Easy Musical Kid’s Craft: Make a Bell Shaker

Easy Musical Kid’s Craft: Make a Bell Shaker

By Megan Schiller of The Art Pantry

Last night we had friends over for dinner. All the kids were off playing together and suddenly they came marching through the dining room with various musical instruments and pronounced that they had started a band!

One of these instruments was a favorite DIY bell shaker that is super easy to make and is just as fun for our 6 year old to make as it is for a toddler.

Materials:

• 1 stick (You could also use a wood dowel or even a chopstick!)
• Craft Bells (we used 5 for this one, but any amount will work. The more bells, the louder the jingle).
• Craft Wire, cut to about 2 ft. (pipe cleaners work fine too). If the wire is sharp on the end, just wrap the ends with tape.
• Craft/Washi Tape

Steps:

This is a fun project to do with your child. Young kids will most likely need help with the wire wrapping so it’s a good idea to work together with your child on one shaker or you can each make your own while you demonstrate the steps.

1. Wrap one end of the wire around the end of the stick a few times to secure it.
2. Wrap tape over the secured wire and down the stick for decoration.
3. Thread a bell onto the loose end of the wire and slide it down into place against the stick.
4. Wrap the wire a few more times around the stick and make sure to keep it tight.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each new bell.
6. When you get all of the bells onto the stick, wrap the rest of the wire around the stick and secure with tape.

For added decoration, wrap the rest of the stick with craft tape.

Shake, shake, shake and have fun with your new instrument!

Megan’s Bio

Megan Schiller is a former art teacher who designs children’s creative play spaces at The Art Pantry. She especially loves to help families set up art spaces that encourage exploration, independence, and joyful learning. When Megan’s not doing art with kids or designing spaces, you might find her out in nature, reading, or chatting with her husband on their podcast about creating the life of your dreams.