How to Make Obsidian Needle Wind Chimes
Wind chimes can be defined as any series of objects suspended where the wind will bring them into contact with each other and make a musical sound. Wind chimes can be made out of nearly any material, but using obsidian needles is a great way to get a lovely sound. Obsidian needles are essentially pieces of obsidian stone shaped like rods, and can be found from a number of different sources. Learn how to create windchimes from these beautiful stones and enjoy the mesmerizing sounds that they make.
Things You'll Need
- Thick copper wire
- Obsidian needle stones
- Monofilament fishing line
- Wire cutters
- Needle-nosed pliers
- Super glue
Instructions
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1
Sort your obsidian needles. When making a windchime, it is best to choose obsidian needles that are all roughly the same size. Many people choose needles about as long as their hand for this purpose. Depending on the size of the wind chime, you may use as few as three obsidian needles or as many as eight or nine.
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2
Cut a length of copper wire about a foot and a half long. This will allow you to make a frame that can be adjusted, depending on how many needles you choose.
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3
Figure out where the center of the wire is and create a small loop in the wire itself, using the needle-nosed pliers. It does not matter if it is not precisely even, because you will eventually trim the ends. Put one small loop into the line for each obsidian needle that you want to string up. Use the first loop to center your efforts.
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4
Twist the two ends of the copper wire into one strand and curve the combined strand into a hook. If there is too much wire here, trim it down to size. This hook will allow you to hang the wind chime when it is finished. At this point, even out the frame itself and bend into a smooth circular shape.
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5
Cut off about a foot of monofilament line. Wrap one end of the line around the end of one obsidian needle several times before tying it off as tightly as possible.
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6
Apply a dot of super glue to the knot, making sure that the glue comes in contact with the stone itself as well as the fishing line.
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7
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for all the needles needed for the wind chime.
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8
Allow the glue to cure and to dry.
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9
Tie the loose ends of the monofilament lines on each needle to one of the loops prepared in the copper frame. Give each obsidian needle a different amount of slack to create different tones and to allow them to gently chime against one another.
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10
Hang your finished, handmade wind chime.
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Tips & Warnings
Beads can be threaded on the copper wire for more visual variety.
Make sure that you allow the glue to dry thoroughly before you try to string the wind chime.
Be careful when handling the obsidian needles, as the edges can be very sharp.
