Instructables

Clever Halloween Hack Uses Sound Waves to Simulate a Spooky Doodling Ghost

It's time to take your Halloween decor to the next level.

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski Oct 14

A Hidden Vape Takes This Smoking, 3D-Printed Ghost Rider Costume to the Next Level

‘Tis the season to go completely overboard with costumes and decorations, so when Mike Warren decided on Ghost Rider for his Halloween getup, he knew he’d have to go the extra mile with a wearable glowing skull helmet surrounded in a cloud of smoke. But instead of reaching for the dry ice, he adapted a…

io9 Andrew Liszewski Oct 30

The Best Fidget Spinner Has an Animated Cat Inside

Thanks to Jonathan Odom, a clever designer and builder who’s created everything from animatronics for films to museum exhibits, the fidget spinner has just taken a giant leap forward. Odom created One Spinner To Rule Them All: one with an animated cat video that comes to life when you flick it. https://gizmodo.com/youre-not-on-mushrooms-this-animated-fidget-spinner-br-1795686029 Based on an…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski Jun 1

All the Instruments In This Excellent Rock Band Are Played by Actual Rocks

Last year, artist Neil Mendoza turned a hamster running in a wheel into a talented sketch artist. This year he’s pulled off an even more amazing feat by turning inanimate rocks into a talented (literal) rock band that plays a surprisingly decent cover of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” The band features a series…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski Mar 13

Marvel at This Bagpipe-Playing Robot, and Then Cringe at the Music it Plays

At no point in the history of humanity did anyone ever ask for a bagpipe-playing robot that would never get tired. But this is exactly what Instructables’ XenonJohn has built with his Ardu McDuino bot that uses a pair of 3D-printed prosthetic hands to autonomously play a bagpipe’s chanter. Thanks? Powered by an Arduino Mega…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Jan 16

3D-Printed Gatling Gun Fires 48 Rubber Bands in Mere Seconds

Matthew Davis’ Arcus is officially the most impressive thing we’ve ever seen come out of a 3D printer. Sure, cheap prosthetics and replacement body parts are important uses of the technology, but this spinning rubber band blaster is what finally makes us want to put a 3D printer on our desks. Unlike most rubber band…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Jul 15

Combining a Blender, Chainsaw, and Motorcycle Is Summer Done Right

Looking for a fun weekend project that promises to improve every last part of the forthcoming summer? Do what Instructables’ Mike Warren did and combine a gas-powered chainsaw with a blender to make a machine that churns the smoothest frozen margaritas on the planet, without the need for a power cord. Warren has posted a…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski May 6

Build This Auto-Tracking Nerf Sentry Gun That Does all the Aiming for You

You’re supposed to spend at least part of your day at work doing actual work, but those rare times of productivity leave you vulnerable to surprise attacks from Nerf blaster-toting co-workers. Not if you build this robotic camera-equipped sentry turret to watch your back. This isn’t a cheap hack, mind you. You’ll need to start…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Feb 1

Make Barbie More Useful By Turning Her Into a Swiss Army Knife

Are you hesitant to buy your child a Barbie doll for fear of reinforcing negative stereotypes about women? Instructables user mikeasaurus had the same concerns, but found a clever way to empower kids by turning the iconic doll into an all-purpose multi-tool. The hack isn’t terribly difficult to do yourself, especially if you’ve got a…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Aug 17

The Dad of the Year Built His Daughter a Custom Speeder Bike Rocking Horse

It looks like the 2015 Best Parent of the Year Award is all but a lock for Australian Instructables user ‘Tez_Gelmir’ who built this custom Return of the Jedi Speeder Bike rocking horse for his daughter. And Tez gets bonus points for meticulously documenting its construction, and sharing those details with the world. A word…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Aug 14

How Autodesk’s Experimental Lab Gave Us an Odd Little Star Wars Movie

The long rectangles of San Francisco’s famous piers gave the city a blocky, geometric border with the Bay over a century ago. Now these abandoned remnants of the Barbary Coast are being rejuvenated by companies like software giant Autodesk, whose Pier 9 Workshop is so experimental that it feels like science fiction. On an early…

Tech News Annalee Newitz Mar 30

DIY Etch A Sketch Creates Tiny Zen Gardens Instead of Crappy Drawings

Using the Etch A Sketch for drawing or doodling is exactly what the toy was designed for—and it’s also what it’s completely terrible at. You might as well be tying your hands behind your back when you trade a pencil for a pair of knobs, but Jonathan Odom has found a way to turn the…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Mar 24

A DIY Classic Game & Watch Handheld Made With an Old Nokia Cellphone

Before the Game Boy came along, handheld gaming consoles were limited to just a single title, played on a low-quality segmented LCD display. At the time it was cutting edge stuff, but by today’s standards they kind of suck. So to scratch his nostalgic gaming itch, Instructables contributor Andrew Hannay built his own Game &…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Mar 23

How to Make an Ingenious Greeting Card With a Loading Message

A loading message on your computer is, at best, annoying. A loading message on a paper though? Well, huh. Here’s how to make this clever greeting card with just some paper, scissors, and an X-ACTO knife. Over at Instructables, user goldlego has posted the complete instructions on creating an analog loading message, templates for the…

Tech News Sarah Zhang Dec 11

This 3D Printer Is Made Out of a Floppy Disk Drive and Other E-Waste

When was the last time you used your computer’s disc drive? What about your DVD player? E-waste is all around us, but as the brilliant Instructables user behind this $60 3D printer proves, there’s plenty to be done with it—if you’ve got some engineering chops. Last week we wrote about the world’s smallest 3D printer,…

Tech News Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Nov 5

We Want To Catch All These Pokemon-Shaped Flower Pots

Looking to spruce up your boring old flower pots? With a little papier-mâché, paint, and lacquer, you can make a grass-type Pokémon that will make a perfect home for your houseplants. Instructables user chrisma0 posted a step-by-step guide to making your very own Ivysaur flower pot, which conveniently usesa printable papercraft model. If you’re not…

io9 Lauren Davis May 18

Endless Animated Features Make This the Best Amateur Iron Man Suit Yet

There are more home-made Iron Man suits on the internet than Tony Stark has dollars in the bank. Some are even quite good, but none come as close to mimicking the real thing like this creation by an Instructables-user calling himself Honus. While we don’t yet get a clear shot of the suit fully-assembled and…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski May 14

Death Star (Ornament): That’s No Moon (Ornament)

Guaranteeing supreme festive superiority for any tree it hangs on, this glowing Death Star ornament is actually a fun DIY project you can use to keep any kids—or restless adults—entertained leading up to the holidays. And the project lets you blur the line between being the Emperor and Martha Stewart—a line that may not actually…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Dec 12

Vibrating Pants Checker Lets You Know When You’re Unzipped

You might think you’re being discrete when you check your pants to ensure your fly is zipped up, but unless you’re alone, it can look a little awkward. Instead of waiting for the embarrassment of just being told you need to zip up, check out this brilliant hack that makes it easy to subtly check…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Aug 13

You’ll Never Destroy This Heavy Duty Remote In a Post-Sports Rage

Is there anything more infuriating than watching your favorite team lose while you’ve spent the past two hours shouting fantastic coaching advice at the screen? Taking your frustration out on your TV’s remote can help, particularly if it’s able to shrug off the abuse like this impressive heavy duty alternative you can build yourself. Instructables…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Apr 26

Instructables

Clever Halloween Hack Uses Sound Waves to Simulate a Spooky Doodling Ghost

A Hidden Vape Takes This Smoking, 3D-Printed Ghost Rider Costume to the Next Level

The Best Fidget Spinner Has an Animated Cat Inside

All the Instruments In This Excellent Rock Band Are Played by Actual Rocks

Marvel at This Bagpipe-Playing Robot, and Then Cringe at the Music it Plays

3D-Printed Gatling Gun Fires 48 Rubber Bands in Mere Seconds

Combining a Blender, Chainsaw, and Motorcycle Is Summer Done Right

Build This Auto-Tracking Nerf Sentry Gun That Does all the Aiming for You

Make Barbie More Useful By Turning Her Into a Swiss Army Knife

The Dad of the Year Built His Daughter a Custom Speeder Bike Rocking Horse

How Autodesk’s Experimental Lab Gave Us an Odd Little Star Wars Movie

DIY Etch A Sketch Creates Tiny Zen Gardens Instead of Crappy Drawings

A DIY Classic Game & Watch Handheld Made With an Old Nokia Cellphone

How to Make an Ingenious Greeting Card With a Loading Message

This 3D Printer Is Made Out of a Floppy Disk Drive and Other E-Waste

We Want To Catch All These Pokemon-Shaped Flower Pots

Endless Animated Features Make This the Best Amateur Iron Man Suit Yet

Death Star (Ornament): That’s No Moon (Ornament)

Vibrating Pants Checker Lets You Know When You’re Unzipped

You’ll Never Destroy This Heavy Duty Remote In a Post-Sports Rage

Anthropic’s New Model Is So Scarily Powerful It Won’t Be Released, Anthropic Says

Musk Asks Court to Give Potential Winnings in OpenAI Suit to OpenAI’s Nonprofit

Pro-Iran Hackers Target Critical U.S. Energy and Water Infrastructure

‘She-Hulk’ Was Apparently One of Marvel’s Most Successful Shows

The World’s First Eye-Tracking Smart Glasses Are Intriguing and Unpolished

Noah Hawley Is Remaking ‘Terrified,’ Which Shouldn’t Happen

Unprecedented Observation Reveals 2 Supermassive Black Holes Locked in a Tight Death Spiral

This Apple MacBook Pro Is Now Under $500 After 78% Off, Grade-A Refurb Deal (16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Touch Bar)

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

Let us help find what you are looking for...

Instructables

Clever Halloween Hack Uses Sound Waves to Simulate a Spooky Doodling Ghost

A Hidden Vape Takes This Smoking, 3D-Printed Ghost Rider Costume to the Next Level

The Best Fidget Spinner Has an Animated Cat Inside

All the Instruments In This Excellent Rock Band Are Played by Actual Rocks

Marvel at This Bagpipe-Playing Robot, and Then Cringe at the Music it Plays

3D-Printed Gatling Gun Fires 48 Rubber Bands in Mere Seconds

Combining a Blender, Chainsaw, and Motorcycle Is Summer Done Right

Build This Auto-Tracking Nerf Sentry Gun That Does all the Aiming for You

Make Barbie More Useful By Turning Her Into a Swiss Army Knife

The Dad of the Year Built His Daughter a Custom Speeder Bike Rocking Horse

​How Autodesk’s Experimental Lab Gave Us an Odd Little Star Wars Movie

DIY Etch A Sketch Creates Tiny Zen Gardens Instead of Crappy Drawings

A DIY Classic Game & Watch Handheld Made With an Old Nokia Cellphone

How to Make an Ingenious Greeting Card With a Loading Message

This 3D Printer Is Made Out of a Floppy Disk Drive and Other E-Waste

We Want To Catch All These Pokemon-Shaped Flower Pots

Endless Animated Features Make This the Best Amateur Iron Man Suit Yet

Death Star (Ornament): That’s No Moon (Ornament)

Vibrating Pants Checker Lets You Know When You’re Unzipped

You’ll Never Destroy This Heavy Duty Remote In a Post-Sports Rage

Anthropic’s New Model Is So Scarily Powerful It Won’t Be Released, Anthropic Says

Musk Asks Court to Give Potential Winnings in OpenAI Suit to OpenAI’s Nonprofit

Pro-Iran Hackers Target Critical U.S. Energy and Water Infrastructure

‘She-Hulk’ Was Apparently One of Marvel’s Most Successful Shows

The World’s First Eye-Tracking Smart Glasses Are Intriguing and Unpolished

Noah Hawley Is Remaking ‘Terrified,’ Which Shouldn’t Happen

Unprecedented Observation Reveals 2 Supermassive Black Holes Locked in a Tight Death Spiral

This Apple MacBook Pro Is Now Under $500 After 78% Off, Grade-A Refurb Deal (16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Touch Bar)

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

Let us help find what you are looking for...

How Autodesk’s Experimental Lab Gave Us an Odd Little Star Wars Movie