Jewelry For Your Trees? Yes, Please!

So how beautiful is this?

meadowwren

I found it because it gets crazy windy here, and being one to try and make lemonade out of lemons I thought I might try to find a lovely little windchime to make the best of our blustery days. And I found this one, by Meadow Wren on etsy. It's $12.50 I think with shipping? I love the idea of hanging these from trees out in my garden - subtle enough, they'd add a little bit of sparkle and movement and a little accompaniment for the chirping birdies.

But I got really cheap and was like "nah, I could probably make a nice one too" and you know, went all budget conscious and stuff. This weekend I was in Joanns and noticed they have a nice little collection of decent looking beads! Not super cheesy and plasticy as I'd expected. Random selections were on a major sale too, so I got some beadalon wire ($2.97 on sale from $9.99ish) some pretty little silver pendanty beads  (0.99 for four or five) and a string of green beads for I forget but under $3. And I made one. It looks like this:

Pretty nice, huh? But here's the thing, you add the costs of supplies together and it's like seven bucks, and I don't have a pretty bell/chime on mine, so no taking advantage of the wind. I do have supplies left over though, and I just ordered four bells off ebay for $5, so I can make more and use bells on them - so ultimately I come out ahead, but Meadow Wren's are still more creative. They have better beads and a very artistic eye behind them. So unless you're dying to make your own, my advice is to buy one of hers. Except maybe don't buy this one, 'cause it's mine one of these days.