How to Make a Rain Stick

Rain sticks make for a fun project for any age and they can be used either as a toy or a percussion instrument, depending on your purpose. Rain sticks produce the soothing sounds of rain falling, a sound that usually puts people at ease. This tutorial explains how to make one of your own.

1. 

    Find a sturdy cardboard tube (the mailing types are best).
   Find a sturdy cardboard tube (the mailing types are best). Tubes about 3.5-5 ft. (91.4 cm - 1.5 meters) long work well, such as gift wrap tubes.
2. 

    Purchase a large bag of nails.
   Purchase a large bag of nails. The length of the nail should be just shorter than the diameter of the tube. You'll need a lot of nails–enough to spiral down the whole length of the tube.
   • Make sure the nails are not too long, or they'll poke out the other end. Err on the short side.
3. 

    Purchase a small bag of dried beans.
   Purchase a small bag of dried beans. Any beans on the size scale of navy, great northern orpinto beans will work well.
4. 

    Following the spiral crease of the tube as a guide, push in the nails from one end of the tube to the other.
   Following the spiral crease of the tube as a guide, push in the nails from one end of the tube to the other. If your tube lacks a spiralpattern, draw one on before proceeding.
   • Don't add the nails directly into the the seam of the tube; push them in just above or below.
   • If you want to hammer the nails in, use a small rubber hammer and don't hammer too hard.
5. 

    Seal off one end of the tube.
   Seal off one end of the tube. You can use the accompanying end pieces of the tube or use tape or any other form of cover to seal the end and prevent the beans from falling out.
6. 

    Pour 1/3 - 1/2 lb (150g - 226g) of beans into the tube.
   Pour 1/3 - 1/2 lb (150g - 226g) of beans into the tube. Using a funnel will make this much easier, as you'll be less likely to spill any beans.
7. 

    Seal off the other end of the tube as before.
   Seal off the other end of the tube as before.
8. 

    Pour the beans slowly from one end of the tube to the other.
   Pour the beans slowly from one end of the tube to the other. Listen to the sound and be sure it sounds as you want it to. If you need to make any adjustments to the amount of beans, do so now.
9. 

    Decorate the outside if desired.
   Decorate the outside if desired. Making it look more interesting will encourage children to play with it more and if it's for a performance, decorating it to look more like an instrument will ensure that it fits in with the other instruments.

• You can substitute the beans with rice for a slightly different sound.
• The amount of beans depends on the length of the tube. Pour in enough to get the desired sound.

• You may want to cover the heads of the nails with tape for protection, and also to hold them in.

• Cardboard tube
• Nails
• Dried beans
• Funnel
• Small rubber hammer (optional)