You can use a whole range of materials to create your own homemade wind chimes, including metal, bamboo, glass, shells, beads, ceramic and wood.

You can also upcycle old items, from spoons and keys to bottle tops and tin cans – even a teapot or colander to dangle your chimes from!

Each material will make a different sound – from a gentle tinkle to a stronger clatter – which you will need to take into account when you are deciding where to place your wind chime. The last thing you want is something loud and disturbing outside your bedroom window!

To create your own wind chimes, you will need:

• A base which your chimes will hang from
• A selection of chimes. There is no set number needed, and depending on what you are using and how big and/or heavy they are, you may need as few as half a dozen chimes or many more. It also depends on the level of sound you want from the final creation.
• A drill or other tools to create holes for hanging your chimes
• Twine, rope, fishing wire, chain, or similar to hang your chimes
• Decorations such as bells or beads to add to your chimes (optional)

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Do you have old keys that you’re not quite sure what to do with? Transform them into a real signature piece, like this unique wind chime idea from Oh So Lovely that also uses a mason jar lid, fishing wire, and some spray paint.

Brighten up your garden with a homemade creation that’s suitable for even the youngest toddlers to get involved with. Thimble and Twig painted flower pots and used a mixture of beads, buttons and bells on several strands to create these flower pot wind chimes.

Metal washers in a variety of sizes are a fun way to create your own wind chimes. One Time Through painted one side of the washers in a mix of colours, leaving the other side silver to glint in the sunlight.

A child’s xylophone is both colourful and musical. If your child has outgrown their musical toy, you could transform it easily!

Remove the metal bars and create something special with a xylophone wind chime, like this one from Color in My Piano.

Bring the beach home with a unique driftwood wind chime. Going Home to Roost displays theirs indoors, which would be a fun décor idea for your home.

Turn your random and mismatched game pieces into something special, thanks to this idea from Art by Heather!

I love the random domino, dice, counters and play pieces – especially when combined with a colourful selection of beads that will create the jingle.

Using old CDs, you can create a really unusual wind chime that will glint in the sunlight and spin in the wind for a real sensory experience. Happy Hooligans painted the CDs and strung them from a coffee can lid for support.

The next time you go to the beach, bring home a selection of shells to create your own seashell wind chime.

The natural colour palette of the shells really stands out on this wind chime from Poindextr, especially when paired with a piece of driftwood to hang the chimes from.

Use your recycling for a craft with a difference!

A Girl and a Glue Gun painted a rainbow of tin cans and hung them in a spiral from a crochet hoop. You could use a variety of size cans, or hang them at different heights to create a different sound potential.

Another great idea for using your recycled tin cans is this one from Hands On As We Grow. It uses different sizes and lids, complete with glitter and metal washers inside for sound.

Isn’t this fantastic? Confessions of a Serial DIYer created this showstopper by upcycling some old spindles and a selection of household items, then used only a drill to create a colourful and unique wind chime.