Instrument Guides – Guitar

Rock out in style with this fun-packed craft projects. Not all music lessons can feature the instruments themselves, but that doesn’t mean children can’t learn about them. Teach them about the guitar, how it’s played and recreate it in cardboard complete with strings and belt! Not only does it take their musical knowledge to the next level, it also helps their design and co-ordination skills to boot.

Skill Level

Advanced

Time to Make

1 hour

Adult Supervision

Yes

Instrument Guides – Guitar

Top Tip

The aperture and string positioning can be a little fiddly, so depending on the age of the children, either do this part for them or mark out in pencil where they need to position the strings to make it easier.

How to Make

  1. Using the templates provided, cut out the two main guitar pieces from coloured card and choose whichever shade you like! Fold the curved guitar body and cut out the circle in the centre with scissors.
  2. Secure them together using the Glue Gun and the picture as a guide. You should now have your main guitar shape. Draw horizontal lines across the long thin part of the guitar (the neck) in black pen, starting close together then drawing them further apart as you go. Stop at the end of the thin neck, before you reach the end where the shape widens out.
  3. Cut a small rectangular piece of coloured card (we chose yellow for ours) and position it as shown in the picture, a little way along from the circular aperture in the guitar. Don't stick it down yet.
  4. Next, cut six lengths of string to 16cm each. Line them up, equally spaced, across the guitar, so each piece of string trails off the end of the long, thin arm of the guitar (this is called the neck), and reaches a little bit over the yellow strip of card.
  5. Carefully stick each piece of string to the yellow piece of card with a blob of glue from the gun and fold over the excess so the end of the string is completely hidden beneath the card, if there's too much excess simply give it a trim. Make sure the strings remain equally spaced out.
  6. Once the glue has dried, flip the yellow rectangle over onto the other side, keeping it in the same position. Straighten out and untangle the strings, ensuring they still reach across the circular aperture and across the end of the neck. Glue the yellow strip in position.
  7. Cut three horizontal slits into the wider part at the end of the guitar arm, this is called the headstock. Pull the strings taut and, starting with the outermost left string, secure them at the end of the neck and then feed them through the slots in the order they're arranged. So the first three left-hand strings will go as follows; first string into the first left slot, second string into the second left slot, third string into the third left slot.
  8. Repeat for the remaining three strings, starting with the outermost right string; first string into the first slot etc., the same as for the other side. If you're unsure use the picture as a guide.
  9. Trim the excess string and secure any loose ends on the reverse. Then cut out six of the 'T' shaped templates from coloured card and secure three to each side of the headstock (the wider piece at the end of the long, thin guitar neck), as shown.
  10. Finally, draw on six dots that line up with the positioning of the strings on the yellow rectangle, as shown.