Make Copper Wind Chimes
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My Honey and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary this year, and the traditional anniversary gift theme for the 7th year is copper. I like to follow the traditional gift when I can, but I had a heck of a time coming up with something copper that he would like. Finally it hit me — I could make copper windchimes, and to make it even more special I could use 7 pipes! He loves sitting on the porch and I knew he would enjoy the sound.
To start, of course I needed to get some copper pipe. I headed to my local home improvement store and went to the plumbing section, where I quickly found a 10' long piece of 1/2" copper pipe. I had planned on cutting it into pieces myself at home with a copper pipe cutter, but when the nice lady working in that department offered to cut it for me for free, I took her up on it. I needed 7 pieces of pipe and wanted each one to be 2" longer than the last, so she cut me pieces measuring 10", 12", 14", 16", 18", 20", and 22" long.
When I got them home, I drilled a small hole in the end of each pipe, making sure to drill all the way through the pipe so that the hole was on the back, too.
Then I needed two wooden circles, which I found at my local craft store. The first one is larger (mine was 8" across) and goes on the top, for the pipes to hang from. The second one is smaller (mine was 4" across) and will hang in the middle, to serve as a clapper.
When you choose your circles, make sure the second circle is small enough to leave room for the pipes to hang down around it.
Now for the tricky math part! I made evenly-spaced markings on the larger circle, dividing it into sections for each pipe. Since mine had 7 pipes, it took a lot of trial and error to mark 7 evenly-spaced spots on the larger circle. You'll have a much easier time if you use an even number like 6 or 8.
Then I drilled a hole about a half inch in from the edge at each mark.
Then I drilled a hole in the middle of each circle. I also drilled three holes around the center hole in the larger wood circle. These would be used for the hanger later on.
With the geometry behind me, it was time to start putting this thing together!
The pipes needed to hang from the wood by some sort of cord. I recommend using a nylon cord that's suitable for outdoors. (Cotton will probably disintegrate too quickly when exposed to the weather.) Use something pretty thin and very flexible. I actually struck gold on this by using some mini-blind cords that I had saved from the last set of mini-blinds I threw away. It was perfect!
I cut a piece of cord about 8" long and threaded it through the holes at the end of one of my pipes.
Then I took both ends, slipped them up through a hole in the large wooden circle, and tied them in a knot.
I repeated this for the second pipe, but when I tied my knot, I held the wood up level and made sure that the string was the same length as the one on the first pipe.
I attached all the remaining pipes in the same way, making sure to put them in order from shortest to longest.
Next was the hanger. I took three more pieces of cord, tied a big knot in each, and fed them up through the three middle holes in the larger wooden circle.
I held all three cords tightly in my hand (the pipes were pretty heavy!) and held the whole thing up in the air. Here is where balance becomes very important, as I needed to make each of the cords the exact length necessary for the wooden circle to remain level. The varying lengths of pipes make one side heavier than the other, but you can make it all hang level by carefully adjusting those three cords.
When I had it just how I wanted it, I tied them in a knot and trimmed the ends. This part is ready to hang with an S-hook from a hook our porch ceiling.
But first, I needed to add the clapper. I took one more piece of cord, tied a knot in the end, and fed it through the smaller wooden circle.
Then I fed the other end up through the middle hole in the larger wooden circle, adjusted for length, and tied it in a knot.
That's it, the wind chimes are done! I hung them on the porch for my husband to see when he came home, and he loved them.
See, wind chimes are really not very hard to make. You can make them out of just about any material you like, too. Copper not only suited my occasion, but it has a wonderful sound when the pipes hit in the breeze, so my husband and I were both very pleased with the results!
Oh, one more thing... after doing all this, I realized that the spot I hung the wind chimes in wasn't quite breezy enough to make them chime much, so I decided to add a wind catcher to help the breeze along. To do this, I just cut a little 2" x 4" piece of thin wood, drilled a hole in it, and strung more cord through the hole.
Then I just fed the end up through the hole in the clapper and knotted it so the wind catcher hung in place. This additional wind catcher piece helps catch the breeze and make the chimes ring even more. So, keep this optional addition in mind if you want extra noisy wind chimes!
77 comments so far:
What a great - and beautiful - job you did! Your honey is going to be so proud of your efforts!
Yet another idea I absolutely must try. Thanks, again, for the inspiration.
What a cool idea! I had no idea it was that easy! I hate that windchimes are so expensive so this is a great cheap way to make your own! Thanks!
How does the sound compare to other windchimes? I was wanting to do something like this for my kids to bang on, but wasn't sure how it would sound. Love all your projects I've viewed so far - I'm off to explore the rest now! :)
Kristen, the sound is lovely! A good way to hear how it sounds before committing to the purchase is to visit a hardware store and grab a small piece of trim wood, and tap it on a piece of pipe over in the plumbing section. If you like the sound from that test, you'll probably like the finished result too.
My husband and I made this today. I had been looking for wind chimes for my back porch and ones 1/2 this size cost $50 bucks! Thanks for the instructions!
Aloha! This site is great! Your custom copper pipe wind chime project inspired me so much that I decided to start this project today, I've already cut the pipe and I'm ready to cut out the wood pieces. My wife was asking for a wind chime for years, but I could never find one (that wasn't ridiculously over-priced). I'm modifying the design slightly with different diameter pipe, but they sound great. Thanks for posting process/instructions!
Scott, we're so happy our tutorial could help you score some brownie points with the Mrs! We'd love to see how your wind chimes come out :)
Hi!I've been wanting to make wind chimes for years. I even thought of copper pipe because when they get wet and over an extended period of time they would get the verdigris look. You have inspired me to try it. What a nice lady in the hardware store to cut the pipe for you. Thanks for posting the instructions.
Karen, I'm so happy to have inspired you! Exposed copper will turn green eventually, so if you don't like that look you can spray the pipes with a clear sealer or varnish to protect them.
Chica, I was so happy to find this. My wind chimes broke several years ago but I could not throw them out. This will help me put them back together. One question, where did you get the wood circles I have looked everywhere for them?
Peggy, so glad we could help you save your wind chimes! I got my wood circles at my local Michaels craft store.
Chica, Thank You so much for the clear and easy directions,bought my copper today,and my wood at Micheals and getting ready to make mine. Wish me luck, I know it shall be sweet sounding sucess!
Iris, best of luck to you. Let us know how it goes!
I love windchimes and have been wanting to make some. Thanks for the great instructions! I hung a set I received as a gift over my heat and air unit and whenever the fan kicks on the windchimes make thei beautiful music. I love that I can hear them without any wind!
Thanks for posting all the steps. I have to make on for a project i'm doing and this kinda helps me figure out how to do it.
This is great info. I have a couple of purchased wind chimes that the string has broken or they have come undone where they were stapled to the bottom of the wooden circle. My staple gun won't insert the staples enough to hold it, so I was trying to figure out a way to fix them. I will now use your drilled hole method and fix them. Thanks you! Oh and a suggestion to those who will have theirs hung out in the weather, to keep the wood in good condition, you might either paint, stain or clear seal the wooden parts. I had to seal the wood on my store bought chime after I used wood glue to seal a crack that developed in the wood after being outside for a while.
I have always look at the large one thy sounds like church bells,icant aford one but I will try this thank you very much
I have just found your site !!!..wanted to try to make a wind chime..this looks just the job !..all explained very clearly..thank you...Michael
Thank you for posting these easy to follow instructions. I have been asked to fix several wind chimes that have broken and I have been putting it off because I didnt know what type of string to use for outside use. Now I can get busy and they can enjoy their sweet music again. You have helped make several elderly people happy. :)
OM GOSH, I LOVE LOVE LOVE WIND CHIMES AND I HAVE BOUGHT THEM OVER THE YEARS AND THEY CAN GET PRETTY PRICEY!!! THE LAST ONE I BOUGHT WAS 65.00! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS , I AM GOING TO MAKE MY OWN AND WOW WHAT GREAT GIFTS THESE WILL MAKE! THANK YOU AGAIN, THEY ARE BRILLIANT!! :0)
Have the knots in the string held the pipes? Seems they might slip through eventually. Also, what did you use to thread the string through the holes? Great project!
Sheila, the knots were big enough to hold the pipes and they haven't slipped through. My cord was stiff enough that I was able to poke it through the holes without a problem, but if it's not working for you, you could probably use a toothpick to push it through.
Am redoing my plumbing and now I can use the copper pipes to make some wind chimes. To seal the wood circles I am going to use outside house paint. It is made to endure all kinds of weather. Or deck sealer would work I would think. To seal the knots so they don't come undone a little clear sealer applied to the knot. In days gone by when nylon stockings developed a snag or run a little clear nail polish was applied.
amazing worked perfectly! Me and my daughter made it and we had great fun!!!!!!!!! Lovely and easy
I love this type of chimes, but they are so very expensive to buy! Thank you so much for providing instructions on your beautiful chimes.
I found the copper pieces at Lowes in different lengths, so my project will start very soon.
I made a similar 5 tube wind chime a week ago and found your website today... Great tutorial!
A few things that I tried:
I used the wires from medium sized binder clips to slip inside the tubes and 'spring out' inside the tube and connect a single string.
I used a buffing wheel on angle grinder/polisher and used rubbing compound to create mirror finish on the tubes, then light coat of wax to preserve finish.
I had some old 1x12 cedar planks that I used for the top and clapper. For the sail, I had some old scrap mirrored plexiglass that I shaped into a teardrop, then glued 2 pieces back to back (for mirror on both sides) In sunny wind, the mirror reflects everywhere. (think audio & visual stimulation)
I used MS Word and created a 5 slice pie chart for 5 pipes and used it for the template for all my holes... I marked my first outer holes, then rotated the template 1 inch to space my outer holes 1 inch apart. If you need 7 pipes, make a 7 slice pie chart. Save ink by printing grey scale. NOTE: I used .74 in Word as my slice dimensions for 5 even slices.
I used a single string from tube, went through bottom of left hole, looped through right hole, back up through left hole, then up to steel hanging ring at top.
Only takes a second to center my pie chart, mark my holes and start drilling. (If I continue to make these, I'll make a template out of thicker material.)
Enjoyed it so much, I'm working on my second set of chimes with different sized tubes or may even try 7 tubes. Thanks for the tutorial also.
Brian, it sounds like you did a great job. Thanks for sharing your tips with everyone!
For the best sounding wind chimes you can do a search on google. And find the list of the correct lengths for pipes especially if you want them to sound harmonic. The actual 2 inch step is an OK idea for a general sound.... I tried it a few years ago also. But a beautiful sounding win chime (those pricy ones) should be pricy because they are harmonic. And lengths also change if you get decide to do one set of chimes in 1/2" pipe and a different one in 1" pipe etc
We just repaired our wind chime using your technique. So much easier than using one piece of cord for all 6 chimes. Thank you so much.
Hey there. Yes Great tutorial! I would also suggest putting something on the wooden pieces to prevent weathering. I used Butcher Block Conditioner I had, but there are so many different things you can pickup @ any hardware supply store. One more thing for catching the wind... I put my chimes up under the eves of the roof under each corner of the house. It helps keep it out of the rain and if you use different sounding ones on each corner you know which direction the wind is coming from based on the way your house is setup.
Such great directions! After researching how to make wind chimes on other sites, your directions are by far the easiest and simplest to follow (and I'm not overwhelmed by them like I was with all the others). Great job! Thank you!
Cary, thank you! We try to make all of our tutorials as thorough as possible.
To determine how far apart each hole should be drilled you need to do a little geometry calculation. A circle is 360 degrees. If you want to make 7 holes, divide 360 by 7. This tells you that each hole is approximately 51.5 degrees angle from the next. So, 1st hole is at 0, 2nd at 51.5 degrees, 3rd at 103, 4th at 104.5 etc. If you have more or less pipes you just divide 360 by the number of pipes. Using a protractor (a semi circle / ruler looking tool available for about $1.99 at an office store...or ask to borrow one over night from your kid's math teacher) you can then plot all 7 holes on the circle at a uniform distance from the edge of the circle.
Did you use a hand drill to make the holes in the copper. Needing help with that. Thanks for this idea.
Carolina, I used my regular power drill for the holes in the copper. To keep the pipe from rolling around on you, try wedging it between two boards to brace it.
I always had a hard time getting the center flat 'clanger' to stay level. It kept on drooping to one side. Then I discovered by using a round wood ball there was no droop! You can drill a hole through it, or attach small screw-in hooks opposite each other for attaching the strings. It works perfectly! I also added small washers to prevent the knots from falling through the holes in the wood. LOVE the sweet sounds!
Dianne, thanks for sharing those tips!
Hi, I made my own wind chimes from scratch because I never saw this site! Bummer!!! I used a round cut birch for the top but all my pipes are the same weight. It sounds pretty when I manually chime them but that's the problem - the chimes aren't moving enough to make a sound. They're very quiet. I can barely hear them from a foot away. Can you tell me what I did wrong? It doesn't appear I can send a picture but it looks like a regular wind chime.
Judi, did you add a flapper to catch the breeze, and bump the pipes? We hung a flat rectangle of wood from a string in the middle.
I have made several windchimes and repaired numerous store bought ones. There is a problem here in the desert of Southern Colorado of the string wearing out after sometimes only a month or so. Another problem is that where the hole is drilled in the pipe, it is sharp and often cuts the string. Someone had asked where to find rubber grommets, you can find them in auto part stores, they are used to protect wires that go through body parts. That would be a good option, but what I do, is take my dremel, and file the hole so it isn't as sharp. I think someone mentioned using a paper clip or wire to attach the pipe to the holder, haven't tried it, but with some experimentation, it might work. And, I always use a nylon cord. As far as them not being noisy enough, maybe you have them too close to the house and they aren't getting enough wind? The more out in the open they are, add wind, and resistance (the flapper), it should be wonderful. Also, try conduit for piping, you can often get it free near the dumpster at electrical services places. The heavier the pipe, the more dramatic the sound. Conduit is more tinkley, copper is melodic, and heavier pipe is dramatic and bass. Of course remember that the heavier the pipe, the heavier your clapper needs to be. Just go down the aisle at your home store and look at the different pipes they have. Definitely, have them cut it! Thanks for the tute, it was great!
Sunny, thanks for all the tips!
This is the best tutorial I have seen on pinterest. It is straight forward. Loved it. Gonna make some on the weekend. Thank you.
To the person who had trouble drilling holes in the pipe: I used a C-clamp to hold the pipe onto the workbench, with the end of the pipe sticking over the edge. But when I drilled, the drill bit kept sliding off the pipe, because of the smoothness and roundness. So I wrapped a piece of masking tape around the pipe where I wanted to drill, which added texture, so the bit didn’t slip.
Kay, that's a great tip. Thanks so much for sharing!
Good work! You may want to throw some poly or wax on the wood parts to protect them from weather. Also, for those who want to make chimes,drill the holes 22.4 percent of the length and you will have optimum sound. I also used binder clip parts to hang pipes and it works great
Hi Chica and Jo!
Wonderful tutorial, thanks.
Cords are my problem. I like your mini blinds cord idea, but what if you need thinner cord? Any suggestions.
Thanks, Laura! For other cord ideas, I suggest browsing your local home improvement store for options. Maybe ask the folks working there for advice on something that would hold up well outdoors.
I'm new to making wind chimes. Your tutorial is excellent. I'm really geeked up now. Working in my work shop tomorrow definitely. I've been gathering everything imaginable for 2 years to make chimes. Thanks.
Katie, that's awesome! Best of luck. :)
I love the project and the product, but even more than that I must say this is probably the best tutorial I have ever read. It's so plain and simple and matter-of-fact! I'm setting my alarm so I can hit Home Depot first thing and start working on my first wind chime. Thanks for the motivation! :-)
Lesley, thank you so much! That's exactly what we strive for with our tutorials, so I'm glad to hear we hit the target.
One way to cut costs would be to buy copper piping at a scrap yard. May not be as pretty. But you can buy it by the pound rather than the length. Be aware of the gauge. A thicker walled pipe will have a deeper sound and be heavier too.
I've heard a deeper sound vibration is a good aversion for snakes. Another good reason to have wind chimes.
heck of a nice job,, and it looks great. i was wondering if anyone knows how to tune the tubes or if there is such a thing,, wind wont blow the same way all the time so just wondering??????
TUNING: Wind chimes tune by length. The longer, the more bass (lower); the shorter, the more treble. You tune them initially by cutting them to a particular length, then finer tune by grinding off very small bits, as little as 1/16ths. If you tune them to a particular scale, all the tones will sound good together no matter which ones the wind plays. Look up "notes scales" on the internet. As far as what kind of tuner to use to make sure you hit the right notes ... someone with perfect pitch can help there. If not, you can use a guitar tuner or an internet tuner. But beware of a couple of things: (1) tuning based on a "heard" sound (e.g. a microphone on an internet tuner) will be different than one based on vibrations (a clipped on tuner); (2) depending on where and how hard you test- tap the pipe you'll get different sounds; (3) tones deteriorate, so the note will change as the tone resonates-- pay attention to the first note your tuner shows you, ignore the dying tones. If your chimes tone sounds muddy, there it's something inhibiting free vibrations. Even the supporting string will do this to a limited extent, but more likely it's a grommet or placement of the holes or something inside or outside the tube. Our it could be that you got crappy metal.
Abufarley, thanks for those excellent tuning tips!
Helper note. The sound of 3/8 compared to 1/2. Compare wall thickness to diameter ratio. In relation the 3/8 is thicker resulting in a thud compared to ring.
You and your friend are talented, artistic AND prolific. I have found that a few drops of medium CA (superglue) on a knot will keep string or cord, cotton or synthetic, from working loose.
A few things wrong here that are easily corrected: Support holes should be drilled in the 'dead zone' or 22.4% of the total length of each chime/note. Notes can be determined using a calculator after entering the ID, OD, and material, on leehite.org. The way you have them supported dampens sound. Dont allow them to touch the tops of chimes. And finally- the prime strike zone is at the tips or within a couple inches.
Perfect!
We managed to nab two beautiful sets of heavy chimes at a Walmart clearance years ago and we love the deep sounding gongs. Eventually, over the years, the clappers and strings broke, so we went into DIY mode, replaced the clapper with pre-cut circles from the local hardware store and the string with fine linked chain. We attached the chain to each pipe using a C clip inserted through the pipe and chain, then bent the ends out to hold everything securely in place. Even high winds haven't dislodged them.
Oh My Goodness! I love this idea. The Hubby and I are planning to do this for our 17th Anniversary "project date"! We have a ton of logs from a beloved tree on our property that came down after a hurricane, now we can use some of them to make the top and clapper!!! This will make a wonderful keepsake for years to come!
Rachel, that's a lovely idea! Tag us @chicaandjo if you post photos on social, so we can see!
When I re-string my windchimes, usually once a year, I use a heavy duty black fishing line cord I bought at a marine/fisheries supply shop. It's a twisted cord, possibly nylon, and feels like it is wax coated. It looks like this product I found on Amazon called Lee-Fisher-Braided-Twine. (Lee Fisher Size 48 1 lb Braided Twine Black 370 Ft 280 Test) It's very strong cord and holds up well to the weather.
Kerry, that's a great tip. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Chica, I love this idea and the great instructions. One question is how to finish the cut edges of the copper pipe? On commercial chimes they are usually turned in. Can you explain what you did / used to get the edges finished? TIA, Paula
Paula, I didn't do anything special to the edges. The pipe cutter naturally curved the edges in a bit, as shown in the photos.
I think using copper wire instead of string or rope would be a great idea as well.
George, that's a lovely idea visually, but I'm not sure the pipes would swing freely enough in the wind if hung on wire, which can have some stiffness to it. If you try it out, let us know how it goes!
Good day all! Any ideas or suggestions where i can purchase a book on making wind chimes. I need a bit more experience on making chimes, since my home-built ones don't seem to make much noise. Ideally i would like a book which has various types of wind chimes. Kind regards, Reg in Cape Town
Reg, we did some poking around and it seems that wind chime making books are few and far between, but you might take a look here on Amazon, where we found a few.
Hi Chica, Thanks for you reply and suggestions! Kind regards, Reg
Made my 2nd set of these and sound great.
Thank you for your great instructions. Just completed my version of the chimes (I had built a similar version of your chimes years ago but they fell apart). A few alterations in design - used 3/4” copper pipe (had a length left over from our house construction) - 5/16” eye hooks instead of drilling holes for string and used the wire handles from medium size binder clips instead of string to support the pipe - the 4” wood striker was just too soft to make the pipes chime so I encircled the outside edge with a strip of metal strapping used to support plumbing pipes - had to move the copper pipes in about 3/4” (so they now hang about an 1 1/2” in from the edge of the 8” diameter supporting disk) as they were too far away from the striker disk (they’re now about 1/4” away from the disk) . All in all I like how it sounds!
Jeff, thanks for sharing your modifications with us. Glad you were able to put together custom windchimes you love :)
Music to my ears. I love the sound of wind chimes and they are so beautiful. Great job.
I live in Arizona and I find out the different string and twine we used to hang the wind chimes eventually gets rotten from the Sun and the dry weather so I'm trying to find something that will not do this like fishing wire