I live in an apartment and each time I play the oboe, I get complaints from the tenants above. How do I mute an oboe so it's much quieter? I tried sticking cloth up in the bottom but it doesn't really work. I don't mind spending a bit for a muter.
There used to be some clarinet mutes, which are actually bags with insulation. The instrument goes into the bag. There is a small hole at the top for the mouthpiece, or in your case the reed, and two sleves with elastic for your hands. I have heard good and not so good things about them.
If you have a heavy duty sewing machine you could probably make a big bag out of those moving blankets, or something. It might help a bit.