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Children love musical instruments and the beautiful sounds they make.
However, we never put too much thought into how these instruments are actually made. Parents can introduce musical instrument crafts for kids to children to help them understand the inner workings of these instruments. We often see kids use household items to create music. Using rubber bands for the twang, sticks on hard surfaces as percussion, and rice or sand in small containers as shakers are some ways kids create their own musical instruments. Musical instrument crafts allow children to create their own instruments and have great fun while helping them express themselves with creative freedom. In this post, we list the best musical instrument crafts that children can make at home.
Key Pointers
- Unused household items can be repurposed for crafting fun musical instruments with children.
- Maracas can be made using old Easter eggs by filling them with pebbles.
- Musical water glasses can be created by filling glasses with water at different levels and adding food coloring.
- To make a guitar, gather an old shoebox, glue, and rubber bands.
- Drums can be made by covering empty containers with construction paper and decorating them with aluminum foil or fabric.
- The easiest instrument to make is the cymbal, which can be made using pot lids and yarn or ribbon.
Top Ideas For Musical Instrument Crafts For Kids
There are plenty of ways to create musical instruments, the DIY way using little knick-knacks that you do not have any use for. You will be surprised at some of the things that you can use to create fun instruments with your little one.
Here are the top 10 homemade musical instrument crafts for preschoolers and young kids to make:
1. Maracas Crafted Out Of Old Plastic Easter Eggs
Many of us often keep plastic eggs from last Easter and do not know what to do with them. Well, here is the perfect way to reuse them!
- All you and your kid need to do is collect pebbles from your garden.
- Put them inside the eggs.
- Get some tape to make sure that the eggs do not open while you are shaking them.
- You can redecorate the eggs if your kids want to add their own special touch to their new maracas!
2. Drums Crafted Out Of Empty Containers
Do you have old potato chips or oatmeal cylinder containers? If yes, your kid will love a crafts project turning the containers into drums!
- He can cover the cylinder with construction paper and decorate it as he likes.
- The next step is to make the skin of the drum.
- Encourage him to experiment with different materials to create diverse sounds – aluminum foil, fabric, and paper can be used.
- Get him two pencils and shoot him with your camera while he bangs away on his new drums!
You can even gift DIY drums to your kid or any other little one you know. Blogger Katie Shelton describes how she covered the cylinder with fabric and used leather for skin. She writes, ”I customized my drums by painting designs onto the fabric with fabric paint. It’s a fun way to personalize this gift! (i).”
Quick tip3. Chimes Crafted Out Of Metal Washers
Get metal washes of different sizes, a ruler and some yarn, preferably of eye-catching colors.
- Cut lengths of the yarn and tie them to the ruler, keeping space in between.
- You can make them more secure by taping them to the ruler.
- The next step is to tie the washers to the end of the yarn and make sweet music!
4. Guitar Crafted Out Of An Old Shoebox
This is a simple one as all you need is an old shoebox, glue and rubber bands.
- The first step is to cut a hole on the shoebox’s lid.
- Glue the lid in place to the box.
- Once it is dry, take the rubber bands and stretch them across the box.
- Your little one can now play the guitar by strumming the bands that are across the hole.
Kate Lilley, a mother, has a tip to make your DIY guitar more effective. She says, ”The secret to get it to work well is to have the raised bridge – it makes all the difference. I cut a three-inch hole in the middle of the box and used six split pins at either end if you fancy having a go. It’s also worth using a fairly strong box so that it doesn’t collapse under tension (ii).”
5. Horn Crafted From A Paper Towel Roll
This one is the simplest musical instrument craft for kids. You can use an empty paper towel or toilet paper roll to make a horn for your kid to play with.
- All you need is the roll, a rubber band and wax paper.
- The first step is to poke or punch holes in a straight line down the roll’s length.
- One end of the roll will now need to be covered with the wax paper and tied securely with the rubber band.
- Your little one can sing into the open end while covering different holes with his or her fingers.
6. Musical Water Glasses
All you need is a few glasses of the same size, food coloring, a spoon, and of course, water.
- Fill the glasses with different amounts of water.
- Add food coloring to give each glass its own unique color.
- The different levels of water will give out different sounds. This will definitely fascinate your kid once he starts to tap the glasses with the spoon!
7. Cardboard Tube Bells
All you need for this one is an old cardboard tube and a few jingles!
- Take a cardboard tube and pierce it to make holes with equal spaces in between.
- Now, get some jingles and attach them to the tube using a needle and thread to decorate your new musical instrument.
- Voila! You have a musical instrument that is quick, easy and cheap to make!
8. Shakers Crafted With Pebbles Or Beans
To design this instrument, you will need a cylindrical container with a lid. You could use a potato chip, oatmeal container, or old soda cans. You will also need crayons, glue, construction paper and clean pebbles or dried beans.
- Cover the cylinder with the construction paper.
- Decorate it the way you want with the crayons.
- Put in the pebbles or beans and close the lid, making sure that it stays closed by gluing it.
- Once it is dry, your little one can play the new instrument.
9. Harmonicas Crafted With Combs
The first thing is to get combs of different colors and wax paper sheets.
- Fold the paper over the comb’s teeth.
- Make sure that the amount of paper on each side is equal.
- The side of the paper that has wax should face away from you.
- It is ready to be blown by holding it with the teeth facing upward.
10. Cymbals Crafted With Pot Lids
This is one of the easiest crafts to make musical instruments. You will need two pot lids and a length of ribbon or yarn.
- All you need to do is tie the yarn or ribbon around the lids’ handles and you have cymbals ready to play with!
11. Mini lid banjos
Crafting charming mini banjos with loom bands and old jar lids can be a delightful musical project for children.
- Take four loom bands and stretch them over the jar lid. Secure them with duct tape.
- Cut the end of a jumbo craft stick. You may decorate it with colorful washi tape.
- Use another piece of duct tape to attach the lid with loom bands to the craft stick.
- Use craft glue to stick sequins on the banjo or use plastic gems. You can also draw tuning knobs with a marker.
- Let your children play with the adorable miniature banjo craft, which offers children a creative and musical experience.
Benefits Of Crafting Musical Instruments
Crafting musical instruments is a fun activity that teaches children the different sounds each item makes and how they combine to produce a melodious sound. Here are some benefits that children can enjoy by engaging in this activity.
- Boosts creativity
- Develops fine motor skills
- Encourages problem-solving skills
- Teaches the fundamentals of music
- Increases sensory development
- Encourages use of recycled materials
Frequently Asked Questions
1. At what age can children start making musical instrument crafts?
Children aged six years and older are most suitable for making musical instruments. At this age, their hands and minds are mature enough to understand the fundamentals of constructing and using an instrument.
2. How can I make a homemade xylophone with my child?
Take 12 thin bars of wood. Two have to be the same length and color, while you can color the rest of the bars in different colors. Stick the colorful bars to the two equal-length wooden bars with hot glue. Saw the extra wood from the colorful bars. Your xylophone is ready.
3. What are some tips for making a sturdy and durable musical instrument craft?
The best way to ensure a sturdy musical instrument is to use good-quality material. When attaching them, give enough time for the glue to dry and harden.
Musical instrument crafts for kids are an interesting way to keep curious minds engaged while enhancing their creativity and imagination. These crafts are fun for children interested in music and musical instruments and can also make great homemade toys for children. Old plastic easter eggs, containers, metal washers, shoe boxes, combs, and papers can be used to craft these musical instruments that make various sounds. Since many of these materials can be found at home, you can upcycle them to create these instruments. Further, your children can use these musical instruments to arrange a music show at home with their peers. Let your child learn and explore through the strings and buttons of various instruments to find the perfect rhythm of their life.
Infographic: Musical Instrument-Based Craft Ideas For Children
Children love music, dancing, and beats. So, what can be better than engaging them in making musical crafts to use their free time productively? Explore some easy and simple craft ideas on musical instruments in the infographic below you can make with your children at home.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Illustration: Musical Instrument Crafts For Kids To Make And Play
Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team
Discover the joy of crafting with your little ones! Dive into the world of DIY musical instruments for kids—simple, fun, and budget-friendly projects that spark creativity and endless tunes!
Personal Experience: Source
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. Gift Idea: DIY Drums.https://abeautifulmess.com/gift-idea-diy-drums/
ii. Cardboard instruments.
https://www.minieco.co.uk/cardboard-instruments/
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