Hot Hobbies & Toys Posts
How To: Make shingles for a Tudor style roof on a dollhouse
There are many different styles of dollhouses out there, and they are all beautiful. In this tutorial, learn how to make shingles and put the finishing touches on a Tudor style house. There is a great sense of accomplishment when you make one of these classic toys from scratch. This video will take you step by step through the shingles, and you will have a fantastic toy or collectible in no time.
How To: Shape trucks for fingerboards
Fingerboards are popular miniature skateboards available all over the globe. The parts are pre-made by various manufacturers, but you can modify the parts yourself. In this video, you'll learn how to shape fingerboard trucks using basic tools.
How To: Build a dragon kite with a gold tail with your kids
This awesome kite has a long tail just like a dragon and is traditionally flown to celebrate the Chinese New Year! Watch this instructional how to video to learn how to make a dragon shaped kite. Have fun creating your kite with an adult helper. For this project you will need: rib-stop nylon, bamboo dowels, cloth tape, pencil, scissors, and gold tinsel.
How To: Make an easy volcano
This project shows you how to make a great working volcano using posterboard rather than paper-mache or plaster. It's easier, faster, and perfect for younger children. The volcano takes a half hour and is ready to be decorated, painted, and then erupted!
How To: Take apart a laser pointer
Have you ever had a combination of extreme boredom and an unrelenting curiosity? If so one thing you may have attempted to do is to take apart or "de-engineer" a common office laser pointer. In this online video we are shown how to take apart a cheap laser pointer. It should be noted if you are going to attempt to do this you should only try it on a laser pointer that is inexpensive so your loss will not be great if you should make an error.
How To: Remove and install tires on a remote controlled car
If you call yourself a hobbyist or a kid at heart, you know that remote-controlled vehicles are more than just fun. If you're a serious R/C man, you'll know all about doing everything to your model truck or car, like fixing wheels, vamping the pinion gears, waterproofing, troubleshooting, electronic diagnostics, setting up, programming and finally... racing. As much as you know about these remote-controlled vehicles, it will never be enough, you'll always be looking for more...
How To: Replace the motor and pinion gears in a Power Wheels
So, your children have the same old boring Fisher-Price Power Wheels that all the other kids on the block have. Do you really want your child to be like all of the rest? No, I didn't think so. Turn those miniature Power Wheels, Dumar or Peg Perego vehicles into a little bit of realism, if you can handle it. All it takes is a little modification and you'll be wishing you were five again. With a few simple hacks, your son and daughter will be burning rubber, jumping curbs and burying those othe...
How To: Install a 2-speed differential gear box in a RC buggy
In this how-to video, you will learn how to put back a 2 speed central gearbox in your RC vehicle. Take the time to clean your car. Remember that the shorter dog bone goes to the rear and the longer one goes to the front. Slide the dog bone in and make sure that it spins the wheels. Now, raise the dog bones and slide them into the drive cuffs of the central transmission. Once this is done, check by moving the tires to see if the gears are moving. Make sure the box fits into the place provided...
How To: Blow a bubble with bubble gum
Blowing bubbles isn't just a way to waste time at the bus stop… It's an art form! In this tutorial, you'll learn how to blow bubbles that will dazzle your friends. There are also various examples of people blowing bubbles, to show you how it's done.
How To: Make a rubber band gun with legos
Need a new rubber band weapon? This video will teach you how to make a lego rapidfire rubber band gun! With this rapid fire gun you can fight crime as well as cats. Make a rubber band gun with legos.
How To: Make a game terrain diorama for Warhammer 40K
Game terrain dioramas are an essential playing field for miniature war games, like Warhammer 40K or Lord of the Rings games. While these terrains can be purchased ready-made, make your own to get the exact look desired. Watch this hobby how-to video and learn how to build a game terrain diorama for Warhammer 40K.
How To: Make a simple volcano project experiment
Vinegar and baking soda (and red food coloring if you're going all out) combine to make quite the little explosion. After you've made a little paper volcano, watch this video tutorial and learn how to carry out a really easy science experiment. You've probably made a volcano before, but you're never to old to make a mess in the name of "science."
How To: Make a dough craft doll
Learn how to make your own dough craft dolls by watching this video. Part 1 of 7 - How to Make a dough craft doll.
How To: Make a simple fully automatic rubber band gun
This is an instructional video showing how to build, load and fire the "Simple Fully Automatic Rubber Band Gun 2 (wooden)".
How To: Make a scare box
This video tutorial provides step by step instruction on how to make a scare box. It's a simple wooden box with a creepy surprise inside. When someone opens it up, a spider or something else scary jumps out onto them. You will need plywood, wooden dowels, and the spider or whatever else you're using to do the scaring. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to build a scare box.
How To: Make a Balloon-Powered Paper Plate Racer
With a little spare time and and a few items you can find around the house, you can make your own balloon-powered paper car. This is a great and easy DIY project that's perfect for competitive kids. All you'll need to get started is:
How To: Make a simple balloon cat
Learn how to make a simple balloon cat in a few twists of a balloon in this free ballooning tutorial. For cat lovers and children of all ages - This balloon creation is sure to please. Your Balloon Man, Mr. Fudge, is full of balloon tricks! Be sure to find other balloon videos on WonderHowTo from Mr. Fudge teaching everything from animals to planes! In a few twists and a few ties, you'll be an expert balloon artist in no time!
How To: Remove Power Wheels brakes for coasting down the road
So, your children have the same old boring Fisher-Price Power Wheels that all the other kids on the block have. Do you really want your child to be like all of the rest? No, I didn't think so. Turn those miniature Power Wheels, Dumar or Peg Perego vehicles into a little bit of realism, if you can handle it. All it takes is a little modification and you'll be wishing you were five again. With a few simple hacks, your son and daughter will be burning rubber, jumping curbs and burying those othe...
How To: Make salt dough for crafting
Salt dough can be used like clay for craft. This video demonstrates how to make salt dough. The ingredients required to make salt dough are a cup of salt, two cups of flour, a cup of water and food coloring. Make sure to cover your working surface with old newspaper and use a painting apron as this can get messy. Add the salt and flour in a bowl and mix with a spoon. Then measure one cup of water and add quite a good amount of food color to get the desired color and mix it into the salt-flour...
How To: Model grass for miniature dioramas and game terrain
Here's how to place grass into your diorama scenery. These tactics may be familiar to model train builders, but there are endless fibers that can create texture for miniature landscapes. Make grass for dioramas, Warhammer, architectural models and other miniatures.
How To: Remove money from the cash box in a slot machine
If you have a casino, or maybe just a single slot machine, chances are you're making money. But how do you actually get the money from the slot? All of that cash will sit in there for ages if you don't retrieve it, and it could cause a malfunction if not removed in a timely manner, because of getting too full. This video will show you how to remove money earned from the cash box in a casino slot machine. There's two ways to access the cash box in a IGT S+ model slot machine, so check them bot...
How To: Build hot air balloon out of a garbage bag
This is a simple and easy tutorial, and anybody can build a hot air balloon out of a garbage bag by following the instructions in it. All one needs is a garbage bag, some stiff industrial wire and fire starter bars. The important thing, according to the author, is to judge how many fire starter bars will be required to make the balloon rise without melting its plastic body. First, two long wires are twisted together in the middle to make an 'X'. A smaller wire is twisted onto the middle of th...
How To: Build an expert level Bermuda kite with your kids
In Bermuda, people celebrate holidays and special occasions by creating and flying colorful kites! Now you can join in the fun and learn how to build this traditional kite.
How To: Make a Lego balisong butterfly knife
Balisong knives, or butterfly knives, are folding pocket knifes with two handles that can counter rotate. People love performing tricks with them because of the balisong butterfly knife's flipping ability. Since knives aren't toys, make your balisong butterfly knife out of Legos. You still might hurt yourself, but not as badly as with the real thing. Learn how to build a Lego balisong butterfly knife by watching this video tutorial.
How To: Make a really good paper airplane
This video shows you how to make a very good paper airplane, that will fly in the air for about 10 seconds before it falls. Start by folding your paper in half length-wise, and then at one end fold triangles from the corners into the middle. Then flip your paper over, and fold the same corners in again, so that your paper looks like a taller point. Take the last 3 inches of the point and bend it into the middle of the paper, creating an X out of the folds. Then fold it all in half so that you...
How To: Build a "pop-pop" or "putt-putt" steam engine boat
This extensive video series is all about making your own simple steam engine and boat, which is known variously as the "putt-putt" or "pop-pop" boat. Science Toy Maker gives the full details on making your own homemade steam engine model boat, which is similar to the one seen in the move "Ponyo".
News: World's Largest RC Model Airplane
Built by three Belgian guys, this bad boy holds the Guinness Book of World Records for largest RC plane. It has a span of 8.9m, 4 X 160cc engine, it weighs 210 kg and is built on a scale of 1/5 of the B29.
How To: Make a homemade spin toy with a button and string
If you've ever found yourself bored and not knowing what to do, this video tutorial might help you out. See how to make a homemade spin toy with a button. Just get out a pair of scissors, a large button, a glue stick, string and a small piece of paper and you can begin building this time consuming button spinner toy, time consuming as in not hard to make, but fun to play with.
How To: Make fuse paper to light a rocket motor
Do you like drinking coffee? It may seem like this question has nothing to do with homemade rockets or fuse paper, but indeed coffee filters - which you should have in ample supply if you enjoy making your own cup of Joe - are the key ingredient in a kick ass construction of fuse paper.
How To: Recreate Models of Christopher Columbus's Sailing Ships from 1492
Columbus Day celebrates Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas in 1492. In most of the New World, it's celebrated on the 12th of October, the day Columbus actually discovered the Bahamas. But in the United States, the holiday is observed on the second Monday in October.
HowTo: Build a Robot That Will Clean Your House
Cheaper (and perhaps cuter) than a maid, the simple scrub bot is easy and cheap to make: "This state of the art cleaning robot is great at polishing floors and shining glass tables (provided that you soap it up first). It also disperses small particulates evenly across your floor in such a manner that your home may look cleaner than it actually is."
How To: Make bubbles for a miniature bathtub
In order to make bubbles for a miniature bathtub, you will need Amazing Casting Resin, Triple Thick, micro marbles/decorative beads, a dollhouse tub, and a miniature rubber ducky. You can purchase it in hobby stores: e.g. Hobby Lobby. Open it. Mix it well, according to the package. Poor it into the dollhouse tub. Allow the resin to set. It takes about 1 minute.
How To: Make a Lego sword
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a LEGO sword. LEGO consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts. This video is very short and only lasts for 35 seconds. It is very basic and easy to follow. This LEGO construction is very simple, fast and easy to do. There are only 3 pieces required to make the LEGO sword. It does not matter what color the pieces are. This video will benefit those viewers who enjoy pl...
How To: Build a samurai katana sword out of cardboard
The katana (also known as the samurai sword) originated in Japan's Muromachi period (1392–1573). These curved blades are known worldwide for their elegance and craftsmanship. But if you can't afford your own antique model you can create your own reproduction using junk you've probably already got in your garage.
How To: Build a Lego Pac-Man
See how to build Namco's classic video game icon Pac-Man out of legos.
News: Magnets, Sticks, and Sugru Combine to Make an Awesome DIY Construction Toy
With just sticks, some magnets, and a bit of Sugru, you too can be the proud owner of an awesome set of magnetic construction toys! The idea is very straightforward. Simply bond magnets onto the tips of thin sticks using Sugru, but the results look like a whole lot of fun.
How To: Make a simple and powerful Knex gun
There are an infinite number of things that you can make out of K'nex. A disproportionate, but entertaining, number of these are toy guns. This video features an innovative design for a powerful K'nex (it also has a rubber band in it) gun that shoots small K'nex pieces across a room accurately and with a lot of power. It may not look like a gun, but it works!
How To: Make a Nerf crossbow out of household materials
Do you find that ordinary Nerf guns lack power, DIY flair, and intimidating looks? This video can take care of that. It provides instructions for making a sort of Nerf crossbow out of common household materials. It shoots like the dickens, and looks like it could kill a vampire. Very cool.
How To: Do a kickflip on a fingerboard or tech deck
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to do a kick-flip on a fingerboard/Tech Deck. Begin by setting the fingers into a Ollie position with the middle finger on the tail and the index finger behind the bolts of the board. Pop the tail down and slide the middle finger on the edge of the board. Tilt the board forward and towards you. Users should catch the board with the two fingers in mid-air, and do not wait for it to land. This video will benefit those viewers who enjoy playing with fing...
How To: Repair decorative figurines with molding clay and glue
This video explains how to repair decorate figurines using modeling clay as a clamp to help you glue it properly. It can be hard to glue broken figurines, because it's difficult to keep the pieces held together while the glue is drying. He suggests using modeling clay to hold the pieces together. First stick a hunk of modeling clay to your table or work bench. Stick one part of your broken figurine into the modeling clay to hold it at the proper angle. Take the other piece and line it up wher...