Wind Chimes

-by Bried Foxsong
Wind chimes are very easy to make and calm any room they are hung in. And what parent doesn't appreciate a little calm?

For this project, you can experiment with materials a little bit, and see what makes the best sound. For outdoor chimes, you can go to hardware stores and get hollow metal rods. Have the store cut the rod in to different sizes for a beautiful array of notes. For indoor chimes, you can use metal trinkets, ceramic figurines, or anything your imagination can dream up. Terra cotta tiles are easy and sound great, but you can  also use rods, pieces of porcelain tile, sea shells, bits of slate or stones, jewelry, glass, old toys, and so on.

For starters, you will need an embroidery hoop, some fishing line and chimes to attach. Any sharp edges on any chimes need to be supervised for small children. You may simply want to get some sandpaper to deal with the sharp edges. Or for a safe and purely decorative chime for small children, try dipping macaroni onto water color and using those.

To make the chimes, tie the fishing line across your embroidery hoop and then tie the other side to create a cross. From this you will attach your chimes. Tie a hanging loop on the hoop and hang the hoop on the back of a chair. This will make it easier to attach your chimes and evenly distribute the weight.

Using the materials you have chosen, tie or hot glue the objects onto the fishing line, then tie around the hoop. Keep doing this at different lengths until you have chimes hanging from all around the hoop. Take care to spread the objects evenly, and to make them hang at lengths where they will come in contact with one another as they move in the wind or at the hands of your child.

Finally, attach some chimes in the center of the hoop where you first created a cross. Make sure your chimes are evenly balanced n weight and add a few more where necessary before hanging. Hang the chimes, and with your children, be sure to take time to enjoy the product of your own labor