Bamboo wind chimes

Bamboo wind chimes look beautiful and have a pleasing, mellow sound that you can't get with ceramic or metal chimes. Making them yourself is not that difficult, since even if you don't have suitable bamboo growing nearby, you can get a few pieces at your local crafts store.

Things You'll Need:
Large diameter piece of bamboo, 20 to 36 inches long
Drill
6-inch lengths of thin jute rope, one for each cut piece of bamboo
Decorative beads, Shells, etc
Craft glue
Thin jewelry wire, long enough to make a hanger for your chimes
Scissors
Small diameter piece of bamboo, about 12 inches long
Ruler or tape measure
Pencil or marker
Hand saw
Sandpaper, medium to fine grade

Instructions
1
Measure different lengths on your larger piece of bamboo. Your wind chime will work best if the pieces are not all the same length, since the length of the pieces influence the sound the chime makes. Start with a piece 5 inches long. If your bamboo has a thick diameter, make the next piece 2 or 3 inches longer and so on. If it is on the thinner side, you might make another piece 4 inches long, then 3 and so on.

2
Cut the bamboo along the measurement lines you have marked with a small hand saw. Smooth the edges with your piece of sandpaper.

3
Decide which end will be the top and drill a hole about 1/2-inch from the top of the bamboo piece.

4
String the bamboo on a rustic fiber like thin jute rope. Jute is hardy and lasts a long time.

5
Add decorative accents like beads or shells to the bamboo and rope. Go for a harmonious effect with earth tones or an eye catching one with metallics or bright colors.

6
Tie the jute to the thinner piece of bamboo. Space your pieces of bamboo evenly and secure with a drop of glue. Trim the ends of the jute.

7
Take a length of the jewelry wire and twist it around to form a hanger. Wrap the ends firmly around the ends of the thin piece of bamboo. Find a place to hang your wind chime and enjoy!