Mother's Day Crafts

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Terra Cotta Wind Chimes

by Twila Lenoir

Here's a cheerful wind chime for Mom to hang from the porch or maybe near a window that is left open to catch the spring breeze. Easy to make from terra cotta pots that you hang in a spiral from the brim of a straw hat, this homemade windchime has a lot of charm and whimsy.

Terra Cotta Windchime
Materials:

7 small terra cotta pots

Small wicker or straw hat

Thin Ribbon in one color, or a different color for each pot

One spool of white ribbon

&fra12 ribbon for hat

strong fishing line or transparent plastic beading thread

acrylic paints in your choice of colors - we used seven different colors

assorted silk flowers

pony beads, or other beads large enough that they won't fit through the hole in the terra cotta pots

sealer

Terra Cotta Windchimes
Instructions:

1. Start by painting your pots inside and out with white paint. Let dry.

Note: If you plan to hang the windchimes outside, spray outdoor sealer on the hat, inside and out.

2. While your pots are drying, take the hat and glue ½ inch ribbon around the ball of the hat, overlapping the ends. Make a large bow to match the ribbon and glue it over the ribbon ends. Decorate the hat brim with assorted silk flowers that match the colors you have chosen to paint the pots.

3. Paint the pot rims in seven different colors to copy our design, or try for a monochromatic look with a single color. Let the paint dry, then apply a spray sealer inside and out. (Remember, if the windchime is going outdoors, you will need outdoor sealer.)

4. When the pots are dry, glue the white thin ribbon around each of the pots on the white area only. Glue a matching bow where the ends of the ribbon meet on each pot.

5. Fold a length of fishing line or plastic beading thread in half to make the windchime hanger. Feed the two ends through the center top of the hat to the inside, then make a knot large enough to prevent the loop from slipping back up through the straw.

6. Thread a length of fishing line or beading thread through a pony bead and knot off. Feed the other end of the fishing line inside the first pot, going up through the hole in the bottom and out through the top. The pony bead should rest against the inside hole and prevent the line from pulling through completely. Attach the end of the line to a large metal needle and thread it up through the bottom of the hat and out onto the brim, such that the pot hangs down from the hat by about an inch. This will be the shortest hanging line. Knot off a couple of times, making sure the pot is securely fastened.

7. Repeat the process outlined in Step 6 for each of the pots, spacing them about 1-½ inches apart. Allow each pot to hang lower than its neighbour, positioning the pots so that, in a slight breeze, the first pot's rim will tap the second pot just a little below the top edge to make the windchime's noise.

When all the pots are in place, they should form an evenly spaced spiral. Hang your creation in a sunny spot, where the spring and summer breezes can make the pots chime gently together. Enjoy!