DIY Bamboo Wind Chime

The sound of a wind chime gently swaying in the warm summer breeze brings an instant feeling of calm.

I’ve been on the quest for that perfect wooden wind chime, and with little success I thought, “Why not just make one?” The best part about this project is that it only required one material that I didn’t already own: bamboo. You should be able to find a bamboo pole at a craft or home décor store, but if not, they’re readily available online! Here’s how to make this zen-ful instrument.

Materials:

Bamboo pole (about 3 feet long)

6 reeds (or 3-6 twigs)

Twine or string

Embellishments of your choice (I used feathers and dried lavender)

Hot glue

Handsaw

Drill with small bit

Directions:

1. First, cut your bamboo pole into about 5 pieces of succeeding lengths using a handsaw. I don’t have a handsaw, so I politely asked the friendly men at my hardware store to help me out with their mechanically-powered saw – works every time :).  A handsaw will get you cleaner results, though!

2. Once you have your pieces, drill a small hole about ½ an inch from the top of each piece. Make sure the hole is big enough to fit a piece of string or twine through.

3. Gather your reeds or twigs, and arrange them in a triangle shape. This will be the top of your wind chime.

2. Use hot glue to secure them in place, and then wrap string or twine in X shapes at the corners for a stronger hold.

3. Cut 9 pieces of twine about an arm’s length. Tie three pieces to one corner of the triangle, then braid them. Tie a knot at the end, leaving about 4 inches of twine.

4. Repeat on the other two corners. Once you’re finished, bring the 3 braids together, and form a loop at the top using all 9 pieces of twine. Tie into a knot to secure.

5. Thread a piece of string or twine through each hole in your bamboo pieces, then tie them to your triangle. Make sure the pieces are arranged close enough to one another that they’ll actually collide when the wind blows. :)

6. If you’d like, add embellishments. I used lavender and feathers because they look beautiful – although I do realize they may not hold up if it rains.

7. Hang your wind chime outside and wait for magic!

Follow Brigette on Instagram, and have a look at her blog Hummusbird!