Each year when spring rolls around, we start to feel this huge urge to decorate our outdoor spaces. Whether you’re living in a place that only has a small balcony or somewhere that has a hugely sprawling back yard, there’s a opportunity in almost any home to make a cute outdoor sitting area that will let you enjoy some fresh air as the weather warms up! When we sit outside to cool down, we usually like to think of that time as not jus social time, but also time to unwind. That’s why one of our very favourite things to decorate the deck, porch, patio, or even just the window sill with has always been a lovely twinkling set of wind chimes. What’s even better than buying yourself wind chimes for the spring, though? Making them, of course!
Just in case you’re as excited to make some beautiful new DIY wind chimes this spring as we are, here are 15 awesome ideas, designs, and tutorials to get you inspired and ready to craft.
1. Tiny glass bottle wind chimes
Have you always been intrigued by those tiny glass bottles in craft stores that fasten shut with corks, wondering what kinds of things people use them for or what they store inside? Well, we’ve used them for lots of different DIY projects over the years, but this one might be our very favourite! Room and Bath shows you how to create a beautiful mobile style set of wind chimes using those very glass bottles we just mentioned, filled with pretty, colourful beads that will catch the sun. A light breeze will set the bottles tinkling against each other and, if you follow this tutorial’s suit and add pretty glass spheres, you’ll get all kinds of pretty reflections across your patio or balcony.
2. Hand painted bamboo wind chimes
If you’re very skilled with wood working or carving techniques, then you very well might be able to make yourself a set of stunning sounding bamboo wind chimes from scratch. We are not yet that experience in those departments, however, so we opted to simply customize an already existing set of beautiful sounding chimes instead! The bamboo chimes we had were a little bit old and well used, however, so we decided to give them a pretty facelift by hand painting new designs all over them, just like Icon Home Designs did with their floral patterns here.
3. Wood and bead wind chimes
Have you actually been scrolling through our list hoping to find a DIY wind chime idea that you kids will be able to help you with? Then you’ll need something quite simple but also something full of fun colours and unconventional supplies so ensure the little ones can make it happen but also stay interested. That’s why we liked this pretty beaded wind chime design so much! Garden Therapy shows you how to string the beads and tie them to a hollowed branch so they can twinkle against each other nicely in the garden.
4. Painted branch and key wind chimes
Are you actually still on the lookout for kid-friendly chime crafts because you’ve done a few other beading projects recently and you just don’t think your little ones will be excited to string yet more beads when you sit them down for your next “crafternoon” together? In that case, here’s an awesomely bright, super fun upcycling craft that will help you make wind chimes using totally kid-like techniques. DIY Home Décor Guide suggests painting old keys different colours, painting a tree branch to match or contrast, and using brightly coloured yarn to string the keys along the branch. Hang it horizontally and listen to the keys clink together in a surprisingly lovely way!
5. Bead and spoon chimes
Were you actually surprisingly interested in the cutlery wind chime idea but you’re just not sure that a set made from only knives, forks, and spoons hanging in the air is quite visually pleasing enough for you? Then perhaps you’d prefer something like this unique, kitschy looking little spoon and bead creation featured on Life in Crafts! This is a great way to upcycle both old spoons and costume jewelry you don’t find yourself wearing anymore.
6. Upcycled wrench chimes
Have you already made yourself a set of old house key chimes and discovered that you actually quite like the clinking sounds the metal makes against metal, but you don’t want to repeat the same project twice? Well, if you’re a handy person with an appreciation for tools, then we think maybe this industrial looking wrench project is a great alternative for you! If not, perhaps it would make a neat gift for someone else in your life who uses tools regularly. Check out how it was made on Hot Glue and Sparkles.
7. Painted tin can and embroidery hoop chimes
If you’re going to make yourself something from scratch would you prefer that is be a project that repurposes something and puts it to good use in order to save it from being tossed out? Well, besides the fact that this embroidery hoop and tin can projects is a great example of upcycling, we also love that it gets the kids crafting with unconventional tools. Besides, that clearly recycled, obviously homemade aesthetic is totally in right now. Get the full details for this project on Cage Free Mom.
8. Tiny flower pot chimes
Were you actually so intrigued by our mention of using miniature planters in wind chimes that you’ve been scrolling down wondering whether you might in corporate those into the project in an even better way? Well, the answer is actually that yes, you certainly can! Check out this wind chime set featured on HGTV made entirely from painted terra cotta pots and ping pong balls for a slightly more hollow and less tinkly sound.
9. Teapot and tea cup chimes
While it’s certainly nice when a set of wind chimes actually does make a calming chiming sound, we won’t pretend we haven’t made sets in the past that were mostly for aesthetic purposes. Some things are just so cute looking, even if they don’t make as satisfying a noise! This absolutely stunning upcycled teapot and teacup chime project is a good example of what we mean. The Whoot even shows you how to add a spoon so that you do get some sound when it sways in the wind, even though you’ll have the teacups at different heights so that they don’t smash against each other in a sudden gust and break.
10. Wine bottle wind chimes
Are you actually on the hunt for the most impressively professional looking set of DIY wind chimes you can find because you’re up for a challenge and prepared to learn new techniques? Well, if you’ve never cut the bottom clean off a glass bottle before, you’re about to learn how! Take a look at this tutorial from Bottles Uncorked to see how they safely and carefully removed the bottom of this wine bottle so they could hang chiming pieces of hollow copper piping inside to make lovely sounds. As if that’s not all cool enough already, they also hand painted beautiful flowers right onto the side of the bottle!
11. Polished and painted shell chimes
Have you always looked at those beautiful pieces of flattened, smooth shell pendants in your local crafting store and thought about how, even though you’re not sure you’d personally actually wear them as jewelry, you’d love to use them to make something pretty? Then we have a feeling you’re really going to appreciate these lovely shell and wooden bead wind chimes outlined on Fairy Truths. The sound they make is subtle but the pretty aesthetic effect they have is a beautiful one.
12. Seashell and starfish chimes
Are you quite a big fan of the idea of making your wind chimes out of seashells because you’d love a reminder of the seaside all season this spring and summer? We like that idea because if you are near the seaside, your project with fit perfectly with the natural decor of the place and if you’re not, at least it’ll make you feel a bit like you are! Check out how Musely made their chimes with actual shells in all different shapes and sizes, fastening them to hang down from a beautiful starfish to authenticity.
13. Beer bottle wind chime
We’ve shown you wine bottle chimes, teacup chimes, and even tin can chimes, but what if you’re making these for a person or place that just reminds you of nights outside, enjoying a cold beer together by the fire? Then maybe these hilarious “redneck wind chimes” featured on Hub Pages are the best idea for you! They’ve made theirs from metal beer bottles but you could also use glass beer bottles or beer cans.
