For seniors: Brighten your window with handmade wind chimes — creative ideas
Wind chimes are one of the quintessential symbols of summer, and their cool, tinkling “chirin-chirin” sound is so appealing.
Typically, they have a hemispherical glass body with a glass rod hanging by a string, and they ring when the wind blows.
Making one by hand can be quite challenging, but there are ways to craft wind chimes using familiar materials!
In this article, I’ll share wind chime-making ideas recommended for older adults.
They’re perfect for craft recreation activities in care facilities.
However, some ideas include steps that are a bit complex or require strength, so please have facility staff provide support as needed.
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[For Seniors] Let's Decorate the Windowsill: Handmade Wind Chime Ideas (21–30)
Chochin wind chime
A chōchin-fūrin is a combination of a paper lantern and a wind chime.
Since the upper part has a lantern-like structure, it gives off a cute, charming vibe when displayed.
While it’s difficult with very small sizes, if you prepare a lantern of the conventional larger size, it’s not only adorable to look at but can also be used with an actual light inside.
You do need to be careful because it involves fire, but this makes it seem like it would be great for outdoor recreation.
Incidentally, there’s also a similar item called a fūrin-dō (wind-chime lamp).
This one comes with a stand, making it easy to display indoors.
Wind chime made with construction paper
A simple wind chime made from construction paper is adorable and highly recommended.
All you need are construction paper, a small bell, beads, and lace thread.
If you also have stickers or a craft punch, you can make it even cuter.
The steps are very easy: cut the construction paper into long, thin rectangles, attach them in a radial pattern, then curve them to form a spherical shape.
Finally, combine the lace thread and beads, tie them to a rectangular strip of construction paper, attach it to the sphere, and you’re done! Since forming the sphere requires concentration, it’s also great as a brain-training activity for seniors.
A stained-glass-style wind chime
You can use ready-made items to create your own stained-glass-style wind chime! Once you have a plain glass wind chime, use glass painting materials to outline your design.
Next, fill in the outlined areas with color.
That’s all there is to the process, but painting on the small, round surface of the wind chime with glass paints is a task you might not be used to.
It’s sure to be a fun craft that not only trains your fine motor skills but also sparks your imagination.
Simple summer craft: goldfish wind chime
The summer-perfect craft “Goldfish Wind Chime” is a cool, refreshing activity that even seniors can enjoy.
Cut out the bottom of a round cheese box to make a frame, attach a card case from a 100-yen shop to the inside, and add clear stones or small artificial flowers to create a goldfish-bowl-like, translucent finish.
Adding goldfish decorative stickers instantly brings a summery vibe.
With many steps that use the hands and fingers, the fingertip stimulation can activate the brain and may help prevent cognitive decline.
It’s a highly seasonal piece, perfect for indoor summer recreation.
Wind chime made with origami
Origami wind chimes that coolly brighten up the hot summer are adorably eye-catching and make a perfect accent for indoor decor.
Fold a sheet of origami in half until it becomes one quarter of its original size, draw the shape of a wind chime, and cut it out.
Make a small hole in the center and thread a string through it.
By gluing together the pre-cut pieces, you’ll create a three-dimensional wind chime.
Change up the colors and patterns to add a personal touch.
Although it involves fine motor work, using your hands stimulates the brain, making this a great activity for seniors.
Once finished, the wind chime sways as if producing a gentle sound in the breeze, and just looking at it will make you feel cooler.
Wind chime decoration you can make with a clear cup
Wind chimes are said to have originated from “senfūtaku,” a practice of divination that interpreted good or bad omens based on the sound and direction of bells hung in bamboo groves.
Today, they’re a quintessential symbol of summer.
So how about making wind chimes using clear plastic cups? You’ll need a clear cup, a small bell, string, and a tanzaku (a narrow slip of paper).
First, decorate the clear cup with summery designs.
Shaved ice, watermelon, and fireworks are classics—feel free to use felt-tip pens or colored paper as you like.
After that, just thread the string through the cup and attach the bell and tanzaku.
Writing a summer haiku on the tanzaku is also recommended.
Lining up many wind chimes creates an atmosphere full of coolness and charm!
potted-plant wind chime
Many people grow flowers and vegetables, right? So I’d like to introduce the flowerpot wind chime.
As the name suggests, it’s a wind chime made using a flowerpot.
The structure is the same as a traditional wind chime: turn the pot upside down, make a hole, and hang a bell from it.
You might wonder if it really makes a sound, but if you use an unglazed terracotta pot, you can enjoy a surprisingly beautiful tone.
And since it uses a flowerpot, it should fit perfectly with the atmosphere of your garden.
It will look even better if you hang it from a tree.