By
eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Step1
Use a pencil to draw a spiral beginning at one end of a cardboard tube and ending at the other. Don't follow the natural seam.
Step2
Hammer nails that are 1/4 inch shorter than the tube's diameter at 1/2-inch intervals along the spiral.
Step3
Cap one end of the tube. If it didn't come with caps, cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the hole and hot glue it securely to the end.
Step4
Put some unpopped popcorn, beads, dry beans, pebbles, seeds, gravel, rice or other dry filler into the tube.
Step5
Cover the open end with your hand and test the sound by turning it upside down.
Step6
Experiment with the amount of filler for a sound you like. When you're satisfied, put a cap on the open end.
Step7
Cover all of the nail heads with contact paper or masking or duct tape.
Step8
Decorate your rain stick. Try paints, torn paper or corrugated wrapping.
Comments
artmaze said
on 3/2/2008 use toothpicks and cut the remaining tips. i read it in a magazine
artmaze said
on 3/2/2008 you can use toothpicks. i haven't tried it but i've seen it in a magazine.
moonraker1234 said
on 4/11/2007 I will be making the rain stick with different ages of children
as young as 5, can you suggest using something else rather than nails
Anonymous said
on 1/16/2006 You can use jute twine ($1-2 a roll) to cover the tube and give it a more exotic look. Start at one end of the tube and roll the string (twine) in a single layer down the length of the tube. You may need two rolls of twine depending on the length of the tube. You can use fabric glue on the ends to secure the string, and if you have extra string you can make a decorative pattern along the length of the tube.