How to Make Wind Chimes from Recycled Materials

Turn your old items into beautiful music for your garden with this simple DIY wind chime project. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Prepare your chimes. Gather your metal pieces. If you are using tin cans, ask a grown-up to make sure the edges aren't sharp. Use a marker to mark where you want the holes to be, then ask a grown-up to help you punch a hole near the top of each item.
2. Cut your string. Measure and cut several pieces of string. Make them different lengths—some short, some long—so that your chimes will hang at different levels. This helps them hit each other and make sound.
3. Attach the chimes. Tie one end of each string to a metal item. You can add beads or buttons onto the string above the metal piece to make it look fancy. Tie the other end of each string to your stick or plastic lid base.
4. Create a hanger. Tie two long pieces of string to opposite sides of your base to create a loop. This is what you will use to hang your chimes on a sturdy tree branch or a hook on your porch.