Whether you’re stuck inside during the winter or basking in the summer sun, a DIY project is perfect for getting your creative juices flowing.
This article will demonstrate how to repurpose crafting supplies around your house into a beautiful upcycled garden ornament – a mason jar wind chime.
If you’re seeking easy DIY crafts for kids, this wind chime tutorial is an excellent place to start. The project doesn’t require any glass cutting, so you’ll have safe, simple fun creating your own garden decor.
Materials You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to create your wind chime:
- Mason jar with lid
- Fishing line
- Scissors
- Wire
- Wirecutter
- Pliers
- Glass beads, marbles, and charms
- Four round-bottomed safety pins
- Dremel rotary tool
- Protective goggles
Alternative Materials
The best part of a DIY project is your ability to tweak details, steps, and materials to create a finished product that fits your home decor and design preferences.
Alternative materials will probably work for every part of your wind chime. You’ll clean up clutter and avoid spending money at the craft store by upcycling objects you already have.
Use any jar or glass container you’d like – just make sure it has a lid. We recommend experimenting with a wine bottle or tinted glass jar to add color and shape variety to your garden decor.
Produce a rustic aesthetic using twine and vintage silverware instead of fishing lines and beads. Create a nautical design by replacing beads and charms with seashells and sea glass.
No matter what materials you decide to use, make sure you create a wind chime you love and have fun in the process.
How to Make a Mason Jar Wind Chime
Create your DIY wind chime by following the steps below.
Step One
Prepare Your Mason Jar
- Remove the mason jar’s lid and place it to the side.
- Use your Dremel tool to drill four evenly spaced holes in the bottom of your mason jar. Then, go back and add another hole half a centimeter away from each original one.
- Make sure the holes are just large enough to fit the head of a safety pin through.
- These holes will hold your decorative strings, or “chimes,” so add more than four if you’d like.
- Wear protective goggles and secure loose clothing, hair, and jewelry while operating the Dremel tool.
Step Two
Decorate the Strings
- Cut four 15-inch-long sections of fishing line or clear string.
- String your selection of beads and charms onto the lines to create your chimes. Get crafty by decorating each line with various bead colors, shapes, sizes, and materials.
- Secure the bottom of the string by circling the line to the top of the last bead and double knotting the string around itself. You can also tie the bottom of the fishing line into several knots, so the beads don’t slip off.
Step Three
Attach the Strings to Your Jar
- Tie the top of your string around the narrow part of a round-bottomed safety pin. Regular safety pins will work, but round ones are wider and easier to “thread” onto the mason jar.
- Secure the pin on the mason jar’s base by threading the tip up through a drill hole and back down through its neighboring hole.
- Clasp the safety pin shut, allowing the string to dangle when you lift the mason jar.
- Repeat these steps until you’ve strung all your beaded lines onto the jar.
Step Four
Decorate the Inside of the Jar
- Once you’ve attached the decorated strings to the container’s base, decorate the inside of the mason jar.
- Enhance your colorful wind chime by filling it with vibrant marbles, fun beads, or pebbles from your garden.
Step Five
Add Hanging Wire to the Lid
- Drill two small holes on opposite sides of the mason jar lid. Depending on the lid’s material, you may be able to poke holes using a hammer and a small nail.
- Cut a generous length of wire to act as your wind chime’s hanger. Remember, it’s better to cut too much wire than too little; you can always snip off excess at the end of the project.
- Thread the wire down through one hole and back up through the other.
- Pull the two lengths of wire towards one another and twist them tightly until you have about six inches of twisted wire. Use a plier for best results.
- Use the pliers to secure the wires to a hanger of your choice.
After attaching the wind chime to a hook, you’re ready to hang it up and enjoy your creation.
Other DIY Wind Chime Ideas
Below are some additional craft ideas to try with the extra supplies lying around your house.
Canning Lid Wind Chime
Create a chandelier-like wind chime with an embroidery hoop, string, and canning lids.
Cut several pieces of twine or fishing line at various lengths. Use a hammer and a small nail to poke a hole near the edge of at least six canning lids. Tie one end of the string to the canning lid and the other around the embroidery hoop.
Hang your canning lid wind chime by tying four evenly spaced strings around the embroidery hoop. Tie the strings to meet in the middle and attach them to a hook.
Hang up your new wind chime and enjoy the sounds of summer.
Terracotta Pot Wind Chime
Create a simple DIY wind chime with terracotta pots and some twine. Buy three terracotta pots from your local craft store. Select pots that vary in size and can stack inside one another.
To create vibrant wind chimes, paint the pots with fun designs before hanging them.
Thread a piece of twine through the drain holes on the bottom of each pot. Hang the largest pot at the top and the smallest at the bottom. Tie thick knots before each pot’s drain hole to hold them in place while hanging.
Add beads or charms to the twine for extra color. Then, hang your creation in the garden. The pots will clink together and create a cheerful sound as the wind blows.
Driftwood Wind Chime
Create a stunning driftwood wind chime to bring the sea into your backyard.
You’ll need a chunk of driftwood, fishing line, and seashells or sea glass. We recommend using driftwood and shells you’ve collected from the beach for a sentimental touch.
Drill holes in the glass and shells and thread them onto several lengths of the fishing line. Carefully drill small holes through the driftwood.
Next, thread the fishing line through the driftwood to hang your chimes. Secure beads at the top of the lines or tie them in multiple knots to prevent the string from falling back through the wood.
Alternatively, you can tie the fishing line around the driftwood to avoid drilling through it.
Attach the driftwood to a hook and display it in your garden.ind chime creation.
Mason Jar Lid Suncatchers
Jar lid suncatchers are another kid-friendly mason jar craft to try.
You’ll need:
- Mason jar lid rims
- A coloring sheet on white printer paper
- Watercolor paints or markers
- Scissors
- Olive oil
- A cotton ball
- Glue
- String
Select the picture for your suncatcher. Go online to find hundreds of printable coloring pages like this one.
Once you’ve chosen an image, print it out on regular white paper. Color the picture with watercolor paint or markers, then let the picture dry.
Next, use a cotton ball to dab olive oil onto the picture. The oil will seep into the paper, creating a transparent effect.
Let the paper dry for about ten minutes. Then, cut the picture to fit inside the mason jar lid. Apply glue dots around the rim of the jar lid and press in the picture.
Hang your suncatcher with a string of your choice and enjoy your new DIY decor.
Final Thoughts
We hope this DIY guide gives you some fun craft ideas to try at home.
Creating a mason jar wind chime is the perfect way to kick off summer and brighten your garden. You’ll make your own outdoor decor while repurposing materials you already have on hand.
Remember, the best part about do-it-yourself projects is the freedom you have to build something that fits your style. So, get crafty and usher in the sounds of summer with your wind chime creation.
