Q&A for How to Make Homemade Guitar Picks

You could print out a picture of a pick and it would work as long as you scale it. However, some of the coolest asymmetrical picks come from freehanding it.

As things like CDs or credit cards can be sort of slippery, adding tape to the back will give you some grip and prevent it from slipping out of your hand while playing.

No, it should not, as long as you keep the tape even with the pick. The tape also prevents the pick from hurting your strings.

The best kind of tape to use is duck tape or masking tape. If you choose duck tape, you can find different patterns and colors at dollar stores and art stores.

A good material to make them out of if you have the time and a hand saw/hacksaw is actually old desoldered circuit boards. You'd have to plan out where exactly you want to cut it out at and sand/file the picking edge -- they last about as long as Tortex picks (maybe a week to a week and a half of daily moderate playing). But they turn out really well when done correctly and polishing the plated side makes them really impressive. Just note though that most circuit boards are around 1.5mm - 2.5mm thick and have nearly no flexibility.

If you already have all materials, probably just a couple of minutes. Trace the pick, cut it out (with good scissors), and tape, then you're done. It's a pretty easy method.

Using colored duct tape would be the best idea, although you can try using spray paint. Normal paint may instantly scrape off.

Not really. The pick needs to be made of a strong,and thin material like plastic. Most types of cardboard would start bending after a few minutes of playing. But, if you do have a sturdy piece of cardboard, you could use another pick to draw around onto the cardboard, and then cut it out, or find a pick template online.

A guitar pick doesn't break or bend while you're playing the guitar unless the pick was already broken. Although, you do have the risk of dropping your pick into the sound hole of the guitar.

You can definitely make your own guitar pick. The easiest way is to get a pick punch from a music shop which is basically a hole punch, except the hole is shaped like a guitar pick. Use an old credit card, gift card, or plastic sheet and slide it into the slot at the end of the punch. Squeeze the handle to punch out a perfectly shaped guitar pick. If you don't have a pick punch, draw the outline of a pick and cut it out with a pair of scissors. After you have your pick, rub the sides on sandpaper so they're smooth.

Take an old credit card and use a pen or marker to trace the outline of a guitar pick over the surface. Use a standard pair of scissors to carefully cut the pick out of the plastic. Then, use a nail file or some sandpaper to sand down the sides of the pick so it's comfortable to hold and won't damage your guitar strings.

You might be surprised what you may have lying around that could work as a makeshift guitar pick. A thin coin will work in a pinch if you’re missing a guitar pick. An American quarter, British 2 pence, or Chinese yuan coin will work well. As long as the coin is at least 1 in (2.5 cm) or bigger, you can use the round edges to play your guitar. A large sim card, SD card, or flat memory card can all be used. If you can't find anything else, you can play with an uncut gift card or credit card. Hold the card at an angle so that you’re plucking your strings with the rounded corner. It may be a little awkward to hold, but you’ll be able to play just fine.

It probably could, but it would be a bit flimsy. It would work best as a thinner pick for strumming.

You totally can, but if it is a thicker button, it might not sound great, and could potentially damage the thinner strings. A smaller button might fall out of your hand easily too.