Nothing beats the challenge of keeping a kid engaged. You may spend a few hundreds on the best toy in town, only to find that your child moved on to some other toy in a few hours. A homemade musical instrument similar to the 'damroo' can be made in hardly any time, with simple supplies. Let your child take to it for a while and forget later. You will not cry your tears over an expensive toy that got dumped.
My friends recently threw me a surprise party and floored me with their love. Among the party supplies, was a netted ribbon spool that got left behind. Enough reason for me to get to work. The spool was strong, yet had a temporary feel to it.
I did not want to embellish too much, as functionality was more important.
What I used:
- a ribbon spool
- patterned colour sheets
- paper punch
- a pair of scissors
- hot glue gun ( you can use tacky glue)
- pen to pencil to mark and trace
- decorative ribbon to embellish
- thick yarn enough to pass through a big bead
-- beads ...two large one with wide holes, and smaller beads to adjust the knots.
- sanding paper is optional ( I did without it)
I started by tracing out circles with the spool's base on the rear of the patterned colour sheet.
And cut two circles using the marked line.
Meanwhile, I punched a hole on one rim of the spool, and on the corresponding rim across. The hole needs to be punched with about two millimetres distance from the edge of the rim, so that it is easy to knot a thread and so that it stays strong.
The next step was to glue the cut circles on to the outward facing surfaces. But before gluing, I used my nails to peel out the glossy layer. This was to let the glue sit better on it.
I used hot glue to stick the paper. But tacky glue should do just fine.
Stick on the two ends. Use the punched hole to guide through and poke a hole using the marker, a toothpick or a sharp pencil, just enough to insert a hole.
Keep this aside.
Knot the end of the yarn and run a smaller bead. Add a bigger bead to this and using your index finger to hold, knot the thread where the bead ends.
Cut the yarn enough to knot it to the punched hole. I used to make sure the length of the beaded yarn was just enou
gh for it to flap and hit on the spool ends.
Cut excess yarn that may be hanging.
Do this on the other end too.
The beaded drum or 'damroo' is ready. Get your child to play it into a rhythm.
It is a perfect pastime for a homebound afternoon, when your little one fusses about heading out, and the weather will not allow it.
Pictures by Radhika M B
Write to radicreative@gmail.com for permission to reuse the piece and pictures
My friends recently threw me a surprise party and floored me with their love. Among the party supplies, was a netted ribbon spool that got left behind. Enough reason for me to get to work. The spool was strong, yet had a temporary feel to it.
I did not want to embellish too much, as functionality was more important.
What I used:
- a ribbon spool
- patterned colour sheets
- paper punch
- a pair of scissors
- hot glue gun ( you can use tacky glue)
- pen to pencil to mark and trace
- decorative ribbon to embellish
- thick yarn enough to pass through a big bead
-- beads ...two large one with wide holes, and smaller beads to adjust the knots.
- sanding paper is optional ( I did without it)
I started by tracing out circles with the spool's base on the rear of the patterned colour sheet.
And cut two circles using the marked line.
Meanwhile, I punched a hole on one rim of the spool, and on the corresponding rim across. The hole needs to be punched with about two millimetres distance from the edge of the rim, so that it is easy to knot a thread and so that it stays strong.
The next step was to glue the cut circles on to the outward facing surfaces. But before gluing, I used my nails to peel out the glossy layer. This was to let the glue sit better on it.
I used hot glue to stick the paper. But tacky glue should do just fine.
Stick on the two ends. Use the punched hole to guide through and poke a hole using the marker, a toothpick or a sharp pencil, just enough to insert a hole.
Keep this aside.
Knot the end of the yarn and run a smaller bead. Add a bigger bead to this and using your index finger to hold, knot the thread where the bead ends.
Cut the yarn enough to knot it to the punched hole. I used to make sure the length of the beaded yarn was just enou
gh for it to flap and hit on the spool ends.
Cut excess yarn that may be hanging.
Do this on the other end too.
The beaded drum or 'damroo' is ready. Get your child to play it into a rhythm.
It is a perfect pastime for a homebound afternoon, when your little one fusses about heading out, and the weather will not allow it.
Pictures by Radhika M B
Write to radicreative@gmail.com for permission to reuse the piece and pictures
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