How To Make A Willow Whistle

An old fashioned type of whistle is one that is known as a willow whistle. This is something that you can make yourself. It can be tricky to make but follow the steps in this hub and you will have made yourself a willow whistle in no time.

First off you want to get a twig that has no side branches. You want a twig that is no more than an inch thick. The twig should also have green bark and be approx 8 inches in length. The straighter, smoother and rounder the twig is the better.

Now into the twig you want to carve a small notch that is about a quarter of the length in.

Around the twig you want to cut a ring that is about two inches further in than the notch. You must make sure that you only cut the outer layer of bark. You do not want to cut completely through the wood.

Next you need to remove the bark. To do this a good idea is to wet the twig with water then tap it gently with the handle of your knife. This will loosen the bark. Next you should carefully twist and pull the bark off.

Now the notch you made earlier you need to make deeper. Also cut it some more so that it extends down the length of the twig towards the end that still has bark on it. The notch is what changes the pitch of your whistle and it is the length and depth that does this.

You now want to cut off a sliver of wood from the upper surface of the twig. The idea here is to make it flat.

Now you can slip the bark back on. To help do this dip the end of your willow into a glass of water first. You are now done.