Walnut Clackers Sound Like Miniature Horses

These are a pocket sized version of the coconut shells used to simulate the sound of galloping horses in the movies. They are also good for accompanying other instruments when making music.

walnuts in the shell

small elastic material

tools: knife, hammer, drill, 100 grit sandpaper

Split the whole walnuts with a knife. The goal is to have two intact half shells. Remove the walnut meats. Eat them if you want to.

Drill a small hole from the inside of the shell through to the outside. The size of the hole depends on the size of the elastic you are using. It needs to be big enough to pull a loop of elastic through, but small enough to not allow a knot in the elastic through.

Cut a piece of elastic 3-4 inches long. Then put a knot on each end.

Using a piece of string or fine wire pull the loop of elastic through the hole as shown.

Test fit. See if the loop is snug but not too tight on your finger and thumb. Adjust the length accordingly when cutting the next pieces of elastic. Note that kids will need smaller loops than grownups.

Place the sandpaper on your work surface and sand the edge of the half shell until it is fairly flat. This will help make a good sound when contacting the other half shell.