Make Me Some Music! I made some homemade instruments for my kids and wanted to share! They were a big hit.
First, you need to gather some cute 12×12 scrapbook paper (I have been on a zebra kick lately if you couldn’t tell:), a paper cutter, and some clear contact paper.
To make these shakers, you will need to save some mini water bottles. These little bottles were great to have around this summer whenever we were on the go. They are the perfect size for my little ones. Just rinse out the bottles well and then let them dry out without the lid. (But save the lids:)
Steps to make the Water Bottle Shakers:
Step 1: Remove the paper label and measure it. This will give you an idea of how wide and long to cut your paper.
Step 2: Cut paper strips the size of your label.
Step 3: Hot glue the scrapbook paper around your bottle. Hot glue works quick and well. You could use other adhesive like double-sided tape or glue sticks.
Step 4: Cut strips of contact paper (just a little bit wider than the strips of scrapbook paper). Peel off backing and wrap around the scrabookpaper. If you don’t want to use contact paper, you could paint mod podge over the strip of paper.
Step 5: Fill the water bottles with various beans or rice.
Step 6: And for the final step, hot glue the lid back on.
And to make the drums, gather cylinder cans, jars, or containers. Some great ones are hot cocoa mixes, baby formula cans, oats, cleaning wipes, and baby snack containers.
Step 1: Lay out your paper and trace the top and bottom as your roll the cylinder over your paper. Also cut out a circle to cover the top by tracing the cylinder standing up. Cut out these shapes.
Step 2: Hot glue paper around the cylinder. (you can use other forms of glue or double-sided tape)
Step 3: Hot glue on lid.
Step 4: Cover the sides, top and bottoms by measuring the same way as in step 1.
You can even add some beans, or rice inside the cylinder to make it a shaker/drum.
And there you have it…2 very cute ways for your little ones to make some music.
What are some other great ways to make homemade musical instruments?
I LOVE this! My Derek & Jett would love making these, we are going to make them this week!:) Oh, and A looks adorable in her cute little zebra outfit.:)
Very cute! You can make homemade rain sticks out of cardboard tubes, nails, rice, paper, and tape. Simply put nails about 1/2″ to 1 inch apart following the line around the cardboard tube so that it makes a spiral pattern. Cover one end of the tube with paper and tape shut. Fill with rice and then cover the other end with paper and tape shut. You can make your “rain” last longer if you have a longer tube. I have also used corrugated tubes and sticks for a homemade guiro. Or egg shakers out of real eggs. Just blow out the egg, wash, dry and fill with rice. I used to be a music teacher before being a SAHM. 🙂
Jennifer! That is a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing!
xoxo Jamie
So fun. I just LOVE the ZEBRA paper!
My daughter has to make musical instruments and bring them to school this week. Thanks for the inspiration 😉
Just found your website and I love it! For the maracas you could spray paint the beans different colors. Just another idea to add to the fun.
Oh how cute those zebra paper paired with her skirt! I also love these ideas, thanks for sharing, will definitely share this to my friends with little ones.
i have made the instrument with water bottles using rice. I add food colouring so the rice has different colour. Now i have to make up a poem or song for the children.
Help!! undertaking a course in early childhood education