How to Make a Strainer Planter Wind Chime
This strainer planter wind chime is quite easy to put together, and would make a fun accent to any garden deck or patio.
If you find all your supplies at thrift stores, like I did, it’s quite inexpensive too.
I had all my supplies on hand in my stash, but none of these things is too hard to find.
Strainer Planter Wind Chime supplies
large metal strainer
3 similar sets of 4 measuring spoons
9 ft dog leash chain (or any other heavy chain)
single layer key rings (double layer key rings will probably be too stiff)
black sharpie
measuring tape
drill with strong metal drill bit
Spray paint
cocoa fibre planter liner
potting soil
plants
glass of water (it was hot, lol)
When I found the plain metal strainer at the thrift store for $1 I immediately thought of a hanging planter, and since I think almost anything can be a wind chime I thought … why not?
If you find one that already the colour you want that’s awesome.
This plain aluminum one needed some spray paint love. I taped over the handles with painters tape because I wanted them keep the natural metal.
Then I took it out to my handy dandy new water heater box fancy schmancy painting station, lol, Â and spray painted the sides and the top of the bottom with the turquoise.
I left the bottom, the insides, and the top rim natural as well. I really love the turquoise and silver combo.
Voila. Easy peasy.
For my strainer planter wind chime I’m using measuring spoons for the chimes because they already have holes in them… no drilling required. Yay!
I simply ran the single layer key rings through the holes.
TIP: Single layer key rings are also called giveaway key rings. They only have a 1/4″ overlap and are what you need for this project. The double layer key rings are much too stiff and will not go through the holes in the strainer..
The holes in the bottom of the strainer were spaced just the right distance apart so it was very easy to feed the key rings through… enough for 12 measuring spoons and something special to hang in the middle.
I measured around the top of the strainer to figure out where the hanging holes should be. Then I drilled two holes in three spots in the rim to feed three of the rings through.
Before drilling I marked where I wanted my holes with the sharpie.
Then I used pliers to deconstruct some of the dog chain into 3 equal lengths and attached these to the rings, looping them all into a very strong double key ring at the top.
Of course you can use any type of chain you like as long as it’s strong enough to carry the weight of this once it’s planted. I just happened to have a thrifted dog leash chain in my stash so I used that.
At this point I changed my mind.
It is a girl’s prerogative after all, lol, and it’s always my prerogative. 🙂
I decided that I didn’t need to use all 12 measuring spoons. I thought it would look too crowded, so I removed the inner 4 key rings from the bottom, leaving the one in the centre.
Then I made 8 short hangers out of the the dog chain by simply counting the links to figure out how long I wanted the spoons to hang.
I attached the chains to the key rings on the measuring spoons, and attached the other ends to the key rings at the bottom of the strainer.
I filled the strainer with leftover pieces of cocoa fibre that I had on hand. Love this stuff!
First I put a small piece of plastic in the bottom where the measuring spoons are hanging just so they don’t take too much abuse when I water or when it rains.
This also helps to stop all the water from draining away so the soil doesn’t dry out too fast.
I filled it with potting soil, added some leftover plants that hadn’t found a pot yet… some trailing petunias, a few begonias, and a dusty miller in the centre.
They were so happy to finally find a home. In time I’m sure they’ll fill in nicely.
And because I can’t leave well enough alone I added this sweet little stained glass angel ornament at the top.
Her little heart says Follow Your Dream.
And then, of course, I had to add a little bling (because I always always love a little bling) into the middle of the spoons with a large glass chandelier crystal hanging from the centre key ring.
It’ll be nice when the petunias are bigger and trailing more.
We sit on the back deck most evenings during the summer just enjoying the ambiance.
We tend to have a lot of breezy days here and now we’ll be able to enjoy the sweet music from the wind chime… along with the beauty of the flowers.
If you can see one of these hanging around in your yard make a planter wind chime for yourself. It’s really quite easy, and very inexpensive if all the supplies are thrifted.
Don’t forget to pin!
Thanks so much for reading, and until next time…
keep on keepin’ on!
XOX
Awesome! You are so inspirational!! I have already made a wind chime using a fish hot plate using your wind chimes as my inspiration! Thank you!
Hi Ardy! I'm so glad my projects have inspired you. That is music to my ears. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I really appreciate it. Tuula 🙂
If that isn't the cutest windchime! I love the turquoise/stainless combination! And the angel does look perfect right where she is! It's all so adorable!
Tuula! You did it again. That is stunning. I love how you repurose ordinary things into extraordinary things. What a beautiful windchime/planter.
Tuula that is just amazing! Do you dream of wind chimes and wreaths? I love this and now will be on the look-out for a strainer and measuring spoons at the thrift store. Painting it such a lovely color just adds to the pretty flowers it can hold. How beautiful that it makes a lovely sound as well!
It is Absolutely Amazing and Love the turquoise color. It really makes your garden 'pop' with color. Very clever idea using the key rings.
Enjoy your day and have a wonderful evening
Wow I love what you made and the color turquoise is just beautiful! Happy gardening.
Julie
Really pretty Tuula! I have everything to make this. Except for the bling… I love the blue with the silver spoons! You come up with the best stuff!
I did start to use a couple of my star aluminum colanders for planters, but I just couldn't do it. Love yours especially with the extra bling. Your yard looks amazing!
Love it! I can definitely see one hanging in my yard. I love the blue with the colors of the flowers you chose…perfect! You are such a creative lady! I'll have to keep my eye open for a colander when I'm out thrifting!
Blessings, Vicky
Perfect timing! I've just been thinking of turning a strainer into a hanging planter. Love how this turned out and pinning.
that's so pretty I could kick myself I just threw out my old pink metal one that had started to rust, why why did I throw it away! So gorgeous Tuula.
WHat a terrific idea….love this. Pinned it!
Thanks so much Christine! 🙂
Clever Tuula…I can see a grouping of these in my future.
I love it Tuula…I really like wind chimes and love the added bonus of a planter. I think I'm off to the thrift store!
P.I.N.N.E.D. !
OMG Tuula – even I can make this one – just adore it !!!
xoxo
Super cute! I love the sound also. Thanks for sharing it with SYC. I will be featuring you this week.
hugs,
Jann
Tuula, I just realized that somehow I got to this post which hasn't been linked to SYC yet. I will feature it at a later date.
hugs,
Jann
I love this Tuula! You are so darned creative!!!
Tulla I love this project and that you painted the strainer blue. Thanx for sharing!
I'm sure it sounds so nice when the breeze starts blowing. Love the vibrant color you used.
The strainer looks beautiful as planter. And how clever of you to use spoon!
-Tanya
http://tanyaanurag.blogspot.com/
What a Great idea and it turned out so beautiful. I have one of those Vintage collapsible 3 tier metal hanging baskets, I might try this on.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Have The Best Day Ever!
Aim
http://pyrexpassion.blogspot.com
Really cool, Tuula. You always blow me away with your wind chimes. They are always so creative!
I absolutely love this. Thanks for the awesome tutorial.
Great idea to make the two functions with the one strainer. Looks great!
Where did you get the steel measuring spoons, I live in Calgary and can't find them anywhere. The ones we have here are square heads and are over 15.00 a set.
Hi Pat. The measuring spoons, and pretty much everything else, I used in this project were thrifted. I found the spoon sets at thrift stores, garage sales etc. Whenever I see a set I pick them up and when I have enough I use them in a project. $15 is very dear and must be for a brand new set. I never pay more than $1. I would suggest that you check out any local thrift stores you might have in your area, and garage sale season will be starting soon too. I hope that helps. Thanks for stopping by.
Absolutely adorable !!! I'm a wind chime "nut" so this caught my eye. I'm curious about something…..I met a lady that makes wind chimes from Sterling Silver flatware….she says the stainless steel doesn't chime much nor make a nice sound……what are your thoughts? Anyway, I love what you did….it's so lovely and whimsical. Thanks for sharing.
Kitti, Arizona
Hi Kitti. I also make wind chimes from silverware and I sell them in my Spoonfuls of Whimsy Etsy shop, which will be re-opening on May 1st. I agree that stainless steel cutlery definitely does not sound as nice as silverware, but aluminum and stainless measuring spoons do sound quite nice because they're not as heavy as stainless cutlery. To each his own I always say. Silverware does sound the best, especially if hammered flat. To see more of my chimes you can check out my garden art gallery. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Hi Tuula, thanks so much for replying. I see what you are saying, and it makes sense since you said the measuring spoons are so much lighter. I never thought about that. I will certainly try that. Also, I will check out your site after May 1st. Keep on being whimsical ! 🙂 We need a lot more of whimsy in this world. 🙂
Kitti
I couldn't agree with you more Kitti. 🙂
I have ask this question before please answer. I have everything to make this beautiful wind chime with spoons. My problem is that I am having trouble getting the key rings to run smoothly through the holes. They don't want to turn. Please help. Thank You Betty bboopp912@yahoo.com
Hi Betty: I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem.
Key rings come in all sizes and thicknesses, so if you're having trouble that's telling me that the key rings you're using aren't right for that particular colander/strainer. The natural arc of the key ring should be equal to the space between the holes so that it runs through smoothly when you push it through.
If the key ring doesn't want to turn it's probably too thick. The thin wire key rings are much easier to work with. The double thick ones are stiffer and not very flexible.
So, assuming you're using the thick key rings I would try the thinner ones. Here I can get both types at the dollar store. If you're already using the thinner ones then you probably need a larger size.
I hope this helps.
Hi! I ran across this on a friend’s facebook page and had to come and check out what you do! I LOVE this idea and I’ll be doing it this weekend. Another friend has a vintage colander for sale for a few bucks with the star design like my granny had. 🙂 You have amazing ideas! I’ll be enjoying doing more of these!
Thanks so much Sheri! I’m so glad my project has inspired you. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yours as much as I’m enjoying mine. 🙂
This is a great idea ,. I will be making it soon for spring 2017
Thanks very much Bettie! I’m so happy that my project has inspired you. 🙂
Oh! I picked up a strai er the other day, and it’s still in the car! Tons of spray paint in my stash (don’t you just love Rustoleum 2X?!) And crystal balls in chains of 3, 4, 5, 6, rescued from a chandelier at the dump!! Still need the chain and key chain thingies, but that can be had! Another project!
Sounds like you have almost everything you need to make a strainer planter wind chime for this coming summer Nancy. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yours as much as I’m still enjoying mine 🙂
What type of drill bit did you use to drill the Colander ? and how did you get it not to slip ?
thanks
Lynn
Hi Lynn. I used a drill bit specifically meant for metal. For this project I used a 1/8″ bit, but you should use whatever size works for the hole size that you need. I drilled through the lip from the underside. I found that much easier. I hope that helps. 🙂
This is a great idea…might have to try this one.
Thanks Linda! If you do I’d love to see the finished project. 🙂