Turn Thrifted Glassware Into Colorful Light-Changing Patio Decor
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Are you bored with your landscaping but can't afford to make a major change? You need some new yard art. There are endless ways to reuse old household items in your garden instead of tossing them, including one extremely creative idea from Darren Cooper, aka @the_gooch. The former clown is famous for getting crafty with affordable ideas like this colorful light-changing patio decor. Using a metal colander, small glass bottles or jars, and wire hangers, Cooper turned a few thrifted items into a charmingly prismatic wind chime.
According to feng shui experts who think they harness good energy, wind chimes can actually be used for more than just their sounds. This quirky craft is bound to bring positivity to your porch or patio, and is relatively simple to make. Along with a metal colander, a variety of small glass jars or bottles sourced from your local thrift or dollar store, and a few wire hangers, you'll also need some large beads and colorful cording. Since you'll be cutting and manipulating the hangers, a sharp pair of wire cutters and thick pair of gloves will make the project a lot easier.
The color of these items is completely up to you, and will dramatically impact the finished product. Cooper used a rainbow assortment of jars, beads, and cord hung from a bright blue colander that was eye-catching and quirky. For a more modern look, consider using neutral hues or a monochromatic approach.
Use colorful cord and wire hangers to create a cascading colander wind chime
Small glass jars and bottles may not immediately come to mind while you're thinking about the vintage garden decor everyone will be snatching up at thrift stores this spring, but they are the key to successfully completing this patio decor DIY. You'll want to find ones with tapered necks that are large enough to accommodate U-shaped hooks formed from pieces of wire hanger measuring around 4 inches each. Darren Cooper used 12 different colored jars, each hung from the colander at different heights to create a cascading effect.
@the_gooch I turned these Thrift Store bottles into Outdoor decor Nothing makes me happier than finding a treasure in a thrift shop or at a yard sale. Learn how to turn old bottles into a colorful wind chime decoration for your patio or garden. I bet your friends and neighbors will love this DIY so feel free to share away.
The hanging length is up to you, and is extremely easy to customize. Each of your jars will hang from a single piece of cord, with one end tied to the jar hook. The other end should be slipped through various colander holes from the inside, and then threaded through an affordable acrylic bead before being double-knotted on the outside. This will keep the cords from sliding out of your colander, and if you use semi-transparent beads, will add a little sparkle to the top of your wind chime as well.
Once you've attached all of your glass jars at varying heights that are close enough to twinkle against each other, insert the hook of your wire hanger through the center hole in your colander. The neck of the hanger will hold it neatly in place. You could stop there, but using a little hot glue to attach something colorful and light-changing, like the BLS LED Puck Lights with Remote Control, to the inside of your colander will make your new wind chime the star of the show all night long.