How to Make a Wind Chime

Wind chimes allow us to snatch music from the air, and it takes only a few minutes to craft together a set of chimes that reflect your home decor or the whimsy of your imagination.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tubes
• Chains
• Monofilament Line
• Craft Wire
• Electric Drill/assorted Bits
• Electric Screwdrivers
• Groove Joint Pliers
• Heavy-gauge Wires
• Linesman Pliers
• Magnetic Screwdrivers
• Needle-nose Pliers
• Nut Drivers
• Ratcheting Screwdrivers
• Wire Crimpers
• Wire Cutters
• Wire Nippers
• Needle-nose Pliers
• Wire Cutters
• Wire cutters

Choose a Material

1. Think about scrap materials you may have around the house.

2. Consider your decorating motif. A wind chime made of bamboo in an Oriental style might not look appropriate hanging outside a Victorian style house.

3. Check out nearly any object that generates a tone when struck.

4. Consider buying your material. Most popular presently is some form of hollow metal tubing.

5. Think about hollow copper tubing. It will age with a beautiful patina.

6. Think about a traditional material, perhaps hollow bamboo sections.

7. Consider something offbeat. Tour flea markets and pick up old metal tools, kitchenware or small bottles.

Design and Assemble

8. Strive for the ideal weight and balance. You want the chime light enough to be moved by a gentle breeze and arranged to hang level.

9. Choose metal tubes and trim them to lengths that will provide a sequence of pleasing tones.

10. Test different lengths of tubing - or the various materials you plan to use - by suspending each with a string and striking it with the dangler you plan to use.

11. Be as exact about the musical notes you want to generate as you want. A musical ear helps, but it can be determined scientifically as well.

12. Select the type of line you'll use to suspend the chimes. Monofilament fishing line and dental tape are options.

13. Select the material by which you'll hang the chime assembly. Light link chain available from any hardware store is a good choice.

14. Choose the material for the plate from which the chimes will hang as well as the striker and the dangler.

15. Weatherproof wood plates, strikers and danglers if the chime is to be exposed to the weather.

16. Cut out the plate from which the chime is to hang. Here's a chance to find something in a flea market that might be adapted.

17. Drill holes around the edges of the plate.

18. Feed light pieces of chain or a similar material at an angle and connect it together with a metal loop from which to hang the chime.

19. Hang chime elements from the opposite side of the plate.

20. Hang chime elements at different lengths.

Tips & Warnings

• You can decorate tubing as you please - anything from colors matching your patio furniture to barber-pole candy stripes.
• Supervise children when they're working with sharp tools.

[windchimes]

on 6/24/2009 I made a wind chime out of some PVC pipe and painted them to a color of my liking. They have a unique sound about them and will last forever. PVC doesn't resonate as much as metal but they look very nice and there is a calming effect I get listening to them.

[heyjudetoo]

on 10/28/2008 I have the fishing line and the material. I just don't know how to tie really tight knots!

[vhansen]

on 7/11/2007 I have no idea how to make the chimes. Can somebody show pictures step-by-step?

on 6/11/2007 You can use many different metals at the same length and still get a unique sound. Or use two and make a double set and have two sounds at the same time.

on 11/22/2005 The hole for hanging your wind chimes should be 22.42% of the total length of the pipe. 22.4% or 22.5% are also suggested. This is the "node" where there is the least movement of the pipe when it is struck.