15 Simple DIY Rain Chains That Add Flair To Your Outdoors

If you have never thought about installing a rain chain, now is your chance.

Rain chains are pretty easy to install, although if you buy one you can expect to pay upwards of $100 in some cases.

An easier way is to create your own, and I have 15 DIY rain chains that are sure to give you the beautiful look that you want, for less.

Rain chains are attached to your gutters and help to keep rainwater from causing erosion in your home.

They work like downspouts but they are much prettier to look at.

Jump to:

• 1. Repurposed Metal Spoon Rain Chain
• 2. Upcycled Glass Bottle Top Rain Chain
• 3. DIY Ombre Terra Cotta Rain Chain
• 4. DIY Cookie Cutter Rain Chain
• 5. Copper Swirl Rain Chain
• 6. DIY Copper Ring Rain Chain
• 7. Repurposed Candle Holder Rain Chains
• 8. Galvanized Bucket Rain Chain
• 9. Repurposed Key Rain Chain
• 10. DIY Neon Zip Tie Rain Chain
• 11. Repurposed Funnel Rain Chain
• 12. Upcycled Yogurt Cup Rain Chain
• 13. DIY Wire And Stone Rain Chain
• 14. DIY Terra Cotta Rain Chain
• 15. Upcycled Teapot Rain Chain
• Conclusion

1. Repurposed Metal Spoon Rain Chain

This rain chain is made from old metal spoons – you an also use forks if you have them.

It is gorgeous and has such a lovely rustic look to it. You just bend your spoons, or forks, into place and then position them however you want them to create the chain for your water to travel over.

This one is so easy and so perfect for any backyard, front yard or deck.

Tutorial: birdsandblooms

2. Upcycled Glass Bottle Top Rain Chain

I love this rain chain that is made from the tops of old glass bottles.

If you know how to safely cut glass, you could easily do this one. Or, you can just head on over to Etsy where I found this one and buy it for about $50. It’s handmade, 75 inches long and it has seven glass bottle tops. If you decide to make this one yourself, you could always use the bottoms of your glass bottles for candle holders!

Available on: etsy.com

3. DIY Ombre Terra Cotta Rain Chain

Those tiny terra cotta pots that you can get at the Dollar Store for a dollar or so each are perfect for making this lovely Ombre rain chain.

You just paint the pots different hues of your chosen color and then graduate them down the chain.

This one is pretty simple to make and to put together and it is perfect for adding a splash of color to your outdoors. This is the perfect terra cotta craft to brighten up your outdoors.

Tutorial: designsponge

4. DIY Cookie Cutter Rain Chain

This rain chain is made from metal cookie cutters and it is really easy to do.

You can choose any design of cookie cutter that you want to customize the rain chain. You can tie them all together with a cheap chain or some plastic shower curtain hooks.

You could even paint the cookie cutters if you wanted them to match a specific color or just leave them plain for that great silver look.

Tutorial: newhousenewhomenewlife

5. Copper Swirl Rain Chain

I found this beautiful copper rain chain on Etsy, for under $200. It’s handcrafted from copper and in a gorgeous swirl design.

This one is eight feet long and it has different sizes of hooks to attach to your gutter or wherever you want to put it. You could make this one yourself, but it will take a while. The design itself would be really intricate to weld.

Available on: etsy.com

6. DIY Copper Ring Rain Chain

You can DIY this copper ring chain with some soft copper tubing and a couple of hours. It’s gorgeous when it is finished and it is perfect for adding a bit of rustic charm to your outdoors. This one may take you a while to finish but it is definitely worth the extra time.

Tutorial: instructables

7. Repurposed Candle Holder Rain Chains

You can turn old brass candle holders into a gorgeous rain chain. You will need several candle holders or old brass cups for this one, and you can find them pretty cheap at any thrift store. Visit a few stores if you need to so that you have enough to create the length that you want.

The process is pretty straightforward and the end result is absolutely gorgeous.

Tutorial:

8. Galvanized Bucket Rain Chain

You make this lovely rain chain from small and inexpensive galvanized buckets.

You can pick up the buckets for just a few dollars each at Walmart or look online for a cheaper cost. You may also be able to find a few at your local thrift store. You tie the buckets together with a chain and add as many buckets as you want to get the length that you need.

Tutorial: curbly

9. Repurposed Key Rain Chain

Turn those old keys into a gorgeous new rain chain!

I don’t know about you, but I have tons of keys that I have kept over the years and I don’t even know what half of them are for. If you don’t have a collection of old keys, check your local thrift stores or ask friends and family if they have a few that they no longer need.

This makes a lovely rain chain. Who knew there were so many ways to repurpose old keys?

Tutorial: timberpress

10. DIY Neon Zip Tie Rain Chain

Believe it or not, you can create a lovely rain chain with some zip ties. You can find these ties in so many different colors and you can add some extra design with wooden beads or other embellishments. This one is so easy to make and won’t take you long at all to finish.

If you have quite a few neon colored zip ties on hand, this is the perfect project for them.

Tutorial: dollarstorecrafts

11. Repurposed Funnel Rain Chain

You can buy really inexpensive metal funnels at the Dollar Store or any thrift store.

Then, you can turn those little funnels into a lovely rustic looking rain chain. You just need a handful of funnels and then something that will tie them all together.

This is one of the easiest rain chains that you can DIY and it is perfect if you are looking for something to add style to your outdoor farmhouse décor.

Tutorial: motherearthliving

12. Upcycled Yogurt Cup Rain Chain

If you want something really cheap and really simple, just save those old empty yogurt cups and turn them into a lovely rain chain.

This is a great project for the kids and there really isn’t any complicated process involved.

You just save as many yogurt or plastic cups as you want to make the chain as long as you want and then put them all together – maybe even add some pretty beads for decoration. This would also be a wonderful way to repurpose plastic bottles.

Tutorial: childhoodlist

13. DIY Wire And Stone Rain Chain

Some jewelry wire or other thin wire and some decorative stones make the most gorgeous rain chain. This one is pretty simple depending on how intricate you want the design to be and you can make it really cheap.

You can find decorative stones at the Dollar Store or any hobby store and wire is really cheap – you could even upcycle some thin wire from other projects if you have it.

Tutorial: dollarstorecrafts

14. DIY Terra Cotta Rain Chain

Take those small terra cotta pots from the Dollar Store and turn them into a beautiful rustic looking rain chain.

This one is so easy and you can leave the pots in their original color or distress them with a bit of white paint to make them look more rustic. Spend some time looking around local yard sales and thrift stores to find old terra cotta planters. The older they are the more rustic your DIY rain chain will look.

Tutorial: allthingsheartandhome

15. Upcycled Teapot Rain Chain

If you have an old ceramic or metal teapot, you can turn it into a gorgeous rain chain.

You could even add matching teacups to this one to really make it gorgeous. It is a wonderful way to repurpose or upcycle those broken teacups and tea pots and give yourself a beautiful new water feature at the same time. This one is also really easy to make.

Conclusion

A DIY rain chain will emit a wonderful sound, like that of a trickling fountain.

So instead of hearing pouring water when it rains, you will hear the sound of trickling water which is quite relaxing.

You can direct your DIY rain chain into a barrel, a plant or even into a small water garden near your house. I love the idea of having lovely rain chains instead of downspouts and I particularly love the sound that they create. If you really want to spruce up your outdoors before rainy season gets here, these are perfect.

And, you should check out these 18 DIY garden benches for even more lovely outdoor décor.

I love working outdoors when the weather permits and nothing makes me happier than creating a relaxing and beautiful outdoor living space.

You can do some of them with upcycled materials, which makes them even better. And, be sure to take a look at these 40 DIY wind chimes that will also add a relaxing sound to your outdoors.