Update!

I've decided to expand this blog to include some personal posts.  Not every post will focus on ecothriftiness, but I'll try to keep any new info I learn circulating through this blog.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Rain Stick




In honor of the last blog entry, Jack and I made a rain stick from things we already had around the house.

We found a piece of PVC pipe from the garage (one end had screw threads) and an open threader for the pipe.

I found that a gatorade bottle top fit perfectly into the open threader making it both colorful and closed.

I took a length of aluminum foil and wound it around the bissell handle to form a spiral, and inserted into the tube.  I attached the foil to both ends of the tube (using superglue on the open side and pressing it firmly into the threads on the threaded end).

I poured in uncooked corn, rice, and salt.

I closed the other end with a top from the vitamin bottle that ran out yesterday, and superglued it to the open end.  I added a couple of layer of masking tape for support as the pipe is smaller than the bottle top, and I was afraid too much pressure on the cap would break the glue bond.

Since the PVC open threader cap clamps down tightly, Jack can't get it open.  However, it was nice to be able to open it to remove and/or add things to the stick for me.  

Here is a link I found with instructions to make a rain stick.  It uses a mailer tube (which I didn't have), but use anything you may have at home!  The website has lots of instructions for home made things.  It is called "Family Fun,"  and I believe its affiliated with Disney.

I'm going to try to find some metal washers around the house to make the tap shoes also shown on this website!

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