We all know it’s best to recycle aluminum cans, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw them in the recycling bin. Put those soda cans to good use and make a windchime to look great in your garden and create music on a windy day.
Instructions
Unless you enjoy the soda-can look, start off by dressing up your cans with acrylic paint. Color them in solid colors or patterns, make them all match or create a hodge-podge of designs – it’s all up to you. Give each child a can to paint so the windchime will be a true family masterpiece.
While your paint dries, figure out what you’ll use for your rods. If you have one or two wooden dowels on hand, those will work perfectly; if not, use what you can find. Try scrap pieces of wood, small curtain rods or even PVC pipe. If you have more than one rod, cross them over each other to create chimes with more shape.
You can also make a circle-shaped windchime, using cardboard cut into a circle, or any other ringed object you can find.
Once your soda cans are completely dry, carefully bend the pop tabs up without breaking them off. Tie string or fishing line to each tab, then connect the other end of the string to your rod. Get creative and hang the cans at different lengths – just make sure they’ll still touch when they move, or you’ll have silent windchimes.
How you hang the chimes depends on what you used for a rod. For most materials, you should be able to just tie a string at each end and connect each string to a metal washer. Use the washer to hang your chimes.
| These types of wind chimes don’t hold up well against the elements, so hang them in a covered location. |
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