Upcycle Your Near-Sighted Scrap Pile Into DIY Droid Wind Chimes

• Three clean tin cans
• Acrylic paint: White, red, silver, royal blue, black, grey, orange, golden yellow, and glow in the dark
• 6-inch embroidery hoop
• Grey, white, blue, and black enamel dot stickers
• Black string
• Hammer
• Nail
• Hot glue gun
• Small Star Wars vehicle toy
• Paint brushes

Get Started!

Step 1: Begin by separating the two parts that make up the embroidery hoop; you only need the inner hoop for this craft. Paint it black and let dry.

Step 2: To create R5-D4, begin by painting the entire tin can white, and let dry. You may need two coats to cover it completely. Next, use the red paint and silver paint to add the details, and let dry. Add three grey and three small black enamel dot stickers on R5’s head.

(If you don’t have enamel dot stickers, simply paint all of the details on the astromech heads.)

Step 3: To make R2-D2, paint the top fourth of the tin can silver, and the rest white. Add the details with the royal blue paint and let dry. (You can use a coin or bottle cap on the top of the can as a guide for the circular patterns for both R5 and R2.) Add one black, one grey, and one white enamel dot sticker on Artoo’s head once the paint is dry.

Step 4: To craft Chopper, paint the top fourth of the last tin can orange, and the rest grey. Mix the grey and black paint together to make a dark grey. Use the dark grey and yellow paints to add the details on Chopper. When dry, stick two blue and one black enamel dot stickers on his head.

Step 5: While the droids are drying, dip the end of a paint brush in the glow-in-the-dark acrylic paint, and add stars to the black embroidery hoop for a little surprise when the sun goes down. Set aside to dry.

Step 6: Once all paint is dry, use the hammer and nail to make small holes in the top of the three droids. (Remove the nail after making the hole.)

Step 7: Cut three pieces of string all the same length, approximately twelve inches long.

Step 8: Loop one string around the black hoop. Push both ends of the string through the hole in the can you just made, and thread both ends through. Tie a knot at the bottom.

Step 9: Repeat for the other two tin cans, spacing them around the hoop so the strings don’t get tangled.

Step 10: Loop the other three strings around the hoop, tying them together at the ends.

Step 11: Cut another piece of string, and thread it through the three tied strings not attached to a droid. Tie a knot it in to secure the three loops together and tie the other end. (Make sure the end is secure, as this is where the wind chime will hang.)

Step 12: Cut one more piece of black string. Wrap it around the knots where the three loops are tied together to give the chime a cleaner look, and lightly glue it down with the hot glue gun.

Step 13: Hot glue a small Star Wars vehicle or action figure to the wrapped string to add a little more of a galaxy far, far away to the wind chime.

Your droid chime is complete! Clone troopers might hate the clanking sound of droids, but you’ll love to hear it every time the wind blows.

Tip: When hanging the chime from the top loop, move the tin cans around the hoop until it is balanced.

Kelly Knox is a freelance writer who loves creating crafts with her daughter. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox, and take a look at her blog the st{art} button for more Star Wars art projects and craft ideas.