Turn seashells into a beautiful wind chime with this simple tutorial. A seashell wind chime is a fun, kid-friendly craft.

If you’ve got some seashells hanging around your house, making a wind chime is an easy project. In our case, the seashells came from pink and spiny scallops, which are native to our region.

They have such a pretty pink shell (hence the name) that Una and I really wanted to do something with them!

Una started by making necklaces, but they turned out to be a bit too large. So we decided to turn them into a wind chime!

The best thing about this project is that it can be made from whatever you happen to have lying around. It’s the perfect way to use up some recycling!

DIY seashell wind chime — *Una tying her shells*

Options for the hanger

The hanger is the main form that your shells will hang off of. It doesn’t really matter what you use, as long as it’s sturdy. A few options good include:

Piece of driftwood for that boho look (see below).
A wire form (like one used for making wreaths).
Dowling can be used as a straight stick or a cross.
A wooden ring or embroidery hoop (see photo above).
Other found objects include: an upside-down wicker basket, larger shell, or other wooden form.

Options for tying on the shells

Like with the hanger, there are plenty of types of thread and string that can be used to tie on the shells.

Clear nylon thread or fishing line is a traditional choice. It’s nice that it’s invisible. Just make sure that it is strong enough to support the shells. You don’t want it to break after only a few months of use.
Cotton kitchen string is cheap and strong. It’s also easier to tie than fishing line, and your knots won’t slip out.
Thin twine, hemp cord, or jute will give your seashell wind chime a beachy-vibe.
It’s also possible to use thin wire, but that requires a bit more skill to manipulate. Also, your wind chime, might not chime quite as much when threaded with wire.
Feel free to use nylon string, embroidery floss, or macramé cord. Just don’t use regular-weight sewing thread. It’s too thin.

Tying the shells onto the wind chime — *A lark’s head knot, and a double-twisted overhand knot.*

Seashell Wind Chime

Yield: 1 wind chime

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Turn seashells into a beautiful wind chime with this simple tutorial. A seashell wind chime is a fun, kid-friendly craft.

Materials

Tools

Drill with 3/8ths bit

Instructions

Start by cleaning your shells. It's important to make sure there are no remaining bits of shellfish, so give them a good scrub. Then sanitize them by submerging them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Let the shells dry out completely. Then drill holes into each one at the point where you want to hang them. This can be a single hole, or several holes if you plan on stringing several of the shells together.
I used a lark's head knot to attach the string to my hanger and a double-twisted overhand knot to attach the shell. (I don't know the official name for the knot... but you can see what I did in the photo above). If your string is thick enough, a simple overhand knot will do.
This is definitely a project to express your creativity. Each shell can be hung on its own string. Several shells can be strung in a row. The shells can overlap, or hang individually. It's fine to add some beads or paint the shells in bright colors. It's really up to you! Una and I decided to go with a simple and natural look for our wind chimes.
When you have your shells all strung up the way you want them, use a bit of the same string to make a loop so you can hang your wind chime. I recommend using a round turn with two half hitches to attach the string to the hanger.