Creating for Your Outdoor Space

Last week, we ventured outdoors to source materials to use in our art – sand, sticks, leaves, and more! This week, as we continue our Summer-inspired art activities, we’re going to create something to enhance the outdoor areas of our home. While the days are still long, you can take this entire project outdoors and enjoy crafting in the warm embrace of summer.

Wind Chimes

This is an activity that provides great diversion and can be tailored to adults or kids, depending on the audience. And the beadwork is great for building motor skills.

Materials: All you need is a plastic cup, a couple yards of plastic/leather lace or string, and an assortment of beads. These could be colorful plastic or wooden beads as well as any other fun objects that could be strung up, such as buttons, small toys, or even bells. Optional: Hot glue gun with clear glue to protect the knots from opening.

Note: Non-messy activity

Image Courtesy: The Inspired Home

First, using a small hole punch or pointed object, such as a pair of scissors or a pen point, carefully poke 4 to 6 small holes, evenly spaced around the edge of the cup. Pass a length of string, at least 6” long, through each hole and knot at the cup end so it won’t fall back into the hole. You should have 4 to 6 long strings hanging around the edge of your cup. It’s okay if they vary in length, as long as it’s not unbalanced – perhaps, you’d like to alternate longer and shorter strings for a bit of variety. 

Next, add beads to your hearts content onto each string. Once complete, add a security knot and bead at the end so the ornaments won’t all slip out when hung in the wind. At this point, you may opt to secure all of your knots with a drop of hot glue, particularly if your string is apt to come untied.

Finally, add a length of string for hanging.  Poke a hole in the bottom center of the cup and loop a long piece of string, pushing the open ends inside the hole and making a knot, securing it with a small bead, again so that the string doesn’t slip out of the hole. Dab a drop of hot glue to make sure things stay put.

You’re done! Take your whimsical creation and hang it up in the wind! The loop enables you to hang it from the branch of a tree or a hook in the ceiling – wherever it will be appreciated. 

We hope you enjoy these summer-inspired arts and crafts you can do with your loved ones. Perhaps you found something unique to add to your wind chime? We’d love to hear about it – let us know in the comments!