High-Power Sugar Rocket
The humble beginnings of a wicked DIY rocket.
Fun & Games
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.
Maker Camp: Day 2
Day 2 of Maker Camp continues with the theme of “makers in motion.” We have a couple airborne projects today for different maker skill levels. The first project is an Easy Balloon Blimp that costs about a dollar to build. Or for something a little more advanced, you can try the Folding Wing Glider which goes up like a rocket, deploys wings, and then glides gently to the ground.
Maker Faire Kansas City: Power Racing Series
As usual, the PPPRS looks like a lot of fun! The world’s only $500 electric motorsport finished its second round of the season in Maker Faire Kansas City! We competed on June 29-30 at the Kansas City Union Station. Here are just some of the thrills and spills that went down. I’d like to thank […]
How-To: Build a Ball Pit on Your Porch
Maker Kevin James Hunt writes, “A lot of people have asked me ‘Why would you, as an adult, want to own a ball pit?’ There’s something about a ball pit that just screams PURE FUN. You cant sit in a ball pit and not smile. I have spent a large portion of my summer in my balcony ball pit, and I could go on about stress-relieving effects, or about ‘deciding what ‘being an adult’ means in the 21st century,’ or even about how this is probably something you dreamed about as a child/teenager/college student, but really, it’s a ball pit on a balcony. How does that NOT sound awesome?”
Bringing Makey the Robot to Life
Award-winning comic artist Shannon Wheeler joins MAKE.
Making Fun | Sneetches: Putting Stars Upon Thars
In Dr. Seuss’s story about the Sneetches, birds with plain bellies are shunned by birds with stars on their bellies. A stranger comes to town and offers the “plain-bellies” a chance to be just like the “star-bellies” by taking a trip through his Star-On Machine. The newly-starred Sneetches are then happy, but the naturally-starred Sneetches are mad that they lost their elite status. The stranger produces a Star-Off Machine and the naturally-starred Sneetches have their stars removed, but then are followed by the newly-starred. All the Sneetches make multiple trips through both machines until they have spent all their money and none of the Sneetches can remember who was previously a star-belly and who was previously a plain-belly. The stranger packs his machines and drives off with all the Sneetches’ money. The Sneetches, not remembering each other’s status, stop worrying about stars and begin to all come together in a society free of discrimination. Inspired by this terrific story, I decided to make the Sneetches and their machines for my young boys.
How-To: Magical Kaleidoscope
After the fireworks are over you can keep the dazzling, colorful displays coming with this DIY Magical Kaleidoscope from Clare at the Etsy blog.
