Step-by-step tutorial
Step 1
Gather your materials.
Step 2
Poke a small hole into the bottom of a plastic cup.
Step 3
Take 15 inches of string and thread one end through the hole.
Step 4
Securely tie the other end to a paper clip and pull the string so the clip sits flat on the cup.
Step 5
Use your craft supplies to paint and decorate your monster anyway you want.
Step 6
Wet the string with a dampened paper towel.
Step 7
Hold the string between the paper towel and slide it down in short, jerky motions. The cup will make a cackling sound!
Step 8
Cackling Monster Cups.
Learn more
When you drag the damp paper towel down the string, friction causes the towel to stick and slip rapidly along the cord, creating tiny vibrations. On its own, the string's quiet hum is almost impossible to hear. But because the string is attached to the bottom of the cup, those vibrations travel directly into the cup's solid walls, forcing the plastic and the air trapped inside to vibrate in sync. The hollow cup acts like a natural sound amplifier, just like the wooden body of a guitar, bouncing the sound waves out in loud, sudden bursts that sound just like cackling and clucking!
