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How to Re-purpose a Tire Rim into a Unique wind Chime – International Bloggers Club

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Here we at the end of the month, and that means it’s Int’l Bloggers Club Challenge time.  For those of you who are here for the first time, this is a monthly challenge that I participate in with my blogger friends who live all over the world.  We meet up each month to compare notes and see how we do things in our corner of the world.  Last month, we examined our epic hits and fails, and before that we shared our spring crafts.   

This month we’re all about the outdoors.  With the weather warming up, at least in the northern hemisphere, because our Michelle is on the other side of the world, we thought it would be a good excuse to go outdoors and work on projects. In my case, re-purposing a tire rim into a unique wind chime

bicycle Tire Rim before, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com

What I used for this project:

  • An old bicycle tire rim 
  • Black spray Paint
  • Twine
  • Vintage Keys

The How – To:


I went to the trusty basement and found this old bicycle tire rim.  I also found some bikes from when my kids used them but they have just been rusting down there. Maybe for a future project?
It had lots of rust on it and while I do have great respect for rust, this project needed a bit less of that. Just a bit less, because I do like my rust in small doses.  So I spray painted it black. 
spray painting the tire rim, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
And now what?  I knew what I wanted to do, but where would I put it?  

While looking over Michelle of A Crafty Mix’s post from Behind the scenes I got jealous! You see she has a gorgeous garden in her back yard.  Whereas I live in an apartment building in the center of town and don’t have that luxury. I have plenty of traffic in front of my house, lots of honking horns and motorcycles vroom vrooming, but no greenery. And no greenery on the balcony either,since I am a self avowed brown thumb. 

Like I was saying, I was a bit envious of Michelle’s garden and all that lush greenery. And I was determined to do something about it.  I asked the hubs if we could go to the farm in order for me to finish this project.  Our farm is about 5 minutes away by car.  He is happy to have me there anytime, and truth be told, since I started this blog, I don’t go as often as I’d like to. So off we went with my stash for this project. 

Once I got there I took out my twine and started … you guessed it, wrapping the twine around the tire rim. 


wrapping the tire rim with twine, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
As I was wrapping I got about halfway done and realized my twine would not be enough for me to wrap the whole rim.  Did that stop me?  Did I ask hubs to take me back home and miss the “Golden Hour”? (For those of you who are normal folks the “Golden Hour” is an hour right after sunrise or one before sunset when the light quality is perfect for taking photos.)  Did I even have more twine back home?

It was late Saturday and here in Greece the stores are closed after a certain hour (read after I ran out of twine).  And the next day was Sunday when everything is closed except for the coffee shops.  See you’re getting a little lesson on life here in Greece. It’s not like the US where everything is opened seven days a week. 

Was a going to let a lack of twine stop me?  Absolutely not!  I was a DIYer on a mission!  I just took that twine and wrapped the rest on the opposite side. And here is the result!   

wrapped twine in two areas, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
Once I finished wrapping I left one end of the twine loose on one side. Taking these loose ends I crossed them over and attached them to the other side like the diagram below.  One of them had been intentionally left longer in order for me to make a loop at the top. 
placement of twine, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
Diagram of twine showing how it was placed, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
The loop was for hanging the wind chime.  I also cut the twine where I made the knots so it would not hang and show too much. 

It was a super easy job with very little cutting because I wanted the twine to show as one piece. 

The twine used for hanging the wind chime onto the tree, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
Oh look, it’s the white vintage keys again!  Are we going to be seeing these keys in every single project of yours, Mary?  You may be wondering…

Okay, here’s the story.  I had made a canvas wall art with these vintage keys not too long ago.  However my sweet darling of a daughter took (more like confiscated), the canvas from me about a week after it was done.  She said she needed it for her art project! What can I say, it was her canvas.

So I was stuck!  No! Let’s take a bad situation and make it positive!  I was happy to have the keys available again! 

Vintage keys, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
Well you know what happens next…
tying the keys to the tire rims, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
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a view of the tied keys, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
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twine wrapped around the tire rim, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
Can you see all the rust that still shows through?
rusty center of the tire rim, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
looking up the tire rim, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
There it is, hanging on one of the fig trees. 
tire rim wind chime hanging on a fig tree, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
After my wind chime was done, I became a tad adventurous and added some leaves to the top. 
adding leaves to the top of the wind chime, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
keys blowing in the breeze, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
It’s not perfect but I believe perfection is overrated. I like this quirky, uneven look much better. The unevenness of the key lengths matches the uneven wrapping on the rim. 
ire rim wind chime, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
And here are the beauty shots… 
wind chime made from tire rim, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
…in the “Golden Hour”!
wind chime in the sunset, How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com
So now do you see why I had to go all the way to the farm for this project?  It wasn’t because I was envious of Michelle’s back yard…well maybe a little! I needed a place to hang my unique wind chime. And this was the perfect spot!  I hope you enjoyed my outdoor project on how to re-purpose a tire rim into a unique wind chime.

Would you have gone back home to get more twine or is my uneven look acceptable?  May you never run out of twine!

Do you have a special secret place that you go to, to get away from it all?

wind chime repurposed from a bicycle tire rim, #DIY #outdoordecorating #repurpose #tirerim #OutdoorDIY #EasyDIY #Windchime #tirerimwindchime #Nature #IBC How to Re-purpose a tire rim into a Unique wind chime - Int'l Bloggers Club www.theboondocksblog.com

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​And now hop on over to visit my four friends who are also sharing their spring and fall crafts.  Simply click on the images below my name.  If you’d like to see more past challenges click here
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How to Decorate Cookie Tins with Fabric - The Boondocks Blog

Sunday 21st of February 2021

[…] notes and see how we do things in our corner of the world.  Last month,  I repurposed a tire rim into a wind chime, and the month before we looked at our epic hits and […]

Linda at Mixed Kreations

Monday 24th of April 2017

I love your wind chime Mary! I have been wanting to make one myself, but haven't found enough of the objects that I wanted to use in it. I haven't thought of keys, and I do have a thing for keys. Your turned out so pretty! Having the twine on the two sides just gives it more character, and leaves more of the black and rust to show through. I'm a country girl born in the city (outskirts of the city) so I would be out on the farm all the time. I would not go back to town for the twine, I would make my own twine out of grass or something if needed. LOL just to stay in the country.

Mary

Saturday 29th of April 2017

Linda you are so funny. I was just too lazy to go back plus I really wanted to capture the light. But it all turned out for the best in the end.

Marilyn

Monday 24th of April 2017

Love this idea, Mary. And yes, I probably would have looked for more twine! lol I love that you let the rust peek through. You're so right about stores being open on Sundays here in the U.S. I can remember when I was a little girl that you could go to church or the one drugstore that was open, on Sunday and that was it. In some ways, I wish it was that way still.

Mary

Saturday 29th of April 2017

We still hold onto the old traditions here as much as we can. We also close stores during the week for nap time or siesta as it is called. It's actually very practical since it gets too hot to do anything midday! Thanks for visiting Marilyn!

Doreen@foxdenrd

Monday 24th of April 2017

I think you made lemons out of lemonade with that twine. I think it looks more interesting with some of the rim showing than if it were wrapped all around. And my word, you have fig trees?! I'm jealous! Now one of these days you're going to have to show us this basement of yours! Inquiring minds want to see! lol (Good job with the social media icons) :) xxx

Mary

Saturday 29th of April 2017

We have lots of trees with strange fruit on them. Only my husband knows what they are. Haha. As for the basement, Doreen it is a fright, I don't want to give anyone a heart attack!

Katrin

Monday 24th of April 2017

Mary your wind chime is so lovely hanging in that beautiful tree on your farm! A great repurpose and I love the added twine! I am about to throw out Amelie's old bike that is now way too small for her and also broken...hmmm, I might keep the tire rim!!!

Mary

Saturday 29th of April 2017

Katrin yes, I would love to see your take on this. I know you will make it light and airy!

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