Make Fun Music Instruments Out of Recyclables!

Enjoy making music instruments with your children or students out of recyclable materials. Everyday objects like show boxes, oatmeal containers, or even cardboard paper towel tubes can be transformed into fun music instruments with only a little bit of glue, paint, and imagination.

Try these inexpensive music instrument art projects made out of everyday trash. These are excellent projects for school, preschool, after care, camp, Sunday School, or even your home. Children love inventing new music instruments and then making up their own imaginary trash band when they finish! You can even host a recyclable music instrument parade!

Music Instrument - A Drum

Making a drum out of recyclable materials is very simple. You can use anything from a large plastic ice cream tub to an oatmeal container. You want the drum to be large enough to hit with spoons or hands and make a good thump sound. Decorate the drum using paints, colorful tape, or even construction paper.

Music Instrument - Didgeridoo

You can use a long paper towel or gift wrapping cardboard tube for this project. Find a tube that the children can blow into that makes a good humming sound. After you have found a good sized cardboard tube, have the children paint the outside of their cardboard tubes with colorful shapes and designs.

Music Instrument - String Instrument

You will need long rubber bands and cardboard shoe boxes (without a lid). Decorate the cardboard shoe boxes first with paint or by gluing construction paper shapes and designs onto the sides of the cardboard box. After the cardboard shoe box dries, have the children string long rubber bands around the boxes. Now you have instruments that make sounds. For added fun, I usually had other odds and ends like cardboard tubes, ribbons, and streamers available to make zany music instruments. Stickers are great, too!

Music Instrument - Shakers

Shakers are easy to make. You just need a small container and something to put in the container. You can use everything from small plastic bottles to spaghetti boxes to metal cans. Fill the recyclable container with beads, shells, rocks, sand, or even buttons. Be sure to seal the music instrument well to prevent any of the materials from flying out while the children play.

Music Instrument - Metal Toms

Save dozens of metal cans. Take off the wrapping and have the children paint them with acrylic paint in bright colors. Give each of the children several cans and sticks (these can be real drumsticks, wooden spoons, or even chopsticks). Now they can play. If you want, have the children use yarn or string to wrap their group of metal cans together into one colorful music instrument.

When the children have finished making their music instruments, you can lead the children in a recyclable music instrument parade around the room! Play some favorite music and enjoy the fun!