Yogurt Cup Wind Chimes

Sure, you can find unique wind chimes all day long, whether you shop locally, online or through a catalog. If wind chimes is your thing you probably drool over ones you see while browsing but you might not have ever attempted to make any yourself. There are many different wind chime arrangements a person can make but few are easier than the one you make from a yogurt cup. The beaded wind chime set is so easy that even a child can do it! You dont absolutely have to use a yogurt cup to make the chimes. Similar cups, like an individual applesauce cup or even a Styrofoam coffee cup work just as well. A quick way to change the look of the cup, and to create a nice design for the chimes, is to use colored tape. Regular colors, like blue, red, yellow or white are generally available in dollar-theme stores and other retailers. Metallic tape, like silver or gold, dispenses like Scotch tape and is sold at craft stores.

After decorating the cup the way you want use a hot nail to poke a hole on the bottom of the cup, in the center. Its important that the hole be exactly in the center for the chimes to hang properly. Hold the nail with a pair of pliers and hold the pliers with a potholder. Heat the nail and simply insert it into the yogurt cup. Fold a piece of ribbon or cord in half and insert the ends into the hole. Tie them together inside the cup to make the hanger.

Use string or twine to create the beaded patterns that will hang from the wind chimes. Fishing wine works well because its virtually invisible and is stronger than thread and most string. Cut the pieces to be as long as you want then string beads onto each one. A dab of glue will hold the first bead on permanently. Leave about 3" of twine hanging off the end of each beaded strand. Attach the strands to the cup by using ordinary tape. Clear packing tape works best. Place the bare end of each strand into the cup and tape it from the inside. Leave a small space and position the next strand. Place the strands so that the final bead is up against the rim of the cup and the entire bare part is inside the cup. Excess pieces of twine can be trimmed after the strand has been taped onto the cup. Make various beaded wind chimes by making all the strings the same length or each strand a different length. Combine different sizes, shapes and colors of beads to make even more varieties. The wind chimes are so easy and beautiful youll soon have many - each one of them different than the next!