Windchimes can bring a relaxing sound to your garden. They are used a great deal in oriental gardening to bring a sense of peace and tranquility to the garden.

Although windchimes can be purchased in almost any garden centre, they can be quite expensive.

It is fairly easy to make your own windchimes from a few easily obtainable and inexpensive bits.

.What you will need:

A length of copper water pipe (obtainable from DIY stores or plumbers merchants usually in 2 metre lengths).

A plastic lid. ( Off something like a small coffee jar)

2 small terracotta plantpots, 1 about 3 inch (8cm) diameter the other about 4 - 5 inches (12 cm) (big enough so that the plastic lid fits inside one of them).

1 metre of thin nylon string.

1 metre of thicker nylon cord. (These are usually obtainable by the metre in DIY stores)

You will also need the following tools:

A small 'junior' type hacksaw ( or preferably a pipe cutter)

A drill bit about 1/8 (2.5mm) diameter and a hand or electric drill

A small smooth file (this probably will not be needed if a pipe cutter is used).

.What to do:

Cut six lengths of tube to roughly the following lengths -

1 - 4 inches (10cm) , 1 - 5.5 inches (14cm), 1 - 7 inches (18cm), 1 - 8.5 inches (22cm), 1 - 10 inches (26cm), 1 - 12 inches (30cm).

This is a lot easier if a pipe cutter is used, simply mark the length you require, place the blade of the cutter over the mark and tighten the screw until the pipe is gripped. Turn the cutter around the pipe putting a small turn of the screw until the pipe separates. If using a hacksaw cut through the pipe, try and keep the cut at 90 degrees to the pipe and then smooth off any burrs with a file (you will not need to do this if using the cutter).

Place the 12 inch (30cm) pipe to one side for use later and drill a hole through each of the five remaining tubes, about 1/2 inch (1cm ) from one end. Remove any burrs.

Drill a hole centrally in the plastic lid and then five more holes, spaced equally, around the edge. You may find that the central hole needs opening up to a lager size to fit the thicker cord.

Cut the thin cord into five lengths about 10 inches (25cm) long. Thread the string through the holes in the pipe and knot. Feed the other end of the cord through one of the outer holes in the lid and tie a knot on the other side to prevent the cord from pulling back through. Do this with each pipe until all five are attached to the lid.

Your windchime is now ready for the final assembly.

Assembly plan

Take the smaller plantpot and thread the thick cord through the hole in the bottom, knot the string at the inside end ( place a small stick in the knot if the hole is too big for the knot alone) and pull back inside. Tie another knot about 4 inches (10cm) above the plantpot, you may need to knot it 2 or 3 times to get a big enough knot. Thread the cord through the long remaining tube and knot on the other side of the tube to hold it in place.

Thread the thick cord through the central hole in the lid, adjust to a suitable length to match the other tubes and tie a knot in the cord.

Form the remaining cord into a loop about 4-5 inches (10 - 12cm) long and knot again. Feed the loop through the larger plantpot and pull the whole assembly up into the plantpot. Form a knot on the outside to hold everything in place.

You windchime is now ready to be hung up somewhere where it will catch the breeze.