THE MAKESHOP SHOW™

Glow in the Dark Projects

September 26, 2012 by MAKESHOP Angela Leave a comment

Fall is here and the days are getting shorter. The sun sets earlier and earlier until it’s dark before supper! Of course, here at The MAKESHOP Show that inspires us to make things – things that gloooooowww in the daaaaark. (And just in time for Halloween!)

We hunted the internet for the coolest Glow in the Dark Projects for kid-makers just like you!

Click here for Glow in the Dark Nail Polish instructions from Cut Out + Keep!

Glow in the Dark Bubbles by crafts4boys.com
Glow in the Dark Nail Polish by Cut Out + Keep
Glow in the Dark Real Flowers by NurdRage
Glow in the Dark Jello (also works with ice!) by About.com
Homemade Black Light Paint by eHow.com
Light Up Wristbands by The MAKESHOP Show
Giant DIY “Light Bright” by the MAKESHOP Show
Plus, check out this collection of other glowing project ideas by About.com’s Chemistry team.

Why do these materials glow?

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Leaf Blower Hovercraft

September 11, 2012 by MAKESHOP Angela 6 Comments

Have you ever dreamed of building your own flying machine, kid makers?

Learn to make a leaf blower hovercraft with kid maker Ethan and his assistant, maker Matthew Beckler of Wayne and Layne. It’s cheap, SO EASY and can even lift the weight of an adult. We can’t wait for you to try it yourself.

Click here for full project instructions.

Let us know how your hovercraft flies at info@makeshopshow.com.

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Upcycled Books

September 1, 2012 by Amy Leave a comment

Click here for this secret compartment idea from Better Homes & Gardens.

Look around your house, and you may be surprised to find books that you do not read anymore, or ones that are slightly damaged. As more people start using e-readers, makers are finding creative uses for beautiful old books as objects with new purposes. Grab some old books and try these projects:

Sew pages of books to create storage pockets with this easy step-by-step on S. C. Johnson Co.’s blog Family Economics. It’s a unique way to keep track of your favorite photos, movie tickets and valentines!
Hollow out a book to create a secret compartment like this one from Better Homes & Gardens’ project ideas site. Another way to do this is to glue a bunch of book spines to a box and slide it onto your bookshelf between real books, like in this photo. Voila! Your treasures are now safe from your little brother.
Make hardcover books into shelves like these examples we found at realsimple.com. They give the term “book shelf” a whole new meaning!
Build furniture out of old bookswith simple brackets and hardware.

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Peek at our Pinterest

August 21, 2012 by Amy Leave a comment

Giant Lite Brite: Peg Board, Christmas Lights

This pin inspired our Giant DIY Light Brite video.
Source: handmakemyday.com via MakeShop Angela on Pinterest

At The MAKESHOP Show™, we’re constantly dreaming up projects to get kid-makers motivated to invent, play and gain experience with new materials and tools. We find ideas of projects to develop for you in many different ways. One way is through Pinterest, a website to organize and share fascinating things on the web. It’s like an online pinboard. For a sneak peek at new project ideas, visit our MAKESHOP Show Pinterest Boards.

Once we choose ideas, we submit those ideas to a vote by kids! Stay tuned to http://www.makeshopshow.com for upcoming votes on future projects.

Email us YOUR ideas of things you want to learn how to make at info@makeshopshow.com.

Keep Calm and Make On!

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Homemade Water Slide

August 10, 2012 by MAKESHOP Angela 2 Comments

Click here for instructions from the We Made That blog.

Summer isn’t over yet, kid-makers, and we know you’re still looking for ways to turn your backyard into a water park! Add to the splashy fun of the Water Bottle Sprinkler and Backyard Bike Wash projects we posted earlier this summer with your own homemade waterslide! Some people call these “slip and slides”, after the popular toy.

Slip and slides are simple to make and super fun for adults and kids alike. The kind you buy at the store, though, can be too narrow or too short, which is why when lots of folks think of slip and slides they think of ….. grass burns!

As makers, we like to improve on things so that they work better. That’s part of why we loved these instructions of how to make your own slip and slide that’s 10 feet wide by 25 feet long from the We Made That blog! In fact, you can even buy plastic rolls at the hardware store that are 10 feet wide by 100 feet long for as little as $5.

Helpful Tips:

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Part 2: Sock Stuffed Animals …. That Make Noise!

August 3, 2012 by MAKESHOP Angela 1 Comment

In this set of 2 posts, we guide you to the info you’ll need to make your own sock animal that actually talks, beeps or sings! Click here to read Part 1. Now that you have your homemade sock stuffed animal, it’s time for the noisy part!

Make your sock dog honk with circuit bending!

Circuit bending is a popular hack in maker culture. Circuit benders remove the noise-making parts of existing things – like toys – and use them to make their own sounds. Some circuit benders are musicians who use the toy parts like instruments. Others are just interested in repurposing the noises into funny new toys.

Click below to learn how to circuit bend. Keep in mind that you can also simply reuse the sound-maker inside your animal without any changes, if you’d like. Circuit bending is a whole realm of making, so start simple and experiment with more advanced projects as you learn. It’s a good idea to have an adult helper with you for safety when circuit bending.

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Filed under Animalable, Upcyclable Tagged with adult helper, animals, circuit bending, cool project, diy stuffed animals, gifts, homemade gift ideas, homemade stuffed animal, kid makers, kid projects, rainy day projects, sewing, sock dog, sock monkey, sock stuffed animals, toy hack, upcycling

Part I: Sock Stuffed Animals …. That Make Noise!

August 2, 2012 by MAKESHOP Angela 1 Comment

Click here to learn to make a sock dog from Create Studio

Making your own sock stuffed animal is fun and creative. But as kid-makers, we know you like to do things that are SUPER fun and creative! In this set of 2 posts, we’ll guide you to the info you’ll need to make your own sockanimal that actually talks, beeps or sings.