Hot Hobbies & Toys Posts
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 gun without Technic pieces
This is one of the longest, most detailed instructional videos on how to make a toy gun out of Legos. Another advantage it has over its plentiful Lego gun-making-video competition is that it doesn't require any of the expensive and specialized Lego Technic pieces. It can be made entirely form the stock Legos you have sitting around from that castle you took apart two years ago. It may not look like a traditional gun, but it shoots like one!
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: Build spinning tops with everyday objects
In this tutorial, we learn how to build spinning tops with everyday objects. You will need: round recyclable plastic lids, skewers, hot glue gun, and washers or pennies. First, take your plastic lid and weight it with a penny, then poke a skewer through the middle of it. After this, you will have a top made out of homemade products! You can use anything that is laying around your home to make a top, no matter what it is. Just make sure you have something to place int he middle and the weight ...
How To: Magnetize and demagnetize tools
This instructional video demonstrates how to magnetize and demagnetize tools using a magnetizer from PB Swiss Tools. When building or repairing remote control vehicles, there are times when you would like your tools to be magnetized and times when you don't. This tool allows you to switch back and forth quite easily.
How To: Make miniature models of Columbus's ships (Niña, Pinta & Santa Maria)
There's no better way to celebrate the discovery of the New World than by recreating Christopher Columbus's three ships from the famous voyage— the Niña, Pinta & Santa Maria. In this short ship-building how-to, you'll learn a simple activity for you and your kids, where you'll make miniature ship models of Columbus's boats with egg cups, brown paint, white paper (sails), toothpicks, clay and glue.
How To: Paint a fade on your model cars
If you want to paint a fade on your model cars you should first pick colors that will work well with each other. First, you should plan out your step. Divide the car into parts of the car where you will places your colors. You should designate where you mixing and solid areas are before you begin to paint. You should carry your mixes far and blend them well. When you do this, you'll want to lift up your airbrush a little bit. For fading, go to a solid color, and as you go to a new color lift ...
How To: Repair broken gearboxes in Power Wheels toy vehicles
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: Whistle loudly using your teeth
Never doubt the volume of your whistle again. This video shows you how to whistle loudly using your teeth. You'll learn proper position of your mouth and tongue to be able to make the loudest sound possible. With lots of practice you'll be the only one heard at the local games as you cheer on your favorite team or player. Watch this to get all you need to know to achieve that super loud whistle you've always desired, on the field or indoors.
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: Clean dirty coins using multiple methods
Kevin demonstrates multiple methods to clean dirty coins.In the first method he takes some coke in a glass and hangs a dirty coin in it with the help of a string. This coke technique takes a few hours.In another faster technique which takes only 20 to 30 minutes he takes table salt and food vinegar. He takes the table salt and dissolves it in vinegar in a bowl. When most of it is dissolved he drops a dirty coin in it and waits about 20 minutes.Another method is to rub toothpaste on the coin f...
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: 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: Double the power and spin tires with 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: 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: Make a Bridge Out of Popsicle Sticks
Do you have free time? Then build your own bridge out of Popsicle sticks. Bre Pettis goes over the basics of building bridges. As a bonus, you get to watch other people stand on their own bridges and break them.
How To: Build a cave diorama
Papa Tom teaches viewers how to build a diorama of a cave, complete with stalagmites and stalactites.
How To: Make a homemade stirling engine
Are you looking to build a cool home science experiement? Why not try out a Stirling engine? Wait, what IS a stirling engine? Well... a Stirling engine is a heat engine operating by cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas, the working fluid, at different temperature levels such that there is a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical work. This project was made from parts around the house and you should be able to do the same. This is a great project to explain how gears work,...
How To: Make popsicle stick fences
If you've got a tiny farm, you're going to need some tiny fences. Don't shell out your whole allowance for a fancy store bought fence set. Instead make your own fences out of popsicle sticks. This video tutorial demonstrates how to create stalls and stables so your miniature farm animals won't escape.
How To: Make a larp shield out of foam and cardboard
This tutorial shows you how to make a fun boffer shield out of foam and cardboard. You'll need four pieces of corrugated cardboard cut into 18 inch diameter circles, a craft razor, spray adhesive and paint.
How To: Use the Lego Mindstorms NXT software to program robots
Lego Mindstorms is a great way to take your Legos to the next level by adding in the flavor of robotics! But, with taking it up to the next level, it does get a hair tougher! And if you're having trouble working with the Mindstorms software, this great video with Patrick Norton and David Calkins goes over each step of using the software so you can have your very own robot ready to go in no time!
How To: Remove RC Lexan paint from a model car
To remove the lexan paint, obtain a bottle of brake fluid. Make sure you read the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for its harmful effects, and put on a pair of gloves to avoid contact with the hands when applying the brake fluid. To remove a large area of paint, pour a little amount of brake fluid onto some paper towel, and rub the area in a circular motion until the lexan paint is completely dissolved and removed from the area. A Q-tip can also be used to remove smaller areas. Apply as muc...
How To: Hack a VHS tape to hide a stash
Here's how you can make a great hiding place with one of your old VHS tapes. This is a quick disassembly of an old VHS cassette tape. Take it apart and reassemble into a hiding place for your stash.
News: 16-Year-Old Builds Wicked LEGO Star Wars Diorama
Paul Yperman, you've got some competition (see previous entry, Star Wars LEGO Droid Ship). 15-year old Sven Junga's LEGO Stargate diorama (including a Daedalus from Stargate Atlantis) is nothing to shrug about. Incredibly impressive.
How To: Build a Hot Wheels hopper
This video tutorial shows how to modify a Hot Wheels toy car and turn it into a "hopper." Learn how to customize a basic toy car to bounce up and down.
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: 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: Make a Homemade PVC Rocket
This homemade hairspray-powered PVC rocket takes less than an hour to construct and only costs about 20 dollars to make. Check out my video below for the step-by-step instructions on building your own backyard rocket, and follow the written guide below for reference.
How To: Swap gearboxes in a Power Wheels Jeep
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 glass effect windows for dioramas & game terrain
putting glass in small diorama windows. These miniature windows give the illusion of a stain glass window or wrought iron window bars. Create the effect of real glass using products such as Weldbond,Crystal Clear, Water Effects from Woodland Scenics, clear RainGlo, or clear silicone.
How To: Make a Japanese Rokkaku kite with your kids
This instructional how to video will show you how to build a traditional Japanese bowed kite that's simple to make and has great soaring ability. Just watch and learn to make a battle kite. For this project you will need: rip-stop nylon, wooden dowels, cloth tape, double stick tape, scissors, string, toothpicks, yard stick, pencil, paper. Have fun creating your kite with an adult helper.
How To: Make sanity reducing creepy Cthulhu tentacles
Now you too can build your own prop of eldritch horror! Guaranteed to induce a SAN check in anyone who sees it, this tutorial shows you how to build a set of flexible Cthulhu tentacles out of one inch furniture foam, half inch furniture foam, steel wire, pantyhose, one inch PVC tubing, epoxy and a jar of latex.
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 fairy wings
Feel like getting crafty? In this 8-part video tutorial, learn how to create the perfect pair of mini fairy wings, approximately 6 inches wide. Also included within these videos is how to make realistic-looking bat and dragon wings. To complete this project, you will need cellophane, plastic coated wire, acrylic paints, polyester glitter, and a glue gun. Add these wings to a doll or a wall craft for the perfect mystical embellishment!
How To: Use fiberglass finish over balsa wood for RC airplanes
Check out this five-part video tutorial on how to use fiberglass finish over balsa wood for RC airplanes. If you like building engines and bodies for remote-controlled vehicles (airplanes), then this will definitely help you out, just by learning how to apply simple fiberglass to the balsa wood parts of the RC airplane body. You will learn all of the tricks needed for fiberglassing.
How To: Recycle plastic bottles to make a toy windmill
In this tutorial we learn how to recycle plastic bottles to make a toy windmill. First, cut the bottle in half so you just have the cap end of it. Then, use the scissors to cut strips in the plastic, all running next to each other. Once you have all of these cut, pull the strips out so they are flared away from the cap. Then, twist these so the are all going backwards from the cap and place a stick on the bottom of these, connecting with the cap. Now you can use these as a toy windmill, enjoy...
How To: Build your own Japanese katana out of foam
If you're looking to play a samurai or other Japanese inspired character at your next boffer larp, this tutorial is for you. You're shown how to build a foam katana using duct tape, a razor blade, measuring tape, cloth athletic tape, DAP contact cement, liquid craft latex, fabric to cover your blade, rope, fiberglass core, and of course, foam!
News: Stabilizing Bracelet Helps Artist with Parkinson's Draw Again
Having control of your basic motor functions is something most people take for granted, but for individuals with Parkinson's disease, that is not the case.
How To: Solder wires to your rc car motor
In this tutorial, we learn how to solder wires to your rc car motor. First, you will put the flux on the out wires. Put a small amount on, but make sure it's evenly coated all around. After this, do the same process for the motor tabs. Then, tin the wire and then wipe off with a damp sponge. From here you will do the same thing for the motor tabs, taking the back off the motor tabs to make it easier to move around. After this, put the wire on top of the tab and pres with the iron. Now you sho...
How To: Make a three balloon turtle
Make a three balloon turtle with help from this free ballooning tutorial! You can add more balloons to our animal to make them more interesting and detailed. Get tips and trick on how to perfect the balloon turtle from one ballooning expert! 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!