I’ve been wanting to make a junk owl for a long time and I’ve been collecting other people’s junk from thrift stores and garage sales to do just that.
And because I’m a girl who pretty much sees a wind chime in almost everything this had to morph into a wind chime project.
One of my favourite things to do is make stuff out of other stuff, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to love making these forever.
There are so many possibilities and combos to make every junk owl wind chime one of a kind.
For this project I’m using:
A vintage metal grater
2 Christmas tree aluminum cookie cutters
metal vegetable peelers, some vintage
2 lamp oil parts
A vintage beaded necklace
half of a vintage tea strainer
Split rings
a few nuts and bolts
Marine good adhesive (Not in supplies pic)
The first thing is to measure around the grater and figure out where you want your chimes to hang so they look equally spaced. Then mark those spots with a black marker.
My junk owl is having ten chimes. If you want less just measure and mark accordingly.
Then put the split rings into the holes.
The two vintage Christmas tree cookie cutters are added next as the wings.
I drilled a hole the size of the bolt I’m using through the cookie cutter and the grater.
Then I fed through the bolt and attached the nut on the inside of the grater.
I tightened it up with a screw driver just enough so the wing doesn’t move, but not too much so the cookie cutter doesn’t get squished.
Here are the nuts and bolts I used. The longer ones for the wings and the shorter ones for the eyes below. I’ll explain where I used the GOOP adhesive in a bit.
Next I added the vintage beaded necklace parts on the split rings and added split rings to their ends.
I attached the oil lamp part eyes, and the tea strainer nose, with Marine Goop adhesive.
After the goop dried I drilled holes through the eyes and added the nuts and bolts. Marine Goop is a very good glue but the eyes are kinda big and bulky so I just wanted to give them a little extra strength.
You can just see the handle in this pic and you’ll notice that I bent it to look like owl ears. I did this very gently with a hammer and my hands helping it as I went until I had it the way I wanted. This handle was a bit thicker than some so I really couldn’t bend it as much as I would have liked, but I think it looks ok.
Now came the fun part… NOT! lol.
I had planned on hanging ten veggie peelers, but I was only able to drill a hole into eight.
No matter what I tried these two seemed pretty much inpenetrable, and I barely made a dent in them.
So, it was on to Plan B.
Which was two long stainless steel measuring tablespoons. They were very easy to drill into.
Before I attached all my chimes I really wanted my owl to look like he was sort of resting on a branch… so I went looking through my stashes to see what I could find. In my vintage nut cracker collection I found a bunch of picks, and I thought they could work just fine.
Before attaching the pick I used pliers to break off a bit of the sharp end to make it nice and blunt. Then I glued it on with Marine GOOP just below a row of grater holes.
For the feet I used a very soft metal vintage tart tin that was very easy to cut with regular scissors and I glued the three toed pieces on the inside of the grater through the holes. I used painters tape to hold everything in place until the glue dried.
And here’s my finished junk owl wind chime hanging by the cedars next to my green house/junk storage house.
I hung four veggie peelers across the front and four across the back, and one measuring spoon on each side.
I’m a symmetrical-loving kind of girl so I liked the way this looked.
And here he is hanging out by the back deck .
I used fishing line to hang him from his ears because it’s pretty much invisible to the eye, but you can see it a bit in the pics.
I thought about adding something to the eyes (and I even dry fit a few different ideas) but I just kept coming back to this original look, and I decided that I kinda love him just the way he is.
When making wind chimes I love using different things for the chimes and these veggie peelers have a nice soft tinkle to them when they hit each other in the breezes, and the two measuring spoons add to this tinkling quite nicely.
I had so much fun making this junk owl chime that I’ve already made a few other versions using different junk.
Here they are. They’re all made basically the same way, but I used measuring spoons as the chimes.
Repurposing stuff is what I love to do for fun, and making wind chimes is one of my favourite things to do. When I can marry these two things together in one project… well that is just a total blast.
If you love owls and you enjoyed this project, you might also enjoy my repurposed Owl fall door decor project.
Pin to your favourite board and share with your friends.
Thanks so much for reading and until next time…
keep on keepin’ on!
XOX
ColleenB.~Texas says
August 19, 2016 at 8:03 amWhat a Hoot. That is quite creative and looks absolutely awesome.
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 6:54 pmThanks so much Colleen!
Maria Sharrow says
August 19, 2016 at 8:10 amHe’s so cute !! You are a junkin genius!
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 6:56 pmThanks very much Maria!
Mother Deer says
August 19, 2016 at 8:18 amYour creative mind is incredible! I love this so much…and envy that you can look at the “junk” and put it together in such an interesting and functional way. Makes me want to do something with all of the scraps that I’ve been hanging onto 🙂
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 6:58 pmThanks very much! I know what you mean about scraps. I’ve got a lot of junky stashes around here, and I really need to start using them up. Once I get going it’s really a lot of fun.
Pam Lonrad says
July 20, 2018 at 5:13 amI was thinking for the eyes you could either spray paint with glow in the dark paint . I’m pretty sure it’s available in a paint form. I just thought it would be cute at night?
Tuula McPhee says
July 23, 2018 at 10:43 pmThat’s a great idea Pam!
Linda g says
August 19, 2016 at 8:41 amabsolutely love your owl…and pretty much everything else i’ve seen on your blog…..love the way your mind works.
We’d be junking buddies if we lived near I’m sure!
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:01 pmThanks Linda! We can never have too many junkin buddies. 🙂
Cecilia MyThriftStoreAddiction says
August 19, 2016 at 8:42 amTuula, he’s perfect! Your wind chimes are the best!
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:01 pmThanks very much Cecilia!
DebbieO says
August 19, 2016 at 9:22 amI absolutely love the way your brain works. Lucky for us, you share all this genius!
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:06 pmThanks Debbie! I’m the lucky one here… to have readers like you who are interested in what I love to do. 🙂
Valerie says
November 4, 2017 at 12:12 amTuula I love creativity that we find in old and some great collection items and make them into something different and put them to a new usage! The Owl chimmer is awesome! Have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for sharing your talents! xxxooo
Tuula McPhee says
November 5, 2017 at 12:30 pmThanks so much Valerie! Repurposing is one of my favourite things to do. It’s so much fun to give things new lives. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend too. 🙂
Tania says
August 19, 2016 at 9:41 amOMG Tuula! He is so adorable!! I’ve seen those repurposed owls and have been wanting to make some too, have you seen the ones made out of jar lids? They are super cute too!
Tania
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:09 pmThanks so much Tania! I haven’t seen the jar lid owls, but that sounds like a fabulous idea. Now that I’ve made a few of these my eyes I see so many owl possibilities.
Dona says
August 19, 2016 at 10:16 amOh. My. Word. I’m so impressed by your creativity! I probably couldn’t do that to save my life. If you put the pieces in front of me and said make an owl, I might. But to just come up with the idea on my own? There is just no way. And I LOVE it!! VERY happy to hear we will be seeing something like this in your Etsy shop!! Let me know when it’s there……I may need some retail therapy!! Adorable, girl, just adorable! Dona
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:11 pmThanks Dona! I absolutely loved putting him together, and have been hoarding graters to make more. I’ll be sharing the other finished ones soon.
Florence says
August 19, 2016 at 10:28 amWow Tuula! You have such a knack for wind chimes. Wish I had half your creativity! It looks great! Do you put a sealer on the grater or any of the pieces to protect from the elements?
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:13 pmThanks Florence! I don’t use any kind of sealer because I love it when things age with rust and patina, but I don’t see why someone couldn’t do that if they wanted to.
Kris @Junkchiccottage says
August 19, 2016 at 11:10 amAdorable Tuula. Just makes me smile.
Kris
Happy Week End.
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:16 pmThanks Kris! Happy weekend to you too.
Lori says
August 19, 2016 at 12:09 pmAnother winner – you hit this one right out of the ballpark! Great job!
(although I wonder if the wings might have looked better attached just a *wee bit* lower down? they almost look like they’re attached to the sides of his head, rather than his shoulders …. I hate to quibble, sorry!!! He is really wonderful and so creative! But the birder in me just worries what will happen if he tries to fly …..;-)
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:20 pmThanks Lori! No worries. I appreciate the comment. My problem was the large slits on the one side of the grater, and the open handle areas on the cookie cutters gave me limited options where I could drill holes… so I just had to wing it. lol. (Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.) 🙂
bj says
August 19, 2016 at 1:59 pmwell, he is just adorable….:)
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:20 pmThanks very much bj!
Judy says
August 19, 2016 at 2:32 pmSo cute! Love that you incorporate all your vintage finds into the final piece. Very creative!
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:21 pmThanks Judy! I really do enjoy repurposing things. It’s just so much fun for me.
Tina @ What We Keep says
August 19, 2016 at 2:39 pmI always love your creations so much! Sounds like he’s hanging in the perfect spot. 🙂
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 7:23 pmThanks Tina! This one’s a keeper.
Patricia B says
August 19, 2016 at 8:12 pmHey Tuula, I love your owl wind chime. I didn’t notice and junk… I just noticed all the bits and pieces that went into your artistic endeavor. Thanks for sharing. Patricia B
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 10:40 pmThanks very much Patricia!
Sharon@BlueWillowHouse says
August 19, 2016 at 10:23 pmOh I am a bit in love. Your owl wind chime is adorable!
Tuula says
August 19, 2016 at 10:41 pmThanks so much Sharon! I had a real hoot with this project. 🙂
Cecilia says
August 20, 2016 at 9:33 amTuula, that is too adorable! I love owls. I love wind chimes. Therefore, I love this! He really turned out cute. Do you use a special drill bit for the metal?
I’m looking forward to seeing your other owls!
Tuula says
August 20, 2016 at 9:47 amThanks Cecilia! For this project I used a 3/64″ drill bit especially meant for metal. It works for most small items and thin metals. Every once in a while I’ll come across something I can’t drill through, like those two pesky veggie peelers, but I’ll just put them aside and move on.
Kathleen Charm Bracelet Diva {At Home} says
August 20, 2016 at 9:24 pmOh my gosh this is adorable! Genius, really:) Your talent never ceases to amaze me! Love this one! xoKathleen
Tuula says
August 21, 2016 at 10:23 pmThank you so much Kathleen!
Linda at Mixed Kreations says
August 21, 2016 at 2:41 pmOh wow how adorable! I love it! You are very creative coming up with a cute wind chime with all these different pieces, he is so cute! LOVE the eyes, now I will be looking at thrift store cheese graters and potato peelers through different eyes. Lol. Thanks for sharing!
Tuula says
August 21, 2016 at 10:23 pmThanks very much Linda!
Patricia says
August 22, 2016 at 12:11 amThis turned out so cute!
I still have a tin man …he needs work now, after almost 20 years! But he’s still hanging around.
I think this is adorable…and want to see more of your creations!
Heck, I might even make one myself!
Tuula says
August 22, 2016 at 10:16 pmThanks Patricia! I hope you do make one. 🙂
Julia - Vintage with Laces says
August 22, 2016 at 1:00 amThis is my favorite wind chime ever, Tuula! I LOVE it!!!
Tuula says
August 22, 2016 at 10:18 pmWow Julia. Thank you so much!
Lisa Cestkowski says
August 22, 2016 at 8:20 amLove it!!!
Tuula says
August 22, 2016 at 10:19 pmThanks Lisa!
Carol L Cook says
August 23, 2016 at 2:20 amYou are always so clever!
Thanks for sharing with SYC.
Tuula says
August 23, 2016 at 7:48 amThanks very much Carol! It’s always fun to join the party.
Katrin says
August 23, 2016 at 3:22 amThis is such a cool owl wind chime and a great repurpose! Love it a lot!!
Tuula says
August 23, 2016 at 7:49 amThanks so much Katrin!
BethN says
August 23, 2016 at 10:22 amI adore this! I know I have some of these items and am going to have to try and recreate this for my porch. Thank you so much for your inspiration!
Tuula says
August 23, 2016 at 10:17 pmThanks Beth! I’m so pleased that my project has inspired you.
Jeannee says
August 26, 2016 at 1:43 pmOMG ! You are so creative! That owl is awesome ! I love Owls so I must copy this for my yard! He is the Bomb !!!!!
Jeannee
Tuula says
August 26, 2016 at 10:24 pmThanks so much Jeanne! I’m so glad that my project has inspired you. 🙂
Michelle - Happy Heart™Made says
August 29, 2016 at 3:51 pmSaw this on Sweet Inspirations…WAY TOO CUTE!!!
Tuula says
August 29, 2016 at 10:30 pmThanks very much Michelle!
Monroe | Sew Crafty Crochet says
August 30, 2016 at 1:17 amI really love this owl! Such a creative and unique idea/project!! I’m pinning this!
Tuula says
August 30, 2016 at 8:15 amThank you so much Monroe!
Debbie Petersen says
June 18, 2017 at 12:30 pmI am new to doing these projects. I absolutely love your owl wind chime. I hope I can do this. I have definitely found someone to follow. Thanks
Tuula says
June 18, 2017 at 1:36 pmThanks very much Debbie! I’m so happy to have you as a reader. The hardest part of this project is finding all the pieces. Thrift stores and garage sales are great sources for that. You can definitely do this. 🙂
Monica says
September 17, 2018 at 10:12 pmHow beautiful! I practically have everything I need to do this! Lol, you kept calling the wind chime ‘he’, I think they all look very definitely feminine!
Tuula McPhee says
September 17, 2018 at 10:18 pmThanks Monica! I guess he just looked like a he to me. lol. I’m so happy that my project has inspired you. 🙂
Terry Dietz says
September 18, 2018 at 11:46 amWonderful!! Love it!
Tuula McPhee says
September 19, 2018 at 7:57 amThanks Terry!