How to Make a Gourd Flute

Musical instruments can be expensive, so making homemade instruments is not only a fun activity; it can save you money. A homemade instrument that you can easily create with a few items is a gourd flute. Ancient cultures, such as early Indian tribes, would use gourds for most of their instruments.

Things You'll Need

• Water jug gourd
• Drill
• 1 inch hole drill bit
• 1/4 inch drill bit
• Rubber band
• Butter knife
• Saw
• Protective eyewear
• Gloves

Instructions

1. 

   Purchase a water jug gourd from a grocery or home store.

2. Wrap the rubber band around the stem of the gourd. Hang the gourd by its stem in a dry, warm room for several weeks to a month until it is dry; when you knock on the gourd and it sounds hollow, it is ready.

3. Drill a 1-inch hole with the 1-inch drill bit in the base ball of the gourd.

4. Scrape out as much seed material as possible in the hole with a butter knife.

5. Saw off the end of the stem at an angle as pictured.

6. Drill 1/4-inch holes along the stem, as pictured, every 1 1/2 inches.

Tips & Warnings

• Place your mouth on the angle cut and blow into the gourd. Cover the holes on the stem with your fingers to change the pitch of the sound made by the gourd.

• Wear protective eyewear and gloves.