23 Editors’ Choice Winners from the World Maker Faire in New York

At every Maker Faire, it is the joy of the Make: staff to hand out ribbons for our favorite things. These are the projects that really stand out, they always have a crowd around them. It is an honor to win a blue ribbon and any Maker that does should display it proudly. We have blue ribbons for “Editor’s Pick” and red ribbons for “Excellence in Education.”

There’s no specific criteria to earn a ribbon. Editors just watch and see who is popular with the crowd, and who is showing off impressive things. It’s a gut feeling, though sometimes the decision is made easy by the gasps of awe and wonder of those walking by.

From all of the staff, there are many ribbons awarded. Some booths get multiple ribbons, having earned them from multiple members of the Make: family.

Here is a collection, just a few of the lucky recipients, to show off the variety and diversity in who gets chosen.

These 3D printed toys are always a hit. Not only are they well designed for 3D printing, they’re full of personality and life.

Skittering too and fro, these little monsters are a fantastic mix of papercraft and radio controlled toy.

Simple and complex at the same time, making a cardboard pinball looks almost as fun as playing one!

Education on the go, the bio bus is a roving lab providing the perfect atmosphere for learning.

Who needs humans in race cars? Not this team. Their autonomous racer was a huge hit in the power racing series.

A driveable example of a fuel cell vehicle, built by high schoolers.

A resounding success, the Gamelatron was widely sought out as a “secret” chill out spot.

Building with cardboard may very well be one of the most important lessons any maker can learn. The New York Hall Of Science provided the tools, the makers provided the results.

When you give a group of highschoolers a VW, they give you back an electric car.

Drums and horns were pumping around the Faire thanks to Honk NYC, a street band group out of New York.

Display the status of anything from lights embedded in your clothing.

Fantastic science lessons full of energy and fun.

Snap a picture of a circuit on your desk and simulate and troubleshoot on your phone.

This life sized mechanical wonder simulates the galloping motion of a horse.

A cacophony of sound and wires, this musical contraption was belting out music non-stop.

Googly-eyed cardboard dinosaurs are always welcome at Maker Faire!

Quiet and easily overlooked on its own, this bot leaves a message made of sand behind as it goes. The message was poetic and beautiful, even as the sand was scattered in the wind.

Measuring brainwaves and having fun.

Tools aren’t only for work, strap them on some wheels and have some fun!

Light and fabric play on these wonderful hand made creations.

The things around us are made of parts. As those parts get old, making them into art might just be better than putting them in the landfill.

Learn about Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math in the STEAM wagon.

Mechanical junk surrounds us. Rip apart that old VCR and find all the parts you need for an animatronic puppet.