Lovely handmade crafts

Let’s play Christmas songs with handmade instruments! Craft ideas for sound-making instruments

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

As part of Christmas activities, many preschools and schools may try performing Christmas songs.

This article introduces ideas for handmade instruments that are perfect for Christmas—just the thing to make together at such times!

We’ve gathered ideas ranging from cute instruments that look like Santa Claus and reindeer to instruments that produce sounds that match Christmas songs.

All of them make clear sounds, so be sure to make them and use them in your performances!

Play Christmas songs with handmade instruments! Craft ideas for sound-making instruments (21–30)

Let’s try making musical instruments from around the world

[Latin America & Education] Try it at Home: Let’s Make Musical Instruments from Around the World! [Rainstick]

Let's try making musical instruments from around the world

Let’s make a rainstick, a musical instrument from around the world that sounds like falling rain.

Prepare toothpicks, an empty plastic wrap tube, rubber bands, beads, fabric scraps, nail clippers, a hole punch or awl, and glue.

Start by making spiral-shaped holes along the tube.

It can be slippery, so be careful while punching the holes.

Insert toothpicks into the holes.

Use the nail clippers to trim any parts of the toothpicks that stick out, then apply glue over them to secure.

Cover one end of the tube with fabric and fasten it with a rubber band.

Pour beads in from the other end, then cover that end with fabric and fasten it with a rubber band in the same way.

Decorate the tube, and you’re done.

It’s a rainstick that produces the sound of rain or waves—give it a try!

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My own handmade instrument

[Summer Vacation Craft] Stand out from the crowd with your very own original instrument! Trombone Edition

My own handmade instrument

Let me show you how to make a trombone with a pleasing tone.

Prepare one thin PVC pipe, one thick PVC pipe, a funnel, vinyl tape, and aluminum tape, and let’s build it.

Slide the thin PVC pipe inside the thick PVC pipe to assemble it.

Insert a cut-off mouthpiece into the thin end and secure it with vinyl tape.

On the opposite end of the thin PVC pipe, wrap aluminum tape to slightly thicken the tip.

The key is to have a small gap when the PVC pipes are nested.

Attach the funnel to the end of the thick PVC pipe, and you’re done.

Blow into it and—surprise! You’ll hear the sound of a trombone.

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Cardboard guitar that makes sound

Let's Make a Sound-Making Guitar! [Cardboard Craft]

Cardboard guitar that makes sound

Let’s introduce a fun-to-make cardboard guitar.

Prepare one cardboard box, five rubber bands, a food tray, packing tape, glue, scissors, and a cutting mat, then let’s get started.

Draw a rough outline of a guitar on the opened cardboard and cut out each part along the lines.

Make slits along the long side of the food tray; the depth of the slits will change the sound it produces.

Thread the rubber bands through the slit area.

Attach the food tray to the hole in the guitar body part using packing tape.

Glue the neck and head together.

Then glue the neck and head onto the guitar body to complete it.

Paint it and add decorations to finish your own original guitar!

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A whistle you can blow with a straw

[Instrument Craft] Let's Make a Straw Flute You Can Play Tunes With (Handmade Toy / Upcycled Craft) [Easy Craft / Playable Craft] A Handmade Instrument You Can Make Music With

A whistle you can blow with a straw

Here’s how to make a whistle out of a straw.

Cut two slits at one end of a straw and trim it so the width forms a rectangle.

Cut the other end of the straw and fit it over the rectangular end, then secure it with cellophane tape.

Adjust the tape so the width becomes a square.

Cut another straw to about 5 centimeters and flatten one end.

Place the flattened end over the side where you can see the square gap, and secure it with cellophane tape.

The key is to test-blow it and check the sound before taping everything down firmly.

Change the lengths of the straws to create different pitches, fix them in place, and you’re done.

Kids are sure to get excited about a whistle made from everyday materials!

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Plastic bottle drum

[Anywhere Art] [Summer Vacation Crafts] Plastic Bottle Drum [Handmade Instrument]

Plastic bottle drum

Simple yet loud! Here’s how to make a plastic-bottle drum.

First, cut off the bottom of an empty plastic bottle and wrap the cut edge with vinyl tape.

Next, stretch a balloon over the opening and secure it firmly with tape so it doesn’t come off.

Decorate the bottle with pens or stickers as you like! Finally, tape a 10 cm square piece of aluminum foil to the tip of a chopstick, crumple the foil into a ball to make a beater, and you’re done! It could be fun for everyone to make their own and enjoy a group performance.

Give it a try!

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