Family Project – Seashell Wind Chime

by Ashley Horne

An easy, afternoon project that can be completed with few tools and at a low cost is a wind chime. This activity may be fun to do with a group of kids (like a Girl Scout troop or as a party favor) or with your own children after a day at the beach.

For this project you will need 8 or more small to medium sized seashells, yarn, a block of scrap wood (this can come from a 2” x 4” board or anything else you might have left over), glue, a cordless drill and drill bits and a circular saw.

1. First, cut three pieces of yarn 16” in length. Glue the seashells to the yarn at various points and allow them to dry overnight.
2. Take your piece of scrap wood and cut it with the circular saw to a length of 5”. Don’t forget to wear safety glasses. Use your drill to make five holes across the top of the block of wood at roughly equal distances.
3. Cut a piece of yarn 10” long. Feed the yarn through the two holes closest to the ends of the block of wood. Tie the yarn on the underside of the block. This will provide a “hook” which will later be used to hang the wind chime.
4. Feed the other three pieces of yarn (with seashells attached) through the remaining holes. They will need to be fed through the wood from the bottom toward the handle. Knot each piece of yarn.
5. You should then be able to pick up your wind chime and hang it from a tree or hook outside. The shells will make beautiful music as the wind blows.

Your wind chime can also easily be altered from a seashell theme to incorporate your child’s favorites (ex. bugs, flowers, sports, etc). If you visit your local craft store you will find lots of items which can be used to craft your own unique wind chime.