Looking for some unique musical decor? Give an old guitar a makeover and turn it into a piece of art!

My roommate bought a broken guitar at a garage sale for $1 with the hopes that I could upcycle it into something awesome. I use the term “guitar” lightly because it’s a mini guitar that isn’t even made of real wood. Nevertheless, we’re musicians and are always looking for musical decor. Here’s how we transformed a broken guitar into art:

What You Will Need:

  1. An old guitar

  2. Sheet music

  3. Glue. If you can, use eco glue 4. Low VOC spray paint

  4. Sand paper

  5. Painter’s tape

  6. Scissors

  7. A screwdriver

How to Do It:

  1. Remove the strings of the guitar.

  2. Remove any hardware that you don’t want to paint. I removed the pegs from the head of the guitar because they had a lot of detail.

  3. Tape off any other areas of the guitar that you don’t want to paint. I taped off the front of the neck (or fretboard) of the guitar.

4. Give the body of the guitar a quick sand. It doesn’t have to be too elaborate– just a little bit to rough up the surface. 5. Spray paint it! Remember, you don’t have to paint the top of the guitar if you plan on covering it with sheet music. 6. Mix glue and a little bit of water in a bowl. You will want the mixture to have the consistency of soup. Then, glue the sheet music to the guitar. I always use a little paint brush to spread the glue, but you could use your hands as well. You will want to do a few layers of sheet music to give the guitar full coverage.

  1. Once the sheet music has dried, cut off any excess paper. I used a combination of scissors and sand paper to create a clean edge. I cut as close to the guitar as I could and then used the sandpaper to blend the edges together. Optional: Give the entire guitar a clear coat of polyurethane to protect the sheet music and the paint. You can find a spray version at your local hardware store, even though it’s not the greenest craft supply.

You can hang your guitar art on the wall or simply lay it on a flat surface. This would be fun for a music-themed eco-friendly party, too! What would you do with it? Leave your ideas in the comment section below!

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