Homemade Guitar
Today's Snack: Guitars have strings, so have some string cheese
today, with a tall glass of apple juice.
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Supplies:
Half-gallon
cardboard milk carton | optional paint, paper, decorations
Utility
knife | Strong plastic tape | Yardstick |
Saw | 45"
length of nylon fishing line
You may be surprised at the pretty sounds that you can make with a
homemade guitar made out of these scraps.
- Tape shut the top of a clean,
empty, half-gallon cardboard milk carton. You can decorate it first, if
you wish.
- With a utility knife or a sharp
table knife and adult supervision, cut vertical slits on two opposite
sides of the carton. Make the slits tall enough to slip a yardstick
through. Cut the slits about one-third of the way from the top, so that
two-thirds of the carton are below the slits.
- Using a saw and adult
supervision, cut two notches about a half-inch deep, near each end of the
yardstick.
- Insert the yardstick through
the carton and push it so that it is near the center of the yardstick.
- Make a loop in one end of the
length of fishing line, tying a slip knot, and slip it over the notch on
the top of the yardstick.
- Pull the line over the top of
the carton and loop it around the notch at the other end of the yardstick.
Make the line pretty taut, or tight.
- Tie securely and pull the
carton to one end of the yardstick. The line should pass over the top of
the carton and be pretty taut. The top will serve the same purpose as the
"bridge" of a guitar, which holds the strings up a little bit in order to
let them vibrate when strummed.
- To play the guitar, strum the string
near the top edge of the milk carton with one hand.
- Pinch the string with your fingers
so that it clings to the yardstick with the other hand to change pitches.
