I’ve wanted to make this art project for Veronika for quite a while but wanted to wait until we were in our new home before doing so. With the unpacking done, it was time to get crafty!

Some of this wind chime was trial and error, but an eight-month-old baby doesn’t mind a few quirks in the end result.

To make the chime, first make a hole in small shells, whether those collected at the beach or ones from the craft store.

Instructions suggested that I could do this by twisting a pair of sharp nail scissors against each shell, but they were far too tough. Next I tried tapping them with a screwdriver, using gentle pressure with a hammer. But I wasn’t gentle enough, and any open-faced shells like clams shattered.

Turns out the screwdriver method worked great with any curled snail shells, though!

Once I had enough shells with holes, I threaded them onto gold string. Tie these to the arms of a decorative starfish. If you don’t have a starfish, a piece of bamboo or driftwood would be pretty, too.

I suspended the star fish from a low branch of a tree outside, and clicked the shells together for Veronika to hear the beautiful sound.

She was immediately entranced and wanted her own chance to clack the strings and shells together.

Next we lay down on a towel underneath the tree to enjoy way the shells looked from up above. We could watch the strings move and the leaves dance in the tree, and I talked about everything she could hear and see. All in all, this was a beautiful project!