If you are interested in special arts and crafts, then you will surely enjoy making a whistle all by yourself. Let us take a look at how to make one using different materials.
Whistles can be made from bamboo, straw, clay/ceramic, plastic, and metal. All these instruments generate different pitches of sound. This piece will provide you with the know-how of creating whistles from bamboo, clay, and bone, respectively.
Making a Bamboo Whistle
This is quite simple, and the whistle is long-lasting too. You require very few tools and materials to make it.
You need two hollow bamboo pieces that fit into each other easily. The large one will be used as the main body, while the small one is used to make the main inner parts, the mouth piece, and the air plug.
Take the wider piece of bamboo, and cut it to a length of about 5 inches.
Take the narrow piece, and cut it into two small parts of one inch each.
Make a small opening for air in the wider piece.
Make a mark at one inch from one end, and cut inside until you reach the hollow center. Then, make one more mark at a distance of one inch from the mark you just made. With the help of a knife, make a semicircular cut from the second mark to the first mark.
Now take one of the smaller pieces, and cut it down with the help of a knife. See that you do not cut the piece through its diameter, and cut it to form a flat edge. This will be used as the mouthpiece.
Insert the flat side of this mouthpiece into the opening end you just made in the wider bamboo. Glue these pieces properly without leaving any gaps.
Use the remaining piece of narrow bamboo as an air plug and insert it at the other end of the wider piece.
With the help of glue, fill in all the loose gaps, and your bamboo whistle is ready to be played.
Making a Clay Whistle
Clay or ceramic whistles are fun to make, as you can give any desired shape to them. However, you need a little mastery to deal with clay. All you require to make it is some clay and a wooden stick.
Take approximately 1 pound of clay, and make 2 solid semicircular parts (hemispherical in shape). Make sure both have equal thickness and are of the same size.
With a knife, gently score the edges of the two hemispheres.
Later, dampen the edges and join the hemispheres to form a hollow ball of clay. Ensure that you have sealed the two hemispheres properly.
Gently tap the ball on a flat surface to flatten one side.
Now, to make the mouthpiece of the whistle, attach a small piece of clay to the hollow clay ball near the flattened surface.
Insert a craft stick into the mouthpiece. Insert another into the flattened bottom surface of the hollow ball near the mouthpiece. Insert the craft sticks in such a way that they make an angle of 45 degree with each other, and their inserted edges meet.
Now remove the craft sticks gently, and blow through the mouthpiece to test the sound. Adjust the holes to get the desired sound.
After that, keep the whistle in a kiln to make it hard.
Once it hardens, color it with your favorite color. You can even give desired shapes for a customized feel.
Making a Bone Whistle
These whistles are counted amongst some of the traditional ones. Earlier, eagle bones were specially used for this purpose. These create a high-pitched sound, have a great history, and are being used since a long time. To make one, you will need the bone of an animal or a bird.
Boil the bone until the meat on it is removed. Later, with the help of a knife, scrape off all the remnants of the meat.
Cut the ends of the bone to make a long, straight tube.
Hollow it with the help of an ice pick, and soak it in bleach to whiten it.
Then measure one inch from one end, and make a square-shaped hole with each sides measuring half an inch.
Take a wooden piece, and make a mouthpiece out of it as you did for the bamboo whistle. Insert this mouthpiece tightly into the bone whistle.
Prepare an air plug and insert it into the other end, and your bone whistle is ready.
Go ahead and prepare customized whistles, and increase your list of hobbies. Enjoy whistling!