How to Make a Rainbow Wind Chime from Recycled Cans

I love crafting with recycled cans and wind chimes are one of my favorite things to make with them! (check out my Fourth of July Wind Chime and my Halloween Ghost Wind Chime posts!) 

Wind chimes are fun projects to make with kids and a fun way to decorate your porch or garden. 

Robots are great at a lot of things - but not writing useful craft tutorials. This article was written by an actual human who actually made this project - not by AI, ChatGPT or any other kind of robot.

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Looking for more tin can craft ideas?

Get more ideas for creative ways to recycle tin cans into crafts!

• Galaxy Tin Can Pen Holder
• Fourth of July Tin Can Wind Chime
• Garden Art Plant Markers from Tin Can Lids
• Halloween Tin Can Ghost Craft

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This rainbow wind chime is perfect for:

• St. Patrick's day
• Pride
• Earth Day
• A memorial garden for furry friends who have crossed the rainbow bridge

How to Make a Recycled Tin Can Rainbow Wind Chime Craft

Supplies:

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• 5 tin cans in different sizes which nest together
• Thin painters tape
• Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan OR a zero VOC white primer
• Paint brushes
• FOLKART Multi-Surface or Outdoor Paint in rainbow colors:
• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Purple
• Dremel Micro Rotary Tool (or a hammer and nail)
• Metallic gold pipe cleaners (approx 3)

How to Make a Rainbow Wind Chime:

STEP 1: Prime the cans 

Prime the cans using either primer or chalk paint. 

I had some Chalk Paint Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan on hand from a previous project so I used that.

STEP 2: Paint

Before painting, use the patterning tape to mark off the sections you'd like to paint. 

Each of my cans had two sections. 

Once sectioned off, go ahead and paint the cans. I painted mine like this:

• Can 1 (largest): red (top) // orange (bottom)
• Can 2: orange (top) // yellow (bottom)
• Can 3: yellow (top) // green (bottom)
• Can 4: green (top) // blue (bottom)
• Can 5 (smallest): blue (top) // purple (bottom)

Set the cans aside to dry. If needed, add a second coat of paint once the first coat is dry. Removing patterning tape once all paint is dry.

STEP 3: Assemble

Punch holes in the tops of each can by either using a Dremel Micro Rotary Tool (my personal preference) or a hammer and a nail.

Tie a knot in the bottom of one of your pipe cleaners and thread it through the smallest can so that the inside of the can is resting on the knot. 

Figure out where you would like the top of the second can to hang and tie another knot and thread that can onto the pipe cleaner. 

By the time you get to the fourth can, you will need to connect the second pipe cleaner to the first. 

Make the join large and bulky so the can rests on it. 

Continue stringing the cans together. For the final can. make a hanging loop with the pipe cleaner.

If you love this tin can windchime craft, be sure to pin it to save it for later!

PRINTABLE RAINBOW WIND CHIME CRAFT DIRECTIONS

recycled craft, wind chime, rainbow bridge, pride, tin can craft, earth day, rainbow

Yield: 1 windchime

Author: Carissa B for Creative Green Living

Estimated cost: $3

Rainbow Wind Chime from Recycled Cans

This rainbow wind chime is perfect for: St. Patrick's day Pride Earth Day A memorial garden for furry friends who have crossed the rainbow bridge

prep time: 10 Mperform time: 27 Mtotal time: 37 M

materials:

• 5 tin cans in different sizes which nest together
• Thin painters tape
• Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan OR a zero VOC white primer
• FOLKART Multi-Surface or Outdoor Paint in rainbow colors:
• Metallic gold pipe cleaners (approx 3)

tools:

• Paint brushes
• Dremel Micro Rotary Tool (or a hammer and nail)

steps:

1. Prime the cans using either primer or chalk paint.
2. Before painting, use the patterning tape to mark off the sections you'd like to paint.
3. Paint cans as desired.
4. Set the cans aside to dry. If needed, add a second coat of paint once the first coat is dry.
5. Remove the patterning tape once all paint is dry.
6. Punch holes in the tops of each can by either using a Dremel Micro Rotary Tool (my personal preference) or a hammer and a nail.
7. Tie a knot in the bottom of one of your pipe cleaners and thread it through the smallest can so that the inside of the can is resting on the knot.
8. Figure out where you would like the top of the second can to hang and tie another knot and thread that can onto the pipe cleaner.
9. By the time you get to the fourth can, you will need to connect the second pipe cleaner to the first.
10. Make the join large and bulky so the can rests on it.
11. Continue stringing the cans together. For the final can. make a hanging loop with the pipe cleaner.

https://www.creativegreenliving.com/2015/03/how-to-make-rainbow-wind-chime-from-recycled-cans.html

Copyright 2015, Creative Green Living

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Created using Craft Card Maker

About the Author:

Carissa is an award-winning writer whose goal is to empower families to make easy projects and healthier choices that are beautiful and delicious! 

The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she is also the author of several books including Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017), Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018) and The Little Green Book of Mothers' Wisdom (Skyhorse, 2020). 

Follow her on TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, or join the Creative Green Living Community Group on Facebook.

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