Ella and Annie helped me come up with this nautical wind chime craft that brings a bit of the central coast to us. This DIY chime really makes your porch say “summer’s here!” We chose to use the bright and colorful shells and dyed starfish. With a little preparation from mom or dad (the drilling part, of course), your kiddos can make their very own seashell and starfish wind chime.
Start by drilling your holes in the pot. Drill the first hole on the bottom of the ceramic pot, right in the center. Use a small drill bit, 1/16th. Next, place a towel inside your pot. This gave me some cushion when drilling the holes on the rim of the pot and will keep it from cracking. We drilled four holes around the rim of the pot.
Paint the ceramic pot with a few layers of acrylic paint. Dry completely. These paint cups are the best! If my kids tip them over, no biggie! The paint stays in the cup.
While the ceramic pot dries, you can drill the holes in the colored sea shells. This takes a bit of time. I placed a cardboard box on the table and put the sea shell I would be drilling on top; this way when my drill bit went through the shell it wouldn’t hit the table. The sea shells take some pressure, however the starfish are very delicate, so very little pressure is needed when drilling your holes.
Cut each strand of clear cording slightly longer than you want it to be when hanging. Tie a double knot on the bottom of the strand of cording. Thread your first sea shell on. That first knot will keep the shell from sliding off. Tie another knot above the first sea shell where you want the second shell to rest. Slide on the second shell. Repeat with each sea shell. Do this for each strand that will hang from the pot. The length and amount of shells you use on the strands is up to you! Ella and Annie chose to do one strand of starfish for the center of the pot.
Attach the strands of sea shells using the four holes you drilled around the rim of the pot. Double knot the elastic cording. Repeat with the starfish strand in the center of the pot.
Hang your beautiful nautical sea shell and starfish wind chime!
Aren’t these gorgeous? This is the perfect craft for summer! My kids loved making these to hang on our deck. The best part was that the sea shells and starfish were already colored! This makes the craft much more manageable with kids. The fewer steps the better, right?