23 Homemade Instruments to Make Music With

homemade instruments Minted

Homemade instruments always make kids happy

Start your family band by crafting some awesome homemade instruments. Most of these are super easy to make, and kids will have a blast banging on a tin can drum, shaking DIY maracas and making some tunes. Get the dance party started!

Cardboard Rain Stick

homemade instruments
The Imagination Tree

A rain stick makes the prettiest sound, and it's very easy to make one at home with a few simple items. We love the tutorial for this musical craft found over at The Imagination Tree

Cardboard Guitar

Pink Stripey Socks

Perfect for toddlers who aren't ready for the real thing, we love this cardboard guitar spotted over at Pink Stripey Socks. You can paint it in any design, too! 

Hand Drums

homemade instruments
Minted

Kids can twist and twirl these homemade hand drums to their heart's content! Find the tutorial over at Minted.

Bongo, Shaker, Güiro All in One

Mama. Papa. Bubba

This fun little instrument is really three in one! Kids will enjoy shaking it or playing it as a drum and it's super easy to make. Get the tutorial over at Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Jingle Ring

homemade instruments
Buggy and Buddy

This adorable nature-themed tambourine-like homemade instrument is the perfect addition to a May Day celebration or even just a day outside. Easy to make, you can find the tutorial from Buggy and Buddy.

"Do-Re-Mi" Xylophone

Chelsea Foy of Lovely Indeed, in Partnership with The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization

If you've got a serious hankering for DIY projects, this adorable xylophone kids can play along to "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music fits the bill. From Lovely Indeed, you'll need to make a trek to the home-improvement store for all the materials, but the chic design and good sound quality means you'll want to keep it out instead of stashing it away somewhere. Be sure to check out all the other adorable projects over at the Sound of Music Crafting Corner

CD Cymbals

homemade instruments
Jackie Currie via Happy Hooligans

Happy Hooligans makes good use out of CDs. We love especially love these "cymbals" because they don't actually sound like real cymbals. 

Sensory Bin Shakers

homemade instruments
courtesy Fun-a-Day

We love these sensory bin shakers because they'll extend sensory play time. It's also easy for your kids to make on their own. Head over to Fun-a-Day to see how to make your own. 

Rainbow Xylophone

And Next Comes L

This super cute and colorful, homemade instrument is as much fun to make as it is to play. Get the scoop on how to do it yourself over at And Next Comes L

Singing Straws

Handmade Charlotte

We love Handmade Charlotte's take on the pan flute. Not only does this homemade instrument actually make music, but it's also as bright and colorful as can be.

Paper Plate Tambourine

homemade instruments
Gabby Cullen

This little instrument really packs a jingle and it's a great use for paper plates leftover from a birthday party. If you have the plain white ones, even better, though because then your little maestro gets to decorate her own. Get the complete step-by-step here

Didgeridoo

courtesy KiwiCo.

It's one of the world's oldest instruments, and your kids can make their own colorful version in an afternoon. The secret to making it look real? Earth-toned paint colors. You can find the entire tutorial over at KiwiCo

Chicken in a Cup

homemade instruments
All for the Boys

For an outside-the-box take on a homemade instrument, you’ve got to try this “chicken in a cup” from All for the Boys. It’s super easy to put together using household items, and kids will get a kick out of the squeaky sound it makes.

Cereal Box Guitar

Made by Joel

If you've got a cereal box and a couple of rubber bands lying around, you've got a guitar! Made by Joel has the super simple how-to. Older babies and toddlers can help you decorate the cereal box with stickers or washi tape, then get to strumming. No cereal box? Rubber bands stretched around a loaf pan will produce a similar effect.

Tin Can Drums

homemade instruments
Red Ted Art

Keep it simple (but still super fun) with this sweet homemade instrument idea from Red Ted Art. Kids can paint the “drums” however they want, then they’ll have a blast discovering the different sounds they can make with kitchen utensils.

Backyard Concerts

homemade instruments
PreK K Sharing

Banging on a pot with a wooden spoon is practically a rite of passage in babyhood. Why not take it a step further and construct an outdoor music wall for your kids like this one from PreK + K Sharing? Scour your house for any seldom-used odds and ends that make a fun sound (or hit up your favorite thrift store), then use a hammer and nails to secure to a section of fencing. 

Easter Egg Maracas

homemade instruments
iStock

Shake to the sound of rice with these easy-peasy maracas. All you need is rice, plastic spoons, easter eggs, and tape! Best part? These shakers have been tried and tested by lifestyle blogger and mom of three, Katelyn Fagan of What’s Up Fagans, and they are certified to play at a decent volume without being too annoying. 

PVC Pipe Flutes

Jnkyrdguy via Instructables

This whistling instrument isn’t a project for the kids, but if mom or dad is up for some intense DIY action (or stopping by Home Depot for their drilling services), the results are just as amazing as the real thing. 

Kazoo

homemade instruments
Buggy and Buddy

Explore sound and science with Buggy and Buddy’s homemade kazoo. With simple materials that you’re bound to have at home, this kazoo is perfect for vocal tots who love to spend their days humming and singing. What a fun homemade instrument!

Shoebox Guitar

homemade instruments
Minieco

Did you know empty containers hold a secret melody? All you need are some rubber bands, a shoebox and split pins; then your quick-fingered tot can get their twang on. For the key to perfect, magical sound, check out the tutorial over at Minieco.

Mini Mandolin

Hello Bee

With a little more time and effort, your wooden mandolin is set to last much longer than your musician’s first gig. The community blog for moms and moms-to-be Hello Bee has an awesome tutorial on making a mandolin that’s worthy of being part of a kid-sized Philharmonic. 

Pin Strummers

homemade instruments
Josie via Pi'ikea Street

Strum up a tune with bobby pins. This experiment and discovery project by Pi'ikea Street explores how different sounds can become just by changing one object.

Bell Shakers

homemade instruments
Hello Bee

Ring in a merry afternoon with these bell shakers. This tutorial from craft blog Hello Bee requires some drilling, but the modern look and long-lasting build are worth it. Now your littlest can join the family band with just a wriggle of the wrist!

— Taylor Clifton, Christal Yuen, Gabby Cullen & Amber Guetebier

 

 

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