Things You'll Need:
- Bamboo Skewers
- Brushes
- Polyurethane Finishes
- PVC Pipe
- Acrylic Paints
- Beads
- Acrylic Paints
- Dried Beans
- Unpopped Popcorn
- 1/8-inch Drill Bits
- Painter's Caulks
- Sandpaper
- Variable-speed Drills
- Sandpaper
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Step 1
Draw a spiral from one end to the other on a 3- to 6-foot length of PVC pipe 2 inches larger in diameter.
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Step 2
Drill holes along the spiral every 1/4 inch. The drill bit should be just a little smaller than the diameter of a bamboo skewer; you want to be able to hammer the skewer in tightly, but not so tight it splinters or breaks.
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Step 3
Cut bamboo barbecue skewers a little shorter in length than the diameter of the tube.
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Step 4
Hammer the skewer pegs into the holes.
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Step 5
Use sandpaper to smooth any ends of the pegs that stick out.
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Step 6
Decorate the rain stick with paints, papers or tissue paper.
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Step 7
Apply a coat of water-based polyurethane when the paints and glues are dry. Add more coats to make it shinier. Sand lightly between coats with very fine sandpaper.
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Step 8
Cap one end of the tube.
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Step 9
Put some unpopped popcorn, beads, dry beans, pebbles, seeds, aquarium gravel, rice or other dry filler into the tube.
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Step 10
Put the other cap on.
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Step 11
Experiment with the amount of filler for a sound you like. When you're satisfied, use painter's caulk to glue the caps on.











Comments
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 We adapted the directions about the materials. For our classroom project, we substituted cardboard tubes, masking tape and thin nails with flat heads. Most students could make the rain stick themselves. The cardboard was also easy to decorate.