Make your own Chinese rattle drum

Join past Blue Peter presenter Adam to create the perfect home DIY musical instrument for this Lunar New Year! This make is from 2021, the Year of the Ox, but this year, why not decorate your drum with a horse on it, to celebrate 2026's Year of the Horse.

A traditional Chinese rattle drum or also known as "Bo Lang Gu" is a percussion instrument which has double-sided drums, a handle and beads or pellets attached by strings. When shaken or twisted the beaded strings hit off the drums, creating a distinct, cheerful rattling or rhythmic beat. 

🚨 Ask an adult to help you when using sharp objects! 🚨

1. Take an empty tube and roughly measure a 5cm wide section using a ruler. With the help of a grown-up cut out that section using scissors.

2. Then pierce one hole about halfway down on three sides of the tube as shown in the image below. Because the walls are sturdy, use a push pin to make a small hole, then push a pencil through to widen the hole until it's big enough for you to thread the string through.

3. Take some string and thread it through the hole on the left side. Tie a knot on the inside of the drum so that it can no longer be pulled out. Then repeat this on the right side.

4. Tie a bead or a small ball of kitchen foil onto the end of both pieces of string. These will beat the drum, so make sure the string is the right length for the bead to hit the centre of the drum.

5. For the handle, wrap a pencil tightly in red or gold paper and use sticky tape to secure.

6. Push the handle through the final hole, then use sticky tape to attach it in place.

7. To make the outside of the drum cut two balloons in half using scissors, then stretch each half over each end of the tube.

8. Decorate the drum with ribbon or by wrapping it in the paper. We have also added the Chinese characters for Good Luck and Ox! Get creative and let us know how you get on!

🏮Check out CBBC's Lunar New Year page, where you can test your knowledge with top Lunar New Year quizzes, find delicious recipes and even find out which zodiac animal you are.🏮

But, if it's more arts and crafts you're after, check out “Here’s One I Made Earlier”! This your go-to collection of fun and easy craft ideas from Blue Peter!

You can watch Blue Peter on CBBC and BBC iPlayer!

For more fun, interesting and exciting quizzes, crafts, celebs, books, badges, challenges, Blue Peter presenters and pets, you’ll find everything you need on the Blue Peter hub 💙