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Paper Cup Wind Chime

  • Young Adult
  • Grades 1-3

Transform ordinary paper cups into a wind chime that makes gentle music in the breeze!

Materials


  • 25 Pack Assorted Paint Brushes
  • Friendship Thread Basic Colors
  • Gold & Silver Jingle Bells 13mm
  • Gold & Silver Jingle Bells 20mm
  • Acrylic Paint Jars, 24 Assorted colors
  • (1) Tall Skinny Paper Cup
  • (4) Small Sized Paper Cups
  • Hole Punch (Preferably 1/8")
  • Scissors
  • Pencil

Instructions


Step 1. Gather your supplies.


Step 2.

Punch 4 evenly spaced holes around the rim of the large paper cup.


Step 3.

Paint the the paper cup and four smaller cups with acrylic paint. We chose to paint each small cup in one color and used all four colors on the larger one for a colorful wind chime! Let the cups dry.


Step 4.

Use a pencil to punch a hole in the bottom of one of the small cups.


Step 5.

Cut an 18” piece of friendship thread, using the same color thread that you painted the cup. Thread one end through the hole of the cup.


Step 6.

Tie a small jingle bell to the end of the the thread.


Step 7.

Pull the thread so that the jingle bell goes inside the cup. This will keep the thread from coming out of the cup.


Step 8.

Tie a pony bead on the thread about 1” above the cup. Use the same color bead as the thread and cup.


Step 9.

Tie a small jingle bell on the thread, about an 1” above the pony bead.


Step 10.

Add another pony bead and jingle bell about an 1” apart on the string.


Step 11.

Repeat steps 4-10 with the remaining 3 cups. Use the same color friendship thread and pony beads as each cup. Vary the distance between the beads and jingle bells. For example, the beads and bells are closer together on one cup and farther apart on another cup, as shown in our example. Decorate the cups with the glitter flower stickers.


Step 12.

Attach one of the small cups to the large cup by tying the end of the friendship thread to one of the punched holes.


Step 13.

Attach the other 3 small cups at varying heights around the large cup. Trim off any excess friendship thread. Decorate the tall cup with the glitter flower stickers.


Step 14.

Use a pencil to punch a hole in the top of the large cup.


Step 15.

String a large jingle bell on an 18” piece of friendship thread. Tie the ends together to make a loop.


Step 16.

Thread the loop through the hole in the cup, so the jingle bell is inside the cup.


Step 17.

Your wind chime is finished! Hang it outside in the summer or on an inside sun porch year round.