Get craft with your recyclables! You can use water bottles and toilet-paper rolls to make musical maracas at home with your family. This project is fun, engaging, and accessible for all ages.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Toilet paper rolls or water bottles (you can use both, or one or the other)
- Beads or any dried food in your kitchen pantry, such as beans, pasta, or rice.
- Decorative materials (colorful duct tape, tissue paper, scrapbook paper, pipe-cleaners, etc.)
SUGGESTED AGE:
- 4 and up (possible for younger ages with adult supervision)
TIME FRAME:
- 30 minutes-1 hour
HOW TO BUILD A MARACA:
There are two easy ways to construct your musical maraca.
Option 1
Step 1: Clean, rinse and dry plastic water bottle. Any size bottle will work!
Step 2: Select beads or dried food for the inside (beads/food may be visible so think about the colors you want to choose)
Step 3: Pour beads/dried food into the water bottle
- Tip: Use a piece of paper as a funnel to make this process easier and cleaner
- Tip: Fill up halfway to allow room for beads to shake
Step 4: Close water bottle cap
Step 5: Decorate the outside of your maraca!
To further extend your project, create two maracas and attach a toilet paper roll in between to form a handle. Duct tape is recommended.

Option 2 examples: A triangular maraca made out of a toilet paper roll (on left) and a rain stick made out of a paper towel roll (on right). All photos: Hayley Prihoda
Option 2
Step 1: Select a toilet paper roll or paper towel roll
- Tip: A toilet paper roll will create a hand-held maraca; a paper towel roll will create a rain stick
Step 2: Pinch one end together and seal by stapling
Step 3: Pour beads/dried food into the tube
Step 4: Close other end with staples
- Tip: You can either pinch the edges together in the same direction as the other end or in the opposite direction to create a triangle shape (see photograph below)
Step 5: Decorate the outside of your maraca!
Re-purposing materials is a great way to save money, think creatively and reduce waste!