Dollar Tree Wind Chime Upgrade
I.
Love.
Dollar Tree.
Is there anything better than getting something awesome for $1? I think not, and luckily there is a warehouse-sized Dollar Tree only 30 minutes away from where I live. Seriously, it's the biggest Dollar Tree I have ever seen. I saw a cute bumble bee wind chime with silly bug eyes that I thought my son would love, but it was constructed in such a way that I knew it would probably never make a sound. Still, I bought one knowing I could do a little DIY upgrade.
Dollar Tree Wind Chime Upgrade:
Inspiration: necessity is the mother of invention. I needed to make this thing sing! The chime was constructed of four sound tubes hung equidistant from each other and no clapper, so I knew it would never make noise. I decided to make a clapper from items I found in my box of jewelry-making materials.
Materials: wind chime, black cotton cord, large metal or glass bead or other jewelry item, metal head pins, beads for decoration, beading tools (needle-nose pliers, chain-nose pliers), scissors
Time Required: about 30 minutes
How To: First I attached different beads to a bit of cotton cord and dangled them one by one in the center of the wind chime so I could decide which material made the best sound. I had some glass ones that were ok, but in the end I settled on a metal butterfly I had bought for a jewelry project but never used. I attached it to a head pin, snipped off the end of the pin and made a loop that I hooked onto a bit of jewelry chain. Then, I threaded the chain through the white metal spiral and attached it to the loop at the bottom of the bumble bee, adjusting the length so that the butterfly would contact the sound tubes. The chain helps the butterfly to swing freely. I threaded some decorative beads onto another head pin, made a loop, and attached them to the bottom of the butterfly. Finally, I clipped off the short chain at the top of the bee and attached black cotton cord instead. This helped the wind chime turn in the wind, which helped it make even more sound (and enabled us to see the side with the silly bug eyes more often). Now it was time to test it out!
What I love: It worked! The chime sounds kind of like the tinkling of a cat scratching its collar. I like it.
Love.
Dollar Tree.
Is there anything better than getting something awesome for $1? I think not, and luckily there is a warehouse-sized Dollar Tree only 30 minutes away from where I live. Seriously, it's the biggest Dollar Tree I have ever seen. I saw a cute bumble bee wind chime with silly bug eyes that I thought my son would love, but it was constructed in such a way that I knew it would probably never make a sound. Still, I bought one knowing I could do a little DIY upgrade.
Dollar Tree Wind Chime Upgrade:
Inspiration: necessity is the mother of invention. I needed to make this thing sing! The chime was constructed of four sound tubes hung equidistant from each other and no clapper, so I knew it would never make noise. I decided to make a clapper from items I found in my box of jewelry-making materials.
Materials: wind chime, black cotton cord, large metal or glass bead or other jewelry item, metal head pins, beads for decoration, beading tools (needle-nose pliers, chain-nose pliers), scissors
Time Required: about 30 minutes
How To: First I attached different beads to a bit of cotton cord and dangled them one by one in the center of the wind chime so I could decide which material made the best sound. I had some glass ones that were ok, but in the end I settled on a metal butterfly I had bought for a jewelry project but never used. I attached it to a head pin, snipped off the end of the pin and made a loop that I hooked onto a bit of jewelry chain. Then, I threaded the chain through the white metal spiral and attached it to the loop at the bottom of the bumble bee, adjusting the length so that the butterfly would contact the sound tubes. The chain helps the butterfly to swing freely. I threaded some decorative beads onto another head pin, made a loop, and attached them to the bottom of the butterfly. Finally, I clipped off the short chain at the top of the bee and attached black cotton cord instead. This helped the wind chime turn in the wind, which helped it make even more sound (and enabled us to see the side with the silly bug eyes more often). Now it was time to test it out!
What I love: It worked! The chime sounds kind of like the tinkling of a cat scratching its collar. I like it.
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