Bamboo wind chimes as a piece of decoration will add natural features and quiet tones to your peaceful home atmosphere. You can purchase one in the store or try to make unique bamboo wind chimes on your own. Follow several simple steps of the guidelines below to create your personal natural piece of art.
13-Step Guidelines on how to create your own bamboo wind chimes
Step 1 Get all the required materials
Not all of us live in the areas where wild bamboo grows. However, you can purchase bamboo poles intended for fishing at specialized stores, or you can come across bamboo at the stores of garden supplies, craft shops, or departments of home decor. The last but not least option is to go online.
Get ready for the project in advance. Prepare some bamboo poles, some thick plywood( the size depends on the size of the future instrument), a drill, a saw, some string, and a hot melt glue gun with glue.
Note! The bamboo material has to be seasoned well. Check if it isn’t rotten or split.
Step 2 Divide the bamboo into six sections of different lengths
Cut a bamboo pole into six pieces. Pay attention that each piece must have two sections of the plant. The first cutting line must be located slightly above the plant’s segment, while the other has to be slightly below the second segment. This way the piece of the tube will be open and easy to work with.
Step 3 Make a split on every piece
With a sharp knife split one end of every piece, which is hollow, to make it look sophisticated and produce incredible tunes. Here, very careful work is required as you can hurt yourself. If there is a vise at your disposal, use it to fix the bamboo pipe. It will make the job easier. Using a saw can be reasonable in case if the material is hard. Sharpen the last inch to make an angle.
Step 4 Drill the holes for hanging
With a small beat of 1/8 inch drill the holes above the segment on the opposite end of the pipe. The hole has to be parallel to the cut you have made in the previous step. After assembling you will see that such a construction allows every hollow channel of the bamboo pipe to face out on every piece.
Step 5 Prepare the top disc
Plywood or other similar material will do for the top. You must cut a circle seven times more than the diameter of a bamboo pipe. So, if you take 1-inch diameter pipes, the diameter of the round piece has to be 7 inches to be strong enough to hold the construction.
- Another interesting option is a triangle-shaped top made of reeds or twigs. The design is unbelievably simple. You can find the materials easily in your location. Arrange them in the form of a triangle. Secure the joints with hot glue and then wrap them with a string. Make it X-shaped at each corner for a more reliable hold.
If you have decided to use a triangular shaped top disc then you will need some twine. Cut it into nine pieces, an arm’s length each. Braid every three pieces and tie them to every corner of the triangular top. Make a knot at the end but leave approximately 4 inches of twine. Put your three braids together and make a loop at the end. Tie a knot to make it safe, as you will hang the whole unit with it.
This simple model doesn’t feature any striker or a sail. So just thread the string through the holes in the bamboo tubes and tie them to the triangle. Check if the pipes are close enough to each other. They have to collide when the wind starts to blow.
Step 6 Divide the top disc into six equal parts
This disc will hold the tubes so you have to layout 6 equal parts, like dividing a pie into pieces. Drill 12 1/8 inch holes on every side of the 6 layout lines, leaving 3/4 inch to the line. Remember to keep close to the edge of the piece.
Step 7 Thread the string through the holes
Take a long piece of string, like 48 inches long, thread it through the first hole and tie a knot to fix it. For the best results try to find a flexible string. Continue with the rest of the pipes doing it in turn. Go through the hole in the top, moving down and going through the bamboo pipe, and then moving up again to the top. Move around the circle to connect all the pipes to the disk. Tie off a string with a knot.
Step 8 Vary the position of pipes
Make some adjustments to place each stick lower or higher than the neighbors. With this simple trick the tone of each piece changes making unique sounds. Feel free with experiments to receive pleasure from the melody.
Step 9 Make three holes in the center of the disc
Drill three more holes in the middle, located around and equally at a distance of 1 ½ inch from the center. Cut 3 30-inches pieces of the string, tie the three together on one side to form a little loop.
Step 10 Insert the stripe pieces
Thread the cuts into three holes in the disc and fix them with hot melt glue to hold them in place. Remember to keep the disc level.
Step 11 Make the striker
Take a small piece of plywood and cut a disc which is smaller than the first one. It must be one and a half times bigger than the diameter of the bamboo pipes. Take a drill and make 3 1/8 inch holes located equally at the distance of about 1 inch from the central point. Now thread the ends of three central strings through the holes. Keep in mind that the distance between the top of the pipes and the striker is about ¼ of the lengths of the sticks. With the help of hot melt glue fix the string pieces to the round plywood disk, but this time keeping both discs level. This striker performs the function of a hammer and hits the pipes producing chime tunes.
Step 12 Make the sail
Use plywood or any other material to cut a preferred shape of a sail. Place it below the striker and tie it with all three string pieces. The sail catches the wind, makes the striker move back and forth, and hit the pipes. The size is important here. The sail of a bigger size sways easier even in a light breeze. But of course, it’s up to you, don’t be afraid to experiment with various shapes, sizes, and materials.
Step 13 Glue all the joints to secure the whole construction
Hot melt glue will help you again. Use it to fix all the joints, strings, and knots to have a reliable and well-tuned bamboo wind chime. Don’t limit your imagination and try to decorate your chimes anyway you like. You may add any embellishments. Some dried lavender or feathers can match the design.
Practical tips
- Don’t worry about bamboo. It can be dried and well seasoned or still green. The only point here is your skills and comfort at work. If you prefer working with fresh bamboo choose it. Afterward, leave it for a few days to dry and it will be ready.
- If you don’t split the bamboo ends it will affect the sounds your windchime produces. When the wind gets throughout the pipe it makes the sound loud and not so pleasant. It is recommended to split the pipe ends to make the melody smooth and relaxing.
- To test your bamboo wind chimes just hit the sticks to hear the sounds. The wind does it the same way. Remember that the lengths affect the pitch of the sound. The longer the stick, the higher the sound. And vice versa if the pipe is short the pitch will be lower and the sound deeper.
- While working with bamboo or other similar materials splinters can hurt or impale you. Be sure to wear special protection for your eyes and hands, for example, safety goggles and gloves if needed.
- Please note that you don’t have to hollow out the bamboo pipes. If you do this you can spoil the overall sound of the windchimes. The natural membrane functions as a drum, it captures the sound and then releases it slowly. If you clean the pipes, you will weaken the sound produced by the striker and make it escape quickly from the windchimes.
Conclusion
The minimalist echo style of bamboo wind chimes makes it an exceptional addition to your decor wherever you place it at home or in your garden. Following the simple and detailed guidelines, you can create a special piece, which will please your eyes and caress your ears with magical tunes.
