Whether you like mobiles or windchimes, they are probably something we all own at some time in our lives. Not only can you use them in your home, they can also be used to great effect outside too! In the garden or in porches etc., particularly when they jingle.

Of course you can make them in a variety of ways and they leave plenty of scope for a bit of improvisation on your part! You will need to save a lid for this from something you use at home. Preferably a plastic one, to have a base to work from, as you will need a circle to hang your items from.

If you have found a suitable lid for this, you now will have to remove the middle of it. So get cutting with a craft knife or scissors. The width of the rim left will need to be at least 1 centimetre and now you will need to make some holes at regular intervals all the way round this.

Choose four main holes which can be used for your hanger. You might like to paint your circle now, either with a silver, gold or coloured acrylic. Of course, this will have to dry before you can then paint the other side.

You need to sort out your hanging strings now (4 in all). So gather what you will, in the form of string or cord. The cord needs to be cut long enough to enable you to go through one of your four designated holes, with enough string left at the bottom to hang your items, but also have enough length at the top to hang it by, when joined with the other three. Enough to knot them all together and make a hanging loop.

Attach a large bell to the end of these four strings. Now cut more strings, to match the length of the others, from the ring only. Tie them on and then aim to put a small jingly bell at the end of all the others.

If you think this is may be too plain, you can always decorate these, by painting the bells in other colours and use gaudy cords. Nail varnish colours would do the trick, or some metallic paint, or any acrylic.

By now you should have got the formula to make up your own ideas on this project, which is good. But just to get you on the right track, I will make a few more suggestions. If you have any old keys lying around the house, you could give these a coat of paint to use, simple idea, but they work.

Shells, if you are anywhere near a beach, are good, as a matter of fact, you can buy these now for crafts with the holes already in. Or, on the other hand, you could use small stones or pebbles on the end of your strings, if you put a spot of the right glue on them.

Personally, I often think that strings made of coloured beads in glass are rather nice. Also, at Christmas, why not use the lovely silver and gold beads as decorations and cut them to the size you want and, if that's not enough, you can still add items at the bottom.

A crafters first investment in a crafting business is her tools. This article is about the definition of the basic tools that can be found in a crafters toolkit. Please take note that there are many available tools out there and it just keeps on adding up as more tools are being introduced as I write now. Nevertheless, let us start with discussing the basics.

A pair of scissors is also an important tool in crafting. It cuts and trims on paper, card stocks and on your crafts. Some scissors are very advanced and can leave design impressions on your crafters. Scissors are one of the basic tools in crafting and a crafter should never be without it. A puncher is also an example of a craft tool that had evolved through the years. We can see punchers having different shapes for holes. Different shapes can now be achieved through the use of innovative punchers.

Invest in an organizer and you will never have to worry about missing pieces again. Look for an organizer which has numerous divisions so you can sort and arrange tools/ embellishments and supplies properly. Try to buy an organizer with numerous divisions and pockets that will allow you to have a specific place for your embellishments and supplies. Transparent and multi-layered organizers let you see whats inside each compartments without having to open them.

An adhesive is also one of the basic tools in crafts making. There are many varieties of adhesives available in the market nowadays. A tack adhesive is used when you want your craft to have a multi layered look. It will effectively provide depth with your artwork. Adhesives are quite expensive and you should always look for great products so your crafts could last.

Papers are probably the most basic tool in crafts making. Nowadays there are a lot of varieties of paper available in the market. Papers vary from weight, color, thickness, size, and texture. There are also scented paper for specialized crafting requirements.