and the more knots you tie in the strings the better they fit into this particular theme.

Hang and Enjoy.

By Julie from Tenn

Clay Pot Wind Chime

Ingredients:

• small terra cotta rose pot
• 3/4" thick dowel
• hemp
• 3 small rubber bands
• glue
• hot glue (optional)
• paint

Optional Ingredients:

• Décor like buttons, wood cut outs, feathers, stickers, etc.
• Decorate your flowerpot. You can paint it, glue pieces on it, etc.

Directions:

Cut your dowel into one piece that will fit horizontally into the pot, so that it will fit 1/2" from the outer rim of the pot. The measurement will be based on your terra cotta pot, as measurements sometimes vary. Then cut two 4 inch pieces from the dowel and one 6 inch piece. These will be your chimes.

Take your hemp and cut 6 pieces of hemp 12" each. Take your rubber band and wrap it tightly around one end of the long dowel. Do this for the other two. Then take two pieces of the hemp and knot one end of each under the rubber band to the dowel. Do this for each of the dowels. Place some glue on the knots. It is okay it they are not perfectly tight. The rubber band is there to keep the dowel from slipping out of the knot. Then take the other end of the hemp and tie it to the small dowel that will be going into the flowerpot. The "chime" should look like a puppet hanging down from the dowel. Do the same for the other two "chimes." Remember to glue the knots to help keep them fastened.

Then take a very long string of hemp and tie it around the two strings holding the dowel toward the "chime." Wrap the string around and around the two pieces of hemp. This forms what looks like one piece of hemp. When you get to the other end, tie a knot around the string, and then tie another knot around the dowel.

With all of the "chimes" tied to the small dowel, go ahead and glue the small dowel into the flowerpot. You can use hot glue or regular glue. Take another 16 inch piece of hemp and tie both ends to the small dowel. You will string the hemp through the hole in the flower pot and use it for hanging. This is why you can use either type of glue, because when you hang the wind chimes, the dowel will be fastened inside the pot.

By Kelli Mahoney