Beautiful Beaded Wind Chime Craft

If you're looking for a lovely outdoor craft to make for your garden, then this beaded wind chime craft is perfect. It is an easy summer craft for anyone to make - kids, teens, and adults, too. With a few bright beads and an old stick and string, you can create a whimsical crafty addition to your garden.

easy beaded wind chime craft for tweens and teens to make hanging in the garden

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I've shared many summertime crafts over the years. But I've been wanting to make my own beaded wind chime for a while now. In fact, I found this stick years ago and have kept it in the planters on my front porch, just waiting to add the swinging beads and bells. So, this year I decided to make one!

How to Make a Beaded Wind Chime

supplies you will need

a selection of beads - colorful plastic beads, clear colorful beads
a selection of colorful jingle bells
waxed linen string
a stick

Okay, to begin with, you will need to select a stick for your wind chime. As I said above, I found my stick many years ago. I'm one of those people who saves sticks and rocks that I find along my walks. If I see a stick that I like, I bring it home, and I place it in my garden. I love the length of this stick and the unusual bends in the stick. It seemed like the perfect stick to make a whimsical wind chime on.

bowls of beads, stick, scissors and waxed linen for wind chime

Once you have your stick, it's time to start adding beads to your waxed linen thread. I like using waxed linen thread for outdoor projects. The wax adds a layer of protection to the thread. This will help the thread hold up to the elements. We will be wrapping and tying our string around the stick. So, you will want to cut your lengths of string accordingly. Determine how long you think you want your strands to be. How long do you want them to be dangling? Mine vary in length, from about 12 inches to 8 inches in length. Then take into consideration the wrapping of your stick - another 4-6 inches (depending on your stick).

red jingle bell knotted onto end of waxed linen string

Begin by tying either a bead or a jingle bell to one end of your string. This will secure all the other beads in place.

colorful beads threaded onto string of waxed linen

Once you have the bead securely knotted to the end of the string, you can start feeding all your other beads to the string. Like sticks, I also collect beads and buttons. I used a variety of colorful beads and even some buttons. I liked the little butterfly and heart beads. I especially love the sparkly beads.

close up of jingle bells tied on ends of beaded wind chime strands

They will do a wonderful job reflecting the sunlight when my wind chime is hanging outside. Use whatever beads you have on hand. This is a great part to do while you are sitting outside. Put on some music and have fun beading.

strand of beaded waxed linen string looped and tied onto a branch

When you've filled your string with beads...remember you need to leave 4-6 inches of string free from beads. Wrap the unbeaded end of the string around your stick. Then tie a knot to secure your string to the stick. Try to tie the knot on the bottom side of the stick. As tightly as you can. Trim the string and keep beading and tying on the beaded strings until you have the number of strands that you like.

string of waxed linen looped around and tied to make hanger for beaded wind chime

When it's time to add your hanger to the stick, you can simply tie a length of the waxed thread to either end of your stick. To determine the length of this string, you might want to decide where you'd like to hang your wind chime.

Copy of close up of colorfully beaded wind chime hanging with white background

Now your beaded wind chime is ready to hang outside. The wind will blow through the strands, and the little jingle bells will bring a gentle jingle to your outdoor space. I hung ours in the backyard, near my vegetable garden. It is lovely to hear the little jingle as I work in the garden. And, I love how the sun reflects colors all around the yard. It really is a beautiful addition to the garden.