Make Musical Instruments out of Junk!

July 31, 2020 Leave a comment

We all know that Kid’s like to make a noise, whether it’s banging a pencil on the table, or just tapping away on odd shapes and toys, it’s what they like to do.

I am sure at some point, you have been asked to help your kids make some kind of musical instrument that makes a sound.

Well, we shall look at this and see if we can make musical instruments out of junk too!

Before I go ahead and make some suggestions, this amazing short video fell into my hands and I would like to share it, with you. it’s shows how this community in Cateura, Paraguay,  live on land filled dumping grounds, they earn their living by retrieving junk from rubbish, that can be recycled and made use of. They are know as the garbage workers.

An enviromental  engineer Favio Chavez, saw children living around this rubbish dump were in great poverty,  he wanted to help them, so he started up a musical school, but these children couldn’t afford to buy instruments, a violin would cost more than a house.

What happened next was incredible. An woodcutter, managed to make musical instruments out of junk! He was given violin template and he managed to cut, carve and make a violins out of trash. Then he would make drums, guitars, double base the same, all out of throw-outs!

He would make violins, out of oven trays, drums from oil barrels, saxophones and trumpets from drain pipes, the drum skins out of x-ray plates and guitars out of dessert tins.

Here is the ‘Recycled harmonic orchestra’

These are hidden children, that nobody knew even existed, then they were put on stage for the world to hear their amazing beautiful music made from trash. The discovery is overwhelming, that’s why this documentary was made.

So let’s take a deep breath keeping what’s possible, although we will need to consider what we can get our hands on and it will be from our humble throw outs.

What we can look at are these musical instruments :-

  • Drums
  • Maraca
  • Guitar

Having looked at your throw outs, and of course what your child would like to make. Decide what resources you also have on hand.

Check out examples of these instruments on-line so you have something to look at. Then go for it.

Drums made out of different containers!

I gathered all the tins or similar shapes together, and cleaned them up. These would make excellent drums.  All I needed now, was something I could cover or stretch over them with, that would make a bouncy drum like noise when you bang on it. What came to mind, was some balloons I had saved and got to work.

Resources.

  • 1 – 5 empty tins, or containers.
  • Balloons, (smaller the better, the more you stretch the better the sound.)
  • Coloured papers. 10.5x26cms. (optional)
  • Embellishments. (optional)
  • 2 rubber ended pencils. (make good bouncy noise.)
  • Double sided tape.
  • Sellotape. (sticky tape)
Cut end bit of balloon.
Cut end bit of balloon.
So you end up with the large part.
So you end up with the large part.
Select papers, cut approx. 10.5x26cms.
Select papers, cut approx. 10.5x26cms.
Choose embellishments.
Choose embellishments.
Slowly stick paper around the can.
Slowly stick paper around the can.
Pull paper off tape as you stick on.
Pull paper off tape as you stick on.
If you like add embellishments.
If you like add embellishments.
Rubber ended pencils make good banging sticks.
Rubber ended pencils make good banging sticks.
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Maracas made out of empty plastic bottles!

I found empty refill plastic bottles and there’s quite a few to choose from. I went for a rounded type, which ever ones you choose from, you can get the same sound effects, but the extended handle completes the maracas look.

These are much more easier to make. You can finish them off with some colourful stickers.

Resources.

  • 2 of the same bottles.
  • 1 cling film inner tube.(this is thinner in dimension)
  • Embellishments.
  • A funnel.
  • 2 tbsp of rice. (1 tsp per bottle, rice makes a good tapping sound)
  • 2 pennies or 2 buttons to seal the bottle openings.
  • Glue gun. (hot wax)
Gather your resources.
Gather your resources.
Peel stickers off bottles.
Peel stickers off bottles.
Pour 1 tbsp of rice per bottle.
Pour 1 tbsp of rice per bottle.
Hot wax glue penny or button to seal opening.
Hot wax glue penny or button to seal opening.
Push half inner tube on each bottle.
Push half inner tube on each bottle.
Now embellish them up.
Now embellish them up.
Until they look like this.
Until they look like this.
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Guitars made out of tissue boxes!

Easy to make. As you can see I am ahead of myself here. I kept a smallish tissue box, thinking one day I would use it in one way or another.

This will be a basic version of a guitar. There are just  few resources require. The underside of the box has been covered up, as it was the original hole but the wrong shape. See below for resources.

Resources!

  • Small tissue box.
  • 1 Long wrapping up paper inner tube.
  • 5 lolly sticks.
  • 6 colourful bottle tops.
  • 6 elastic bands.
 
  • Sellotape (use this as a template to cut out a ring, to tidy up hole.)
  • Coloured paper, to cut out circular ring.
  • Acrylic paint. (your choice of colour.)
  • Hot glue gun / scissors.
A lid was used to cut out circle.
A lid was used to cut out circle.
Use sellotape as guide to cut ring out.
Use sellotape as guide to cut ring out.
Stick on with glue over hole.
Stick on with glue over hole.
Draw around tube, cut out and insert, hot wax it to secure.
Draw around tube, cut out and insert, hot wax it to secure.
With scissors pierce tube to push through lolly sticks.
With scissors pierce tube to push through lolly sticks.
Paint tube and lolly sticks.
Paint tube and lolly sticks.
Hot wax bottle tops on sticks.
Hot wax bottle tops on sticks.
Glue on lolly sticks top of box, stops box caving in.
Glue on lolly sticks top of box, stops box caving in.
Stretch the 6 elastic bands over the whole box.
Stretch the 6 elastic bands over the whole box.
Back of box was sealed with card and painted.
Back of box was sealed with card and painted.
Adding pencils under the bands helps music flow.
Adding pencils under the bands helps music flow.
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This looks more like a guitar!

A bit more advanced model is a larger guitar, our final musical instrument.

A Spanish guitar a bit worn, is shown as an example and I will  use available throw-outs to build up the tissue box, progressing from the basic model shown above.

Resources.

  • 1 large tissue box.
  • Spare wrapping up paper.
  • Wrapping up paper inner tube.
  • Cut up card to size, to cover oval hole.
  • 6 buttons.
  • Glue gun/Glue stick
  • Sissors/Stanley knife.
  • 6 elastic bands.
  • Sticky tape Sellotape.
  • PVA glue/brush
  • Embellishments.(optional) strips of coloured paper (6x18cms) cut to size.
  • 8 toilet cardboard inner tubes. 
Gather resources.
Gather resources.
Cover up large oval hole with some card.
Cover up large oval hole with some card.
Now cut a round circle to size.
Now cut a round circle to size.
Cut all the tubes in half.
Cut all the tubes in half.
and half again.
and half again.
Now tape tight all the way round edges.
Now tape tight all the way round edges.
Line up long inner tube, draw circle and cut out.
Line up long inner tube, draw circle and cut out.
Insert the tube all the way down.
Insert the tube all the way down.
Mark up where to cut tube. Can secure with tape inside.
Mark up where to cut tube. Can secure with tape inside.
Use hot wax to secure around the insert.
Use hot wax to secure around the insert.
Cut any paper and line the inside of box. Glue down.
Cut any paper and line the inside of box. Glue down.
Additional resources.
Additional resources.
Use PVA glue to stick paper all the way round.
Use PVA glue to stick paper all the way round.
Finish up like this.
Finish up like this.
and on the back. Allow to dry.
and on the back. Allow to dry.
Cover long inner tube with paper.
Cover long inner tube with paper.
Pierce holes lining up the lolly sticks.
Pierce holes lining up the lolly sticks.
Hot glue buttons to sticks.
Hot glue buttons to sticks.
Should look like this.
Should look like this.
For effect add strips of coloured paper.
For effect add strips of coloured paper.
and on the back.
and on the back.
Cut a tube in half and mark up 6 dots.
Cut a tube in half and mark up 6 dots.
Cut v shapes along it. Fold flaps to stick on guitar.
Cut v shapes along it. Fold flaps to stick on guitar.
Glue with hot wax to end of guitar. This elevates the bands, do not touching box.
Glue with hot wax to end of guitar. This elevates the bands, do not touching box.
Add on the elastic bands. The tighter the better for sound effect.
Add on the elastic bands. The tighter the better for sound effect.
Each elastic band to slot into the grooves to separate each band.
Each elastic band to slot into the grooves to separate each band.
PVA more paper to fill up gaps and add embellishments.
PVA more paper to fill up gaps and add embellishments.
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To Conclude!

So there you have it 4 different musical instruments made out of junk!  Of course you can choose which ones you prefer to do.

I have only extended the last guitar to make it more challenging for the older kids.

Before I finalise this project, I recorded the sounds all the instruments make, I hasten to ask that they are not as terrific sounding as the Recycled  orchestra, but we had a go!

Update! 

A close friend of mine, sent me this wonderful picture of her baby boy showing his musical ability whilst strumming the D.I.Y guitar. How super cool is that!

Goes to show even at 11 months a baby can have great fun and joy, exploring all his senses, It’s visual, colourful with shapes, (vision) he can make funny sounds (hearing) when he plucks the elastic bands. with his little fingers. (touch). So there is no age limit!

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