The first thing I thought of was papier mache, since it is an easily-made construction material. However, it dries to rock-hardness: the beads I made out of it resisted any and all sanding attempts to make them smoother and rounder. Right now, I don’t have a drill, and a good drill (about $40) almost costs as much as a good ocarina. I can get an ocarina from Target for $6.95.

So I Googled and YouTubed the Internet for instruction on how to make an ocarina. I came up with some good tutorials, but some defeated my purpose of not spending money:

This is an advanced how-to for those adept at pottery or clay

This  YouTube is more like a Mister Potato Head (Sweet Potato Head?)

This clay whistle shows the very critical point of how to make the whistle whistle well

This YouTube on making one out of a carrot  gives you a clearer idea how the whistle part (the voice) is cut right.

 And I found another site that talks about the all-important care and feeding of your ocarina.

Each of these takes tools which I don’t have. Veggies which tend to wither if you leave them out, or mold if you leave them in water.

Then I found this site by Design and Technology Projects to make an ocarina out of cardstock. Cardstock I can manage, as well as

• a pair of scissors
• a craft knife
• glue
• a steel safety rule
• a cutting board

It is a seven-hole ocarina, so it will do a full scale easily. So I’m going to try it. If it works, I’m going to see how I can strengthen it with papier mache or other material. if I can, then I might be able to make different shapes.