Shakers made from toilet paper tubes

My kids and I decided to make some shakers the other day. I didn't really know how to do it but it wasn't too hard to figure out. The kids had so much fun I grabbed the camera to write up a tutorial. There may be a tidier way to do this but they worked just fine and my kids have been making music ever since!

MATERIALS:

-toilet paper tubes

-construction paper

-masking tape

-glue

-scissors

-paint (or something else to decorate the shakers with)

-things to fill the shakers (I used dried pasta rings, dried lentils, and dried rice)

Cut a piece of construction paper in half. Then cut off about 4 - 5 inches at one end.  The longer piece will wrap around the toilet paper tube.  The smaller pieces will be used to cover the ends of the toilet paper - they are the "caps" that hold in the shakey stuff.

Using the 4-5 inch piece you cut off, lay it over one end of the toilet paper tube. Tape down opposite corners. Then, tape down the other two corners.

To smooth out the "cap" simply place another piece of tape parallel to the edge of the tube. Fold down the paper and tape the excess down as you rotate the tube in your hand until the cap has been smoothed down around the edges.

Put some shakey stuff in the tube (dried rice, beans, lentils, pasta) and then tape a cover over the open side so that both sides are closed up. (Remember not to fill the shaker too much. It's got to shake to make noise!)

Lay your shaker on the piece of construction paper and tape one end down. Roll the shaker over the paper and glue the other end down.

Let the kids paint them like crazy people! You might also wrap them in yarn or ribbon. Perhaps covering them in stickers would be fun, too. Let them dry and then...

Shake - shake - shake!