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!
- Handmade instruments with plastic bottles: try making flutes, percussion, and traditional ethnic instruments.
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- Handmade maracas ideas. Easy to make! Musical instruments for kids.
- DIY whack-a-mole ideas—perfect for festivals and school fairs!
- Let's make a mikoshi by hand! From simple ideas to full-scale DIY!
- Handmade ideas to create and play the traditional Japanese game “Daruma Otoshi”!
- Made of paper! A fun collection of DIY toy ideas you can play with
- [For Kids] Spins in the wind! A collection of recommended DIY pinwheel ideas
- Handmade lantern ideas. Let's make festival decorations!
- [Handmade Toys] Fun to Make! A Collection of Pull-Along Toy Ideas
[Simple] DIY Drum Ideas: From Pellet Drums to Taiko Drums! (11–20)
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!
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.
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!


