Presidents Day Wind Chimes

Honor our American Presidents by proudly displaying this easy to make, patriotic wind chime. As the wind blows, your family will find delight from the tinkling sound of tiny bells and shiny stars.

WHAT YOU NEED

1 Empty 56 oz. NESTLÉ NESQUIK canister (washed and dried)
Hammer and nail (large enough to create approximately 1/8 inch holes)
1-1/2 to 2 inch wide red, white or blue ribbon
3 inch wide decorative ribbon (we used a star pattern, but you can use any red, white and blue patterned ribbon)
Narrow ribbon (red, white, blue or a combination)
Small gold tone bells (6-8)
Small silver tone stars (6-8)
Craft glue or a low temperature glue gun and glue sticks

HOW TO DO IT

Using a hammer and nail, pound about 15 - 1/8 inch holes in the bottom of an empty 56 oz. NESTLÉ NESQUIK canister. Make sure there is one hole in the center of the canister. (Note: the bottom of the canister will become the top of the wind chime in the completed project.)
Cover the outside of the canister with the 3 inch wide ribbon. Affix with craft glue or glue gun to cover the entire canister.
Continue decorating the outside of the canister with the 1-1/2 to 2 inch wide ribbon, placing this ribbon in four evenly spaced vertical strips using the craft glue or glue gun to affix the ribbons.
Poke the narrow ribbons through the holes in the bottom of the canister.
Tie each ribbon in a large knot so it cannot slip through the hole.
Leave extra length on the center ribbon so that you can tie it into a wide loop to be hung on a tree branch, or other area outside.
Each ribbon should be long enough to hang several inches below the open end of the canister. (Note: Ribbons can vary in length)
Tie the bells and stars on the ends of the ribbons at the varying lengths.

FOLLOW UP FUN

Read stories to your kids about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and then have them write a short story about each president.
Using a penny and a quarter, kids can make coin rubbings of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington to decorate their essays.

All activities should be parent supervised. Parents, please make sure that the tools and items needed for a project are appropriate for your child.



Copyright © 2001-, Terry Muse Revised: April 2, 2002 URL: http://crafts_and_kids.tripod.com/ http://geocities.com/mounthollynj http://seaside_park_nj.tripod.com http://westlake_village_md.tripod.com Contact: Terry J. Muse