Wind Chime Material Ideas

Flower Pots

• Turn upside-down clay pots into one-of-a-kind wind chimes. Hang several from a base, with the pots all at the same height to gently bump together. Or, fasten three or more sizes vertically, with the largest one at the top. Place a second one inside the first, with about half of the pot showing from the bottom. Continue until you have the desired number of pots hanging from a rope or piece of sturdy twine. One clay pot will also make a wind chime. Hang the pot upside down with twine poking through the hole. Tie a bell on the inside of the pot at the hole. Tie another bell a few inches lower. Fasten a small clay pot onto the twine, a few inches below the bottom of the larger pot. The wind will sway the small pot and cause the bells to ring.

Tubular

• Hang any number of wood, bamboo or metal tubes from a base. The tubes need to touch at least one or two others in order to produce a sound when the breeze sways the chime. Craft stores offer a variety of sizes and types of tubular wind chime pieces. The pieces can hang in a horizontal row, in a circular or square shape. They may also hang in increasingly lower lengths that gradually slope downward. Another way to produce sound from tubular chimes is to have the tubes bump against a row of bells that hang down through the middle of a circular or square chime.

Memorabilia

• Hang unusual items from a base to create a wind chime from memorabilia. Old garden hand tools that your grandmother used or metal garage tools from your grandfather will make a memorable chime for indoors or out. Small toys from long ago, such as metal cars, wooden dolls, china tea cups or western figures will bring memories every time the breeze moves the chime.

Recycled Items

• Let the kids help make wind chimes from recycled materials. Tie bows onto an old beaded necklace. Tie a bell to the center of the necklace as it hangs downward. Hang the beaded chime indoors or out. Paint tin cans and poke a hole in the upper edge or middle of the bottom. Thread twine or string through the holes. Have the kids paint the cans as they wish. Have the cans from a base, possibly another can, and hang the creation indoors or out. Thread a length of ribbon through the hole of an old CD. Tie the ribbon into a loop. Hang several loops of ribbon with the CDs from a base. The wind will sway the CDs to produce a soft chime and the light will cause a rainbow effect on the shiny side of the CD.