A finished version of the paper craft DJ Turntables, designed by Mara Shaugnessy
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How To Make DJ Turntables With Paper And Glue

By Mara Shaugnessy

Photos supplied by author

Nov 12, 2021

Whether or not your kid becomes king of the tuk tuk sound or a touring EDM DJ, simply engaging a little one with music can be a great source of creativity. 

But when they are really little, a full set of decks may be a bit of a lofty expense. 

That's why I decided to make our own, using paper! 

So, let's get our materials ready and turn on a favourite, inspiring playlist. Because it's time to craft!

What You'll Need

  • cereal box
  • two lids (from a yogurt or sour cream-type container)
  • caps (from things like salad dressings, drink bottles, toothpaste tubes, etc.)
  • split pins
  • construction paper
  • markers
  • glue
  • scissors
  • craft blade
  • scrap cardboard (for cutting on top of)

How It's Made

Start by popping open the cereal box and laying it flat. Your work surface will be the plain, backside of the box.

Finding a large blank area, use your markers to draw doodles all around. If your little ones like to draw, let them take the lead. If they aren't there yet, collaborate: ask them what they'd like to see on top of the turntables.

This part is all about imagination, so find cool colour combinations and add fun details that are important to you and your kids.

Next, have an adult use the craft blade (and a little light pressure) to poke a slit in the centre of two lids. 

Add a bit of scrap cardboard underneath, because this will help to protect your work surface. Just make sure you test the holes to make sure the slits are big enough for the prongs of your split pins to fit through.

Now it's time to make labels for the records.

Cut circles from construction paper and poke a hole through their centers. Label them with your favourite tracks, artists and albums if you like! Put your labels on top of your records and poke the prongs of the split pins through. They should look something like this:

Next step: make knobs for your turntables.

Pool glue in the bottom of a cap. Then drop a split pin into the center of the pool (head downward in the glue, prongs facing upward). Allow for the glue to dry completely. Hot glue is fantastic for this step if you have a hot glue gun.

Now you're going to plan out where you want all of the parts of your turntables. Poke one hole for each record and one hole for each spinning knob you’d like to add. If you want to create a slider, make a long, thin cut for the knob to slide along.

Feed the pins of your turntable parts through to the undecorated side of your box. Pull apart and flatten the prongs to fasten all of your turntable parts in place. Before you lock everything in, flip the box over and test to make sure all of the parts work the way you want them to. Do the records spin smoothly? Can the knobs turn and slide? Adjust so you’ve got everything working the way you like.

Once you’re happy, pop your cereal box back together and glue the sides and the flaps back into place.

Sling a pair of headphones around your neck and crank up your favourite playlist! Now your little ones are ready to scratch, fade, chop and drop the bass in their very own DJ booth.

Article Author Mara Shaughnessy
Mara Shaughnessy

Mara is a children’s book author and illustrator who’s big into scissors and glue, making cake from the box, wrestling with her dogs and doodling with felt tip pens. You can check out her latest work at The Little Monster or craft along with her at Craft University.