- You can get a drum sound similar to your basic snare drums by using various sizes of tin cans, solid cardboard tubes or even ceramic pots such as the flower pots you can find in your local home and garden store. You will also need about eight pieces of parchment paper wider than the diameter of your can, pot or tube. You can find parchment paper at most art supply stores. To make your drum, set the can, pot or tube on top of the parchment paper. Using a pencil, trace a circle one inch larger than the diameter of the can, pot or drum. Repeat this step for all eight pieces of paper, and then cut the circles out. Paint a thin layer of white glue onto one sheet, lay the next one on top of it, and repeat until all eight sheets are glued together. Allow them to dry, then center the paper over the top opening of your can, pot or tube. Use rubber bands to secure the parchment sheets in place, let the drum dry overnight, and you're good to go.
- If you're looking for a more unique-sounding drum kit, look no further than your local department store, or maybe even your own garage. Set a few different sizes of metal mixing bowls in front of you, and use a drumstick or wooden dowel to beat on the inside edges for a sound like steel drums. Wooden cigar or gift boxes make a rich, solid drum tone. Overturned plastic toy tubs make great bass drums. Large, empty water jugs make for loud, vibrant instruments when you strike them with a drumstick or mallet wrapped in cloth. Overturned milk crates or recycling bins will also resonate in fun, unique-sounding ways. Get creative---every solid plastic, wooden or metal container in your house will give you a different sound when struck. Test a few and see which homemade drum sets you like best.
- For your best (and loudest) set of homemade cymbals, look no further than your metal garbage can lids. If you want to alter the sound of each one, use a drill to place holes around the edge of the lids. This will change the resonance of each lid so that you can make several different cymbals. Flat-bottom pans like frying pans or baking sheets also yield a resounding metallic crash.
- Another easy-to-make and great sounding instrument is the shaker or rattle. The oldest shakers were just gourds left to dry for about two months (calabash gourds have a lot of seeds so they work best), and you can still easily make these today. Some other items that make good shakers: any plastic containers, such as vitamin bottles or empty mayonnaise jars; empty film cans; coffee cans with plastic lids; and aluminium soda bottles. For the fillers, consider metal beads or BBs for a really loud sound. If you're looking for a softer sound, unpopped popcorn, wooden and plastic beads, or solid, round candies make good rattlers.
