2024 was quite a year. There were Maker Faires across the globe, we covered 77 new boards in our last guide, and published 137 projects in Make: magazine. So now seems like a good time to look back at some of our favorite projects. If you had time to build one, let us know! We’d love to hear if they inspired you to start something of your own. And if this is the first time you’re seeing any of these projects, congratulations! You have some fun adventures ahead.
Build a Bot Cuddly Edition
Debra Ansell built a number of cuddly companion bots. And if you like your robots squishy and your plushies animated, building Rosie the Radiant Rodent from Make: Volume 88 might be your next project in 2025. It makes a unique but wonderful gift for next holiday season too.
DIY Graffiti Projector
If your 2024 was a lot, you might already be planning plenty of outdoor activities in the year ahead. If so, check out this DIY Graffiti projector in Make: Volume 88 by Claire Danielle Cassidy. It’s cheap, compact, and appropriate for ephemerally shouting your thoughts from a building
Build a DIY Retro Arcade!
Make a statement, kick up the nostalgia, and blow up some aliens with a custom arcade cabinet from Make: Volume 89. The most popular retro gaming project for a reason (ok, lots of reasons): it’s a great way to cut your teeth on woodworking, get some use out of an older mini computer, and impress the neighbors. With endless combinations of styles, controller layouts, and graphics, you can build a machine both reminiscent of the big-budget games and completely your own.
Electromagnetic Symphony
Every second, we swim in a sea of invisible phenomena and don’t even notice it. Maybe you’ve wondered what it would be like to morph into a bee and see the world with ultraviolet light, or a sea turtle and feel magnetism. The EMF Symphony circuit pipes the ever-playing orchestra of electronic medleys into your ears and gives you a glimpse of what you’re missing. Also, it’s fun to wave it around and make a bunch of “woop woop!” sounds. You can get one as a kit, a pre-assembled board, or build an EMF badge from scratch.
Make a Tortilla Press
Somedays you need a break from programming and PCBs. When it’s cold out and you need something homemade and warm, what better to turn to than a well-made traditional tortilla press? This humble kitchen tool from Make: Volume 90 was made from scrap wood, but will last ages.
Hey, Robot!
Companion bots are crawling out of imaginations and into the real world. Small dev boards are getting faster, AI models are doing more with less, and we’re right on the edge of walking around with wearable robots making clever conversation. Odd Jay and Shawn Hymel explore the limits of what you can build right now, and we have detailed instructions so you can make your own responsive robot friend. Jorvon presented the result this year at Maker Faire Bay Area. We can only guess what’s coming next.
These were a few of our favorites, but far from the only projects in Make: this year. Volume 91 alone had a real retractable lightsaber, the beauty of math, how to detect spying bugs; and taught readers how to make a battery out of the beverage your thirst craves, 3D print sparkly mirror fabrics, build an autotuned kazoo, build a ski chalet birdhouse, and more. Plus the full 2025 Boards Guide with 77 new boards. If you want to read all about those, you’ll have to support Make: and pick up your (print or digital) copy of the magazine.
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