How to Make a DIY Rain Stick

Have you ever been fascinated by the soothing sound of raindrops falling? If yes, then you might want to make a rain stick for yourself. A rain stick is an ancient musical instrument that mimics the sound of rainfall. It is believed to have originated in Chile and is now popular all around the world. It’s very easy to make and requires only a few materials.

To make a rain stick, you will need a cardboard tube, such as a poster tube or a wrapping paper tube, some rice, a handful of small pebbles or beads, and aluminum foil. These materials are easily available either from home or a dollar store. The process of making a rain stick involves filling the cardboard tube with rice, putting in some beads or pebbles to create the sound of rainfall, and then sealing the ends with aluminum foil. The sounds echoing through the tube when you turn it upside down give a relaxing and therapeutic feeling.

How to Make a Rain Stick: Step-by-Step Guide

Are you fascinated by the mesmerizing sound of a rain stick? Do you want to make one for yourself and add a unique touch to your decor? Well, you’re in luck because in this article, we’ll be giving you a step-by-step guide on how to make a rain stick. It’s surprisingly easy, and you don’t need to be an expert to make one!

Materials You’ll Need:

Your first step is to gather all the necessary materials before starting to make your rainstick. Here’s a list of things you’ll need:

1. A long cardboard tube (tall enough to cover the size of the rain stick you want).
2. Uncooked rice or beans
3. A funnel (or make one using paper)
4. Decorative paper (wrapping paper, tissue paper, or any other decorative material)
5. Scissors
6. Glue
7. Paints or markers
8. Sandpaper or emery board

Preparing the Cardboard Tube:

The cardboard tube is the main body of the rain stick, and you can use any long cardboard tube you can find in your home. Follow the below steps:

1. Cut the cardboard tube to your desired size using scissors.
2. Lightly sand the surface of the cardboard tube with sandpaper or an emery board to remove any roughness.

Making the Rain Stick Sound:

The next step is to make the sound of the rainstick. You’ll need to fill the cardboard tube with rice or beans, but first, you have to make them fit inside the tube. Here’s how:

1. Take your uncooked rice or beans and place them in a bowl.
2. Listen to the sound of the rice or beans falling into the bowl.

This is the sound you want to replicate when making your rain stick, and it’s what creates the sound of rain. Once you know the sound, you can start filling your rain stick.

1. Using a funnel, pour the rice or beans into the cardboard tube until it’s 3/4 full.
2. Tilt the rain stick and spread the rice or beans evenly around the tube.
3. Cover one end of the cardboard tube completely with a layer of glue, then add another layer of glue a few inches higher. Repeat this process until the tube is entirely covered in glue.

Decorating Your Rain Stick:

Your rain stick is almost complete! Now, comes the fun part, decorating it. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Cut a piece of decorative paper tall enough to wrap around the cardboard tube with excess at the edges.
2. Apply glue all over the cardboard tube and wrap the decorative paper around it. Overlap at the edges and glue in place.
3. If you want, you can now paint or draw on it to personalize it the way you want.

Final Touches:

Congratulations, you’re done with your Rain Stick! Here are some final touches:

1. Cover the open end of the rain stick with decorative paper and glue it in place.
2. You can decorate the ends of the rain stick by gluing some string around them.
3. You may place beads or small pieces of metal (such as paper clips) inside the rain stick to create a more varied sound.

Conclusion:

That’s it – you now have your very own rain stick! You can experiment with different fillings such as dry beans, small seeds, or small beads, to create different sound varieties. The possibilities are endless, so let your creativity run wild. We hope this guide has been helpful and easy to follow. Don’t forget to give it a try and share your experience with us in the comments below!

Materials Needed for Making a Rain Stick

Are you ready to start your DIY rain stick project? Here are the materials that you will need:

1. Cardboard Tubes – You can use any size of cardboard tubes, but longer tubes will create a more resonant sound.

2. Rice, Beans, or Small Pebbles – Rice is the most commonly used material for filling the rain stick, but you can also use beans or small pebbles to create different sounds. Choose the quantity of filling material based on the length of your tube.

3. Tape – You will need a strong tape such as duct tape to secure both ends of the cardboard tube.

4. Scissors – You’ll need scissors to cut off the excess cardboard from the tube and trim the tape.

5. Decorative Materials – You can use paints, feathers, beads, and other decorative material to embellish the rain stick.

6. Funnel or Rolled Paper – You will need a funnel or rolled paper to pour the filling materials into the tube without creating a mess.

7. Drill or Hammer and Nail – A drilling machine or a hammer and nail can be used to create holes in the cardboard tube to allow the filling to flow through it.

8. Sandpaper – You can use sandpaper to create a rough texture on the cardboard of the rainstick to give it more grip.

9. Glue – You will need glue to adhere any decorative materials that you want to add to the outside of the rain stick.

10. Plastic Wrap – You will need plastic wrap to create an airtight seal over one end of the tube before you start adding filling materials.

Now that you have all the materials required, let’s get started with the construction process.

Materials needed to make a rain stick

Making a rain stick is a fun and easy project that can be done with materials that are readily available around the house. To make a rain stick, you will need:

Building your rain stick

Once you’ve gathered your materials, it’s time to start building your rain stick. Follow these easy steps:

Step 1: Begin by closing off one end of the cardboard tube using tape or paper. This will prevent the beans, rice or corn from falling out.

Step 2: Pour a handful of beans, rice or corn into the tube.

Step 3: Insert the nails or toothpicks horizontally into the tube, spacing them evenly apart. Be sure that they do not poke completely through the opposite side.

Step 4: Continue inserting nails or toothpicks in a spiral pattern down the length of the tube.

Step 5: Once you’ve filled the tube with nails/toothpicks, add another handful of the beans, rice or corn.

Step 6: Close off the other end of the tube using tape or paper.

Step 7: Decorate the rain stick as desired. You can use paint, markers, stickers, or anything else you like to create a unique rain stick.

How to play the rain stick

Playing the rain stick is easy. Simply hold it vertically with one end facing down over a container of some sort, and shake it gently from side to side. You’ll hear the sound of the rice, beans, or corn falling over the nails or toothpicks, creating the soothing sound of raindrops.

If you want to make a more realistic sound of a rain stick, hold it at a slant and move it in a circular motion, allowing the objects inside to roll down slowly. This will create a more realistic sound of a rain stick.

Alternative materials for a rain stick

While the cardboard tube is the most common material for a rain stick, it is not the only option. In fact, just about any tube-shaped object can be used to make a rain stick. Here are some alternative materials you can use:

Bamboo: A bamboo stalk can be cut to length and filled with beans and rice, or other similar materials.

PVC pipe: A PVC pipe can be cut to length and filled with rice, beans, or beads.

Aluminum: An empty aluminum soda can or other type of metal can be filled with beads or small rocks.

Plastic: A plastic bottle or container can be cut to length and filled with beads, rice, or other similar materials.

Conclusion

Making a rain stick is a simple and satisfying craft project. With just a few common household items, you can create a beautiful and soothing musical instrument that replicates the sound of rainfall. It’s perfect for children, adults and seniors alike and can also be used as a decorative piece for any room. Now you know how to make a rain stick, go ahead and create your own unique version!

Thanks for joining the rain stick party

Well done! You made yourself a beautiful rain stick and you’re ready to take on the next rainy day. I hope this activity brought some joy to your day and reminded you of the beauty of the natural world. Keep exploring and creating, and don’t forget to come back for more crafting ideas. Thanks for reading and happy rainy days!