Pan Flute Out of Pens

Have you ever wanted to make a pan flute but didn't have the materials? Or maybe you just wanted to make a nice, pocket sized one. Well, now you can with my non-patented pen pan flute!

Infomercial aside, this instructable will teach you how to make a pan flute out of everyday materials that can be picked up for reasonably cheap or found lying around the house.

So, that aside, Let's get building!

For this project you will need:

• 6 Bic pens (or similar)
• Tape (I prefer duct)
• Knife or sharp scissors
• Thread (optional)
• Extra Bic pen (optional)
• Ruler (not shown)

Gut and remove the innards of your pens (save the insides for other projects!). Discard/save the cap as well. Take one of your pen tubes and measure from top to bottom half-centimeter increments on the pen tube. I Marked them with a Sharpie. Do this with the other five pen tubes you have. Now, start progressively cutting down the marks and blowing on the pen tubes to test the tone. Stop cutting when you get what you feel is just the right pitch. Keep going with all your other five tubes to get higher and higher pitches. It is okay to cut in between lines.

There are two ways to do this, this is the first one. Take a strip of tape, about twice the length of your flute plus a centimeter and around a centimeter wide and wrap it around your flute, about a centimeter from the top.

This is the other way to join your flute together. This is where all the optional items come to play. Start out by gutting out then cutting your extra pen in half. Try to take off the stopper in the back of the pen. Now take your longest air pipe (that sound right, right?) and tie it to the end of one of the pen halves using the thread. Look at the pictures if you don't understand.

To play the flute just blow on the top, not in it. It isn't the best quality flute, but being made of office supplies, it's okay. Now you've made something wonderful and kinda spirit lifting! Be proud of that! Feel free to share comments, questions and/or concerns. This is my first instructable, made by a 15 year old (me) and on a phone. Constructive criticism is welcome. Have fun with your new flute! Go and make the world a happier place with your wonderful music!