How to DIY a drum kit (it's simpler than you think)

Making your own drum kit might sound like a stretch for your DIY skills, but the good news is that you can make one using materials you already have at home.

Whether you're looking for some extra activities to fill the school holidays, you've got a rainy day and kids to occupy, or you're an adult just wanting to jam—this DIY drum kit will keep the whole family entertained. You just need to figure out your band name.

To build your drum kit you will need:

11 long, thin wooden poles (65 x 1.5 cm)
1 metal saucepan lid
1 paint roller bracket with a hollow handle
2 short, thin wooden poles (35 x 0.8 cm)
3 cords with stoppers (or simple shoelaces)
a drill and drill bits
a pen knife1 large wooden board (55 x 22 cm)
1 small wooden board (25 x 9 cm)
1 empty plastic bottle
a screwdriver
10 thick, strong rubber bands (about 10 cm in diameter)
1 sponge
3 plastic buckets (large, medium and small)
1 large plastic bowl
2 short, fat wooden poles (35 x 3 cm) 

Instructions:

1.  Tie together three of the long wooden poles with a rubber band to create a teepee, like the illustration above. Make three of these teepees.

2.  Use rubber bands to attach one long wooden pole vertically and one short, thin pole horizontally (for support) to two of the teepees. Place the hollow handle of the paint roller over one of the vertical poles and hang the saucepan lid from it. Secure with a rubber band. This is your crash cymbal!

3.  Cut a slit into the front of the plastic bottle with the pen knife and place it on top of the other vertical pole. This is your high drum! Place the small and medium buckets on top of your high drum and crash cymbal teepees to make your drums,and secure them to the vertical poles with two cords. Place the bowl on the last remaining teepee.

4.  Tip the large bucket on its side and tie it onto the large wooden board with a cord. Ask a grown-up to drill a hole in one end of the small board and poke the pointy end of the screwdriver through it. Then place the small board onto the large board, with the screwdriver handle just behind the bottom of the bucket. Slide the sponge underneath the small board, behind the screwdriver, so that the screwdriver is at the top of the ‘ramp’. This is your pedal. When you step on the pedal, your screwdriver will hit the bucket to make your bass drum!

5.  Arrange your drum kit the way you want it to be. Pick up the two short, fat sticks–your drum sticks–and you’re ready to rock and roll!

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DIY drum kit by Floris Hover for Lunch Lady Magazine Issue 15. This excerpt originally published in Now Make This, a book containing 24 DIY projects by designers for kids, curated by Thomas Barnthaler and published by Phaidon.