Homemade Wind Chime Using Old Tin Cans

There are many simple crafts you can do with old tin cans. One of the most interesting of these is a wind chime made out of tin cans. A tin can wind chime is simple, fun, and is interesting enough to keep around the house. All you will need is a few house hold items and some imagination.

The first thing you want to do, when you are making a wind chime out of tin cans, is find the items you are going to need. You will need a drill, some washers, some string, such as waxed cord, fishing line or something else that can handle the elements, a large stick and some different size tin cans. You may also want to have paint, if you desire it. Once you have gathered these items it is time to start making your wind chime.

The first thing you want to do is safely remove the entire lid from your can. After this is done, wash the can thoroughly to get rid of any left over food scraps. If there is any food left in the can it will rot and smell awful so be careful not to leave any.

First put a hole in the bottom of your can. This can be done by simply drilling through the bottom, or punching a hole with a hammer and punch. Be careful not to hurt yourself while doing this. It can get a little hazardous so use proper safety precautions and the right equipment.

Now that your assortment of different size cans have holes inside them, take your string and cut it slightly different but appropriate for how long you want your cans to hang down. They have to be able to bump into another one but you do not want them to be at the same length because they will not properly catch the breeze. The best way is to make sure each one will only hit two other ones, one below it and one above it. That way it will make a ladder like effect.

Now that your strings have been cut, tie a washer to each one and feed the other end through the hole in the can so that the washer will be inside the can. This will prevent the can from falling, while not impeding its ring when it bumps into another can. Then take the other end of the string and tie them to the stick. You might want to take a knife and put a notch in the stick to keep the strings from falling. Then take the stick and either mount it on your house, or stick it into the ground at an angle so that the cans will hang without touching it. Then all you have to do is wait for a wind and you will hear the different tongs that will come from the cans.