Fun for Kids! A Collection of DIY Musical Instrument Ideas Using Everyday Materials
Handmade instruments that bring the world of music closer.
Their charm lies in how easy they are to make with materials you already have on hand, and in the fun of learning how sound is produced during the making process.
Using items like plastic bottles, cardboard, and rubber bands, you can create instruments that produce authentic tones.
The methods for making maracas, castanets, koto, and more are very simple.
Not only can you enjoy making and playing them with children, but it’s also a chance to learn how music works.
Use this as a reference and try making your own original instruments!
Fun for Kids! A Collection of Homemade Musical Instrument Ideas Using Everyday Materials (1–10)
pipe chime
You can also make your own pipe chimes that produce a cool, refreshing sound.
It may seem difficult to tune them accurately, but you could have the pipes cut at a home improvement store.
Let an adult help with the tricky parts.
You can roughly check the pitch by sight—for example, the longer the pipe, the lower the note.
Also, if a pipe touches the wooden base, the sound will be muted and won’t resonate, so be careful when assembling.
It’s fun to play ensemble pieces with others using homemade instruments, isn’t it?
koto
Isn’t a musical instrument that you can not only make but also enjoy playing afterward an appealing toy for children? Here’s an introduction to the “Pororin Koto,” made using a tissue box that every household has.
Attach a slightly larger piece of styrene board to the end face of the tissue box and stretch rubber bands across it as strings.
Make the bridges from sturdy paper such as cardboard or thick paper, and it’s complete.
If you use a larger empty sweets box, you can probably string even more “strings,” and it’s also fun to decorate or draw around the box to create your very own koto.
straw flute
Believe it or not, even Dr.
Denjiro makes musical instruments.
Instruments powered by science are fascinating, aren’t they? This one is a reed flute: the cut end of a straw vibrates to produce sound.
As you can see in the video, the shorter the straw gets, the higher the pitch becomes.
Cutting the straw only works once, but if you could slide the straw in and out like a trombone to make it longer or shorter, you might be able to play various songs.
Keeping the reed section as is while devising a way to control pitch would also be a great learning experience, don’t you think?
trumpet
It’s astonishing that you can make a trumpet by hand.
A trumpet is essentially a long tube that’s coiled, with a bell at the end.
So if you can create something with the same structure, you can make something trumpet-like.
If you tape a funnel to the end of a coiled hose with vinyl tape, and stick something like the tip of the squeeze bottle used for mayonnaise at okonomiyaki stands (the kind you can buy at 100-yen shops) onto the hose’s opening as a mouthpiece, you’re done.
It takes a bit of technique to produce a sound, but have fun practicing!
Harp
How about handcrafting a harp—the “queen of instruments”—using everyday materials? It’s perfect for summer vacation projects or crafts! The harp’s base can be made from a 2-liter plastic bottle or cardboard, and the sound-producing strings are rubber bands.
Shorter rubber bands produce higher notes, while longer ones produce lower notes, so try adjusting them.
It’s simple enough for children to make, yet you can actually play it, so the fun continues after you finish! You can also decorate it to create a harp that reflects your personal style.
Rubber band guitar
Many young children probably dream of playing the guitar.
Here’s a handmade guitar that can make those dreams come true.
Add your favorite colors and patterns to create a one-of-a-kind, original guitar.
The resonating part of the body is made from a tissue box.
Attach a plastic wrap core as the neck, then cut and glue cardboard to form the body, and it’s done.
Use rubber bands for the strings.
You can make an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar, if you like.
You can even make a ukulele or a bass using the same method.
bird whistle
Let’s make a bird whistle that makes sound when you swing it on a string, like the “insect whistle” used in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind! What you’ll need: two plastic bottle caps and a piece of twine about 80 cm long.
First, cut a crescent-shaped hole in each bottle cap.
When the two caps are placed facing each other, the two crescents should form one larger hole.
Next, make a hole in the center of one of the caps.
Thread the twine through this center hole and tie a knot so it won’t slip out.
Then, face the caps together so they create the single larger opening.
Secure them firmly with tape, and you’re done!
maracas
For children, sound-making instruments are very appealing.
Among them, how about these maracas that are easy to make, cute to look at, and actually usable? It’s convenient that you can make them from recyclable items like plastic bottles, toilet paper rolls, or capsule toy cases.
You can put anything inside, such as beads, buttons, beans, or small stones.
The tone changes depending on the amount and type of filling.
Finally, decorate the outside to complete your very own maracas.
ocarina
Let’s try making an ocarina using oven-bake clay! You’ll need oven-bake clay, a straw, some thread, and a windway spatula.
First, shape the clay into an ocarina with your hands.
Once you have a rough shape, smooth the surface with water.
Next, use a knife to create a recess for the mouthpiece.
Make a hole in the recess with the straw.
Insert the windway spatula into the blowing end and, keeping it in place, use the thread to cut the ocarina’s body in half.
After it’s split, hollow out the interior, then reattach the two halves and start making the finger holes.
Finish opening the holes while tuning, then bake, let it dry, and you’re done! Highly recommended for anyone who wants to try making a real instrument!
tambourine
You’ll need paper plates, plastic bottle caps, rice, and so on.
First, fill a plastic bottle cap about halfway with rice and tape around it to seal.
Cut a paper plate in half, stick the backs together, and sandwich the cap you just made between them.
Once you’ve attached all of them, it’s done.
It might also be fun to use a whole plate without cutting it in half and increase the number of bottle caps.
You can draw your own designs, too.
Make several and let’s all tap them and play together!