Build a Kazoo from Toilet Rolls
Build a kazoo from toilet rolls, wax paper, and a rubber band. Test pitches, listen for vibrations, and decorate your instrument safely.
Step-by-step guide to build a kazoo from toilet rolls
Step 1
Gather all Materials Needed and set them on a clean table so everything is ready.
Step 2
Cut a square of wax paper about 3 to 4 inches across using the scissors.
Step 3
Center the wax paper square over one open end of the toilet paper roll.
Step 4
Wrap the rubber band around the wax-paper-covered end to hold the wax paper tightly in place.
Step 5
With an adult’s help use the blunt end of the pencil to poke a small hole in the side of the roll about one inch from the wax-covered end.
Step 6
If the wax paper feels loose tighten the rubber band to make the wax paper taut.
Step 7
Hold the open end of the roll to your mouth and hum a steady note into it without blowing.
Step 8
Hum a higher pitch now to hear how the sound changes.
Step 9
Hum a lower pitch now to compare with the higher pitch.
Step 10
Gently place your fingertips on the wax paper while you hum to feel the vibrations.
Step 11
Decorate your kazoo with colouring materials and stickers being careful not to cover the hole or the mouth end.
Step 12
Take a photo or write about your kazoo and share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use instead of wax paper if I don't have any?
Use a 3–4 inch square of plastic wrap, a single coffee filter, or a thin piece of balloon stretched over the open end and secured with the rubber band, since these alternatives will vibrate like the wax paper when you hum.
My kazoo makes no sound or only a whisper — what should I check?
Make sure the wax-paper square is centered and very taut by tightening the rubber band, that the pencil-made hole is small and positioned about one inch from the wax-covered end (not too big or too close), and hum steadily into the open mouth end instead of blowing.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, have an adult pre-cut the wax paper and poke the hole and let them decorate and hum, while older kids can experiment by moving the hole position, using different tube lengths (toilet vs kitchen roll), or trying alternative membranes to explore pitch changes.
How can we extend or personalize the kazoo after it's working?
Decorate the roll with stickers and colouring (avoiding the hole and mouth end), try taping two rolls together to compare pitches, record a humming song to share on DIY.org, or feel fingertip vibrations on the wax paper while testing higher and lower pitches.
Watch videos on how to build a kazoo from toilet rolls
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Facts about DIY musical instruments for kids
🪢 A rubber band is a simple clamp — changing its tension can alter how the membrane sits and affect the buzz.
🎶 Kazoos are membranophones — they make sound when a thin membrane vibrates as you hum into them.
🧻 The cardboard tube from a toilet roll acts as a tiny resonating chamber and shows up in lots of DIY instruments.
🕯️ Wax paper can work like a flexible membrane that vibrates to create the kazoo's buzzy sound.
🎵 When you hum different notes into a kazoo, the kazoo buzzes along with your voice so you can play melodies.
How do you build a kazoo from toilet rolls?
What materials are needed to make a toilet-roll kazoo?
What ages is a toilet-roll kazoo suitable for?
What safety tips and variations can I try with the kazoo activity?
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