When we were teens and, in fact, even when we were little kids, rock music was our saviour. No matter what mood we were in, turning on some rock, nice and loud, could lift our spirits and get us feeling amped up and ready to take the day. That might sound funny since we’re calm, avid crafters now, but it’s not like real rock stars don’t make their own things or know how to get creative with their hands! Recently, we found some old albums we loved many years ago and decided to put them on while we worked on some of our DIY projects and it made us feeling inspired to start looking up some ways to combine our two favourite things: crafting and rock music!
Just in case you love rock music and DIY as much as we do, check out these awesome crafting ideas that really let you get creative and kitschy in your celebration of rock music.
1. Guitar invites for a rock themed birthday party
Whenever we can share our love for something with our kids, we’re probably at our happiest. That’s how we feel about crafting and that’s how we feel about rock music. Imagine how pleased we were, then, when our kids recently asked us to have rock music themed birthday parties! That’s how we came across this awesome electric guitar shaped party invite idea from A Reason to Get Together. They’re made out of cardboard, meaning they can easily be turned into an upcycling project by using things from your recycling bin as well.
2. Homemade preschool rock instruments
Have your kids inherited your love for music and started asking you if they can try your guitar or banging on pots and pans like drums? Well, if they’re very little and still not quite ready to be strumming on your actual guitar, here’s a great idea for keeping them busy with crafting and with musical play! Mom It Forward shows you how to make tambourines, guitars, and shakers out of household recycling, elastic bands, and bells.
3. Back lit cassette tape vase
Perhaps your favourite rock albums were ones you bought back in the hey-days of cassette tapes and, even though they’re worn through their tape now from so many years of you listening to them so often, you found them recently and you’re intent on immortalizing them? In that case, we have a feeling you’re going to absolutely love this light up cassette tape vase idea from Break The Record! This one’s actually a lot easier to make than it looks.
4. Felt instrument nursery mobile
Are you such a fan of music that you’d like to get your baby into it too right from the very beginning? Well, what’s better to show your baby something awesome about the world than hand making them a cool nursery mobile so they can see what you love most (besides them, of course) right from their earliest days? Check out how Drops of Color Shop used cut, layered, and hand stitched felt to make shapes like guitars, drums, records, microphones, and keyboards before stringing them onto a mobile’s frame.
5. Upcycled record cake towers
Are you still preparing to hose that rock music themed party we were talking about earlier but you’re looking for a decorative tablescape that will really get people feeling the theme as they grab their food? Check out this awesome upcycled record cake tower idea from Sassy Scarlett! They used flat musical records as stands for sliced birthday cake, cupcakes, and all kinds of different party treats.
6. Record and music note cupcakes
Perhaps your DIY skills actually lie in the kitchen, especially when you’re baking sweet treats? Well, that might not seem like the most obvious place or way to express your love for rock music, but Casa Costello begs to differ! Their cupcake décor tutorial shows you how to used icing and fondant to create your own cupcake toppers shaped just like musical notes and old 45″ records.
7. Upcycled record and music note centre pieces
Do you live near a thrift that has lots of cheap old records just waiting to be picked up? Perhaps you actually have some old ones at home from your own collection that are scratched and skip, so you’ve just been waiting for a chance to turn them into an awesome DIY project that will immortalize them even if they don’t really work anymore? In that case, we have a feeling you’ll enjoy this awesome record themed centrepiece vase from Bored Art. Even if you’re not throwing a party that needs centrepieces anytime soon, it’ll still make great kitschy side table décor.
8. Upcycled record place mats
Were you such a big fan of the upcycled record cake tray idea that you’d like to make sure each table you set our and your party matches, even if your party won’t actually be as big as the one in this picture? Well, maybe these upcycled record placemats are exactly what you’re looking for! Perfect Events shows you how simple the project and the whole idea are.
9. Hanging record party decor
Whether you’re looking for some hanging décor for your home, your basement rec room where you still like to listen to your rock music best just like when you were a teen, or a themed party you’re organizing soon, we think this idea from Julie Blanner makes for an awesome piece! Their tutorial shows you that it really is as easy as stringing some old records up with fishing line.
10. Customized rock star nursery makeover
Did you think the rock star baby’s mobile was a pretty cool idea for a nursery but, if you’re going to make your baby an appreciator of rock music early, you’d rather go all out and put as many of your DIY skills to use as you can? In that case, we definitely think you could take some inspiration from this awesome and completely rock music themed nursery design from outlined on Modern Mom.
11. Rock star pebble art
Rather than upcycling or creating something kitschy, would you rather create a DIY rock n’ roll project that’s a little more like art? Then maybe you’d prefer to recreate something like this awesome 3D framed pebble art from Ruth_Rocks2016! They found and polished stones that, when arranged together, make the shape of a drummer making music, but you could create any rock music scene you please.
12. 50s rock inspired balloon arch for parties
Are you still looking for party ideas because you really want that bash you’re throwing to be the best one of the year? In that case, maybe a balloon arch would be a cool touch! Balloons might not sound very “hard rock” but they certainly hearken back to the days of 50s rock n’ roll and the Grease era. Check out how this post on Pinterest featured upcycled records intermixed with the balloons for an added decade appropriate touch.
13. Guitar and sheet music party invites
Were you intrigued by the idea of making rock music themed party invites but the little cardboard guitars aren’t quite as fancy as you had in mind? Then maybe you’d prefer something a little more intricate than simple shaped cut outs! We love the way Craft Fairy kept the cut-out idea by creating guitar silhouettes but also added an awesome, undoubtedly musical touch by including sheet music as part of the theme.
14. Rock star fame carpet for kids’ parties
Is the party you’re throwing a kids’ one and you’d like to pull out all the stops to make your little ones feel like total rock stars all night? Then we have a feeling you’ll be pretty into this Hollywood style walk of fame carpet idea from Divine Party Concepts! It might not be a red carpet, since that’s for movie stars, but putting each child’s name on a star will make them feel famous, just like a rock star would at an album premiere party.
15. Rock star sugar cookie icing
Were we describing you well when we said that your DIY talents might fall mostly in the kitchen and the baking departments but cupcakes aren’t exactly you’re specialty because you’re more of a cookie whiz? Then maybe it’s time to start trying our hand at created icing techniques! This tutorial from Cookie decorating shows you how to add fine details on electric guitars and all kinds of rock music inspired shapes.
