Trace two circles on
the 5" piece of cardboard. Make the circles
the same size as the ends of the tube and cut
out. Lay these two circles aside.
Poke holes in the
spiral seam of the tube every 1" all around
starting at the top. Remember to stay on the seam
only.
Insert toothpicks
into the holes you have made. Slide them in as
far as you can, but dont push them out the
other side. Be careful not to break them off
inside.
After you have
inserted all of the toothpicks, take scissors and
trim them down so that just 1/4" is sticking
out of all the holes.
Take the masking tape
and cover all the toothpicks any way you want.
The more tape the better. The tape will help
protect the toothpicks so they are not broken
off, and it will act as a cushion so that you
will not get stuck.
Tape one of the
circles on the end of the tube. Stand the tube up
with the open end on top. Pour about 1/2 cup of
rice into the tube.
Tape the other circle
on the top to close it. At first you may want to
experiment on how much rice you use so dont
tape the circle up too permanently yet. After the
rain stick makes the sound you like, then tape it
closed.
You may decorate your
rain stick any way that you like. This sample has
shapes and leaves drawn on with an ink pen and
then colored with permanent markers.
Turn the rain stick
slowly to let the rice fall down inside. Keep
repeating by turning it over and over again. You
will hear the gentle sound of rain.