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Making Wind Chimes

Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-720 -- More Projects »
PHOTO
Artist Chris Mobley demonstrates how to make inexpensive wind chimes (see photo at right) with things like copper tubing, flowerpots and even keys.

Copper-Pipe Wind Chimes

Materials:

copper tubing
crimping tool
drill
safety goggles
3 round pieces of wood; large, medium and small
synthetic string or twine
3-foot length of nylon rope

Steps:


  1. Cut six lengths of tubing, each two inches longer than the last. The shortest piece should be 18 inches, and the longest should be 28 inches.
PHOTO

Figure A
PHOTO

Figure B
  • Mark the measurements on the tubing and clamp the crimping tool at the point you want to cut (figure A). Spin the tool around the pipe to cut it.

  • Drill a 1/4-inch hole about 1/2 inch from the edge of each tube (figure B). To protect your eyes, always wear safety goggles when drilling.

  • Take the large and small pieces of wood and drill a 1/2-inch hole in the center of each.

  • With a medium-size piece of wood, drill a hole about 1/2-inch from the edge.

  • With a large piece of wood, drill six 1/4-inch holes around the outside near the edge, spacing the holes equal distances apart. This is the platform for the chimes.
    • PHOTO

    Figure C
    PHOTO

    Figure D
  • To assemble the wind chime, space the tubes evenly around the platform with the drilled ends of the tubes closest to the wood (figure C).

  • Thread the string or twine through one of the holes in the platform and tie a knot, then lace the string through a pipe positioned at the next hole and then through that hole (figure D).

  • Lace the pipes loosely and knot the string at each hole in the platform.

  • The nylon rope extends through the center of the chimes and is used to hang them and hold the striker and the wind catcher.

  • Tie a knot at the top of the rope to create a loop (the hanger) and slip the other end of the rope through the center hole in the platform until the wood meets the loop.

  • Tie another knot under the platform to secure it under the loop.

  • Thread the small piece of wood (the striker) onto the rope and secure it with a knot about six inches down from the platform.

  • Tie the medium piece of wood (the wind catcher) to the bottom of the rope.

  • Hang it up.

    Clay-Pot Wind Chime

    Materials:

    beads
    string or twine
    6 small clay pots
    1 medium-size clay pot

    Steps:


    1. Tie a bead onto the string and pull the string through the bottom of a small pot so that the bead holds the pot upside down.

    2. Run the string through the hole of the larger pot, coming out the bottom of the pot.

    3. Bring the string down to the rim of the pot and tie the inside and outside string together so that the string pulls to the outside of the pot underneath the rim.

    4. Repeat Step 2 with each of the small pots, making sure that each is about an inch or two lower than the last one so that they spiral down.

    5. Hang from a shepherd's hook in your garden.

    Mystery Key Chime

    Materials:

    thick aluminum wire (available at your local arts and crafts store)
    wire cutter
    collection of unused keys
    dental floss or fishing line

    Steps:


    1. Bend wire into any design or shape that you like.

    2. Use a wire cutter to make tiny notches where you want to hang the keys.

    3. Use floss or fishing line to hang the keys from the aluminum frame.

    • Also in this Episode
    Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-720
    •Fiber-Rich Foods
    •Making Wind Chimes
    •Selecting Sunglasses
    •Smart Solution of the Day
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