7 Cool Ways to Make Your Own Amazingly Creative Ukulele

So you want to know how to make a ukulele? Whether you’re feeling crafty on a rainy day, or you’re ready to set aside some serious build time, you can find a DIY ukulele project that’s right for you!

1. Cigar Box Ukulele

This tutorial shows how to make an electric tenor ukulele using a cigar box and a few ukulele parts purchased online. Even with these simple components, you can fashion an instrument with a unique look and a great sound. Some of music’s greats, including legends like B.B. King and Carl Perkins, learned to play on cigar box instruments. Channel some of their genius with this cigar box uke.

2. Panjolele

This “panjolele” is made using a cake pan, a few ukulele parts, and some other supplies you can get at your local hardware store. The roundness of the cake pan gives it the look of a banjo, but it still has the tuning and feel of a ukulele. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you might even experiment with using a different shaped pan.

3. Cardboard Ukulele

If you’ve got a good pile of sturdy cardboard, a few small wooden parts, and a set of ukulele strings, you can put together a cardboard ukulele of your very own. This cardboard instrument is especially easy to paint and very light. Because it’s so easily customizable, this is a great DIY ukulele project whether you want to play the instrument or just hang it in your home as a decoration.

4. Laundry Detergent Bottle Ukulele

The creator of this unique recyclable ukulele made it with his small daughter in mind. The resulting design is a durable instrument that little hands can have tons of fun playing with (and dropping).  With just an empty detergent bottle and a handful of supplies from the hardware store, you can make a uke of your own.