Parade Drum Set

Parade Drum SetTime Needed: About one half hour
Cost: About $1.00
Adult assembly required!

Ready!
You need:

  • Square plastic food carryout container
  • Chopsticks or pencils
  • Aluminum pie pan
  • 1-2 old ceramic coffee mugs or plastic cups
  • 2 pieces of PVC pipe, 1 foot long each
  • large piece of strong cardboard
  • heavy duty string
  • craft knife
  • pencil
  • decorating materials (ribbons, etc.) (optional)

Set!

Outlining
Tying the string

  1. Open the container and trace one lid's outline in the middle of the cardboard.
  2. Place mugs on the top edge of the cardboard so the handles are a little off the cardboard. Trace around the mugs.
  3. Have an adult cut out what you traced with a craft knife.
  4. Place the mugs in the cutout and slide a PVC pipe through the mug handles. Punch two holes through the cardboard above the PVC pipe and tie the cardboard to the pipe with some string.
  5. Make two more holes on the other side of the cardboard and attach the second PVC pipe.
  6. Nail a hole in the pie tin and set it aside for later.
  7. Tie string to the pipe with mugs, wind it around your neck and tie the rest to the side. The drum set should hang at about waist height. Make a "cushion" out of cardboard if the string bothers your neck.
  8. Tie the pie pan to one of the PVC pipes. Place the carryout container in its hole. You're ready to jam!

Go!
Use the plastic container for a snare drum, the mugs for cowbells and the pie tin for a cymbal.

Make one or two more with your friends and have a jam session.

More musical instruments you can make at home:

Play your instruments in a Neighborhood Jam Session!

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
© The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 1999