Handmade maracas ideas. Easy to make! Musical instruments for kids.
Maracas are such a fun instrument that make a rattling sound when you shake them.
Traditionally, maracas are made by putting seeds into dried plants, but you can actually make them easily using scrap materials and the like.
In this article, we’ll introduce various ways to make maracas.
There are ideas suitable even for babies, so if you want to handcraft instruments or toys for children, use these as a reference and give them a try.
If you put sparkly items like beads in place of seeds, they’ll be fun to look at, and the kids are sure to love them!
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Handmade maracas ideas. Easy to make! Musical instruments for kids (1–10)
Pochi-bukuro maracas
Here’s an introduction to making maracas using New Year’s gift envelopes (pochibukuro).
Cut a pochibukuro in half and shape it into a regular tetrahedron.
Put some beads inside the cut envelope, fold in the opening, staple it, and cover the staple with masking tape.
Draw a face on a circle cut from construction paper, and fold a small kabuto (samurai helmet) from origami.
Place the kabuto on the drawn face, glue it to the pochibukuro, and you’re done.
It’s also cute if you swap the kabuto origami for animals like a rabbit or a bear.
Have fun making it!
Sparkly Paper-Cup Maracas
Here’s an introduction to a cute star-shaped maraca made with paper cups.
Paint two paper cups in your favorite colors.
When you’re done, put beads inside and stick the two cups together.
Secure them vertically with tape so the beads don’t spill out.
Cut a wide ribbon to the height of the cups and staple it in place.
Once it’s assembled, decorate the cups with stickers to make them as cute as you like.
When you’re finished, give it a good shake and play—you’ll hear a lovely sound.
We used beads inside, but if you try putting finely cut pieces of wooden chopsticks or straws instead, you might hear a different tone and have even more fun.
Easter egg maracas
Here’s how to make maracas shaped like Easter eggs.
Prepare two plastic bottle caps, put some beads inside, and fasten them securely with vinyl tape.
Wrap the caps with newspaper, roll into a ball, and tape it in place.
Cover it with colored aluminum foil, secure it with clear tape, and then add stickers or draw designs around it to finish.
It would be fun to make them in various colors for a set of colorful egg maracas.
Give it a try and have fun playing with them!
Handmade maracas ideas. Easy to make! Musical instruments for kids (11–20)
[Plastic Bottle] Blue Sky Maracas
![[Plastic Bottle] Blue Sky Maracas](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/319cfNwB-c0/sddefault.jpg)
Here’s an introduction to making a blue-sky maraca using a plastic bottle.
Draw clouds on the bottle with Posca markers, then put light blue and blue beads and cut pieces of straw inside.
Attach colored suzuran tape (raffia tape) around the bottle cap.
Once you’ve finished attaching it, wrap vinyl tape over it.
Split the suzuran tape into thin strands, and you’re done! Every time you shake the maraca, the suzuran tape flutters and sways, making it fun to play.
It also looks like it would be enjoyable to play with the maraca outdoors.
Give this refreshing blue maraca a try!
kakukaku maracas
When you think of maracas, you probably imagine a round shape, but here’s an idea for square maracas.
Prepare two small square transparent containers, vinyl (duct) tape, two straws, a stapler, scissors, and a pen.
Cut the straws into small pieces about 2 cm long and put them inside one container.
Place the other container on top as a lid, and staple them together so the straw pieces don’t fly out.
Cover the staples with vinyl tape to prevent injury, then draw faces or patterns with the pen to finish.
Adjust the amount of straw while checking the sound.
Maracas made with a jump rope
For this idea, use a jump rope sold at 100-yen shops and similar stores.
First, remove the rope part and open the caps on the handles.
Put in anything you like—beads, small wooden nuts, etc.—then put the caps back on.
Since the hole where the rope goes is open, seal it with tape or something similar.
That’s all it takes to make maracas! It’s easy, so give it a try.
If you choose a jump rope with transparent handles, kids will be able to see the contents, which they’ll love.
Maracas made from paper tubes
Here’s a cute maracas craft idea you can easily make with a paper tube.
Wrap the tube with masking tape to decorate it.
Flatten one end and seal it with tape, then put bells or beads inside.
Flatten the other end as well, making sure both ends are perpendicular.
Tape it closed and your maracas are ready! Try different masking tapes to enjoy various patterns.
Once you’re done, be sure to shake your adorable maracas and play! They’ll be perfect for a fun ensemble with the kids.