Simple DIY Drum Ideas: From Den-Den Drums to Taiko Drums!
Many of you have probably seen taiko drum performances on stage at summer festivals and events.
Even without a melody, that overwhelming power and the booming sound that resonates through your body make it impossible to look away before you realize it.
This article introduces handmade drum ideas like those.
We’ve gathered a variety of ideas, from taiko drums that could actually be used for performances to children’s toys like den-den daiko (pellet drums) and balloon drums.
We hope this will be helpful for anyone thinking, “I want to make a drum by hand!”
- DIY ideas for a den-den daiko (Japanese pellet drum). Let’s make and play with this nostalgic toy!
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[Easy] Handmade Drum Ideas: From Den-Den Daiko to Taiko! (1–10)
A drum made with newspaper and a desk mat
This idea takes a bit of effort, but since the body is made from newspaper, you’ll end up with a light, easy-to-carry drum.
First, prepare a trash can or flower pot similar in size to the drum you want, and start attaching cut pieces of newspaper.
For the first layer, use newspaper soaked in water; from the second layer onward, soak the paper in glue thinned with water before applying.
Once it dries, remove it from the mold, pour glue into the gaps in the newspaper, press down, and compress.
After the glue dries, attach a desk mat as the drumhead and secure it with screws to finish.
A desk mat doesn’t resonate much, so it’s perfect for practice.
If you want more resonance, try using a blue tarp or plastic shoji paper instead.
Milk Can Remake Drum
Milk cans are quite sturdy, so many of you might be wondering if they can be repurposed for something.
A great idea for times like that is to remake a milk can into a drum! First, apply a decorative adhesive sheet of your choice to the side of the can.
Next, cut leather fabric into a circle—make two identical pieces.
Punch holes around the edge of each circle, insert eyelets, and attach them to the top and bottom of the can.
Thread a cord through the holes and tighten, and you’re done! It’s perfect as a baby’s toy, so give it a try if you like.
Okinawan Eisa drum! Paranku
Let’s make a paranku (Okinawan hand drum) out of cardboard! First, cut six circular pieces from the cardboard.
Hollow out the inside of five of them to make donut shapes.
Glue those five together in a stack, then attach the last solid circle on top.
Wrap the side with vinyl tape, and you’re done.
For the beater, use a cardboard tube from plastic wrap and wrap it with vinyl tape.
It’s also a good idea to decorate the paranku with construction paper or origami rather than leaving it as plain cardboard.
If you turn it into a character’s face, kids might love it!
[Simple] DIY Drum Ideas: From Pellet Drums to Taiko Drums! (11–20)
Drum made from paper plates
Perfect for a childcare craft activity! Here’s an idea for a toy drum made with paper plates.
Prepare paper plates with a bit of depth.
Place two plates together with their bottoms facing outward and secure them with masking tape.
The drum is now complete, so let the children decorate it with stickers or drawings.
For the drumsticks, stick a pair of chopsticks into balls of air-dry clay.
You can also wrap the chopsticks with masking tape to make them cute.
A drum made with a roll of packing tape and paper plates
If you have a leftover cardboard core from packing tape, why not make a small drum? Cut construction paper slightly larger than the side of the core and attach it around the side with double-sided tape.
Snip the excess, fold it inward, then apply double-sided tape to the folded part and stick on a paper plate.
Trim off any extra, and your drum is done! Chopsticks work fine as drumsticks, but if you want rounded tips, try adding balls made of kneaded paper clay.
It’s small, easy to carry anywhere, and fun to play with.
Animal drums made from tissue boxes
Perfect for kids’ craft and sound play! Here are some ideas for making animal drums.
You’ll need an empty tissue box, colored construction paper, chopsticks, and paper clay.
First, cover the entire box with the colored paper.
Cut out the animal’s arms, legs, tail, and facial parts you want to make, then glue them onto the box.
If you want to hang it around the neck, attach a ribbon.
For the drumsticks, roll the paper clay into balls and insert chopsticks coated with glue.
Try making drum sounds by tapping as if you’re hitting the animal’s tummy!
In conclusion
How did you like the handmade drum ideas? Even though each drum is easy to make, it’s great that you can actually play them. It’s surprising that something that seems hard to make can be created using items from a 100-yen shop or recycled materials. There are lots of ideas perfect for kids’ crafts, so if you like, try making them and enjoy a little concert!