How to Refurbish Wind Chimes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 21, 2021

Wind chimes are a lovely addition to any home. But since they spend all of their time outside the day will come when they begin to look weathered and old. Giving your chimes a new life isn’t difficult, however. Start by disassembling and cleaning all of the pieces. Decide on a paint or stain design, then reassemble and enjoy your renewed wind chimes!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Prepping Your Chimes for Refinishing

1
Take plenty of pictures of the wind chimes. Before you begin to disassemble or work on your chimes, get pictures of them from many different angles. That way, you can use the pictures as a reference when it comes time to put everything back together.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Examine the chimes to see if anything needs replacing. If your wind chimes are missing parts or have any damaged ones, you may want to replace them. If pieces are hard to find, however, you could just leave them off.
- For instance, you might be able to find a piece of copper tubing at a hardware store that could replace one of the tubes in a chime set.
- Alternatively, you could just reduce the number of tubes. If one from a five-tube chime set is damaged, you could remove it and still have a four-tube one.
Advertisement
3
Take everything apart. Normally, this just means cutting off all the old string and discarding it. If your chimes have more complicated pieces, do your best to take them apart as well. For instance, you might need a small screwdriver to disassemble some parts.
4
Give all of the pieces a good wipe-down. Removing dirt and grime will make the chimes look instantly better. If you’re planning on painting or refinishing your chimes, you’ll definitely need to clean the pieces first. Most of the time, wiping the pieces with warm soapy water will be enough. Let them dry afterwards.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Painting or Staining the Pieces

1
Sand any wooden pieces. If your chimes have wooden tubes or a wooden clapper that you want to refinish, you’ll need to remove any dirt or old finish. Take a piece of light-grade sandpaper and go over the outside of the wooden pieces by hand until they look clean and even in appearance.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you are replacing any wooden parts, make sure to sand the new pieces as well.
2
Get creative with a paint design. You can paint either wooden or metal chimes. Spray paints intended for metal and outdoor use will work best. You can decide on whatever design strikes your fancy. For instance, you could:^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Make two-tone or three-tone tubes by painting parts of the different colors.
- Use one color for the tube’s base, then use a contrasting one to create stripes or spots for variety.
- Give each tube a different color.
- Paint the clapper one color, and the tubes another.
- Paint all the tubes a single solid color.
3
Stain wooden chimes, if you prefer. You can use just about any wood stain or oil finish you like for this job. Since chimes are a relatively small project, you could look for stain wipes at your hardware store instead of cans of stain. Simply wipe them over the pieces, instead of brushing the stain on.^{[5]
X
Research source}
4
Set up a finishing station and give your chimes a new life. If you’re painting or staining your chimes a single color, you could just lay the pieces flat on a piece of newspaper. Paint or stain one side, then let it dry. Flip or roll the pieces over, and finish the other side.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- If you have a more complicated design or want to work faster, you could stand the tubes up and finish them that way.
- Lay newspaper on the ground, then poke pencils or similar objects through the paper and into the soil. Place the tubes upright over the pencils, and they will stand in place as you work and let the pieces dry.
- Place toothpicks in the holes where the strings go. This will prevent them from clogging with paint or stain as you work.
5
Seal your chimes. This will protect them against weathering and damage. A spray-on clear coat protective finish is a good, quick option that works for paint or stain finishes. You can also use a brush-on polyurethane finish for wood, if you prefer.^{[7]
X
Research source}

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Reassembling Your Project

1
Choose a type of string. Many chimes might use hemp, jute, or other natural fibers to hold everything together, but these types of string won’t stand up well to weathering. If you want your string to last longer, try using waxed thread or strong fishing line instead.^{[8]
X
Research source}
2
Measure and cut string or fishing line. Decide how low or high you want the tubes to hang from the support piece. Measure this, then add at least two inches to account for extra you’ll need to tie everything together.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Make sure to cut enough pieces of string for all of the tubes.
3
Retie everything using square knots. Feed your pieces of string, line, or thread through the holes of the tubes and support, and secure them in place with square knots. These should keep everything in place as you chimes sway in the breeze and make sweet music.^{[10]
X
Research source}

Community Q&A

Question

How do you make a square knot?

Community Answer

Tie the beginning of a shoe knot: Put one side over the other then pull the top lace under the other lace and pull. Then, repeat the shoe tie knot. Square knot achieved.