How to Make a Silverware Wind Chime Without Drilling
Wind chimes moving gently in a summer breeze produce a very relaxing sound. Chimes made from old silverware will add a unique visual element to any garden, as well as produce a range of different tones. Different metals and utensil shapes will give different sounds, so part of the art of making these chimes is to combine the different tones into a pleasant and soothing sound.
Things You'll Need
- Silverware
- Liquid Nails Small Ceramic Projects Repair Adhesive
- Fishing line
- Scissors
- Utensil for hanger
- Beads
Instructions
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Collect nine or ten pieces of silverware. As the silverware doesn't have to match, you can re-purpose old silverware you have at home or visit yard sales to buy some odd pieces. You can collect all of one type of utensil---spoons, forks, or knives---or mix and match them. Consider also silverware of different sizes, such as large serving and small coffee spoons, to give visual contrast. A mix of plain silverware with heavily patterned pieces also adds interest.
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Test all the silverware pieces for their sound quality by clanging them together. If you don't like the sound of some of the pieces, consider flattening part of the utensil, especially the bowl of a spoon, or bending the tines of a fork to obtain a different sound. Test your favorite pieces in combination with each other to obtain the overall sound that the chimes will make. Select five or seven pieces for the chimes.
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Select a hanger for your wind chimes. Keep the silverware theme by choosing a large serving spoon or another kitchen utensil, such as a whisk or a potato masher. You should be able to wind the fishing line around the hanger and it should not be so large that it overpowers the hanging chimes.
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Lay the hanger on a flat surface and arrange the hanging pieces below it. Try out different arrangements of the silverware pieces for visual interest. Stagger the pieces at various distances below the hanger. Ensure that pieces which will clang together in the breeze produce a pleasant sound.
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For each piece of silverware, cut a piece of fishing line three times the length from the utensil to the hanger.
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Place a small smear of Liquid Nails adhesive around the handle of a cutlery piece, 2 inches from the end of the handle. Wind one end of the fishing line three times tightly around the second spot. Hold this in place for 1 minute until it is adhered. Place another smear of adhesive around the handle close to the end. Wind the line to the end and hold in place for 1 minute. Wait 8 minutes for the adhesive to cure.
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Embellish the rest of the fishing line wire by threading beads on to it. Select beads of different sizes, colors and textures. If want them the beads to stay in position spaced out along the wire, use Liquid Nails to hold them in place.
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Apply Liquid Nails to the hanger where you want to attach the fishing line. Wind the end of each piece of line around the hanger, adjusting its length so that the utensil hangs down the correct distance. Let the adhesive set and cure. Cut off any excess fishing line or twist all the ends together to create an added feature for the hanger.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit utensils image by cherie from Fotolia.com
