How to Decorate a New Musical Instrument for Circuit Bending

Circuit bending takes a lot of skill and a few basic tools, plus a clean, heat-resistant work area so you can work safely. Find a few electronic toys and start your circuit bending project, then decide how to decorate your new instrument.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Double check that the circuit bending work is complete and secured the way you want it to be. This should include making sure things are secure, the case is back on, the screws are tight and the internal components are reinstalled the way you desire them to be.

2. Be creative. There are no rules surrounding how to decorate your new instrument. Think of the new sounds it makes and see what inspires you from that sound. It could be certain words, colors or shapes. Once you have a list of what you want to put on the toy, look at the decoration the toy already has to see how they will meld together.

3. Decide on the materials you want to use to decorate your new instrument. This also has no guidelines, so whatever works for you is perfect. If you are into textures, consider different fabrics with the shapes and colors you decided on. Use magazine cut-outs for the words you chose.

4. Affix your decorations to your new toy instrument with glue. It is important to use a glue that will not run or get into the buttons of the instrument. You could use different types of glue such as a glue stick for paper or other light objects and a glue gun for heavier objects. Just be sure to be safe with the glue gun to prevent injury to yourself or the toy.