Say Goodbye to Store-Bought Wind Chimes: Make Your Own With an Empty Wine Bottle
Empty wine bottles usually end up in the recycling bin, but one green glass bottle found another purpose hanging outdoors. Its bottom was cut away, a wooden wheel was suspended inside, and a stone pendant was attached beneath it. When wind catches the pendant, the wheel swings against the glass to produce sound.
Homedit editor Brittney Smart created the wind chime using a bottle, jewelry chain, three key rings, a wooden wheel, and a stone pendant. Instead of using metal tubes or purchased chime parts, the project relies on the bottle’s glass body and a wooden striker.
The finished piece hangs from a chain, with its green glass catching daylight and a purple teardrop pendant extending below the open bottom. The construction leaves the striker visible through the bottle, making the moving mechanism part of the design.
Cutting the Glass Bottom Created Space for the Striker
The green bottle rests in a glass-cutting tool, with its base positioned against the adjustable guide. A cutting wheel scores the glass around the lower portion, marking the section that will be removed to create an open end.
The score line forms a thin ring above the thick glass base. Once the bottom is separated, the opening provides access for inserting the chain and wooden wheel.
The cut edge needs to be smoothed before assembly to remove sharp areas that could injure someone handling the chime.
The Wooden Wheel Became the Part That Makes the Sound
The materials include a green glass bottle with its bottom removed, a small wooden wheel with a center hole, three metal key rings, a length of jewelry chain, and a purple stone pendant.
The wooden wheel must pass through the bottle’s open bottom while remaining wide enough to contact the inner glass wall. Its position determines where the bottle will be struck as the wind moves the pendant.
The jewelry chain passes through the center of the wooden wheel, supporting it from above. Key rings attached to the chain prevent the wheel from sliding out of position once the assembly hangs inside the bottle.
Key Rings Set the Striker at the Correct Height
The bottle neck narrows toward its opening, allowing a metal key ring to catch inside and support the chain. The ring’s position is measured before the chain is threaded through the glass.
With the chain held beside the bottle, the wooden wheel is positioned about one to two inches above the cut bottom. This leaves room for the wheel to swing inside the wider section rather than hang beneath the glass.
A second key ring secures the wheel at that height, while the remaining chain extends below the bottle for the pendant.
The Chain Connects the Glass Bottle to the Pendant
The chain is measured against the bottle’s exterior, with the upper key ring positioned near the neck and the wooden wheel held near the lower opening. The arrangement establishes the distance between the hanging point and the striker.
The chain passes through the open bottom and up toward the neck. Once the bottle is upright, the key ring catches inside the narrowed opening, leaving the wheel suspended within the glass body.
The pendant attaches to the chain beneath the wheel, while a third key ring provides a hanging loop at the top.
The Finished Wine Bottle Became an Outdoor Wind Chime
The finished wind chime hangs outdoors against yellow autumn foliage. The green glass bottle is suspended with its neck facing upward, while the purple stone pendant hangs beneath the cut bottom.
The wooden wheel sits inside the wider section of the bottle, where movement from the pendant can pull it against the glass wall.
The close-up shows the wooden wheel, silver chain, and stone pendant aligned through the bottle. The green glass remains unpainted, with the internal hardware visible through its surface.
For outdoor hanging, the chain and attachment point must support the bottle’s weight, and the glass should have enough clearance to avoid striking nearby walls or railings.
Would you turn an empty wine bottle into a wind chime for your porch or garden?
Project and photography: Homedit.