To start from scratch, here are the supplies that you need:
(Click an image for a larger view)

Drum shell

Rule of thumb: The top edge of your drum should look like the tip of your thumb, where the nail part of your thumb is the inside of the shell (i.e. flat). The outer edge should be rounded over, not flat on top. The rounding allows the head to tune more smoothly and evenly.

Flesh hoop, loop ring, lower ring, fabric to cover (for decoration, if desired)

Skin and rope

The amount of rope that you need will depend on the distance between the lower ring and the top ring of your drum, the number of verticals you have (plan to have) and the diameter of the rings you are using.

If you need to prepare your rings, here is how you do it:

Cover the lower ring and the loop ring with fabric of your choice. This is just for decorative purposes, and can also serve to cover any discoloration or sharp edges on your rings. Use fabric in 100% cotton or 50% cotton/50% polyester for best results. Use strips about 1.5" wide, glue one end to hoop using craft glue (brown bottle, sold at Craft stores). Wrap strip around hoop in an overlapping fashion. When you get back to the starting point, use more glue and secure the other end.

Once you have covered the two rings, you need to create the loops on the ring.

The diameter of the ring determines the number of loops to create. Each loop should be about two finger widths wide once tied. This example uses 26 loops. The bottom ring also has to accomodate the same number of loops, but will be smaller - about one finger width wide when finished.

Next step: Lacing the Verticals