Birdhouse Wind Chime

Give this special wind chime to the bird lovers on your gift list. They'll love the country look of the chime and will enjoy the soft sounds created by a gentle breeze.

Time frame: Two to three hours

Level: Moderately difficult

What you need:

• Piece of wood, 18 x 3 inches
• Crackle paint base coat spray (white)
• Crackle paint top coat spray (green)
• “Welcome” stencil
• White and rust-colored stencil paints
• Stencil brushes
• Watering can stencil
• Hammer
• Seven nails with large rounded heads
• Cord
• Two wooden candle cups (⁵⁄₈-inch hole)
• Two four-inch clay pots
• Two large wooden buttons
• Three small, metal birdhouses

1. Spray the board with white base coat crackle paint and allow it to dry. Lightly spray the board with green crackle paint and allow it to dry.
2. Center the “Welcome” stencil on the board and fill in the stencil areas with white stencil paint. In the same manner, stencil a rust-colored watering can on each side of the “Welcome” stencil. Allow this to dry.
3. Hammer five nails equally spaced on the bottom edge of the board. Hammer a nail on either side of the top edge of the board. Tie a 22-inch piece of cord from one of the top nails to the other to form a hanger.
4. Make bells out of the clay pots: First tie a large knot on the end of a 12-inch piece of cord. Thread the cord through an upside down wooden candle cup, catching the knot in the cup. Make another large knot about three inches up to catch in the hole of the clay pot. Thread the cord (what's above the knot) through the hole in the clay pot and then through a large wooden button. Tie the cord in a double knot onto the second nail in the bottom of the wooden board. Make a bow out of the ends of the cord. Repeat with the other pot, tying it to the fourth nail. You should have two clay pots that ring like bells.
5. Tie the metal birdhouses onto the remaining nails with cord. Make bows out of the ends of the cord. Your finished project should be a welcome sign with a birdhouse—clay pot bell—birdhouse—clay pot bell—birdhouse tied onto nails underneath it.

Excerpted from:

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Great Gifts © 2001 by Marilee LeBon. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

To order this book visit the Idiot's Guide web site or call 1-800-253-6476.