Summer Beach Huts Tin Can Wind Chime - Photograph

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I took those photographs of the tin can wind chime that I made and hung in my yard this past week. The strings on the original wind chime broke, and the wood rotted. I almost threw away the chimes, but then I got the idea to use a tin can (coffee can) to restring it. I decoupaged a Summer Beach Huts napkin onto this, but I intentionally didn't use an exterior clear coat sealer / medium on this project.

The steps of how to make it are:

Tin Can Wind Chimes Project:

What you will need:

tin can, cleaned
decorative napkin (for decoupage)
wind chime pipes (from a salvaged wind chime)
wind chime center piece (I used a wood block)
screw eye / eye hook (for wind chime center piece wood block)

piece of plastic wrap
decoupage medium (I used Liquitex Matte Gel)
decoupage brush (I used a sponge brush)

hammer
nail / screw
pin / needle
sewing needle

fishing line (I used 12 lb. .013 Dia. Zebco Omniflex fishing line)
small plastic bottle caps (I used Polar seltzer bottle caps)
string

Steps:

Determine the appropriately sized tin can to go with the wind chime pipes, based on the diameter of the tin can.

After using the contents of the can, remove any labels / glue from it. (Note: a little leftover glue won't matter, because it will be covered over by the paint and the decoupaged napkin.)

Clean / rinse the tin can and then allow it to dry.

Paint the tin can with acrylic paint (typically a very light color when using a napkin for the decoupage "paper.").

Mark hole punch locations with sharpie or other marker, on the sides of the can closest to the can opening. (I used a string to go around the can (circumference), then marked five evenly spaced hole points on the string with the sharpie, using a ruler. I then put the string around the can again, and marked the spots on the can.)

Mark hole punch location in the center of tin can bottom (which will become the top of the wind chime).

Fill the tin can with water and put it into the freezer.

Wait for the water to freeze inside the tin can.

Remove tin can and quickly punch the holes in it, using the previously marked points. Use a hammer and a nail (or screw) to punch the holes in the tin can. Do the sides first, then the top (bottom).

Re-use the ice / water.

Wait for the tin can to dry completely.

Use a pin (or needle) and insert it between the three layers of the decoupage napkin, to separate the printed layer from the other two layers.

Lay the decoupage napkin print side down, so that the back side of the napkin is facing up. Determine where the center point of the tin can should be, by rotating the can 180 degrees so that the back seam is facing you, and the center of the can is facing down toward the center of the napkin design.

While holding the decoupage medium brush in one hand, place the tin can over your other hand. Brush the decoupage medium onto the side of the can, completely coating it. Also coat a little bit of the rim and top of the can, as well as the bottom rim of the can.

Position the can so that the center is facing down, and the back seam is facing you, and press the center of the tin can into the center of the backside of the napkin, leaving enough of a bottom edge that can be folded into the inside of the can.

Gently roll the can from side to side, so that the napkin adheres to it, until you have almost completely covered the can, but not quite to the back seam.

Use a piece of plastic wrap to press the napkin onto the tin can at the seam point, with a little overlap. If there is excess napkin, don't press too much of it, so that the overlap is only about 1/4".

Using the piece of plastic wrap, press the napkin all around the tin can sides.

Also use the piece of plastic wrap to fold over the bottom of the napkin into the inside of the can.

Also use the piece of plastic wrap to fold over the top of the napkin onto the inside edge of the top of the can, to create a small seam that will be covered over later with a circle cut out of the same napkin.

Wait for the tin can to dry.

Cut away any excess napkin from the top of the can, leaving the small seam still decoupaged to the top rim and inner edge.

Measure and cut out a circle from the same napkin, that fits over the inner top of the tin can. (Note: you can use the can to trace the circle onto the napkin, then cut a little bit inside of that, to fit the inner area of the top of the can.)

Verify the circle fits flat on the top of the tin can, trimming any excess if necessary.

Brush the decoupage medium onto the top of the can, completely coating it.

Gently place the napkin circle onto the top of the tin can, and use the piece of plastic wrap to press it into place.

Wait for the tin can to dry.

Using the same nail (or screw) that you used to punch the holes into the tin can, carefully pierce the holes in the can that are now covered by the napkin.

Use at least one coat of an exterior clear coat sealer / medium over all napkin areas, including the inside bottom rim of the tin can.

Wait for the tin can to dry.

Use fishing line to create the top hanging loop for the wind chimes. (Note: I used a small plastic bottle cap, pierced by a nail, to create a stopper on the inside of the can in the loop. I also used another small plastic bottle cap, pierced by a nail, with string through it and tied to the outside of the hanging loop, to keep the fishing line from being able to fall through the center hole in the top of the can.)

(Note: I used 12 lb. .013 Dia. Zebco Omniflex fishing line)

With the tin can hanging from something, use fishing line to string the wind chime pipes to the five holes in the bottom of the can. (Note: if the distance between the holes in the wind chime pipe are wide, use a sewing needle to thread the fishing line through the pipe holes.)

Use fishing line to string a center piece that will hit the wind chime pipes when the wind blows. (I used a wood block, with a screw eye / eye hook screwed into the center of it.)