Prepare the space adequately to guarantee that it is as dark as possible and that there will be few vibrations to interfere with the image-recording process.
Place the mouse pad on a thick, sturdy table in the dark room. Prepare your guitar model by placing it on a clear stand or propping it against something on the side of the object that will not face the holographic paper. Arrange the guitar the way you want the final holographic image to appear.
Prepare your diode laser by inserting it into a clothespin, then pinning it to a Styrofoam cup full of sand. Position the cup so that it is about 30 cm away from the guitar and mouse pad, with the laser facing the guitar.
Turn the laser on and adjust the lens so that the beam of light fully covers the guitar in an elliptical shape.
Place a thick book between the laser and the guitar model. This will allow you to control how long the holographic photo plate is exposed to the laser light.
Remove a holographic photo plate from its sleeve and place it against the guitar object, on the same side as the diode laser. Wait about 30 seconds for the plate to settle.
Lift the book off the table slightly while still allowing it to fully block the laser light. Wait about 30 seconds to guarantee that no vibrations are shaking the table, then lift the book completely away, exposing the plate to the laser.
Expose the plate to the laser for the time specified by the hologram kit instructions then place the book back on the table so that it blocks the laser light again.
Process the photo plate in the dark, according to the holographic kit's instructions. Most holographic kits have a simple five-step developing process, in which you dip the plate in developer, rinse it in water, dip it in bleach, rinse it in water again, then allow it to dry vertically. Some hologram kits do not need to be processed as the hologram can be viewed immediately after exposure.