http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-rainstick.html
Make Your Own Rainstick
Inspired by Celebrating the Great Mother, by Cait Johnson and Maura D. Shaw (Inner Traditions, 1995).
The gentle, soothing rain-like sound of beans falling through a rainstick is a wonderful meditation device, helping to calm us and bring us to a place of deep peace. And did you know that you can make your own rainstick for a fraction of the cost of a purchased one? You can, and the process is so much fun.
If you’re looking for an easy project that will help you to unwind, try this. You can make rainsticks with your children, too–and the results are beneficial for the whole family. (When Cait’s son was small, his grade school class spent an afternoon making and using their own rainsticks. Everybody had a blast!) Here are the easy directions:
For each rainstick, you will need:
A heavy cardboard mailing tube with two end pieces
One pound of nails, the same length as the diameter of the tube.
1 to 2 cups of different-sized dried beans and/or raw rice
A hammer
Glue or tape
Duct tape, contact paper, or other craft paper
paints and brushes (optional)
1. Hammer the nails all over the tube, as far as they will go. This is a great way to release pent-up end-of-winter frustration–and the cardboard tube should be sturdy enough to withstand it!) You can make an even pattern or do this in a random way, as you choose.
2. Glue or tape one of the ends in place. Pour beans into the open end.
3. Glue or tape the other end in place.
4. Cover the rainstick with duct tape or contact paper, or glue craft paper on it, to help keep the nails in place. You may want to paint or decorate your rainstick to personalize it.
5. To use your rainstick, simply hold it upright and allow the beans and rice to fall through the nails. Then turn the other end up and allow them to fall through the other way.
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
66 comments
add your comment »Great Idea :)
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What a wonderful project to promote..I am working on mine right now...Many Thanks to you
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wondeful idea, i had forgot about this rainstick we had made as kids,I love it will be my project as the rain is such a peaceful cleansing sound to hear...thanks
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I will certainly be making a lot of these, not only to give as gifts, but also to decorate with during holidays - using paper towel rolls, and toilet tissue rolls, once they are empty :-) I will decorate them with the small remnants of wrapping paper, small scraps of fabric, ribbon, etc.! For the ones I make for Christmas I will use lots of Red, Green and Gold on them and string them on a line to hang along with my lights, or just hook an ornament hook to a small piece of thread that I sew through one end of the tube, or glue to one end, so I can hang them on the light strand so the wind/breeze can create the sound of rain. I may even cut the toilet tissue rolls in half so they are smaller and make tree ornaments as well, just because they will look very nice, not because of the sound.
Thanks for such a wonderful idea!
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ive done that before
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could you do the same with a paper towel tube? not only are you making something awesome but recycling as well.
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Great science project for a class. Thank you.
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My cub scouts will love this!!
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Thanx a great idea. Blessings Love & Light
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AHhhhhhhhhhhh I can hear it now! Here In Las Vegas Rain is something we don't get a lot of so this sounds like the perfect solution. Thanks for the wonderful idea.
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