How to Make Bongos

If you're not very musically inclined, the bongos may be the instrument for you. If you're just looking to have fun and you don't want to pay for a set of bongos, you can make your own. Far easier than the drums, bongos leave the music in your hands.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Carpet tubing
• Saw
• Plywood
• Masking tape
• Glue

1. Cut your carpet tubing into two pieces. Make one drum about a foot long and the other about 8 inches. Discard the extra tubing. The different sizes of the bongos will produce different pitches.

2. Place both tubes on a 1/8 inch piece of plywood. Trace the edges onto the plywood and then saw out the traces circles.

3. Hold the circles to the top of the bongo tubes with masking tape and then glue them in place.

4. Apply glue along the edge of the short bongo tube and stick the large bongo to the smaller one. Let the glue dry.

5. Secure your bongos by wrapping them together with masking tape. You can also wrap string or yarn around them.

6. Play the bongos by placing them between your knees. Drum your fingers and thumbs on the head of the bongo to make your own music.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint your bongos to make them more decorative.

• You can also make a primitive set of bongos by bolting two coffee cans together. The coffee cans should be different sizes and come with lids.

• Do not operate the saw unless you are an adult or have adult supervision.