Make Musical Instruments From Recycled Items

By Lisa Anderson · October 8, 2026

Sound and Science Meet Art

Making instruments from recycled materials teaches acoustics (how sound is produced), engineering (how to build something functional), and music (how to play what you've made). Every instrument is also a science experiment.

Instruments to Build

1. Tin Can Drum

Clean a large tin can (remove sharp edges with sandpaper). Stretch a balloon over the open end and secure with a rubber band. Tap with chopstick drumsticks. Tighter balloon = higher pitch.

2. Rainstick

Seal one end of a cardboard tube. Insert aluminum foil twisted into a spiral inside. Add rice or small beads. Seal the other end. When tilted, the beads cascade down the foil spiral, creating rain-like sounds.

3. Shoe Box Guitar

Cut a circular sound hole in a shoe box lid. Stretch rubber bands of different thicknesses across the box. Thicker bands produce lower notes. Tune by adjusting tension.

4. Shaker Eggs

Fill plastic Easter eggs with different materials: rice, beans, beads, sand. Each produces a different sound. Tape the seam shut. Decorate with markers or washi tape.

5. Kazoo

Cut a toilet paper tube to desired length. Cover one end with wax paper secured by a rubber band. Hum into the open end. The wax paper vibrates, creating the kazoo's distinctive buzzy sound.

Start a Band

Once everyone has an instrument, assign roles: rhythm (drums, shakers), melody (guitar, kazoo), and sound effects (rainstick). Start with a simple beat and layer instruments one at a time.