Instructions on Building Wind Chimes

Make wind chimes out of old household objects.

Wind chimes can be made out of many different materials, and one of the most readily available materials is old silverware. If you have a surplus of silverware in your home and some wire coat hangers you don't use, you already have what you need. With a few simple tools, you can make your own set of custom wind chimes.

Things You'll Need

• Wire coat hanger
• Pliers
• Old silverware
• Wax-coated string
• Hot-glue gun or epoxy

Instructions

1. Straighten a wire coat hanger, except for the hook, with a pair of pliers. Bend the straightened part of the coat hanger into a spiraling circle and make sure the spirals are about 1 inch apart. Use the pliers to wrap the loose end of the wire around the outer spiral so it doesn't get caught on anything.

2. Bend the end of the coat hanger hook down so that it meets the bottom of the hook and forms a loop. Hang the loop on something so you can work on the wind chimes without any of the strings getting tangled.

3. Grip the end of the tines of a fork with a pair of pliers and bend them down so that the tips touch the sides of the tines and create loops. If you are using spoons, bend the handles down about 1/2 inch from the end to make a loop.

4. Put the ends of some wax-coated string through the loops in the forks and spoons and tie three or four tight overhand knots. Trim off any extra string.

5. Tie the other ends of the strings to different points on the spiral with three or four tight overhand knots to make sure they are secure. Use a dab of hot glue or epoxy to reinforce the knots on the spiral. Vary the lengths of the strings slightly so that when the wind blows, the pieces of silverware will hit each other at different points. Hang the finished wind chimes outside or by a window.

References

• Reo Cities; Making Wind Chimes; James L. Haworth