Hi my beautiful friends! Today I’m sharing what I did with a bunch of spindles I found at an estate sale for $2.
If you’ve visited the last couple of posts, you know that my hubby booked a last-minute Disney Cruise to celebrate the sale of our old house, which had been on the market since last August. (Definitely worthy of a celebration!) Well needless to say, we had a blast!
These are just a few pics I had on my phone. We also visited the Kennedy Space Center the day before we left on our cruise. We ate, saw Disney’s Believe and Beauty and the Beast musicals, ate, played bingo, swam, watched fireworks at sea, ate, road water slides and swam with dolphins at Atlantis, ate, got stuck in a rainstorm, played on Castaway Cay, and ate some more.
This last-minute trip left me no time to create something new to share, so I dug around my oldies and found this fun colorful project that I know y’all won’t mind seeing again!
When I purchased these spindles, the lady asked me what I was going to do with them, and I honestly had no idea at the time.
Here they are before:
I actually thought they could eventually make perfect handles for tool caddies or something. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love too.
Then my very talented friend, Wendi from H2O Bungalow invited me to participate in a tool challenge.
The challenge was to create something using only one power tool. The tool she chose was a drill. That’s the only tool I needed to turn these spindles into super cute wind chimes, and I’m going to show you how in case you have a few spindles in need of a purpose. 🙂
First here is how my wind chimes turned out:
Not bad, eh? I love these fun colors! (Especially after a trip to the Bahamas!)
Making these was really simple. Here are the supplies I used to pull this together:
- Spray Paint
- Spindles (Spindles from an old chair or crib could work too!)
- Topper (I had this bird with a broken beak, but you could use anything or nothing at all)
- Fine fishing line
- Scissors
- Drill and tiny drill bit (My favorite drill..nice and petite for my small hands!)
- E6000 glue
- Something to use as a top piece in which to attach the spindles. I used a large base to a thrift store candle stick
- Metal key ring (not pictured)
I scored on these spindles, but you could also use spindles from an old chair or crib.
- First I spray painted my spindles and my candle stick base with spray paint. I used white, aqua, and green that I already had left over from another project.
- When they were dry, I drilled tiny holes at the top of each spindle. Be sure to place a piece of scrap wood under the spindle to catch the drill on the other side:
- Then I measured, marked, and drilled holes in the candle stick base:
This will be the piece that the spindles hang from.
- Then I sanded them all to shabby them up a bit…totally optional:
- Next I started threading my spindles with the fishing line. I cut eight pieces of fishing line, one for each piece. I cut four 12″ lengths and four 24″ lengths. The 12″ pieces I pulled through the four colored spindles like so:
- Then I threaded them through the top piece…
…and knotted them several times so they would dangle and not Fall through the small hole.
Can you see the knot?
The 24″ fishing line I cut for the white spindles would be the line that connects to the ring at the very top for hanging.
I threaded the line through the hole then knotted it several times before pulling it through the holes in the top piece.
- Then I threaded them through the top piece, trying to keep them all hanging at the same level, and attached them to the ring at the very top:
It took a bit to get the spindles to all hang evenly. I wish I had a secret for that but I’ve got no help for ya there.
I added this ceramic bird that had a broken beak (I just couldn’t throw him away) to the top using E6000 glue. This little bird originally came from Kirklands and once had feet as well.
I love the fun pop of color these chimes added to my garden! See more of my garden landscape from our old house HERE.
Spindles just look so good painted…
I love the sound of them clanking together too.
I love this fun new use for these old spindles!
If you liked this makeover, you might like what I did with this old drawer I found on the side of the road as well:
See what I did with it HERE!
I’ll be back on Thursday with this bed I scored already painted for $15 at the thrift store:
UPDATE: No need to wait…see how I transformed this awesome find HERE now!
Now I’ve got some unpacking to do! 🙂
XO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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ColleenB.~ Tx. says
Love your spindle wind chimes Cool and clever idea.
Pinned.
Christy says
Thank you, Colleen!! XOXO
Mary Kaiser says
I am so glad that you were are to sell your house and get away on a vacation. Looks like you had a ton of fun! Welcome Back!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! It was such a huge relief! A good time was had by all for sure! XOXO
Christina in SW FL says
WOW!!! What a jolt of overflowing love and joy I feel emanating from your photos! How completely wonderful. I am SO glad you all had such a great time.
Sweet wind chime as well.
Christy says
We had such a great time, Christina, thank you!! Sometime it is just nice to leave all your cares behind! XOXO
Patty says
Christy,
I know how stressful it is when you need a house to sell – so glad your family had a wonderful, stress-free time away! Loved seeing your smiling faces! 🙂
Christy says
Thank you, Patty! Yes, selling our house was such a huge relief…we felt we needed to celebrate it lol! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
Nope, never would have guessed a wind chime. What a great idea, Christy. Somehow I missed that project on the first go-round, glad to see it now.
Everyone looks like they were having a great time on the trip. It’s so nice to get away together (especially while the boys are still willing to be seen with you ????). Welcome home and happy laundry!
Christy says
Thanks, Marcie! And yes we had a blast…and I’m on my third load of laundry this morning lol! (Totally worth it though!) XOXO
Julie Briones says
I’ve never seen this project before! I’m so glad you posted it again! 😉 Just adorable and so creative!
So glad you all had a blast on your trip! Sounds like you were so busy, you didn’t have time to eat! 😉 (I crack myself up!)
Christy says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Julie! It’s a couple of years old…it’s a shame I have so many projects that some have never seen! And yes…we had a blast, and did I mention the food??? Ha ha! XOXO
Julie Briones says
Ohhhh, you crack us BOTH up! LOL! Hugs, friend!
Robyn Wright says
I think this is the post that brought me to your blog in the first place! I still love and am still on the look out for spindles. So glad you had fun on your trip. I am so jealous!
Christy says
Oh ha ha…well glad I posted it again. Thanks, Robyn! We had such s good time! XOXO
Barbara Holmes says
I love when I receive your e-mail, I know it’s going to be good. This one is amazing. I would never have thought to make this. You are so creative.
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Barbara! That totally made my day!! XOXO
Jamala says
Another fantastic DIY for $2.00 finds… (may I share (again) on my blog’s $2.00 Tuesday
Christy says
Thanks, Jamala! Of course…you are always welcome to use one photo with a link back to the original post! 🙂
MaryJean says
What a great idea! I like the idea of using things that are misfits to make something useful!
Christy says
Thanks, MaryJean! Yes…that is probably my favorite thing to do! XOXO
Kimberly says
Love the chimes and the pictures! Jack is bigger than you are! Glad your family had that fun trip.
Christy says
Thanks, Kimberly! I know…how did that happen so fast?? He is all grown! XOXO
ROSE LEFEBVRE says
LOVE this idea!!!! Now will have to see if Restore has spindles!!
Christy says
I was so excited to find that little stack of spindles…good luck in your search! 🙂