Thoughts, tips, and musings from readers like you.Page 06

How a maker-made connected home is both a blessing and a curse.Page 08

Backyard builds from around the globe.Page 10

Expert cosplayers share their tips, tools, and ingenuity to inspire you to get started.Page 16

The math and magic of muqarnas. Page 20

Rebel Nell’s upcycled graffiti jewelry offers women career opportunity and financial independence.Page 24

Contribute your saga and collaborate on solutions in the Maker Share online community. Page 26

Innovative projects from around the community show how we’re reinventing our living spaces. Page 30

Casa Jasmina in Turin, Italy explores the meaning of the maker home of the future.Page 36

Conceived as transitional emergency dwellings, anyone with hand router access can build a flat-pack Shelter 2.0. Page 38

How I customized a Tuff Shed into a solar-powered workspace. Page 40

DIY your living space from the ground up. Page 42

Speech recognition for Arduino has arrived — and it could change the meaning of a smart home.Page 44

A hidden capacitive touch switch allows only those in the know to open it. Page 46

Keep an eye on your network’s sign-ons to spot unwelcome intrusions with this oversized counter. Page 50

Put this light-up NeoPixel map on your wall to see if the traffic to your destination is green, yellow, or red.Page 52

Build a smart waterer that fertilizes your plants and more with Puck.js. Page 54

Make your own magnetic levitating planter (or whatever floats your boat).Page 56

The story behind building a low-cost, DIY thermal imager kit. Page 58

An embedded microcontroller lets you customize this fully articulated LED lamp. Page 62

Prank your friends by hiding this cheap and easy chirping, blinking throwie.Page 66

Build a swinging art table for uniquely hypnotic drawings.Page 68

Make an art bot that’s mysteriously motivated by random numbers. Page 71

Demonstrate the first law of thermodynamics with an aluminum tube and a magnet.Page 74

Craft your own from polarizing film and locate the sun on overcast days.Page 78

Make this origami frog’s LED eyes glow and then launch it into the air.Page 80

With the power of JavaScript and interaction with microcontrollers, coding app MakeCode is fast, easy, and flexible.Page 82

Save time and eliminate errors with these two command line tricks.Page 86

Check out reviews for the L-Cheapo Laser Engraver kit for 3D printers, the Kano Pixel Kit, the Maker Muscle linear actuator, and more. Page 88

This low-cost, build-it-yourself machine doesn’t sacrifice features.Page 92

Check out these custom cribs that let our furry friends live in style.Page 96