I play an instrument called a fue or shinobue with my taiko group. The fue are made from bamboo and need to be handled carefully. I can’t quickly buy a replacement if they were broken and they are also expensive. I needed to make sure that my fue would be safe in my bag, which can sometimes be squished between all our other gear.

I made this case using a PVC tube as the protection. If you need to make a case for a fragile flute or similar item, maybe this will help!

Here’s a tip about cutting PVC pipe to the right length. If they don’t have a service to cut your pipe at the hardware store, sometimes you can find a community workshop where you can pay a fee to use tools. That was what we did.

Regarding the drawstring, it was made from a new shoelace. I cut off the two ends and sewed them together so both ends would have the “aglets.” I used a cord stop salvaged from a backpack that I disassembled, although you can buy cord stops in the notions sections of fabric stores.

To learn more about my taiko group Nen Daiko, located near Washington DC, visit http://nendaiko.weebly.com/. We do most of our performances at community festivals from March-July.