How to make a rainstick with a cardboard roll and some basic materials. Pretty, easy and inexpensive! Ideal for toddlers and preschoolers.
You’ll find lots of super spring crafts for kids here, and today’s rain sticks are no exception! They’re easy to make, the kids loved decorating them, and they sound great! Before we get started though, you might be wondering…
What IS a rain stick?
Traditional rain sticks are instruments made with hollow cacti, thorns and lava pebbles, and are used in some cultures to invoke the rain spirits. Ours are simplified rain sticks, and I’m not sure how effective they’d be for calling up any spirits but they were fun to make, and they sound lovely when you up-end them.
When I say ours our “simplified”, I mean that we didn’t put nearly as many nails (or tacks) into them as we should have. Pop over to Planting Ideas to see how to make a real rainstick. It requires many more nails than what we used, which would slow the flow of the materials inside, producing a longer and gentler sound.
I think ours turned out just great for the hooligans though, and the process was easy, using materials we already had on hand.
P.S. If you’re looking for more cardboard roll crafts, you’ll find over 30 of our favourites here.
For your conviencience, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
To make our rain sticks, you’ll need:
- cardboard tube (long, sturdy ones work best) * see my note further down in the post
- Aluminum Foil
- watered down Glue or Mod Podge
- coloured tissue paper
- nails or tacks
- filler: rice, corn kernels, small buttons, pony beads etc
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etc
You could use a paper towel roll for this project, but food wrap tubes are more sturdy. We used cardboard rolls that had once held plastic wrap (i.e. Saran Wrap) and aluminum foil, and I also had a long, sturdy tube that a poster came packaged in.
Because some of our tubes were too small in diameter to insert nails into, without them poking out the other side, I brainstormed up a couple of alternatives: thumb-tacks and brass-tacks.
How to make a rainstick:
Push, hammer or tap your tacks and nails into the tube. (I made small cuts with an exact-o knife to insert the brass-tacks).
Once you have all of your nails and tacks in, (remember: more is better than less), roll your tube up in aluminum foil.
Squeeze the tin foil tightly around the tube and stuff the excess into one end of the tube to form a plug of sorts. (see finished photo at the bottom of this post).
Pour your filler items (beads/rice/small corn kernels etc.) into the open end of the tube. Keep your items small (rice is ideal) so they don’t get jammed between the nails and tacks. Now seal up the open end just like you sealed the bottom.
To decorate our rain sticks, we decoupaged them with tissue paper and watered down white glue.
When they were dry, we decorated our rain sticks craft-foam stickers. The hooligans love these things because, well, what kid doesn’t love a sticker? And I love them because peeling the backs off the stickers gives little fingers a real fine-motor work out.
When you’re finished decorating your rain stick, tip it end-over-end. The rice sounds like the soft pitter patter of raindrops as it cascades through the tube. 
More Spring Crafts for Preschoolers:
8 Gorgeous Homemade Wind Chimes for Kids to Make
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Faigie
Hey you could use them as a sound machine to get the kids to fall asleep…just choose the rain falling button
Sam @ Thrive 360 Living
Jackie – these are wonderful! I love the foam stickers on the outside for decoration. They look so fun and inviting. I’m definitely going to put this on my to do list. My son would have a great time with this activity.
happyhooligans
Thanks, Sam. I didn’t realize how pretty they’d be until they were finished. I love them too!
Erin- The Usual Mayhem
They came out super pretty! I love the addition of the tissue paper…..if it had been just stickers, they wouldn’t have been nearly so appealing (or you would have had to triple the number of stickers :)).
happyhooligans
Thanks, Erin. We were actually going to paint them, and then I spied the bucket of stickers my mom had dropped off for us last week, and I thought “heyyyy, that will be easier than hauling all the paints out!”
Margarita Ibbott ~ @DownshiftingPRO
This is a great project for kids. I had no idea that this is how they are made. I love your website. It is so colourful and full of great ideas.
Jennifer Dersoon
how much rice to put in? and what do you think about using a pringles can?
happyhooligans
Actually, I thought about using one myself, Jennifer. It can’t hurt to try. We didn’t measure our rice at all, I’m guessing we might have used a quarter of a cup all-together of beads/buttons and rice. You can just keep adding rice until you like the way it sounds.
rebecca at thisfineday
How fun. I’ve never thought of making one myself- what a fun idea. Thanks for the post!
makingboysmen
Such lovely pictures, I remember doing this as a kid, but we’ve not yet done it with the boys. Pinning it for the reminder! Thanks for stopping by the Outdoor Play Party
Kerrie @ Family Food and Travel
Love this! I love rain sticks and didn’t know that you needed to have the tacks on the sides but definitely makes sense now. I’ve pinned this so I can make it with my boys this summer.
Samantha @ Stir the Wonder
These are cute! I wanted to make some back when I was working in a daycare, but the idea was vetoed because of the nails. Wish I had thought to use brass brads- good idea!
Marlin A. Vaughn
I had seen Counting Coconuts and The Imagination Tree make DIY rain sticks by hammering nails around the tube.
Alex@Teach Through Play
Never thought to make one…yet always wanted one! kids will love this! great post!
Amanda | naturalmommie.com
This is wonderful! Though I wonder how long it would take my boys to turn them into weapons LOL 🙂
Christina @ The DIY Mommy
These are awesome! What a great idea. My Little C would just love one of these, so we’ll probably make one this week. 🙂 Thanks for the great tutorial. I love your blog, and I’m following you on Pinterest. You always have such fantastic ideas for DIY kiddo activities!
happyhooligans
Thanks, Christina! I’m so glad to have you following. 🙂 I adore your blog as well!
Gena Mayo
Those look great! We’ll have to try them.
–Gena
Meagan Cooley
I had seen Counting Coconuts and The Imagination Tree make DIY rain sticks by hammering nails around the tube.
Allison
Gorgeous and so much fun! I’m featuring these on The Sunday Showcase this weekend.
happyhooligans
Yippee! Thank you, Allison! I’m so glad you loved them!
Lee-Ann
Why do you need the tacks?
happyhooligans
They slow down the flow of the rice, to produce a soft sound, Lee-Ann.
Anna
Thanks Lee-Ann for the question, I also was wondering about that but was to shy to ask…..silly me! The idea is soooo great, doing that today PM!
happyhooligans
Aw, Sorry, Anna. I did mention in the post that the tacks or nails slow down the flow of the rice, but I guess it doesn’t really stand out if you’re skimming. Maybe I should go back and highlight it.
Brad
Just to let you know Melissa Marie Eckhoff has stolen your images and uses them on her website unless you provided her permission. I figure the original creator of this great idea should know when their images and ideas are stolen. Thanks and keep up the good work.
happyhooligans
Thanks for the heads up. I just popped over and checked out the rainstick post, and I’m fine with someone sharing my images that way. You’re so thoughtful to let me know. A lot of websites will copy and paste an entire post into their own site, or use all of the images, and give their own instructions, thereby basically “stealing” the post, and getting all the glory and traffic for it, but Melissa has shared only one image, and provided her readers with a link so they can visit my site for the details, which is A-ok in my books. 🙂 I love it when people share my stuff in that fashion. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know though. There are lots of times, when my things haven’t been shared in an acceptable way, so I appreciate having the chance to check into this one!
elhadadepapel
They are really nice… we will make some soon too!
Mandy
would love a printable version on this..
happyhooligans
Not sure what the printable part would be, Mandy. It’s a paper towel roll covered in tinfoil and stickers. You need a printable for that?
happyhooligans
I’ve been thinking about your question, Mandy, and maybe I just misunderstood what it is you’re looking for. Can you re-phrase your question so I know what part of the project you’re looking for a “printable” part to?
Simona
What a great idea!
Rosalind
This looks awesome and I will make one this week for my wee one (only 6 months but he will love the sound and I will always be present when he plays). What did you seal up the end with? You say it’s visible in the cover photo but I can’t see that or am not looking in the right place. Could you describe how you are sealing the ends, please? Thank you!
Rosella Stephens
Sounds like an excellent idea to teach the child about Creativity,
Lynn
pounding nails would be a little hard for toddlers and some preschoolers and they get tired of it quick. I have found if you use packing peanuts and rice it is a completely child done activity and sounds great. Just another idea.
happyhooligans
That’s a great suggestion, Lynn! I’ve also heard pinecones and rice work well!
laura
We just made this girls luv it
Sara
I’m so excited to do this with my preschool group (8 kids)!! I’m going to do the nails ahead of time and have them focus on filling and decorating, I think. 🙂 I love the idea of the tissue paper!! 🙂 Thanks!
Sara
We just made the rain sticks today! They were so fun and the kids loved them! I bought some skinny packing tubes (1.5″x15″) then bought a 1 lb box of 1.25″ “common nails”. I placed the nails in a spiral like they did on the “real rain stick” post you linked to and let the kids choose 9 (1 tsp) scoops of rice, navy beans, and lentils to fill them. Worked like a charm!