Wind chimes can be a very simple craft to make. For this reason it is ideal to use as a craft for kids. Making a wind chime involves a little bit of knowhow and some imagination. You may be surprised at just how many things you may have around your home that can be used to make the perfect wind chime. As long as you can create a wind chime that is free flowing and will make sound in the breeze, you are set.
To start your own wind chime project, go on a treasure hunt with your children. Look for items that will create an appealing sound when they knock into each other. Some examples of chime materials that will work for this project include seashells, bells, beads, and stones. To begin the assembly of your wind chime, poke holes through each item that you have found. Depending on the thickness and strength of the chime materials that you choose to use, you may need a hole punch, a hammer and nail or a drill to get the holes made. Next, pull a piece of string or nylon thread through each hole, and tie a knot so that you can suspend the chime by the string. The heavier the chime that you are using, the better off you will be trying stronger knots, wrapping the thread or wire around the chime several times or using a stronger type of string. You may also want to rub non-toxic liquid glue over the string to hold it in place. The next thing that you will need to do is to find something that can serve as the base of the wind chime. This can be something as simple as a plastic lid or a Frisbee. Poke holes through the top or your base product and pull the pieces of string or nylon thread through the holes. Tie a knot at each end. You may want to arrange the chimes so that they are equally distributed around the base so that the base is balanced. Lastly, punch two holes in the center of the base, and loop a piece of string through the holes. This will serve as the string by which the entire wind chime can be hung from a nail on a porch or the branch of a tree.
Naturally, this type of wind chime is not meant to withstand the test of time. So, for older children who are better able to take the time to make a wind chime that will last, the directions will change slightly. Instead of random household items, you will want to chose a material, such as a copper pipe, that can hold a note and be tailored to whatever size (and therefore whatever tune) you wish. To make a copper pipe wind chime you will need: copper tubing, metal crimper, drill, safety goggles, roll of string, three feet of nylon rope, two round pieces of wood (small, and large). In this chime craft you will use a piece of wood (rather than a plastic lid) as the base from which the copper pipes are suspended. You will also need a second piece of wood to hand between the copper chimes to serve as the knocker for your chimes. The wind will cause the chimes to blow and hit the block of wood, thus creating the sound of the chimes. If your pieces of copper tubing are not already cut, you will need to start by trimming them to the right size. These tubes should vary in length, usually having at least a two inch difference between lengths. Mark your pipes where you want to have them cut and use a metal crimper to cut out six pipes. Drill a ¼ inch hole in the top of each pipe and about ½ inch from the top of each pipe (naturally, children will need help from an adult when the use of power tools is required). Drill six corresponding ¼ inch holes around the perimeter of the large piece of wood, all at equal distances from each other. With some string, thread each pipe through each of the six holes on the large piece of wood. The pipes should hang a couple of inches from the base of the wood platform so that they are able to move freely when blown by the wind. Create a handle with rope or a metal hook, hang, and enjoy!
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