Cardboard Tube Chili Pepper Maracas

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, a largely U.S. holiday that celebrates Mexican heritage. Lots of fun crafts and recipes have been developed to help teach children about this festive day. One great way to celebrate is by making music, such as the shaking of maracas. I’ll show you how to take common household items and turn them into these fun chili pepper maracas!

You will need:

1 cardboard paper towel tube
Green and yellow (gold) felt
Green pipe cleaner
Paint: red, black, white
Handful of beans, rice or beads
Tools: scissors, paintbrush, toothpick, hot glue gun, black marker

Paint the cardboard tube red and let it dry. Cut the cardboard tube in half.

Flatten the bottom of each tube with your hand. Use the photo as a guide and fold the flattened bottom of each tube to create a pointed end. Hot glue those ends to keep them closed.

Drop a small handful of beans, rice or beads into the open ends of the tubes. Fold the top of the tube closed and secure with a bit of glue.

Cut a piece of green felt large enough to cover the top of the tube. Use scissors to trim the edges and give it a curvy look. Poke a hole in the center of the felt with a toothpick.

Cut a 2-inch piece of pipe cleaner and curl one end around the end of a paintbrush. Insert the straight end into the hole in the felt and add a small dab of glue. Place the green felt on top of the tube and secure with glue.

Add a handlebar mustache to the tube with a black marker.

Add eyes by dipping the handle end of a paintbrush in white paint and dotting them on. When the white is dry, use a toothpick to add black. Alternatively you can use googly eyes, however it’s possible they will pop off when your child is shaking their maraca.

Lastly, cut a strip of yellow or gold felt about 8-inches long and cut the ends into points. Carefully tie around the center of the tube below the mustache.

Have fun celebrating Cinco de Mayo!

Project created by Amanda Formaro for Kix Cereal. Amanda is a well-known craft expert and has been writing and crafting on the Internet for over fifteen years. Find out more on her blog, Crafts by Amanda, where she shares tutorials with step-by-step photos for adults and kids alike.