How to make musical instruments with your own hands in order to distract your child from the tablet, cartoons and just have fun together.

Homemade children's musical instruments are a great way to engage your child in a never-ending game. It doesn’t matter whether he constructs a musical instrument with his own hands together with you or not. The fantasy that comes into play the moment you start making musical instruments from what you have at hand helps you see the world differently.

What can I say if once upon a time a bowl was a drum? Learning music is very important for a child's intellectual development, so below is a list of 10 ways to make homemade children's musical instruments.

Children are often in love with music and sounds even before birth. They always react to her and jump from the sound of daddy's kisses while in their tummy.

Parents, in turn, often try to reinforce a love of all things musical, including dancing, songs and sounds. One of the best ways to achieve your goal can be homemade musical instruments with your own hands, so if you are looking for ways to instill musicality in your child, this is the place for you.

A musical instrument doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, which is why we can all appreciate homemade options. A thousand ways to recycle what you don't need and use craft supplies for DIY musical instrument crafts for kids takes you one step closer to an instrumental family party!

Whisk - maracas


If you have a couple of extra whisks lying around, you can quickly transform them into maracas. You just need to find a couple of bells and string them on a wire and attach them inside the whisk. You can even make maracas with different sounds by choosing different sized whisks or bells.

Rubber rope - guitar


The craft is simple: an old empty box and rubber bands. The more colorful the rubber bands, the merrier. The thickness of the rubber band changes its sound - so try it out and decide on your own ballad.

Cymbals

What child doesn't love to knock on things?! We certainly don't want broken glass tops or broken appliances. Thus, the ideal solution is metal spice jars. If you hit all the covers at once, the sound is “gorgeous”, but, fortunately, not very deafening.

Rattlers and noisemakers


Again about metal cans. Fill one side with nuts and/or beans, close with the second jar, and tie with an elastic band. You can also use plastic Easter eggs.

You can also make a children's musical instrument, a rattle, using a large oatmeal container. Just secure the lid with rubber bands so that the sound does not deteriorate and the contents do not fall out. If you decorate the box beautifully, it can even be used at some school parade.

Drum set

If you just need to rattle, take an old tin and some kind of kitchen utensil that can be used to slide along the edges of the can. If your eye falls on a more complex musical device, use sticks, cans and fastenings to create an entire drum kit (the main thing is to make sure that all sharp edges are sanded or muffled).

Xylophone


Wooden, metal or water in glasses - xylophones are different, and their sound even more so.

The simplest type of xylophone is glasses filled with water and the technique of sliding your finger along the rim. More complex ones include options for making a wooden xylophone, but the Internet has a million tips for any level of complexity.

Home outdoor play areas

Some people spend a fortune creating a mini orchestra at home, but it doesn't have to be that big or expensive. Stretch several ropes in the yard, hang rattles, noisemakers, maracas on them, and place large “drums” nearby. The neighbors are guaranteed a rock concert.

rattle drum

This homemade musical instrument made from pink striped socks is perfection. This is a rattle drum. It's a great introduction to the world of music for little ones, and even a fun toy for older children. You just need to look around the house for a few things: a piece of hard cardboard and some twine, and you can make your own tool in a fun and easy way.

Clapping sticks

Simple poppers made from sticks for stirring paint. This is not only a tool, but also an art project for your little ones. Plus, a fun and easy way to reuse paint stir sticks.

Castanets


Castanets are Carmen's noise musical instrument that creates a clicking sound. This sound is somewhat reminiscent of the clicking sound of a rider when he urges his horse forward.

Castanets made from coconut halves are no worse than the original ones. Plus they are super cute and easy for little ones to use. A great way to experience new sounds and feel like a Spaniard for a minute.

A tambourine is a percussion musical instrument of indefinite pitch.

Your child can easily make this rainbow craft using: a paper plate, paints, cotton balls, glue and clothespins.

An original introduction to musical instruments for kids.

Pipe made from tubes


The flute is a folk musical instrument in the form of a pipe made of wood or reed. Using straws, your child can build such a musical instrument.

To do this you will need: tubes of different lengths, scissors, tape and thick tape to wrap the tubes. A little effort and the tool is ready.

We hope the article was useful to you and now you know how you can give old things a second life.

Having made a musical instrument yourself, your child will demonstrate the strengths of creative and intellectual thinking.

With my own hands. Of course, a master unprepared for this type of activity will not be able to make a violin or piano without special training, materials, and equipment at home. And this is a fact that should be accepted unconditionally. But our article will tell those interested how to make fairly simple musical instruments with their own hands.

Where to find source material for crafts

Any object from which sound can be extracted is considered musical. And this is almost everything that surrounds us! If you carefully monitor one-year-old babies, it will become clear: the back of an iron bed, when hit with a spoon, makes a melodious ringing, similar to the sound of a metallophone. And if you knock wooden spoons on the table and chairs, you will get an amazing resemblance

It turns out that we are surrounded by continuous musical instruments! With your own hands you just need to decorate them in the desired way, collect them in one place and plant them next to the “musician”.

Gift for a drummer

For example, a beautiful one is made from a set of pans, lids and wooden sticks. Pencils, wooden spoons, and brushes are suitable as the latter. You can also carve special sticks for a beginning drummer from wood.

As you can see from the photo, making these with your own hands is quite simple. For beauty, you can even come up with a special emblem and decorate each item with it. For “plates”, metal lids mounted on a stand are suitable. By the way, metal buckets, mugs, bowls, basins will coexist wonderfully next to the pots. The main thing in this matter is to choose containers of different sizes that are capable of producing different sounds.

Spoon tool

Everyone knows such a Russian as spoons. Even solo numbers are practiced, where the performers manage to perform quite interesting compositions.

You can expand the capabilities of spoon musicians by creating an entire installation for them. It will require a wooden matryoshka doll. By arranging them in ascending volume, you can get an excellent installation tool.

DIY Guiro

Skilled woodworkers can make quite professional musical instruments. Handmade ratchets are also of interest to musicians today.

Initially, guiros were made from the fruits of the gourd tree, on which notches were made. Its place of origin is considered to be Latin America. Modern guiros are musical instruments made by hand from solid wood with notches along which a scraper called a “pua” must be driven. The musician thus produces interesting chirping sounds when accompanying singing or performing his part in an orchestra.

Today, these kinds of musical instruments appear, made by hand from metal or plastic tubes. In Russia, rattles made of wooden planks with notches were an analogue of guiro.

Maracas, shakers - rattles

You can make musical noise instruments with your own hands from a variety of containers. Metal coffee cans, plastic yogurt bottles, Kinder surprise egg cartons, wooden boxes, and even inner paper towel or toilet paper cylinders made of cardboard are suitable for crafts. Only the latter need to be sealed at both ends so that you can put anything there. A shaker is also made from two disposable cups, gluing them together with tape.

To create a sound effect, grains, sand, small pebbles, beads, shot, and buttons are placed inside the container. You can attach handles to round containers and paint them with acrylic paints. Then you get very beautiful musical noise instruments, which you can build with your own hands from scrap materials.

Castanets

Children love to make a variety of crafts together with adults. You can also make musical instruments with your own hands at home.

You can make castanets using two large buttons with loops attached to them. These devices are worn on the thumb and middle fingers. The castanets knock when they touch and a sound is produced.

You can make quite interesting crafts from absolutely unnecessary things, prepared for disposal in the trash. Do-it-yourself musical instruments are created by gluing covers onto cardboard pieces, after which the blanks need to be fastened together by folding them perpendicular to each other.

Tambourine

Children's musical instruments often contain bells and bells that ring beautifully. You can hang them on an empty paper towel cylinder or along the edges of disposable plates taped together. It is best to fold the latter asymmetrically.

Having brightly colored the instruments made in this way, you can use them in a children's noise orchestra.

Whistles and pipes

Easy to make DIY ones that produce sounds when the performer blows into them. They are made from hollow stems of grass blades, the bark of twigs, plastic handles, and cocktail straws. If the latter are cut diagonally at different lengths, you can get whistles that produce different sounds.

Whistles are also made from bean, pea or acacia pods. In childhood, everyone “played” such a musical instrument at least once.

Craftsmen make pipes from wood by cutting holes in hollow tubes. But this requires special skill. No less difficult - and just as interesting! - make a toy whistle from clay or salt dough. Usually a version of the “Dymkovo” toy is used here. Although you can make a little thing by hiding a ready-made whistle inside. By making several of these toys that make sounds of different pitches, you can even play some melodies on them.

You can make homemade musical instruments with your own hands from almost nothing. For example, a cap from a plastic bottle, on which a piece of rubber cut from a burst balloon is stretched, will become an exciting toy for a child.

You can also use empty bottles as a whistle. If you blow into the inlet from top to bottom, applying the container only to the lower lip and holding it vertically, you can make amazing sounds! Musicians change the inclination of the “instrument”, the distance between the lips and the hole of the bubble, the force of blowing air, and different melodies are born.

"Litrophon" or "singing bottles"

Today, more and more often, performers with such interesting instruments appear on stage that you are amazed! And what don’t they make them from! You can make it yourself, for example, from bottles or wine glasses, filling them with water.

Different heights of sounds produced are achieved by the amount of liquid poured, the material used to make the dishes, and changes in the volume of the container. The less water is poured, the thinner the sound. For beauty and convenience, the liquid is tinted.

Harp, or “musical comb”

Taking an ordinary flat comb (“hedgehog” will not work), you need to cover the location of the teeth with foil or tissue paper. By blowing into this simple instrument you can make cool rattling sounds.

Talented musicians from the stages perform various musical compositions on the harpa, including classical ones. Particularly interesting is this tool, made from a comb with different tooth thicknesses.

The main theme of Oginsky’s “Polonaise” or the melody of a folk song/hit comes out surprisingly similar to the original!

DIY guitar

This is truly amazing! But you can even make a guitar with your own hands from scrap materials, or simply from trash.

Closed cardboard boxes and empty flat plastic shampoo bottles are used as a base. Of course, the sound of the instrument will depend on the material of the guitar frame and the size of the hole cut in it.

It is also important to choose the right strings for your guitar. Most often, they take stationery or aviation rubber bands and pull them with different forces.

So now you don’t need to run to the children’s toy store if your baby is capricious. After all, you can simply make an exciting toy for him - a musical instrument that will become the child’s most beloved and expensive thing.

This musical instrument has been familiar to many of us since childhood. This is how you can make your own children happy. It is not at all necessary to buy it, especially if you are a fan of homemade products. You can try your own strength and eventually get a metallophone by following the step-by-step instructions.

Materials

To make a metallophone with your own hands, you will need:

  • wooden block measuring 32 x 2 x 1.5 cm;
  • wooden block measuring 60 x 2 x 3.5 cm;
  • piece of metal 200 x 3 x 0.4 cm;
  • self-tapping screws 16 x 3 mm;
  • washers;
  • four 5 cm screws;
  • wood varnish with a glossy effect.

Step 1. From a piece of metal you will need to cut 8 pieces of different sizes. The shape is trapezoidal. The maximum length of the first element is 15 cm, the minimum is 10 cm. Take this into account when slicing. Reduce each part by 1 - 2 cm. After the metal components are ready, drill holes in them for fastenings and sand the side parts and the entire surface as a whole.

For ease of work, you can prepare part templates and transfer them to the metal in advance.

Step 2. Saw each wooden block into two parts. As a result, you should have two elements of 30 cm each and two more 15 and 17 cm long.

Step 3. Using self-tapping screws, screw the metal parts to two 30 cm wooden blocks.

Step 4. Attach the transverse wooden pieces to the two side wooden pieces using large screws.

Step 5. Unscrew all the screws and paint the metal parts in the desired colors. Let the paint dry thoroughly.

Step 6. Attach the painted metallophone parts back to the wooden base of the musical instrument, following the sequence: wooden base, flat washer, metal part, self-tapping screw.

How to make musical instruments at home with your own hands?

The beauty of homemade musical instruments is that they cost pennies, and the process of making them will appeal not only to adults, but also to children. Just imagine how much delight a child will have when he independently makes maracas, a Chinese drum, castanets or a pipe! Of course, homemade instruments do not produce perfect sound, but that is not the main point. Such an experience cannot be compared with anything. Classes on making homemade musical instruments are very useful in that the child learns to distinguish between their types, understands the operating principle of each of them, and knows what parts they consist of. And most importantly, joint work brings people together, and this is useful for both parents and their children. So what musical instruments can you make with your own hands? Let's look at the most interesting and simple options.

Maracas

This is, perhaps, one of the tools that the baby gets acquainted with while still in diapers. Maracas are a noise instrument. Rattles and other noise toys for babies are the prototype of maracas. Making them at home is as easy as shelling pears, and there are countless options. So, maracas can be made from:

  • plastic bottles;
  • pumpkins;
  • coffee cans;
  • Kinder Surprise eggs;
  • cardboard cylinders from parchment or paper towels, etc.

The scheme for making maracas is quite simple: you need to pour a small amount of filler in the form of beads, peas, buttons, beads, small pebbles, sand or shot into the prepared container. All holes in the container must be securely closed (if it is a cardboard cylinder, cover it on both sides with thick cardboard) so that the filler does not spill out and the tool makes a loud noise. The maracas themselves can be decorated by painting bright patterns on them with acrylic paints or by sticking cute stickers. Handles can be attached to round containers for convenient use of the tool. For example, if you used Kinder eggs for your maracas, place them between two plastic spoons and secure them with twine.

Tambourine

To make this tool you will need a wooden embroidery hoop, 10 metal lemonade caps, 5 metal rods 2-2.5 cm long, electrical tape and 5 plates of thick cardboard, wood or metal 2-5 mm thick and measuring 1.5x1.5 cm. Between the hoops we place the plates at the same distance and fix them with electrical tape - they will hold the circles of the hoop. We connect the lids two at a time with the flat part and pierce them in the center with metal rods. As a result, we should have 5 elements, which must be securely attached using electrical tape between the plates at the same distance. Once the last element is attached, the tool can be used for its intended purpose.

Pan flute (pan flute)

This musical instrument is very easy to make. For it you will need adhesive tape, 7 cocktail straws and 2 pieces of thick cardboard 3 cm wide, and the length will depend on the width of the tubes folded together.

Each of the tubes needs to be cut a little so that they produce a sound of different tones. The difference between them can be 1-1.5 cm. Let the longest tube be 15.5 cm, then the shortest - 5.5-6 cm. When the tubes are cut, lay them out on a strip of tape so that on one side they the ends remained at the same level. We fix this position of the tubes with tape, wrapping the row in 2 layers. Next, we attach cardboard to this tape to make the panflute look more presentable. The ends of the instrument must be sealed with plasticine so that it can make sounds while playing.

Chinese drum

For this musical instrument you will need a tin can (about 5 cm in height) without a lid or bottom. Instead, you can put plastic lids on the jar that fit tightly to its walls. Next, you need to take a ribbon or strong rope about 20 cm long. The walls of the jar need to be pierced between the lids at the same distance so that the imaginary line of diameter runs clearly through the center of the jar. Through the resulting two opposite holes you need to stretch the rope, leaving the ends of the same length on both sides, tying knots at the walls of the jar and stepping back a couple of centimeters from the edge of the rope. Thread a wooden bead onto the edges of the rope and secure them with a strong knot. The tool is ready.

Wind chime bells

If you have an old Chinese “wind chime” pendant lying around somewhere, it’s time to give it a new life. To do this, disassemble it into its component parts - for the bells we only need tubes. Attach these tubes to a piece of stick with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm, using a strong rope. Place the tubes at equal distances in order from the longest tube to the shortest. Now this instrument can be used as orchestral bells.

Drums of different heights and diameters

To make drums you will need several tin cans, for example, tea or biscuits. Instead of a lid, use strong paper, secured with rubber bands, foil or leather. It is better to play music on such an instrument with pencils, at one end of which there is an eraser. Keep in mind that the sound of the instrument depends on the size of the homemade drum. Therefore, with a little work together with your child, you can create an entire drum set.

Bells on a cardboard tube or beater

For this tool you will need:

  • cardboard tube (for example, from foil or parchment);
  • 12 bells (you can buy them at a craft store or tear them off from old toys);
  • thick needle;
  • dense threads.

In the paper roll, you need to pierce holes at one end according to the number of bells. It is important that these holes are at the same distance from each other, located in two rows along the entire diameter of the tube. We carefully but securely attach the bells to the tube using thread. As a result, the tool should look like this:

Castanets

This musical instrument is an excellent assistant in learning rhythm. Making castanets with your own hands is very simple: take two metal lids, for example, from a tin of tea. Attach a piece of fabric to the back of each lid so that the child can put the castanets on his fingers. The result of the work might look like this:

Harmonica

Take two combs of the same size and wax paper. Place the combs together so that the teeth remain in the same direction. The combs need to be wrapped with paper around the edges, securing the structure with twine. You need to play the harmonica by blowing between the teeth of the structure.

Flute of Rain

For this tool you will need a long cardboard tube (for example, from food foil, but it is a bit short; it is better to look for a similar tube about 70 cm long in a hardware store). Inside this tube you need to insert a spiral made of foil. The spiral must match the length of the tube - this is important. Having tightly sealed one end of the tube, you need to pour a handful of beads, cereal or sand inside the structure. Next, you need to securely seal the second end of the tube. That's it, the rain flute is ready. Now, when you turn it over, you can hear the filler slowly descending through the tube, making the sound of rain.

With a little imagination, you can make guitars, whistles, bells, shakers, water xylophones, tambourines, cymbals and other musical instruments at home with your children. Such items will be especially loved by children, because they are made with their own hands. But the main benefit is that the child becomes several steps closer to the world of music.

One of the most favorite toys of children is, of course, a musical instrument with metal strips, which is usually called a metallophone! It is not at all necessary to purchase such a toy in a store; you can also make it with your own hands at home. This article will describe in detail how this can be done.

Necessary materials and tools to create a metallophone:

- a wooden block measuring 60*2*3.5 centimeters;

- a wooden block measuring 32*2*1.5 centimeters;

- a piece of metal measuring 200 * 3 * 0.4 centimeters;

- self-tapping screws measuring 16*3 millimeters;

— wood varnish with a glossy effect;

- four 5 cm screws.

First stage.

First, you need to cut eight pieces of varying sizes from a piece of metal. The shape of these parts should be trapezoidal. The maximum length of the first element should be 15 centimeters, and the minimum length should be 10 centimeters. This will need to be taken into account when cutting metal plates. In this case, each detail must be reduced by 1-2 centimeters. Then, when the metal components are completely ready, you will need to drill holes in them for attachment, and then sand the sides and the entire surface as a whole.

For ease of work, all part templates can be prepared in advance and transferred to the metal surface.

Second phase.

Then, each wooden block must be sawn into two parts. Ultimately, you should get two elements of 30 centimeters each, as well as two more elements of 15 and 17 centimeters in length.

Third stage.

After this, using self-tapping screws, you need to screw the metal parts to two wooden blocks of 30 centimeters each.


Fourth stage.

Then, the wooden cross pieces, using large screws, need to be attached to the two side wooden components.


Fifth stage.

Then you need to unscrew all the screws and paint the metal parts in the desired colors. Then you need to give the paint a chance to dry completely.

Sixth stage.

After this, all the painted parts of the metallophone will need to be attached back to the wooden base of the musical instrument, but following a clear sequence: wooden base, flat washer, metal part, self-tapping screw.

Seventh stage.

Then you need to completely cover the created musical instrument with spray varnish. In this case, the varnish must be applied in a thin layer.

After the varnish is completely dry, the musical instrument can be used.



This article is also available in the following languages: Thai

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