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Paper Plate Tambourine

A Paper Plate Tambourine for Mardi Gras! Yes, we all know that children love to make noise with or without a holiday! So, let’s make get the party started with some colorful Mardi Gras beads and a paper plate.

Paper Plate Tambourine

Children always enjoy musical instruments. This colorful tambourine is a Mardi Gras craft for kids that uses inexpensive paper plates and leftover Mardi Gras beads. The plates for this project came from the Dollar Tree. You’ll find the 9″ plates come in green, gold, purple and other bright colors with 20 to a package. Since they are sturdy, only one plate is needed for each tambourine.

What You Will Need

  • Stapler
  • Scissors
  • Paper plate
  • Mardi Gras beads
  • Ribbon

Putting the Tambourine Together

Select a colorful combination of Mardi Gras beads and paper plate. For these examples, I used two different colors of beads. Cut apart three sections of beads from each color with 12 beads for each section.

Next, cut 12 – 1″ snips along the outer edge of the plate. These snips should be about an inch apart and only on one-half of the paper plate.

Slide the string between the first and second beads from one of the cut sections into the first snipped section on the paper plate. The one bead should be on the back of the paper plate, with the other eleven beads towards the front.

Skipping the next snipped section on the paper plate, loop up the same cut section of beads to the third snipped section of the paper plate sliding in the thread so that one bead stays on the back of the paper plate.

Repeat this with the rest of the beads, alternating colors.

Once all the beads are in place, thread a ribbon through the snipped sections of the paper plate. *This step is optional and is mostly for decoration.

To finish the Paper Plate Tambourine, staple the snipped sections of paper plate together so that the beads and ribbon will stay in place.

Like this craft? Try it as a Chinese New Year Drum.

About Theresa Johnston

Activities For Kids has been an on-going passion of mine since 1998. I'm a long-time Orlando resident and huge Disney Fan! Prior guide for About.com and current editor for AboutOrlando.com. I hope you enjoy the crafts, recipes and ideas that you find here.