HOMEMADE DRUMS
These drums are made with five-gallon cans, often available through school cafeterias. Different shaped drums may be made by taping two cans on top of one another with duct tape, or using a funnel-shaped metal plumbing part, available at the home supply store, to duct tape to a can, creating something of a djembe-shaped drum.
To begin, use a can opener to remove the ends of the cans, covering all sharp edges with duct tape. Extra tape is good on the end that will have the drumhead, as it will pad the ridge somewhat.
Cut a square of heat-shrink weatherproofing plastic slightly larger than the end of the can. Attach in one spot, and then directly across, pulling tightly. Do the same thing a quarter of the way around the circle, so that you have four points of attachment, with tufts of the plastic sticking out in between them. Now twist the tufts of plastic to tighten the head as much as possible, and tape these down as well.
Heat the plastic drumhead with a hairdryer enough to shrink the plastic. (Too much heat will melt it!)
Cut a square of unbleached muslin the same size as the previous square, and attach it to the drumhead in the same way as before. Use colored or black duct tape to run a band around the drumhead to neatly cover the small pieces used to attach the fabric.
Use a spritzer bottle to dampen the cloth drumhead.
Coat the damp fabric with glue, Elmer’s or blue gel glue.
Turn over the drum, and reach up into the can, pressing the plastic up into the fabric. Try to press out any air bubbles.
Let dry.
Repeat the spritzing/ gluing process twice more.
To decorate the outside of the cans, dilute a craft glue with water, and dip pieces of fabric into the diluted glue. Place the pieces on the metal, patting them out gently. Small, randomly cut pieces placed in an overlapping fashion work well for this. Overlap the duct tape at the top and bottom of the can with the fabric.
Using a paintbrush or sponge brush, coat the fabric covered drum body with another layer of diluted glue.
Let dry.