DIY Wind Chimes Made with Clay Terracotta Pots

A terracotta wind chime is not just a visually pleasing decoration to have in your garden, but also a musical tool that fills the air with delightful sounds. This simple-to-make wind chime requires just a few materials but creates a large impact in the garden. 

History of Terracotta Clay Pots

The name terracotta comes from the Latin word for “baked earth,” which is exactly what terracotta is: fired clay.

Terracotta has been in use for thousands of years, with figures in Greece dating back as far as 3,000 BC. Often used for utilitarian purposes, terracotta was a common material for rooftops, bricks, and sarcophagi.

Terracotta pots also date back to ancient times as ancient Romans and Egyptians purportedly planted plants in pots. Fast forward several thousand years, and gardeners around the world still love using terracotta pots for their earthen look.

Why I Love Using Terracotta in the Garden

Flower pots made from terracotta are a garden icon due to their versatility, durability, and affordability. They come from the earth and act as a more solid soil for plants. 

The pots are porous and will break apart when it freezes. However, if you use them in the spring through fall and store them for the winter, they will last many years. 

The porous clay allows for air and moisture to readily flow through the pots making them a good choice for plants that like good drainage and dislike sitting in water. On the other hand, that same porosity can mean that plants dry out a little faster in terracotta, which means that it’s not the best fit for growing all plants.

Herbs, succulents, and many annuals do extremely well in terracotta.  

Making Beautiful Music With Terracotta Wind Chimes

Not only is it beautiful to look at, but terracotta gives off a beautiful and distinctive sound. Remember how I mentioned its versatility? Put that quality to use by making beautiful-looking (and sounding) terracotta wind chimes. 

And guess what? Today, I’m going to show you how. But first, a little background information about wind chimes.

Where Did Wind Chimes Originate?

Just as terracotta has been in use since ancient times, so have wind chimes. However, wind chimes were first created in Asia as early as 1100 BC. 

What is the Purpose of Wind Chimes?

In ancient times in China, wind chimes were believed to drive away evil spirits while also attracting kind spirits. Now, wind chimes are hung for the purpose of enjoying their soothing sounds – sometimes in memory of a lost loved one, and sometimes, simply for the joy of listening to their beautiful tones.

How to Make Wind Chimes From Terracotta

Even though this wind chime is simply made from a few clay pots, the sound that it makes is surprisingly musical, complementing the beauty that surrounds it in the garden space. 

Use different sized terracotta pots to allow each pot to make a different chime when knocked together. Using beads inside the pots creates weight so that each of the pots will tap against each other creating a cacophony of sound alongside the buzzing bees and chirping birds.  

Materials

• 3 to 5 different sized terracotta pots 
• Strong outdoor cord (such as paracord)
• Clay charm or other decorative, weighted item 
• Tape 
• Large beads 

Directions

Go to your local craft or garden store and look for terracotta pots the very in size. I was able to find three pots with the exact same shape in sizes that had a small variation in diameter and height.  

Choose a strong cord that can be used in an outdoor setting. Look for a synthetic cord for outdoor projects because it is the strongest and longest-lasting in most cases. 

 

Begin assembling the wind chime by cutting the length of the cord that will complement the length of the wind chime when it is completed. For this project, my cord was cut to 36 inches long. This allowed me to have a lot of extra cord at the end that was easy to trim off at the end. 

Thread the cord through the charm (in this case, the clay necklace pendant) and slide it to the middle of the cord. Collect both ends together and then add both ends of the cord through a large bead told the charm in place. 

Wrap a piece of tape around the ends of the cord to make them easier to thread through the bead if necessary. Tie a knot just above the wooden bead, loosely, and measure where the bottom terracotta pot will sit. 

Put both ends of the cord through the hole in the bottom of the smallest terracotta pot and hold up the cord to see how it hangs. If you’re happy with the height and sound when you wiggle it a little bit then you can continue onto the next step. 

If you need to adjust it further simply untie the knot and readjust until you’re happy with the placement. 

Thread both ends of the cord through another wooden bead and tie a knot where you want the top of the second-largest terracotta pot to sit.  

Continue adding clay pots and beads and tying knots until you have reached the top of your wind chime. Finish off by tying a knot to create a loop at the top of the two pieces of the cord where you would like to hang the wind chime. Trim off the ends of the cord. 

Hang your terracotta wind chime on a shepherd’s hook or from a tree. Then wait for a nice breeze to come along and start the music. 

That’s it! I hope you love watching and listening to your new beautiful clay wind chimes!

Do You Love Wind Chimes? Check Out These Other Wind Chimes Posts:

• Fall in Love With These Autumn Crafts From Nature
• How to Make a Wind Chime
• Beautiful Beaded Wind Chime