Virginia Tech® home

Jamming with Junk

To celebrate Earth Day, the Moss Arts Center challenges students of all ages to clean up your communities and use the junk you collect to create musical instruments!

Use #JammingwithJunk and tag us at @artscenteratvt to share a video on social media of you playing your upcycled instrument(s). Would you like to have your video included in a pre-performance video for Small Island, Big Song on Wednesday, April 17? Submit your file by March 31.

Submit Your Video
A child's hands hold a homemade shaker, decorated with construction paper and secured with two rubber bands. A heart cut out of floral paper is on the front. Two people in orange T-shirts pick up litter in the background. In the foreground is a black plastic garbage bag full of collected litter. A homemade instrument made from upcycled materials. This pan flute is made from 10 green straws, popsicle sticks, and yarn.

Ramps'N'Roads 2024

If you're looking for cleanup opportunities, be sure to check out ReNew the New's 2024 Ramps'N'Roads event, coming up on Saturday, March 23, 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Volunteers will clean litter from our highways, byramps, boat ramps, and river and stream access points. Meet at Eastern Elementary School, located on Highway 460 West in Pembroke, at 8:30 a.m. on March 23. From there, you will be divided into groups.

Please note, there will be no buses available this year. Each volunteer will take their own car and convoy to one of the planned cleanup areas, where you will be given gloves and bags. Return to Eastern Elementary School for your to-go lunch. You can then use your collected litter to get creative!

For more information, please visit renewthenew.org or call Charlie Mullins at 540-599-4575 or county administration at 540-921-2525.

A promotional graphic for ReNew the New's 2024 Ramps'N'Roads event on March 23 from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
ReNew the New's 2024 Ramps'N'Roads event is coming up on Saturday, March 23

Resources

Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas, complete with links to instructions!

Beginners

Shaker

Version 1, made with a toilet paper tube

Materials

  • Scissors
  • Packing tape
  • Toilet paper tube
  • Wax/parchment paper in 3-inch squares
  • Rocks, grains, noodles, dried beans, shells, beads, etc.

Version 2, made with a plastic bottle

Materials

  • Plastic bottle
  • Wax/parchment paper in 3-inch squares
  • Rocks, grains, noodles, dried beans, shells, beads, etc.

Xylophone

Made from glass bottles

Materials

  • Glass bottles
  • Water

Intermediate

Tambourine

Version 1, made with bottle caps

Materials

  • Hole puncher
  • Scissors
  • Paper plates
  • Bottle caps
  • String

Version 2, made with buttons

Materials

  • Scissors
  • Stapler
  • Double-sided tape
  • Cardboard
  • Buttons

Pan Flute

Version 1, made with glass bottles

Materials

  • Glass bottles
  • Water
  • Duct tape

Version 2, made with straws

Materials

  • Scissors
  • 5 straws
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Rubber bands

Harmonica/Kazoo

Made with popsicle sticks

Materials

  • Scissors
  • Scotch tape
  • 3 rubber bands (2 thick, 1 thin)
  • 2 popsicle sticks
  • Notecard

String Instruments

Version 1, made out of styrofoam

Materials

  • Styrofoam
  • Rubber bands

Version 2, made out of a cardboard tube

Materials

  • Cardboard tube
  • Fishing line
  • Can
  • Piece of wood
  • Scissors

Wind Instruments

Tube Trumpet

Materials

  • Cardboard tube
  • File folder or plastic water, soda, or juice bottle
  • Tape

Tube Trombone

Materials

  • 2 cardboard tubes, one that fits snugly inside the other

Advanced

Requires power tools and adult supervision

Drum

Note: Look for other instruments from Small Island, Big Song on this YouTube channel!

Made from a tin can

Materials

  • Tin can
  • Water bottle
  • Small screws or rivets

Tools

  • Cutting plier
  • Electric drill
  • Scissors

Percussion Instruments

Made from a tin can lids

Materials

  • Tin can lids
  • Nails
  • Small wood board
  • String

Tools

  • Electric drill
  • Hammer