Introduction: Squid Chime

About: Hey there! I like to sew and craft and adventure and so many other things I could bore you to tears. But I won't. Sooo well, have a good day :)

Wind chimes are beautiful and are very pleasant to listen to. Now you can make a Squid Chime!! It took only a few hours (of course I had to take pictures though!) and costs about $10.
Though it is made from forks and spoons, it still has a beautiful tone. It's fun to make too!

Step 1: Gather Materials

You will be needing:
  • Tin soup can
  • Two Forks
  • Two Spoons
  • Washers or Large buttons
  • Sheet Metal (I didn't have enough so I just used card-board rapped with foil)
  • Two Twist-ties
  • Medium-sized Nail (small enough to fit inside the can)
  • Fish line
You will be needing the following tools:
  • Larger Nail (To poke the holes with)
  • Hammer
  • Scissors
  • Metal saw
  • Glue Gun
  • Vice

Step 2: Make the Holes on the Can

 Mark four holes on the can, in a rectangle shape.
To make the holes, you can put a nail on the can and pound it in with a hammer. Or if you have a drill you can do that to. ;)

If you are going to do button eyes, you'll have to make two more holes on the sides of the can, about an inch from the top, (the opening). I used a vise to do this, because without one the nail doesn't go in; the can just bends.

Step 3: Getting the Utensils Ready

 To hang the spoons, I simply tied the string around the top of the handle. But it would work best if you could drill a little hole into the top. (I need to keep this temporary because we still use the forks!)

Tie the fish line nearest to the prongs on the forks.

The spoons will be tied as high up as possible on the handle, (if it doesn't get large enough at the top, you'll have to drill a hole).


Step 4: Tying the Utensils Together

Putting the medium-sized nail in a vice, use a saw to make four little groves. Make two about a centimeter away from the ends, and two more (Optional) a centimeter away from the first.

Tie the two spoons on the end of the nail, and the two forks a little away from them on the inside. (See picture four)
Tie the spoons a little longer than the forks. Make sure that the fork prongs are upwards and the spoon heads are downwards.

Pick up the nail to hear how it will all sound. Make adjustments as wanted.

Step 5: Attaching the Nail to the Can

   This is the hardest part. You'll have to get the nail inside to the top of the can, and then put the twist ties around the nail and tie them on the outside.  To do this you're going to want to set the can on a desk and shine a small flashlight inside. If you don't have great lighting it makes it a lot easier.
Hook the twist ties so that you can put it through the hole on the bottom and catch the nail and then thread it through the top hole.

Look at the picture to see what it should look like on the inside.

Step 6: Fixing on the Eyes

If you are doing button eyes, slip a pin through the button hole so that the head of the pin is pionting down. Hot glue the pin at the point.

If you are doing washers, just glue to the outside. Make sure that there is only a little glue so that it doesn't show.

Step 7: Top Fins and Hanger

Thread fish line through the two twist ties and tie at the top. Putting a keyring at the top will make it easy to hang and won't brake on sharp nails/hangers, but it is up to you ;)

Glue on the triangle-shaped fins to the top of the can. Glue at the edges of the can perpendicular to the twist ties. Make sure that the fish line is in between the fins and then glue at the top.

Step 8: Hang and Enjoy!

Hang up your squid chime outside or on a hook in your room. You can now enjoy the beautiful music!

Kinetic Sculpture Design Contest

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Kinetic Sculpture Design Contest