Coffee Can Drum

Coffee Can Drum

Kids love music and banging on pots, pans, and plastic containers. Combine their creativity with their musical talent by making this adorable homemade drum.

What you’ll need:

• Aluminum coffee can with plastic lid
• 2 sheets yellow construction paper
• 1 sheet tan felt
• ½ sheet magenta felt
• Magenta yarn
• 1 rubber band
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• White craft glue
• 2 wooden dowels
• 2 small foam balls
• Blue yarn

How to make it:

1. Remove lid from coffee can and set aside for a later step.
2. Cover the side of the can with yellow construction paper. Use glue stick to apply glue all over construction paper then press on to the coffee can.
3. Using the white craft glue, “draw” diagonal lines onto the yellow construction paper. Start at the bottom, go up at a slant to the top, and then go down from there at a slant, creating a triangle. Continue this pattern all the way around the can. Using magenta colored yarn, follow the glue lines and apply to the can. Do not cut the yarn into pieces; simply follow the lines, gently pressing the yarn into the glue as you go. Cut only once at the end.
4. Lay tan felt on the work surface. Pipe white glue around and on the top of the plastic lid. Place the plastic lid upside down in the center of the tan felt. Use scissors to trim around the plastic lid, leaving a 1-2″ border. Place the felt-covered plastic lid onto the coffee can and secure. Wrap the rubber band around the coffee can, securing the tan felt border to the side of the can. Gently pull the felt tight so that the top is smooth.
5. Cut two ½-inch wide strips from the magenta felt, enough to go around the coffee can at the bottom as well as at the top, around the tan felt, covering the rubber band. Glue in place with white craft glue.
6. To make the drumsticks, gently insert the end of a dowel into the foam ball. If you press too hard and the dowel goes through, just glue it back together. Remove the dowel, and then add some white glue to the hole. Reinsert the dowel. Cover the foam ball with white glue and wrap blue yarn around it until the ball is completely covered. Put some glue on the dowel just below the ball and wrap some excess yarn around it. Trim and smooth in place with your fingers, be sure the end of the yarn isn’t sticking out.
7. Allow everything to dry before playing your new drum!

Helpful Tip:

To take this project to the next level, have a parent poke a hole on each side of the coffee can before you begin. After pasting on the construction paper, find the holes and poke through, then thread a long piece of cord or yarn through both sides to create a band to go around your neck. Secure the ends by tying then together inside the can then complete the project.

 

This project was created by Amanda Formaro, originally for Kaboose/Spoonful.