Hot glue gun

Fireball Shooter

Fireball Shooter

A stalwart of close-quarter magicians for years, the electronic flash gun is a simple device: a battery-powered, hand-held ignitor that uses a “glo-plug” to light a bit of flash paper and cotton, shooting a fireball a few feet into the air. You can buy one from most magic shops for around $50, but if you […]

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Simple, Cheap, Multi-Channel, Sound-Reactive EL Wire

Simple, Cheap, Multi-Channel, Sound-Reactive EL Wire

Most EL wire displays are static, because they use an inverter that simply turns the EL wire on (i.e. constant-on). Sound-reactive inverters are available, but most of these are only “single channel”, so the wires are either all on or all off. To really make your display dynamic you need an inverter with multiple output […]

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Luminch One

Luminch One

Luminch One is an interactive lamp controlled by the movements of your hand. Wave your hand over it to turn it on or off, or move your hand up or down above it to change its brightness. Inside the lamp, an Arduino hooked to an infrared distance sensor tracks your hand and sets the state […]

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Crafty Barrettes

Crafty Barrettes

Are you a fabric hoarder? As a way to use some of my mountains of fabulous tiny scraps, I made these fabric-and-button barrettes. They’re fun, easy, and great for using little stashed vintage textile treasures and lonely buttons. You can make them in coordinating pairs or fun singles.

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