Making Wind Chimes

Recycled Garden Wind Chimes

Left over garden tools hanging from a garden decor candle holder. It probably didn't take me an hour to make this but searching for the pieces and figuring out how to place them did.

Supplies:

• broken tools
• weather resistant string/twine
• a stick or something to hang it all from
• your creativity

By Melissa M. from MI

Recycled Wind Clackers

Perfect decoration for your clothes line!

Supplies:

• peanut butter lid
• drill
• liquid laundry detergent caps
• ring (plastic vitamin cap)
• string
• bells
• beads

Directions:

1. Drill four holes around the edge of the lid of a peanut butter jar.
2. Drill a hole in the center of four liquid laundry detergent caps.
3. Loop two pieces of string (folded in half) through something shaped like a ring (I used a portion of a vitamin bottle cap for my hanging ring) and knot about 3 inches down.
4. Thread each string through the peanut butter jar lid, knotting on the underside.
5. Thread each strand through one laundry detergent cap and knot on the inside.
6. I knotted the ends with a jingle bell to give my wind clacker an interesting sound.
7. You can also drill a hole in the middle of the peanut butter jar lid like I did. Use a bead to anchor the middle string or knot it before threading it through the hole.
8. Tie another bead or something else to the end of the middle string to give it a little weight. I tied a couple of jingle bells from the middle string also.

By Laura from Long Beach, CA

Recycled Moroccan Windchime

I made this with mostly recycled items. Most of this you can find in your local thrift store. I used an old brass tea pot, old brass plate, and used planter. I then found some old plastic beads that my daughter had in a tin when she was little. I bought some old vintage mismatched silverware at an estate sale and went to Lowe's and bought a metal pipe.

I painted the pipe black with a cheap can of spray paint and drilled holes all the way through the top and bottom of the pipe. I then took a drill and drilled holes in the brass plate and ran a screw to hold the tea pot onto the plate. I drilled tiny holes around the base of the plate and through the silverware. I then strung brass wire through beads, silverware, and pipe. I added prisms here and there for interest.

This was a fun project using any type of recycled items. It helps to have some kind of power tool experience.

By Cathy from Stanwood, WA

Making Wind Chimes

Tips and ideas for making your own wind chimes.

Making Wind Chimes

I use all sizes of natural wreaths as wind chimes. Going to a thrift store or yard sale, I look for the wreaths and gold dinner ware, or any unusual utensil. I drill holes in the dinner ware and using fishing line, tie them on the wreaths. The wreaths are level, which sometimes I use leather strands to make a "hanger" or I keep using the fishing line.

There are so many ways to make wind chimes. I use colorful beads, odd chime tubes, one inch tiles that are glued to a one inch piece of wood. Dig through your jewelry box. Those old pearl earrings could possibly be a piece to a wind chime.

By Tina Harrell

Sea Shell Wind Chime

A set of seashell wind chimes is a great reminder of a summer vacation at the shore. Kids and adults love to collect shells, and here's something creative to do with them!

View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf359973.tip.html

Clay Pot Wind Chime

We all love wind chimes. Me? I love the sound of wooden wind chimes. And this project allows you to have fun with your kids and create a chime made out of simple items. The end result is something to be proud of and looks great hanging out on the patio.

View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf409545.tip.html

Silverware Wind Chimes

Use old silver silverware for the best "sounds", and usually they are more ornamental than what you find in a dollar store or such.

View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf515101.tip.html

What have you used to make your own wind chimes? Post your ideas below.

Craft Project: Bucket Wind Chimes

Make use of old tin buckets and turn them into wind chimes. When the large chimes I bought broke from the wood ring on top that had rotted from the winter weather, I used my tin buckets as the base and bonger to give them new life and a prettier look.

I turned my buckets upside down to keep water drained out and love the look, but you could easily keep them upright and follow the same directions and even fill the bucket with soil and flowers planted in it to hang over and look beautiful too.

Approximate Time: 1 hour or less (drying time of painted design if desired)

Supplies:

• Large Tin Bucket (for your top base)
• old chimes or any chimes make from pipes/brass tubes/metal tubes etc)
• smaller tin bucket as your bonger
• fishing line or nylon string to hang the chimes and buckets
• wooden scrape as the spinner
• tiny bolts (to use to secure your strings for hanging)
• nail to hammer the holes in the buckets
• hammer
• paints of choice to paint a design theme on your buckets and spinner
• assorted brushes to paint with
• clear spary paint as finished sealer

Instructions:

Note: If you are painting your buckets and spinner do that first. Let them dry completely then add 2 coats clear spray paint as a sealer. Then put all together with instructions that follow.

1. Take your largest bucket, turn it up side down and using your nail as your hole maker hammer holes in the buckets bottom (this will be your top of the bucket for hanging). Hammer in 3 holes with 2 located directly across from each other (for the nylon string to hang the bucket, the hole in the center is for the spinner to hang from.)

2. Then hammer 4 holes in the bottom side of the bucket while it is still in the upside down position evenly spaced out in 4 places around the bucket. This is where your chimes will hang.

3. Do the same to your smaller bucket (which is your bonger) but only put one hole in the center of the bottom after you have turned it up side down.

4. Take your nylon string or fishing line (I used black nylon string) and run a long piece through the bottom of the bucket on each side and tie it at the sides in knots to secure it for hanging.

5. Run your string or fishing line down through the center hole you punched and tie it off in knots to secure it in place and let as much needed hang down to add your smaller bucket next (turned up side down) then your wooden spinner last at the end. You would have drilled or nail punched a hole through your spinner to run your string through and tie it off in knots to secure it as well.

6. You can tie the nuts into the under section of each string you tie to keep the strings in place to make it more secure and not have to worry about the string coming through the holes you punched.

7. If your chimes already have holes in one end of each one run your string or fishing line through the holes on the chimes and leave your desired length of string hanging from under your bucket and then tie off and knot the chimes to secure them. Do all 4 chimes this way.

8. Hang and enjoy.

Note: If you use your buckets in the upright way filled with soil and plants keep in mind they will be heavier when hanging. I used heavy gauge plastic coated wire to hang the chimes high up in to the tree top and just tied it off and around a smaller tree so I could easily take them down if needed. The chimes themselves are about 6 foot tall so I wanted a large tree to hang them in. I painted a cabbage roses and hummingbird theme on each of the buckets and wooden spinner.

By Julie from Tenn