Make Your Own Wind Chimes

Why not make your own wind chimes this year to give as a gift, or even keep for yourself?

These wind chimes make for an excellent Mother's Day craft. But let's not get sticky, they could also work as a great Christmas gift for mom too!

Other than the copper pipe, I purchased all of my materials at the dollar store. It took about 2 hours to assemble and cost $20CDN to make.

So, find something you think you can convert into a wind chime (I used a watering can) and let's get starting on making your own wind chimes!

The Materials

You'll Need:

-6' of 1/2" diameter copper piping
-pipe cutter
-permanent marker
-hammer
-nail
-fishing line
-drill
-watering can (or a bucket) for the 'body'
-a length of chain or string
-thick gloves and safety goggles



How to Make Your Own Wind Chimes

First, put on your safety goggles and gloves.

1. Using a hammer and a nail, punch 5 sets of two holes around the edge of the bottom of your watering can. Try to make sure everything is nicely spaced out.

2. Next, punch another set of holes in the very center of the bottom of your can.


3. Using a permanent marker, mark off how long you want your copper pipes to be - I made all of mine about 13" long.

Different lengths of pipe will make different tones. You can experiment with how nice different lengths sound clinking against each other or, for simplicities sake, just make all of your pipes the same length. I found that this makes an equally nice sound.


4. Cut your pipe using a pipe cutter or a hacksaw.

5. About 1" down from the top of your pipes, drill two holes directly across from each other.

6. Loop one end of a piece of fishing line up through one hole at the bottom of your watering can and then down through the hole next to it.

7. Now, moving from the outside in, thread one end of the fishing line into a copper pipe by poking it though one of the holes you drilled and then up through the top of the copper pipe. Repeat with the other end of fishing line and the other hole in the pipe.

8. Tie the ends of the fishing line together. Now, when it is hanging, the knot will be hidden inside the pipe.

9. Test to make sure the copper is hanging a good length away from the watering can. If necessary, undo the knot and retie it in another spot. Trim any excess ends of fishing line.

10. For an interesting look, hang the rest of your pipes from different lengths of line (as I did). If you like things more traditional, hang the pipes from pieces of fishing line that are all the same length.

11. Attach a chain or piece of string to the top of your wind chime to hang it from.

There. Wasn't it easy to make your own wind chimes?

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