Thank you to Nickelodeon for sponsoring this Den Den Drum post. This post includes affiliate links.
Many, many years ago I worked in early education and making homemade instruments was my jam. Yes, pun totally intended. When Nickelodeon invited me to make a drum to celebrate Blue’s Clues & You! Blue’s Sing-Along Spectacular you know I had to hop right to it. We’re not just making any old drum, though. We’re making a fun Den-den daiko style spinning drum!
How To Make A Den Den Drum
To make your own Blue’s Clues-inspired Drum, you’ll need:
- Round Paper Box
- Baby and Royal Blue Craft Paint
- Paint Brushes
- Twine
- Wooden Beads
- Wooden Dowel
- Hot Glue
- Clue Paw Print Template
Trim your dowel to an appropriate length to serve as a handle for your drum. Cut a hole in the bottom of your round box large enough to fit the wooden dowel inside. If you have a drill, that works well for creating the hole. Otherwise, a carefully wielded craft knife will do.
You’ll also want to poke a small hole on either side of the box for threading through with twine. Make sure the holes are at the same position on each side. It can be helpful to use a measuring tape, as doing this by eye is trickier than it sounds.
Paint your dowel and the top and bottom of your round box a baby blue color, then paint around the edge of your box with royal blue paint.
Insert the wooden dowl into your box and use hot glue inside the box to hold the dowel in place.
Thread twine through the holes in either side and knot on the inside of the box to hold the twine in place. (You can add a little hot glue on top of the knot to make this extra secure.) Once your twine is secure, glue on the top of the box.
Chose the “clue” paw print that is the best size for your box lid and trace it pressing hard enough to leave a slight indentation on top of the box.
Fill in the paw print, using the indentation as your guide, with royal blue paint.
Knot the twine on either side of your box, add wooden beads, then knot again to hold the beads in place. Make sure you size the twine so the beads will hit at approximately the center of your box lid when it’s used.
All that’s left to do is to spin the den den drum back and forth to create music!
Blue’s Clues & You! Blue’s Sing-Along Spectacular is now available on DVD!
Want to save this Blue’s Clues Den Den Drum for later? Click on the photo below to add to Pinterest!
