Craft & Design

From traditional crafts to modern crafts, we’re covering news and interesting projects to educate you and keep you inspired. Design trends and pop culture related projects are here to inspire.

A Scarf That Loves You Back

A Scarf That Loves You Back

Taptap
Brought to you by the folks at MIT Lab, TapTap is not just a scarf, it’s like a big hug from someone you love. TapTap is a wearable haptic system that can record, broadcast and playback human touch for emotional therapy. Made in two layers of felt, the pink color on the inside contains pockets where up to six actuation circuits mounted on flexible plastic sheets can be placed where ever you want. You can even have a place for your keys and wallet. [via] Link.

MIDISpeak: Speak & Spell MIDI Kit

MIDISpeak: Speak & Spell MIDI Kit

Midispell2Not a bad deal for $49. “MIDISpeak Module – Version 2, The Talking Toy MIDI RetrofitAdds a standard MIDI IN port to your Speak & Spell, Speak & Read, or Speak & Math. Non-English versions also supported. Trigger thousands of sounds–words, word fragments, garbled speech, percussion and bizarre sound effects.” Link. In MAKE 04 we also show you how to build music toys like this. Modify a Casio keyboard (or other electronic audio stuff) and start playing some of the strangest sounds you’ve ever heard.

Cross Stitch Generator

Cross Stitch Generator

Crossstitchapp
Create your own cross stitch projects with your own digital images or photos. Dark Lilac’s counted cross stitch chart generator will calculate a pattern as well as a stitch count and color chart. As long as your uploaded image is scaled to the exact size you want (1 pixel= 1 cross stitch), the final stitch chart will be calculated accordingly. You can also check out the recently uploaded cross stitch charts like this cartoon dog. Link.

HOW TO – Make a gas forge from an old vacuum

HOW TO – Make a gas forge from an old vacuum

RotatorRichard writes “Here’s how to make a gas forge cheap from a large tube and an old hoover vac. See other examples of cast bronze I’ve created with this “flying turtle” forge, also how to create a nail gun from an old fire extinguisher. The techniques and tools illustrated and their application to the handmade object are as valuable to the modern foundryman as they were to his “Holistic” forefathers of the late 1800s.” Lots of plans, how-tos and projects. Link.

DIY his and hers iPods for photo proofing…

DIY his and hers iPods for photo proofing…

78725977 E8E1B1C3D0 MPeter writes: “Here’s a video podcast posted today by professional wedding photographer, Dane Sanders, about using ipods for wedding photo proof albums. He gives the bride and groom his and hers ipods loaded with their wedding photos instead of traditional print album.” This is a pretty good idea! When you get hitched and use a photographer, there are all sorts of huge books you have to lug around–this is a lot better. Link.

HOW TO – The Radio Babylon

HOW TO – The Radio Babylon

Radio Babylon Web“A small wireless battery powered device – Turn it on near a friendly wireless network that contains iTunes shares and plug your headphones in. It picks a random iTunes share, picks a random tune and starts playing. Repeat until bored or the batteries are dead. The size of the system is amazing. The main board is about the size of my little finger. By default it’s running an ssh server, a web server and advertising itself to the network with bonjour.” Link.

Amateur Microscopy

Amateur Microscopy

Aphid 200X Filtered.1You can find these old digital microscopes on eBay for under $20. Here’s a blog that catalogs some of what you can see with them – “Last week, I got myself a toy I’ve wanted to play with for many years — the Intel Play QX3 Digital Microscope. When I was a kid, the old medical microscope my parents bought for me at a garage sale was my favorite toy. I would spend hours putting whatever I could find underneath it… and now, with the digital microscope, I’m doing it again as an adult. I am adding new pictures every day and will continue to do so until I run out of things to look at with the microscope”… [via] Link.