Mod your leaf blower by attaching a vacuum hose and use it as a party prop creator. Make a foam party or a confetti cannon to excite your guests. You can also make a sky guy, the creature that gets your attention at every intersection with its crazy blowing arms!
Sometimes, it takes more than just a sponge and some water to clean your car. Sometimes, it takes a foam gun. This instructional video will show you how to properly use a foam gun to clean your car. Use a foam gun to clean your car. Click through to watch this video on paintca ...more
This guy is serious about home made dart guns. He's got some cool ones on here.
Poke, jab, and stab your opponent without taking out an eye. You Will Need * 1/2-inch PVC pipe * A hacksaw * Measuring tape * Sandpaper * Gray duct tape * A swim noodle * A razor blade * 100% silicon caulk * A caulk gun * Open cell foam * Electrical tape * Cellophane (optional ...more
Wonder Woman has always been a Halloween and cosplay staple. It's a costume that's both dependable and stylish — just like the Amazon who wears it. This year's reprise with Gal Gadot offers a fresh take on the old standby, with more muted colors, a tougher demeanor, and a deci ...more
Airsoft doesn't get any better than a cloud chamber BB machine gun, aka Cloud BBMG. This design has an incredible rate of fire. If you've got a full charge of compressed air, it can easily fire more than 50 rounds per second at a 350 ft/s muzzle velocity. Since this is a legit ...more
Using guns in your independent films is risky business, and expensive to boot. Since you probably don't need to actually shoot anything, you can probably get by with a replica prop gun. If you're gonna do that, why not make it yourself? This video will show you how to make a r ...more
Make your own armor with a weathered look out of Sintra (or expanded PVC foam). You'll need a heat gun, a padded cushion, paper towels, rub'n'buff in silver leaf, a knife, a marking pencil, water and a can of spray primer. Trace your piece onto the Sintra, then use the heat gu ...more
Want more firepower for your Nerf guns? Here's an instructional video that shows a simple mod to make your foam darts fly! Increase their range by 25%. Watch this video tutorial and improve your game playing, but please, use caution!
Eyeballs are spooky any time of the year, not just at Halloween. Whether they're on a necklace chain as evil eye pendants or simply being displayed as diagrams at the optomotrist's office, they're inherently creepy. Which is why they're so perfect for adding to your spooky Ha ...more
Grace Bonney shows us an easy way to create an upholstered headboard for your bed. Using a low-end easy budget, you will be able to create a elegant looking headboard using wood, foam, batting, fabric, scissors, a utility knife, a staple gun, and flush mounts. After cutting ou ...more
Warning: this video does not demonstrate the actual instructions for making this spooky Halloween LED light up pumpkin that blasts a truck horn. Check out http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/10/howto_tuesday_scariest_pu.html for more information and a complete build process. ...more
If you're in the mood to make a horror movie, complete with creepy creatures and all, then you could make your dreams come true. Just check out this video tutorial on how to make a creature puppet that bites and wags when held. You can make this mechanism using string, craft w ...more
It's always a party when Sock Puppy is around. Dig into your sock drawer to create a cuddly new pal with puppeteer John Kennedy and his pal Tabitha in this how-to video. It's so fun and easy you can create a litter of sock puppies in no time! You will need a tube sock, a 3 1/2 ...more
When it comes to winter weather, the garage should not be neglected, especially if you have a room directly above it. Neglecting to properly insulate and seal your garage doors will create a constant rush of cold air inside, making the garage really cold, in turn making the fl ...more
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to prevent frozen pipes. Steps: 1. Seal air-leaking holes and cracks around home with expanding foam sealant or silicone caulk. 2. Use foam-rubber pipe insulation to protect exposed pipes from cold. 3. Slip foam-rubber insulat ...more
By using LEDs that only put out a little light the eyes can be lit in dim room light but still appear white, the moment the eyes are in shadow they glow bright red. Watch this video tutorial to see how to make glowing LED creature costume eyes for your film or costume project. ...more
Another media player bites the dust. First, we saw the extinction of the phonograph and gramophone. Then came the fall of eight-track tapes. Even modern record players became more and more obsolete, with DJs switching over to the world of digital music. And today— the end of c ...more
See how to mod your Nerf gun's darts to be a little more painful than they should be. Those darts could either be just the foam they are, or the foam and pushpin they could be. Warning: Do not shoot these darts at any living thing! It's dangerous and could hurt somebody.
To make roman columns, ideal to create space between door and living room. Materials required : Two 10 pound bags of kitty litter, Four small building forms with 8-inch diameter, one large building form with 10 inch diameter, insulation foam, Queen size bed sheet, duct tape, ...more
Having a 1/16-inch unsealed crack around a window is like leaving that window open 3 inches. Decrease your heating bill and your energy use by sealing up air leaks. You will need caulk cartridges, a caulking gun, a putty knife, weather stripping and optional: expanding foam se ...more
Teach your child how to tie shoelaces, and have fun at the same time! You can make a pair of paper shoes with laces by using recycled cardboard, foam leaves, a glue gun, a hole punch, scissors and, of course, a pair of shoelaces!
Are you looking to be a super hero this Halloween? Try dressing up as Thor from this year's hit movie. This tutorial will show you how to make a Thor costume, complete with Thor's axe. You'll need a hot glue gun and a little bit of foam.
Watch this video for instructions on making the Yukki Cross Artemis scythe from the anime / manga Vampire Knight. Supply list: 4 foam board pieces (dimensions 32 x 40 x 3/16 in) paper mache hot glue gun wooden pole approx 5 feet tall craft bond spray paint paint brushes acryl ...more
Serve your rolls and bread sticks in style! Take a basket and turn it into a Thanksgiving-themed breadbasket. You will need a basket, a glue gun, googly eyes, food safe skewers, a wooden spoon, scissors, colored construction paper and a block of florist foam. Video: .
Turn a left over wooden block into a sailboat! To make this craft, you'll need four rectangular wooden blocks and one triangle, three foam leaves, a BBQ or bamboo skewer, glue or a glue gun and scissors (and paint, if you want to paint your blocks a different color).
Here's another fun summertime craft for your budding engineer - make a spinning paper pinwheel or fan! You'll need a C-battery, a toy motor, two soda caps, a popsicle stick, foil paper, copper wire, a small sheet of foam, a sharp pencil, a hot glue gun and some safety scissors.
Whether you want to commemorate a special event or just keep the dust off mementos, a shadow box is a great way to show off your treasures. Watch this howcast video to learn how to decorate a shadow box. You will need: items to display a shadow box scissors fabric or decorativ ...more
Making a prop for a science fiction movie? This how-to video dives step by step guidance on how to build a super cool, futuristic, sci-fi, cryo containment chamber. You will need a cylindrical object, craft foam or sytrofoam, a hot glue gun, plaster of Paris, aquarium line tub ...more
This instructional video demonstrates how to make a Muppet style puppet. You will need markers, scissors, tape, a hot glue gun, spray paint, spare fabric and foam, and two ping pong balls for the eyes. Make a Muppet. Click through to watch this video on youtube.com
In this article, I'll show you how to make a portable prank stun-baton. Powered by static electricity, simply charge up the baton, and discharge it for a static surprise. The concept behind this device ties in with Leyden jars, and their tendencies to retain static electricity ...more
This tutorial is a great guide on how you can make a set of safe, foam-tipped arrows. You'll need to start with some hobby arrows, metal washers, wall anchors, a small NERF football, a hot glue gun, glue sticks, measuring tape and a foam golf ball or blue camping foam. Part 1 ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to use foam to make diorama terrain. Foam will make a realistic diorama because it comes in so many different shapes and sizes. You can buy this from hobby shops and even online. To put these together, you will simply use some wood glue. You can ...more
In this video, we learn how to build a magnetic stirring device. First you will need: a block of 1 inch thick Styrofoam, a piece of cardboard, 2 magnets, a small electric motor, a piece of non-magnetic metal, a hot glue gun, and a soldering iron. First, draw the shape of your ...more
In this video, we learn how to craft a magnet boat with kids. You will need: a paper clip, a small triangle piece of foam, 1 magnet, 1 recycled stick, 1 recycled popsicle stick 1 bead, and a hot glue gun. First, attach the toothpick to the bead, then glue the triangle to the t ...more
This video demonstrates how to make paper flowers. She lays a silicone mat on the table. She shows how to use distress inks by stamping some red and yellow ink onto the mat, sprays water onto the mat with a mister, and lays punched-out paper flowers into the wet ink. She turns ...more
Unfortunately, no one seems to have, or willing to share, the science of making a real teleportation chamber. That doesn't mean you can't make a prop one though. Parker put together this video to show us how. You will need foam core poster board, a hot glue gun, duct tape, a p ...more
This week, I've been working on a project that sort of takes a spin off an old-style potato gun. Using PVC pipe and the rapid combustion of hairspray, we can launch a rocket hundreds of feet into the sky. As usual for my projects, I tried to use only materials and parts that a ...more
This video shows you how to dry-mount a painting done on rice paper with silicone release paper. This method is to transfer the silicon adhesive film to the backing material first, then take the release paper off and mount the painting on. Artist, Henry Li gives you everything ...more
Handmade cards with rubber stamps can be made easily with the following instructions. First, fold a sheet of cardstock in half horizontally or vertically, whichever way you prefer to make your card. Then, trim around the edges with scrapbooking scissors to create a design, or ...more
There's still about eight months before the final chapter in the Mass Effect series comes out, but some trigger happy fans are already building replica costumes and prop weapons to celebrate the upcoming release. BioWare themselves recently commissioned some of these projects, ...more
Store-bought fake blood isn't too expensive, but the consistency and color are always the same. Real blood varies, from bright red when oxygenated (arterial blood) to deep, dark red when deoxygenated (venous blood), and it can be either thick or thin. So to achieve the best sp ...more
I have an absolutely wonderful time making projects and writing articles for all of you mad scientists! Today, I will bring you behind the scenes for a look at the workbench, tools, and software that make the Mad Science World possible. Above is my beautiful workbench! My who ...more
This tutorial teaches you how to make a headboard from an old closet door and a red recycled curtain fabric. You will need a closet door or plywood cut to size, batting, fabric, a staple gun, foam, scissors, a circular saw, and an exacto knife. Watch this how to video and you ...more
In this mask making tutorial video, learn how to make a fur suit skeleton of a mask using simple materials such as plastic canvas, a hot glue gun, scissors, hard paper, white foam, and fasteners. This video is great for beginners who want to learn the craft of creating a fur s ...more
In this two part video artist, Henry Li, shows you how to make rice paper shikishi board yourself for watercolor painting. You'll learn and quick and easy way to create your own material to eventually paint with watercolor. This is a great tutorial for all artist maybe looking ...more
There's no doubt going to be a lot of Steves running around this Halloween, as Minecraft still has a huge community, but those posers are probably just buying their Minecraft costumes. Isn't the best part about Minecraft creating? So why let someone else create your costume? ...more
Store bought Nerf guns don't always achieve the velocity necessary for an effective assault. Zach Scott's solution: mod the toy. Known for his fantastic cat videos, Zach claims this hack increases trajectory by at least 25%! Every bit counts when you're in an all out foam war ...more
Kylo Ren, conflicted villain of the new Star Wars trilogy, will surely be a major presence again this Halloween, with The Last Jedi fast approaching. His costume, all black and layered, complete with dark-side helmet and crossguard lightsaber, seems quite perfect for Oct. 31 — ...more
You can bet Thor costumes will be prominent among the superheroes seen this Oct. 31. Since the summer, there has been no shortage of coverage for Thor: Ragnarok, and the timing of its November release couldn't be better as a tie-in with the cosplaying holiday known as Hallowee ...more
More than a year after Harley Quinn made her splash in the summer of 2016, her popularity has not waned one bit. According to Google Trends, the Harley Quinn costume remains ever popular, trailing only Wonder Woman in searches. These two DC Comics characters provide a powerful ...more
Forget those boring evergreen wreaths with the thick red ribbon and the pine cones that everyone else has hanging in their homes. Make your own DIY upcycled wreath using newspaper, paper shopping bags, cardboard coffee cup sleeves, toilet paper tubes, or even that trashy paper ...more
This year's biggest film certainly didn't come as a surprise: with another incredible comic book creation, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy wowed audiences more than any other movie. With its unique team of heroes, Guardians provided a set of ready-made Halloween costumes. Al ...more
If you need a Halloween costume posthaste, you really can't go wrong with a LEGO man costume. And one made from cardboard that is fully functional, well, you'll probably win the "Best Costume" contest hands down. Not only will this mecha-esque costume wow everyone you meet, bu ...more
The Dark Knight Rises. The Amazing Spider-Man. The Avengers. Halloween is a few weeks away and all we're going to see are these same ol' superhero costumes. It's like that every year, due to the immense popularity of comic book films by DC and Marvel. So, if you want to skip ...more
Back in 2007, YouTube user HouseholdHacker posted a parody video on how to make a high-def speaker for under a buck. MythBusters took on the challenge and busted it. Although that particular method doesn't seem to work, that doesn't mean you can't make your own speaker for le ...more
Say whatever you want, but Steampunk is primarily a maker culture. Consider that Steampunk has existed since the 1960s and yet more or less languished in obscurity until approximately 2005, which is when it made the leap to costuming. That costuming was what provided the leap ...more