Hot Hobbies & Toys How-Tos
How To: Make a catapult out of office supplies
Looking for something fun to do with all those office supplies you've been stealing from work? Or maybe you just want to goof around in your cubicle? It's possible that you are an honest, dedicated, hard worker, but whatever the case may be- no judgement, just a video guide to making an office supply catapult.
How To: Turn a Finger Board into a Mini Snowboard
Unscrew the trucks from the bottom of your board.On the deck of your fingerboard you will see two groups of screws. These screws attach the trucks to the board. To unscrew the screws use a mini screw and wrench used to change trucks and wheels on finger boards.Unbolt.The trucks consists of two parts - one is the part that holds the wheels, and the other connects the trucks to the board. The only thing connecting the two is a tiny bolt. Unscrew the tiny bolt and the pieces should fall apart. Y...
How To: Make your own slingshot from easy to find materials
Can you feel your inner Dennis the Menace trying to get out? Trying to recreate the early 90s bad boy Bart Simpson look? Watch these videos to learn how to make yourself a slingshot. This slingshot is made from materials that are probably laying around your house, but you will need some power tools.
How To: Make a decorative balloon arch for parties and events
Maybe you are looking for a fun, festive, decoration for your next party or gathering, or maybe you've got a room full of balloons and you don't know what to do with them. Well, this video has answers. This video will show you how to make a balloon arch.
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: Build a cool cardboard RC airplane
Model airplanes are cool and all, but making them out of your typical 8 1/2 X 11 printer paper isn't going to cut it for long, especially if any sort of rain or misplaced foot is involved. Make your awesome model airplanes even more awesome by crafting them out of sturdy cardboard instead.
How To: Create a custom checkered gun stock
Want to add a personalized touch to your favorite gun? Looking for some ways to dress up the stock on a new rifle? Checkering a gun stock is a way to add a little unique twist to your favorite rifle or gun. It is not an exceptionally hard technique to master, and you only need a few basic tools to do it. This tutorial from Midway USA shows you how to create a custom checkered gunstock for any wooden stock.
How To: Make a helicopter powered by rubber bands
This is a great little rainy day project you can make for almost no money, or a fun party trick you can use at the next office Christmas party! You will need two disposable drinking cups (stiff plastic or paper will work best), a fairly thick straw, a sturdy paper clip, a thick rubber band, a cocktail stick, a bead and a plastic ring you can get from the neck of a soda bottle. Assemble as shown, and then let it go!
How To: Make a Fun, Kid-Friendly Toy Gun from a Hot Glue Gun
Here's a fun little hack you can try at home with your kids. The purpose of this tutorial is to teach you how to make this fun toy gun. It's a very simple and economical project. Tools and Materials:
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: Turn 2 Disposable Lighters into a Lightercycle (English Instructions)
Here's the English language How-To for constructing a Lightercycle using 2 cigarette lighters. Original article courtesy of WonderHowTo user rmansur.
How To: Make a silicone mold in your kitchen with common household items
You can easily make an inexpensive silicone mold in your kitchen for cheap! This is a great project to do with your kids, or just for fun! You can also use this method to easily make theatrical props and prosthetics.
How To: Create a simple mold to cast a toy duplication
If you have a toy you love SO much, this video will show you how to create a simple mold so you can duplicate it! This simple how-to tells you what you'll need to get cloning today. This video will also tell you what can and can't be cloned.
HowTo: Turn a Lighter Into a Lightercycle
The english version of this how-to is found here. Little did I know, that lighter in my junk drawer has a bad ass motorcycle inside it, just burning to get out.
How To: Make a basic hotwire cutter for cutting foam
Hobbyists from many different hobbies, from model aircraft to tabletop wargaming, all need to cut foam, and that means a hotwire cutter. If you have the DIY bent that goes along with most of these hobbies anyway, check out this video for a guide to making your own simple hotwire cutter for basic foam cutting.
How To: Make a replica Yukki Cross Artemis scythe from Vampire Knight for cosplay
Watch this video for instructions on making the Yukki Cross Artemis scythe from the anime / manga Vampire Knight.
How To: Craft a mini ice cream charm from polymer clay
Here's one way to get your fill of ice cream without the calories. These miniature cupcake charms are adorable and can be used to adorn charm bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.
How To: Create a working paper magazine for a Colt pistol
This tutorial shows you how to make a working magazine out of paper for use with a Colt M1911 .45 pistol. You will need many sheets of plain white paper, glue them together and then add some aluminim for reinforcements.
How To: Build a motorized gyrocar with a gyroscope and everyday household objects
Build your own miniature gryocar from a toy gyroscope in this fun little project with Kipkay and make it ride on skinny tracks! All you need is a toy gyroscope, a spraypaint canister top to fit the gyroscope assembly, and some assorted parts that you could probably find around the house (or at your local hardware store). Ask your parents for permission first!
How To: Use the correct tires for the temperature and improve RC performance
Optimize vehicle performance by knowing the differences between the different tires available for your RC vehicle. Each type of tire (commonly referred to by the red dot, blue dot or green dot) is optimized for a specific operating temperature range. Knowing about the different temperatures and what tires are best suited for them could be the difference between first place and second. Find out more in this instructional video.
How To: Install a ProLine universal shock kit and power stroke system in an RC car
Upgrade the shocks on your RC vehicle to new aftermarket parts with this informative video. This video details how to install the Universal Shock Mounting kit with Proline Power Strokes. Tools needed for this install are a 5.5 driver and a 2.0 hex.
How To: Install 17mm hex adapters into a short course truck
In this video, 17mm hex adapters are installed on a Short Course truck. Installing these adapters allows a greater range of wheels and tires to be used on your SC racer vehicle. Squirrel of ProLine demonstrates the installation technique.
How To: Make little people out of candy for the holidays
This is a budget friendly gift you can use to give out during the holiday season - make little candy people! They're easy to make - all you'll need is some lollipops, platic wrap, small assorted candies, and some decorative ribbon.
How To: Mod a G2 pen for better spinning
If you're serious about spinning pens, you probably already know how awesome spinning with a modified one is. The G2 is great by itself, but stretched out like this it looks cool and spins great. Watch the video to learn how to make it.
How To: Swap the light kit from a Peter Fish Illuminator to a Duncan Freehand Zero
If you prefer the light kit from the Peter Fish Illuminator yo-yo but the action of the Duncan Freehand Zero, you're not alone and you've found help. This video will teach you how to swap the light kit from the Illuminator onto the Freehand Zero for the best of both worlds.
HowTo: Capture Superman Footage With an RC Plane
Although Team Black Sheep issues a "Do Not Try This At Home" warning, they also offer full instructions for building "the ultimate Ritewing Zephyr", an RC plane that is so badass it can do this:
HowTo: You Killed Kenny Doorstop
Instructables user BrittLiv uses a moldable silicone called sugru to sculpt this awesome doorstop of South Park's miraculously indestructible Kenny McCormick.
HowTo: Make a Jenga Pistol
Not only will this wood-block pistol make you the terror of your next family activity night, it'll actually improve your Jenga game! Through science! For, you see, the faster you can knock a block out of a Jenga tower, the shorter the amount of time over which it can exert a frictional force on its neighbors. Which means the whole kit-and-caboodle is much less likely to come tumbling down. Want one? You'll have to build it yourself. Which is fitting because the word "jenga" actually means som...
How To: Make a cheap DIY laser vortex for fog machines and lightshows
A laser vortex is a basically a tool and allows you to make a circle of red laser light quickly and easily for creating lightshows, especially useful when combined with a fog machine. This video will teach you how to make one for cheap out of parts your can find at any hardware store.
How To: Craft a "Harry Potter" Lumos wand that lights up
How cool would it be to be a wizard and conjure light out of thin air? While this tutorial won't instruct you in the wizarding arts, it will teach you how to make a very cool "Harry Potter" style Lumos wand that lights up on your command.
How To: Do the most amazing hairstyle on your American Girl
In this video from stephenswodadancer we learn a new hairstyle for your American Girl doll. You need 4 clips and a brush. Take your thumbs in her hair and wrap a circle in the crown of her head. Brush that part out, twist it around, and poof it up. Take the clips and put it on either side of the poof you've just made. You can leave it like that if you want or continue and take a small piece from the side of her hair and begin braiding it. Bring the braided piece across the back and clip the b...
How To: Do woven pigtails on your American Girl doll
In this video from stephenswodadancer we learn how to do woven pigtails on an American girl doll. Start by parting the hair in the middle down the back and put one to the side in a pony tail and on the other side, take a section from the top and twist it. Then take another small section and twist. It does get harder as it goes on because you're not able to hold on to everything. Make one more piece of hair twisted as well. Now take all 3 pieces and tie them together. Now put the remaining hai...
How To: Do a super cute hairstyle on your American Girl
In this video from stephenswodadancer we learn how to do a hairstyle on the American Girl doll Mia. You need a brush, 2 regular sized bobby pins and 2 rubber bands. Start by brushing her hair back from her head and hold it with your hand. Using your finger nail start at about the corner of her eye and go up on each side. Pick up all that hair in the front. Turn her around and brush it out smooth and put the bobby pins in on each side. You can leave it like that or continue on. Part the back o...
How To: Do a clipped bun on your American Girl doll
In this video from stephenswodadancer we learn how to do a clipped bun on an American Girl doll. Start with your doll's hair in a pony tail. Right at about the crown of her head works. Take the piece of hair from the top and curl it and fold it under. Clip the part that you curled to her head. You can go all the way around until you get to the bottom and keep clipping. Repeat this process all around her head until it is to your liking. This will need lots of clips so make sure you have them!
How To: Twist a monkey balloon animal holding a banana
This be a little challenging for beginner balloon sculptors, but if you have some skills, then twisting this monkey balloon animal should be a cinch! The Balloon Bandit shows you how to twist your balloons into this wonderful and kid-friendly primate. you'll need 6 balloons for the monkey (4 mocha brown, 2 blush) and a piece of yellow balloon for the banana.
How To: Do a hair headband on your American Girl doll
In this video, we learn how to do a hair headband on your American Girl doll. Brush the doll's hair out and then take a section from the bottom front of the hair. Twist this up and then do the same thing to the other side in the same spot. After you have twisted both sides, cross them both over to the opposite side of the head. After this, clip the side of the hair where the braid is left at. When finished, you will have a cute hairstyle on your doll! This work on any length of hair and only ...
How To: Do cowgirl pigtails on American Girl doll Nicki
In this video, we learn how to do cowgirl pigtails on American Girl doll Nicki. First, brush the hair out and then make a part down the middle so you have hair on both sides. Then, put one of the pigtails to the side. After this, go to the other side and brush it out again. Make this low and then tie a rubber band around the pig tail. To make it curly, you will take little pieces of the hair and curl them up with your fingers. Repeat this on the other side and then you will be finished with t...
How To: Paint your American Girl dolls' nails
In this video, we learn how to paint your American Girl dolls' nails. First, stand your doll up and then dip a tiny paintbrush into nail polish remover. After this, put some nail polish onto another tiny brush. Then start to paint the toes using the tiny paintbrush. If you make a mistake, just use the other brush to remove the nail polish. Don't put too much polish on the brush, or it will get messy and turn out badly. Repeat this process on the fingernails when you are done with the toes. Fr...
How To: Do a cute braided hairstyle on your American Girl
In this tutorial, we learn how to do a cute braided hairstyle on your American Girl. To start, you will first need to brush out the hair and then part it in the middle. From here, clip the right side of the hair and then clip the other side. Take the rest of the hair and tie it into a ponytail. From here, take the left side and start a braid, then do the same thing on the right side. When you finish, clip the middle hair into a bun and then clip the braided section in the back. This will fini...
How To: Make a fast and easy tennis ball trebuchet
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a fast and easy tennis ball trebuchet. This tool will throw tennis balls easily so you can hit them without having a partner around. This only needs a few pieces of wood and 2x4's along with dumbbells. There isn't a whole lot to this, it's very simple to build. Use two 10 lb dumbbells clamped with a hose clamp onto the top of a 2x4. Use a dowel to go through this, so it will help it rotate. Down at the bottom is the release mechanism and on the sides wil...