How to Make a Rain Stick for a Project
Rain sticks are musical instruments that originated in South America. Traditional rain sticks are made from hollow tubes of dried cactus in which the cactus thorns have been pushed to the inside. The hollow cactus tubes are filled with small pebbles or seeds and the ends are sealed with pieces of wood. When the tubes are turned over, the pebbles or seeds fall down through the thorns, making a gentle sound like that of rain. If you don't happen to have access to hollow tubes of cactus, you can easily make an imitation rain stick that will give you the same gentle sound.
Things You'll Need
- Paper towel tube
- Metal skewer or ice pick
- Toothpicks
- Glue
- Nail clippers or scissors
- Grocery sack
- Two rubber bands
- Funnel
- 1/2 to 1 cup of popcorn kernels, rice or dried beans
- Decorations, such as paint, stickers, feathers, beads or colored tape
Instructions
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1
Use the skewer or icepick to gently poke holes all over the sides of the paper towel tube. With each hole, go all the way through the tube so you have matching holes on either side. This step is best completed by an adult.
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2
Push a toothpick into each hole and out through the matching hole on the other side of the paper towel tube.
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3
Place a dot of glue around each hole to hold the toothpicks in place.
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4
Use nail clippers or scissors to trim the ends of the toothpicks so they lie flush with the sides of the paper towel tube.
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5
Cut two three-inch circles from the grocery sack.
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6
Wrap one of the paper circles around one end of the paper towel tube, using a rubber band to secure it in place. This will seal one end of the tube.
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7
Insert the funnel into the other end of the paper towel tube and slowly pour in 1/2 to 1 cup of popcorn kernels, rice or dried beans.
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8
Wrap the other paper circle around the open end of the paper towel tube, using a rubber band to secure it in place. Now both ends of the tube are sealed. Turn the rain stick over to try it out.
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9
Decorate the rain stick with paint, stickers, feathers, colored tape, beads or other embellishments.
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1
Tips & Warnings
For a more durable rain stick, you can use 24-inch mailing tubes or PVC pipe with a diameter of 2 to 2.5 inches. You can use nails, screws or golf tees for the "thorns" and buy end pieces to seal the tube.
If you don't have rubber bands to hold your paper circles in place, you can tape them to the paper towel tube.
Try making several rain sticks. Fill each with different items, such as rice, dried beans or popcorn kernels, to hear how the sounds differ.
