Irish Harp Craft

What You Need:

• Sturdy piece of cardboard thin enough to punch holes in
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Gold string
• Hole punch

What You Do:

1. Have your child draw an outline of a harp on the cardboard. Many images of harps are available online if you need one.
2. Cut the harp out, making sure that the width all the way around is wide enough for you to punch holes.
3. Help her punch holes across the top and bottom sections of the harp. Be sure that the holes line up with each other from top to bottom.
4. Now, the harp is ready to be strung! Show her how to thread the string through the top left hole and tie a double knot on the reverse side to secure it.
5. Have her continue threading the string through each of the holes, working her way from top to bottom and left to right until she reaches the very last hole. She will thread the string out the first top hole, in the first bottom hole, out the second bottom hole, in the second top hole, out the third top hole, in the third bottom hole and so on.
6. Ask her to tie a double knot to secure the string at the last hole, and cut the string.
7. If she wants, she can decorate her harp with glitter glue and green accents.

Play Irish harp music as your child works for added inspiration and enjoyment. It's easy to go online and listen to some of the works of great Irish harpists and composers such as Turlough O’Carolan.