Summer is here, and I have the perfect project for you! This chicken wire suncatcher is easily one of my favorite summer crafts. It’s so colorful and beautiful, instantly catching everyone’s attention. When the sunlight hits the beads, they create a vibrant display of light. And if there’s a wind, they make gentle noises. It’s both a suncatcher and a wind chime.
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For this DIY suncatcher, you will need chicken wire, tulip and leaf beads, wire cutters, pliers, an embroidery hoop, ribbon, head pins, jump rings, and jute twine. Can’t find tulip beads? No problem! You can use any beads you have. Just make sure they are glass beads so that they will reflect light.
If you are looking for easy craft ideas or bead projects to make this summer, this beaded suncatcher should be at the top of your list. It’s absolutely gorgeous and easy to make! Hang it on your window, door, or in the front of your house where it gets a lot of sunlight.
How to Make Chicken Wire Suncatcher
Learn how to make a chicken wire and bead suncatcher with this easy tutorial. You can also watch the video tutorial below.
Removing the inner hoop
Start by loosening the screw on your embroidery hoop, then remove the inner hoop.
Cutting the chicken wire
Place the inner hoop on top of your chicken wire. Position it so that you get as much of the diamond shapes as possible. The beads will hang on the vertical wires, so keep that in mind.
Once placed, bend the chicken wire outside the hoop or trace it with a marker.
Add a small allowance to the size of the circle, then cut using a wire cutter. Be very careful as the wires can be sharp. Use a thick glove if needed.Placing it back onto the bigger hoop
Carefully bend the allowance on the sides, then place it back onto the bigger hoop. Tighten the screw. Making the tulip charms
Take one head pin. Thread a tulip bead and a leaf bead, then bend the end of the head pin using bent nose pliers. If you have a longer head pin, you can bend it into a loop. Making more charms
Repeat step 4 to make several charms. The number of charms you need depends on the size of the hoop and the placement of your chicken wire. I made 10 charms for the small embroidery hoop and 24 charms for the bigger hoop. Making chains
This step is optional. You can just use one jump ring if preferred. Just make sure to use a bigger size.
Take three jump rings and connect them to make a chain. Open the last jump ring, insert one charm, and close it. Repeat with the remaining charms.Adding the charms to the chains
Repeat step 6 for all of the charms. Arranging the charms
Decide on an arrangement before hanging the charms.
I mistakenly put all of the pink charms on the right side.Hanging the charms
Take one charm, open the last jump ring, hook it onto one of the vertical wires, then close the jump ring using pliers. Repeat with the remaining charms. Adding a bow and jute twine
Take a piece of jute twine and tie it onto the screw, then make a bow using the ribbon. Now, you have a DIY chicken wire suncatcher.
Tools
- long nose pliers
- bent long nose pliers
- scissors
- wire cutter
Materials
- chicken wire
- embroidery hoop
- jump rings
- head pins
- tulip and leaf beads
- jute twine
- ribbon
Crafting Tips
Double check the sizes of the jump rings and head pins. They come in different sizes so make sure that the head pins are long enough for your beads and the jump rings are not too small, as they can be hard to open and close.
Chicken Wire Suncatcher Ideas and Variations
- Spray paint the chicken wire, head pin, and jump rings for a unified look.
- Try making different charms. Think of themes. It will make your garden suncatcher more interesting.
- Use a different hoop. Embroidery hoops come in different designs and shapes.
Chicken Wire Craft Ideas
Have you ever thought of using chicken wire for your crafts? Believe it or not, there are a ton of projects to choose from. Simply search chicken wire crafts and you’ll get dozens of creative ideas. I was researching the other day and was completely surprised by people’s creativity. You can turn it into DIY lamps, home decor, storage, and a lot more. I’m sure you’ll find something that you like out of all the thousands of inspirations online.
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Chicken Wire Suncatcher Tutorial
