If the end of the gardening season finds you surrounded by little clay pots, don't throw them away. Instead, turn them into accent pieces for your garden.
This project uses a single pot and beads suspended on a jute rope so the beads strike the pot when the wind blows.
Allo You Need
- Small clay pot 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter at the top
- Jute rope (1/4 inch thick) cut to the length you want the wind chimes to hang from their hook. We use 3 feet.
- 9 large wooden beads
- 1 wooden bead larger than the hole in the bottom of the pot
- Acrylic paint in your choice of colors
- Clear finish for the paint
Step by Step
1. Paint and decorate the pot in the pattern of your choice. When it's dry, seal it with two coats of clear finish to protect the pot from weather.
2. Fold the jute in half and push the folded end through the first large bead. Pull the jute so you have 8 inches of it above the bead. Tie a knot in the jute under the bead.
3. To make it easier to remember which end of the jute is which, mark one end with paint or marker (you can cut this bit off when you are done).
4.Thread the painted side of the jute through the second bead and run the bead up until it is directly beneath the first bead. Tie the two strands tightly around the bead with a knot (this will firmly hold the bead in place).
5. Thread the unpainted end through the next bead. Slide the bead up until it is directly beneath the second bead, and tie the two strands tightly around the bead with a knot.
6. Thread both strands of jute through the hole in the pot and slide the pot up to rest directly below the beads. Tie a knot in the strands directly below the pot.
7. Thread the painted strand of jute through the bead that's larger than the hole in the pot. Slide the bead up to the knot. Tie the two strands tightly around the bead with a knot. Tie a second knot beneath the first (this bead will hold the weight of the pot when the knot above it shrinks, so we need to be sure it is secure).
8. Slide three of the remaining beads up each strand of the jute so the bottom bead hangs just below the bottom of the pot. Tie a large knot below the bottom bead to keep the three on the strand.
9. Trim any excess jute to a length you like.
10. Hang the pot. When the wind blows, the beads strike the sides of the pot.
Do you have an extra large pot? Here's how to make a mini garden pond in a pot.
2007 Sears Brands, L.L.C. 