Craftzine.com blog: Gadgets Archives

Archive: Gadgets

February 7, 2012

Hand Painted Robot Switch Plates

Aren't these great? They are Natalie McKean's completely one-of-a-kind, and perfectly hand painted switch plates. Each robots is rich with detail and filled with character. This set was picked up at the recent Shop Party event, but you can get yours from Natalie's etsy store.

November 30, 2011

Gift Guide: Power Tools

Here are our picks for some electrified craft gadgets that will get your studio's motor running. What are your favorite craft power tools? Leave a note in the comments below.

Brother 1034D 3/4 Lay-In Thread Serger
A serger really takes the home sewer's capabilities to the next level. Make professional-looking knitwear, rolled-hem napkins in a flash, and wield the frantic power of this machine that slices as it stitches.

Singer Futura X-L400 sewing and embroidery machine
sewing and embroidery

If needlework's more your thing, head for a dual sewing/embroidery machine. This one has software for illustrating your imagination in stitches, and does all the basic sewing stuff, too.

Foredom flex shaft
I have one of these bad boys and I love it. The motor hangs from a hook and the spinning handpiece spins at variable speeds, controlled by a foot pedal. I use it for fine metalworking, but it's useful anywhere you'd use a handheld rotary tool.

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September 6, 2011

Flashlight From a Cereal Box and Soda Can

Recycle a cereal box and a soda can and what do you get? At Instructables Paul Em shows us how to turn these throwaways into slick travel-size flashlights. Of course you'll need a short list of other materials, including a light bulb and AA batteries, but most of what you'll need Paul says you can find in your cupboards. "An hour or so with some scissors, a Coke can and a cereal box and you're pretty much set to go."

May 31, 2011

How-To: Chocolate iPad 2

Learn to create your own gadgets from chocolate with stevequag's guide for making a chocolate iPad 2!

January 26, 2011

Sous Vide Cooker How-Tos and Recipes

Delicious, trend-setting Sous Vide cooking entails food that's vacuum-sealed in plastic pouches and then immersed in a precisely controlled hot water bath to achieve optimal doneness. We were talking about it last year on the Makezine.com blog and now we show you how to make your own Sous Vide cooker in the new issue of MAKE magazine. We've also got the entire project online at Make: Projects. Let us know how it goes when you make your own immersion cooker and impress your friends!

More:

Deep-Fried Sous Vide Egg Yolks

Cooking Sous Vide the DIY Way

Sous Vide Immersion Cooker How-To

August 30, 2010

How-To: Ball-In-Cage Switch

Sean Ragan just put up a tutorial for this simple analog tamper-detecting switch for guarding his garden over on Make: Projects:

This clever mechanical switch remains open so long as it is balanced in an upright position. But disturb it in any way, and the ball falls against the bars of the cage and closes the circuit. Use it to control an alarm to protect your valuables, or to trigger a camera to photograph wildlife.

August 1, 2010

Marshmallow Shooter to the Power of Four

This group of clever friends built what I believe is the world's first four person Marshmallow Shooter. The Marshmallow Shooter is one of our classic How-Toons projectsMake Vol. 2. It's made from a few pieces of PVC pipe, and it sends mini marshmallows flying through the air. I'd say that thousands and thousands of these fun toys have been built over the years, but leave it to the folks in Detroit to completely innovate it!

July 13, 2010

Knitting Clock

Matt Mets @ Make: Online writes:

Designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen built this 365 clock that tells time by knitting a scarf very slowly. In this case, it knits one round of the scarf every 24 hours, creating a new clothing item for you every year. It reminds me of just-in-time manufacturing techniques- wouldn't it be cool to have a set of them, one that builds you a new piece of clothing for each season, that finishes just as you need it?

June 24, 2010

Daddy Cam Is a Big Hit!

I always try to get my boys to make something for their dad for Father's Day, and I usually ask for Help Coupons for myself on Mother's Day. This works out well -- I've gotten the hillside weed-whacked, foot massages, and breakfast in bed. All better than a box of candy or new kitchen towels in so many ways!

This year I got inspiration from Brenda Ponnay's fantastic-looking Daddy Cam over on AlphaMom. Brenda does a great job describing just how to do make your own Daddy Cam, and the photos are really helpful (plus her daughter is super cute!).

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April 30, 2010

The Cheap Vegetable Gardener LED Grow Box

On the last day of Bloom month, I want to share my favorite gardening blog. The Cheap Vegetable Gardener is thrifty and innovative, and all about automation. His projects include computerized grow boxes, and this neat LED project. And for the CVG, its all about the bottom line. He makes like with this screen door cold box, or this seedling setup that uses an old bathroom lighting fixture. And he carefully records and shares the costs involved with his high tech projects. Inspiration and motivation all in one grower!

April 1, 2010

In the Makers Market: "P8tch" redirectable QR code patch

Many of you may have seen Becky's Make: Online post about John Young's clever p8tch system from a couple years ago. Now we're excited to announce that John has recently opened a store selling them in the Makers Market.

When you buy a p8tch, you get a velcro-backed waterproof patch, in one of several cool designs, bearing a unique QR code. You also get a unique password that lets you log in to the system's website at p8t.ch and specify what URL you want your patch to redirect to. You can stick it on anything and direct folks who scan it wherever you want, and when you want to use it for something else, instead of having to generate a whole new code, you can just change the re-direct URL online. A clever product concept and an awesome inexpensive gift.

January 29, 2010

iSandwich

Ok, so maybe it's been done, but never this well! I'll take my iSandwich on rye, please. [via the Make: Online forum]

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