Tuesday, 13 October 2009 by Irene Hoofs

Toy Tin Drum by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Use a recycled tin to make a musical instrument for your toddler.

You'll need:
*Empty tin with lid
*Paint
*Contact (adhesive book cover)
*Craft glue
*Super glue
*Cutting mat
*Craft knife / blade
*2 x lengths of dowel
*Thick card stock (optional)

Step one:
Thoroughly wash and dry the inside of your tin.
Step two:
Paint the outside of your tin. You may need an undercoat and several layers of paint, depending on how easily the paint adheres to the tin. Set aside to completely dry.
Step three:
Draw a design for the outside of your tin onto standard paper. I used images I found online of a marching band and drummer boy as inspiration. Create your own design or download my images to save time. Note: Your finished design will be the mirror image of the one you draw.
Step four:
Take a piece of contact that is the same size as your design and use tape to hold the two together. (I stuck mine over the cutting mat to make them easier to cut out.)
Step five:
Carefully cut out your design, making sure you cut through the contact.
Step six:
Attach your cut out design to the outside of your tin. As my tin had ridges down its side, I chose to stick my design onto a piece of cardstock and attach the cardstock to the outside of the tin with glue.
Step seven:
Glue each length of the cord to the inside of your tin. This will become the drum’s strap so ensure it is long enough to hang around your child’s neck.
Step eight:
Run a thin line of super glue along the inside of the tin lid and attach to top of tin. Allow to dry.
Step nine:
Cut two pieces of contact using the dowel’s circumference as a guide. Cover both pieces of dowel in contact. Finish the drumsticks by tracing circles onto contact using the dowel ends as a guide. Affix the circles to the ends of the dowel.