Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Silverware Windchimes
An Inexpensive and Easy Gift Idea for the Holidays
Nov 13, 2009
With a shaky economy and tight budgets abound, upcycled gifts are an excellent way to save some green while helping out our little planet this holiday season.
This is a great activity to reuse unwanted household items and turn them into imaginative works of art. Help to keep waste out of landfills, while transforming a piped-down patio into a tuneful terrace. These make fun and unique gifts for those loved ones who have everything.
You will need:
- Old silverware: spoons, forks, butter knives (6-8 pieces). Must be silver-plated to create that pleasant “chime”. These can easily be found at yard sales and flea markets or in Grandma’s attic.
- Miscellaneous old kitchen utensils – something to hang your chimes from like a rusty cheese grater, a small colander, or even a potato masher.
- Beads – old necklaces work well
- Hammer
- Flat surface
- Power drill with 1/8 inch metal drill bit
- Fishing line
- Wire
Now that you have carefully chosen your cutlery it’s time to have some fun. Here are the Instructions for assembling a silverware wind chime:
- Lay your silverware out on a flat surface and use the hammer to flatten each piece as much as possible.
- Using your power drill, drill a hole in the handle end of each piece of silverware; you might want to clamp the silverware down or solicit the help of a friend to hold the pieces still while you demonstrate your power tool expertise.
- If you are not drill-savvy you can wrap wire around the handle ends of the silverware, forming a little loop at the top to tie the fishing line to; you may need the assistance of some needle nose pliers for this.
- Tie a 12-inch piece of fishing line through the hole or loop on each piece of silverware; you can cut some longer or shorter if you want as long as they still clang together in beautiful harmony.
- String each line with beads; use as many or as few as you like, have fun, make it colorful or keep it neutral, the choice is completely yours.
- Tie the other end of the fishing line to the bottom of the cheese grater, or utensil of your choosing. The cheese grater is a good choice because it already has holes along the bottom; if you are using another utensil, you may have to drill or poke holes into it.
- Tie another foot long piece of fishing line to the handle of your grater, string on a few more of your beads, form a loop to hang it from and voila: you’ve got one seriously chic and perfectly shabby set of wind chimes.
The copyright of the article Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Silverware Windchimes in Crafts is owned by Sarah Kenny. Permission to republish Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Silverware Windchimes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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