Rainsticks - Raising Hooks

Have you ever heard a traditional cactus rainstick? The sound is absolutely amazing. They take a cactus reed, pull out the spines and reinsert them into the stalk. Then, they plug one end, fill the stalk with pebbles and plug the other end. The sound of the pebbles hitting the spines makes a wonderful rain sound. I could listen to it for days! Check out the video of real cactus rainsticks at the bottom of this page. Ours weren’t made of cactus but they still made a lovely sound!

You will need:
Cardboard Tube – We used a thick cardboard tube from wrapping paper.
Rice, seeds, pebbles etc for filling
Small Nails – Flat headed nails might work better than the ones I used.
Tape
Hammer
Brown Paper
Tissue Paper

Instructions:

Start by taping one end of the tube leaving no holes.

2. Start at the top of the tube and hammer in the small nails in a spiral.

I got the nail started and then let Mr. 1 use his plastic hammer to push the nail in the rest of the way. He LOVED it!

3. Once your nails are in, pour your mixture in the tube. You can secure your nails with tape if necessary. I used rice, sunflower seeds and peanuts as our filler. You could also get small pebbles.

* Test out the sound with your hand over the end. You may want to add more or less filler.

Then, tape the end so the mixture can’t come out.

4. Decorate paper to wrap your rainstick with. We used a brown paper for a more natural look. It was a bit thicker than regular paper and held up well against the nails.

5. Secure the paper to the rainstick with tape. Wrap your rainstick with the paper and glue the end.

6. Make a pretty topper for each end. I used tissue paper and a thin piece of cut washcloth fabric. I think they turned out adorable!

What kid doesn’t like to make noise? These super cute rainsticks were a hit in our house. Mr 1 loved using his hammer to push in the nails. They both danced and shook their rainsticks all day. The sound they make is so pretty!

Have fun with this one! I’d love to see your creations. Tag #raisinghooks on instagram or facebook!

Here’s a video of real cactus rainsticks sounds!