Make Steel Drum

Grab a can and feel the rhythm! Join host Dave Jadico as he shows you how to turn an old can into soulful steel drum!

Tin can
Unsharpened pencils
Hammer
Permanent markers
Construction paper
Stickers
Clear tape

REMEMBER THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS WORK UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. SOMETIMES WE USE THINGS THAT CAN BE HARMFUL, LIKE SCISSORS, SO DON'T EVER ATTEMPT TO MAKE THESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ALONE.

1. Take your empty tin can and draw a line straight across the base one third of way in from the side using a permanent marker.
2. Gently hammer along the line with a hammer. This is a good job for your adult helper. Doing this will help to create two different pitches for your drum. Test the pitches out using one of your pencils to tap on either side of the hammered line.
3. Decorate your can/drum with construction paper. Wrap it in the paper and mark off how much you need. Fold the excess along the marks and then cut it off along the fold. Wrap your cut paper around the drum and attach using clear tape. You may need to use some of your excess paper to fully cover the drum.
4. Further decorate the drum however you want using stickers. You can also use markers, crayons, or pictures from magazines if you want.
5. To play, just lightly beat on the drum with your unsharpened pencil. You can even repeat steps 1-4 to make different drums in different sizes for different sounds!