Whimsical garden wind chimes you can make

Garden Art ideas, How to: Easy project ideas

Secrets of the wind chime makers

Our Flea Market gardeners have a nice collection of unique and wonderful wind chimes, most of which they have made themselves. Wind chimes add interesting and relaxing sounds to your garden. Some here are sparkly sun catchers to hang in the trees and attract sunlight. Some are musical bell chimes for the porch or garden or wind chimes to fill the distant trees with song.

Idea file:

Marie Niemann’s heart and key chime from a bed spring

Marie Niemann’s wind chime close-up, …the key and the heart combo is her special ‘signature.’

Kirk Willis’s heirloom silverware chime

Kirk Willis says, “A favorite craft by my wife and me…silverware wind chimes, using little bells…such a beautiful sound they make…”

Kirk Willis’s beautiful bell chimes

Wine bottle chime made by Kirk Willis and his wife

Kirk tells us, “Here’s a blue bell chime my wife and I made together…the blue bottles are compliments of my wife. We have a glass cutter…my wife is the pro at that part! I want to add a small wooden ball inside the bottom bell for an additional sound. Our daughter donated the little glass bobble on the bottom. A family affair!”

Fun facts about wind chimes:

They’re one of the world’s first musical instruments
They’re said to attract benevolent spirits
They’re earliest use was to to scare birds and other animals from cultivated fields.
The sounds of wind chimes were included in certain Beatles songs.

Sandra Parrill’s wine bottle chime with a frog clacker

Sandra Parrill says, “This is my wind bottle wind chime. We have an Inland rock saw that we used to cut the bottles. I used tall Riesling bottles.”

Cathy Wilson’s macramed wine bottles‎

Cathy Wilson‎ says,“To make my blue bottle ‘chandelier,’ I macramed crystal acrylic beads to hold each bottle and used part of an old light fixture to hook them on. I added flat beaded marbles for a bit more bling… I love it in my ‘blue’ patio garden.”

Denise Smith’s unique chime. “I made these wind chimes from old silverware, metal goblet, and a clay pot lid..”

George Weaver massive 'music' maker. He says, "Wind chime made from a steel pipe and a wood clacker.."

George Weaver’s massive ‘music’ maker. He says, “Wind chime made from a steel pipe and a wood clacker..”

Deanne Clemens antique plate chime

Karen McLendon’s cool blue wind chimes

Karen McLendon says, “I make wind chimes out of old silver plate silverware, glass beads and various bases….They make a sweet sound in your garden or on your patio.”

Common Places to Hang Wind Chimes

On a porch, deck or balcony.
At front and back doors to welcome guests
In the garden as a decorative accent.

Wind chimes are used as indoor home decor to decorate a long window or to add an accent to a kitchen window. Some hang wind chimes in the bedroom to enjoy the relaxing sounds.

Karen Witek, art in the garden

Sydney Minor “I made the flag wind chime in glass class.”

How to project:

Lisa Collier says, “I’ m so glad that I took the Flea Market Gardening January Challenge! It inspired me to do a project that I had been putting off. I used a metal tiered candy dish, turning the bowl parts upside down and reversed the order putting the biggest on top.

Lisa Collier’s art supplies

“Then I used wire and started stringing the beads. I only had 3 of these beautiful forks to use, so I spaced them out even and one for the bottom. The forks have holes in the handle, I just run the wire through the holes.”

Lisa Collier’s finished windchime

Lisa says, “I just loved the intricate design of the tray when I found it at a junk shop here, knew I would find something cool to make with it, not bad for a $1.00. Now, the beads on the other hand, were a bit pricey but got them on sale for 60% off, so I’m happy!

I chose these colors because I am going to be using this in my craft room as focal point, it hangs from the air vent in the ceiling so it will still chime. It makes the prettiest sounds too, the ones behind the forks are real crystals and when the forks hit them they sound so good !!”

Summer springs

Wind chimes and sun catchers are made of a number of supplies: ceramic, glass, metal, or wood. Shells, pottery, wood, and stone can also be used as well as many recycled materials we love. The type of material you choose will depend on if you want sound and how much sound you want. Test out your materials first to test the musicality of your chimes.

Make wind chimes from vintage bed springs

The sun catchers below are all made from vintage bed springs which create a charming spiral form to start your project.

Myra Glandon’s bed spring chime

Myra Glandon says, “I was inspired by all the neat wind chimes I’ve been seeing on FMG lately so I stopped procrastinating and made one this weekend.”