Reuse Beautiful Vintage Tea Cups To Make A DIY Rain Chain

Have you been looking for innovative ways to repurpose old vintage teacups? Perhaps you've got a vast collection and some leftover ones that you'd like to put to good use. Well, with just a few tools and some chain, you can make a beautiful hanging rain chain that not only looks gorgeous but also helps filter your rainwater as it's being collected.

If you've never heard of a garden rain chain before, you're not alone. Rain chains originated in Japan and are traditionally used on the sides of temples. They simply turn the flow of rainwater from the gutter into an aesthetically pleasing water feature, as the water travels down into a water butt or some form of storage container.  They are basically a prettier alternative to a downward gutter pipe. And as an added bonus, a rain chain will also help attract birds to your porch or backyard.

To make your own DIY rain chain, you're going to need a handful of vintage tea cups (however many you've got is fine, but this will determine how long your rain chain will be), a drill with a diamond drill bit, and a chain to link them all together. Even better, this DIY can be done for no cost at all if you've managed to thrift the items — and it doesn't take very long either!

Start by turning each teacup upside down and carefully drilling a hole in the bottom of them using a diamond drill bit. Once you've got all of your drilled teacups, grab a chain and thread it through the holes, so they can be hung vertically, spacing out your teacups however you wish. You can easily purchase a chain from your local craft store, or perhaps you have an old plug chain lying around, which would be perfect for this. Make sure the chain is strong enough to hold the weight of the teacups and the water to avoid any breakages. For an average rain chain, a chain with links around 3/16" thick should be okay. 

Now you may be wondering where the best place would be to display a rain chain. Try fixing it to an overhanging roof eave, on either a garage or a garden shed, making sure it's not too close to an exterior wall. Also, be sure not to hang your rain chain any higher than seven feet off the ground. This is because you will no longer have a successful flow of water, and the water tracking will be unpredictable. You can either let your rain chain naturally water a flower bed that sits below it, or if you want to collect a larger quantity of water, then place either a water butt or storage bin underneath it.