Sea Glass Wind Chimes Tutorial

Make wind chimes with driftwood and sea glass beads with this easy sea glass wind chimes craft tutorial. Beaded wind chimes make gorgeous outdoor hanging chimes for your garden, yard, or patio. Homemade wind chimes, like this sea glass wind chime DIY, also make a lovely handmade gift idea!

Sea Glass DIY Wind Chimes are gorgeous outdoor chimes that you can make to hang in the backyard or garden. Using glass beads and small cowbells make this a simple beaded homemade craft.

I’m in love with the fire and ice look that this driftwood sea glass windchime brings to our patio. Sea glass beads look beautiful in any light… But they are magical when the sun hits them.

Related: Rainbow Prism Suncatchers

DIY Wind Chimes

When we found these gorgeous sea glass beads, my daughter and I wanted to make some sea glass suncatchers, and a wall hanging or beaded wind chime craft with them.

My 3-year-old daughter strung the sea glass wind chimes, while my husband and I drilled the holes in the driftwood for the wind chime, and created the twine hanger.

Just because young children probably could not make DIY wind chimes on their own, doesn’t mean they can’t help! We are raising a self-sufficient kid, so we like to invite our daughter to help out with household chores and simple DIY projects like this sea glass windchime.

Working on simple crafts like these hanging chimes means that we also get to sneak in a homeschooling lesson. Stringing beads is a simple way to develop the fine motor muscles in the hand necessary for writing and other handwork projects like sewing a pocket pet mouse.

Shhh… don’t tell her it’s preschool. Let’s keep it our secret 😉

Related: Beaded Name Necklace

Sea Glass Wind Chimes Craft Supplies

• Driftwood or bare branches
• Monofilament fishing line
• Small cowbells
• Blue (Ocean Wave) Sea Glass Beads
• Red/orange (Burning Sun) Sea Glass Beads
• Green (Sea Foam) Sea Glass Beads
• Crimp Tube Beads
• Garden twine
• Bead Crimper Pliers (An inexpensive and simple craft tool.)
• Drill

Related: How to Make a Fairy Garden

How to Make Driftwood Sea Glass Bead Wind Chimes: Step by Step Tutorial

Follow the step by step directions to learn how to make beaded wind chimes with driftwood and sea glass beads.

Step 1 – Drill holes in the driftwood for the Beaded Wind Chimes

Drill 3, 5 or 7 evenly spaced holes into a piece of driftwood or a bare branch for a graduated sea glass wind chime where the middle strand of beads hangs down longer than the rest. Alternatively, you can drill 3 to 9 holes and have them hang at the same length.

How to drill holes in driftwood for wind chimes:

• Measure the length of the driftwood that you are working with and drill 3 to 9 evenly spaced holes. (We drilled 5 holes approximately three inches apart in the middle of a 19-inch piece of driftwood.)

Step 2 – Cut Sections of Monofilament Line for Hanging Wind Chimes

Cut 3 to 9 sections of monofilament line. You will need one piece of monofilament line for each beaded sea glass strand that you would like to hang from the driftwood.

Length of beaded wind chime strands

When finished, the sea glass windchime bead strands that we made measured 12, 14 and 16 inches long. In other words, our daughter beaded two 12 inch strands, two 14 inch strands, and one 16 inch strand. We began with 5 strands of monofilament line between two and two and a half feet long.

Related: How to Grow a Sunflower House

Step 3 – Attach a Small Cow Bell to Each Section of Monofilament Line

Use a crimp bead or tube and a bead crimp tool to attach a cowbell to the end of each piece of monofilament line that you have cut.

How to Attach Cow Bell to Monofilament Line with a Crimp Bead:

1. Place a crimp tube or bead on one end of the monofilament line.
2. Next place a cowbell on the monofilament line.
3. Tuck the short end of the monofilament line into the crimp tube next to the long end of the monofilament line.
4. Push the crimp tube towards the cowbell to make a small loop.
5. Use crimping pliers to squeeze crimp tube shut around both pieces of monofilament line. This will hold the cowbell in place.
6. Trim off the excess monofilament line.

Step 4 – String Sea Glass Beads onto Each Strand

String the sea glass beads directly onto the long end of the monofilament line. Monofilament line, or fishing string, is sturdy enough to string beads without the need for a sewing needle. You can also use it to make suncatchers, and beaded necklaces and bracelets!

Use the blue sea glass beads, green sea glass beads, or the red sea glass beads in single or multiple color combinations. Use one color, create a multiple color pattern, or randomly string the sea glass beads onto each strand in any way you like!

Related: How to Color Wooden Beads

Step 5 – Attach Beaded Wind Chime Sections to Driftwood

How to Attach Beaded Sea Glass Wind Chime Strands to Driftwood:

1. Thread the top of each bead strand through the driftwood to attach each strand to the wind chime. In other words, pull the beaded section of the monofilament line up and through the piece of driftwood until the sea glass beads are flush with the driftwood.
2. Place a crimp bead onto the monofilament line (above the driftwood) followed by one last sea glass bead.
3. Tuck the monofilament line into the crimp bead and all the way through the driftwood.
4. Hold the crimp bead and sea glass bead as you pull on the end of the monofilament line. Continue to push the crimp bead and sea glass bead until they are close to the driftwood.
5. Use a pair of crimping pliers to close the crimp bead shut and lock the sea glass beads and wind chime strands into place. Cut off any excess monofilament line if needed. The sea glass bead on top of the driftwood will ensure that each beaded wind chime strand stays firmly in place.

Step 6 – Tie Garden Twine to the Driftwood to Make a Hanger for Sea Glass Wind Chimes

How to make an outdoor wind chime hanger with garden twine:

1. Use garden twine to tie a square knot at one end of a piece of driftwood.
2. Wrap the garden twine around one end of the driftwood 6 – 12 times to cover the knot.
3. Tie another square knot on top to secure the wrapped garden twine in place.
4. Leave 2 – 5 feet of slack (depending on how long you would like your wind chime hanger to be) and tie a square knot on the other side of the driftwood.
5. Wrap the garden twine 6 to 12 time to cover the knot on the other side and tie it off.
6. Cut the twine and tuck the loose end into the wrapped garden twine.

Sea Glass Wind Chime Craft and Gift Idea

Beaded wind chimes look lovely hanging outdoors in the garden, yard or patio. The sea glass beads used to make it become a gorgeous suncatcher that will add a splash of color to any view.

You may also like learning how to start a fairy garden. Click on the link for the step by step tutorial.

Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!

If you like sea glass DIY wind chimes, You May Also Like:

• Best Rainbow Suncatchers
• How to Make a Fairy Garden
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• Composting At Home
• How to Grow a Sunflower House
• DIY Outdoor Chalkboard