A wind chime instantly creates a relaxing atmosphere for your home. The chimes’ delicate tinkling never goes amiss on a porch or near an open kitchen window. Best of all, you barely need to open your wallet to enjoy its simple pleasures. This wind chime made from a ceiling fan shade is a stylish and inexpensive way to enjoy this delightful accessory.
A handful of crystal pendants salvaged from an old chandelier add a flash of sparkle. If you want your chime to have a bit more color, consider using a rainbow of beads or pieces of agate instead. Wind chimes can sometimes become tangled beyond repair, which is why this project tucks a star-shaped piece of wood inside the ceiling fan shade. The wood keeps the wires from twisting around themselves and extends the longevity of your chime.
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Materials
- Ceiling fan shade
- 26-gauge wire in silver
- Wire cutters
- Painter’s tape
- Wind chimes of various sizes, 6
- Crystal pendants, 6
- Needle-nose pliers
- Thick wire in gold
- Wooden star
- Ceiling fan shade
- 26-gauge wire in silver
- Wire cutters
- Painter’s tape
- Wind chimes of various sizes, 6
- Crystal pendants, 6
- Needle-nose pliers
- Thick wire in gold
- Wooden star
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Place the ceiling fan shade on a table or work surface. Unroll a piece of thin wire and thread the end through the shade, and then bend the wire back on itself and cut it so that the wire is more than double the length of the shade.
1. Place the ceiling fan shade on a table or work surface. Unroll a piece of thin wire and thread the end through the shade, and then bend the wire back on itself and cut it so that the wire is more than double the length of the shade.
2. Thread a chime onto the wire. When the chime is at the center, fold the wire in half and twist it to hold the chime in place.
3. Thread the free ends of the wire up and through the top of the shade. Bend the ends of the wire over the edge of the shade so that the chime is even with the bottom of the shade. Tape the wire to the outside of the shade.
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 with the remaining chimes and pendants. Arrange the wires so that the chimes and pendants are positioned evenly around the shade. You may also want to vary the lengths of the chimes and pendants depending on your preference.
5. One by one, remove the tape and begin twisting the free ends of the wire together around the outside of the shade. Needle-nose pliers will help, especially as the wires become thicker. Once all the wires are twisted together, trim the ends and tuck them under themselves with the pliers.
6. Turn the wind chime upside down. Tape the chimes and pendants to the inner sides of the shade so that they’re out of the way.
7. Take a long piece of wire and wrap it around each point of the wooden star. Twist the free ends of the wire together behind the star. Position the star inside the shade so that the wires go through the top and the star holds the chimes and pendants apart from each other.
8. Bend one end of the wire over one edge of the shade, and then bend the other end of the wire over the opposite edge. Use the needle-nose pliers to attach the wires to the other wires on the outside of the shade.
9. Cover the wires on the outside of the shade by wrapping the thick gold wire around it several times. Create a loop with the free end of the wire so that you can hang the wind chime. Thread the free end of the wire through the other loops, and then fasten it off with the pliers. Cut the wire on the opposite side of the hanger, then fasten it off in the same way. Make sure all free ends of the wire are secure with the pliers.
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10. Your wind chime is complete! Remove the tape and hang the chime wherever you desire.