DIY A Lovely Wind Chime For Your Garden With Old Keys - Here's How

With the uptic of key fobs and electronic keypads being used to access cars and homes, traditional metal keys are becoming obsolete. Most of the keys stashed in our junk drawers haven't been touched in years, but many people still are reluctant to toss them — just in case. Some keys also hold sentimental value, and we can't bear to get rid of them. Instead of letting the key collection continue taking up space, consider feeding your creative side and turning them into a wind chime.

Wind chimes offer visual and auditory whimsy, but the purpose of wind chimes actually goes deeper. These home and garden accessories are used to symbolize presence, renewal, and peace across cultures. They also have practical purposes, like scaring birds away from crops or keeping bats from roosting near your home. 

The beauty of this DIY project is that the possibilities are vast, with many ways to create a unique wind chime. Before you gather supplies, think first about the aesthetic of your garden or home. Do you have a certain look that you want to stick with? Do you want your decor to have subtle colors for a moon garden, or do you want it to be vibrant and cheerful for a patch of wildflowers? Once you have a vision, collect the following materials: a pile of old keys, string (jute, embroidery thread, etc.), and something to dangle the keys from. For a pop of color, paint the keys with nail polish or acrylic paint. To be safe, you can use a waterproof paint instead.

For a garden-themed wind chime, hang keys from the spout of a watering can. First, tie a piece of string to each key, either varying the length of each strand or keeping them all uniform. To get the string through the holes in the spout, loosely tape or wind a long, thin wire around the string. Use the wire to guide the string through the spout until you can reach the string from the inside of the watering can. Repeat this until all strands have been strung through. Then, tie all the ends together inside the can before letting all the keys fall loosely from the spout. Lastly, hang the watering can by its handle to make the chime.

Another idea is to hang keys from the inner circle of an embroidery hoop (the piece without the screw). Inspired by @LetsGetCraftin, first evenly mark the hoop to designate where the keys will be strung, and then tie yarn on the marks. After that, wrap the hoop with more string for color or texture, paint the wood, or leave it natural. Next, tie the keys onto the strings already hanging from the hoop. To create a way to hang the chime, cut three equal lengths of string. Tie one end of each string equidistant apart around the hoop, and then gather the other ends of the three strands into a knot. Hang it in your garden for a touch of charm. Although cleaning metal wind chimes is fairly easy, hang the wind chime under a covered area to extend the life of the project.