Awesome Diy

A chakram is a throwing weapon that first appeared in the 5th-century BCE in India. The original weapons were simply a sharpened circle, but video game versions have evolved to add deadly spikes around their circumference. In this video, DIYer The S shows off an awesome retractable-spike chakram made from popsicle sticks.

The kalimba is a small musical instrument that’s played by thumping your fingers on its springy metal keys. But the same idea can be DIYed using a bunch of popsicle sticks, screwed in place at varying lengths along a board. Mr. Mash shows off his homemade instrument, along with an abridged version of his how-to video.

With real estate prices like they are today, square footage is at a premium. If you live or work in a small space, this video from Handy Bear shows off a creative way to turn an ordinary desk into a tool and parts organizer, and keeping the desktop free as a work surface. (Thanks, Michel!)

Do you like to keep your workshop neat and organized? Some Skill Studio does too. In order to keep his workbench clear of power tools, he built them into shelves that flip over from underneath its surface. This is such a great idea for working in limited spaces.

Patrick Adair usually makes really cool custom rings. But in this video, he uses his skills to create something totally different. Starting out with a bag of shredded currency from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, he cast the former cash in resin to create a unique conversation piece.

We’ve seen how industrial machines are used to make large sections of chain-link fencing quickly. The Q built a tabletop version of such a device, but his machine is hand-cranked and makes only one zig-zag of wire at a time, so we imagine fencing in his whole backyard this way could take some time.

If there’s one thing city dwellers can relate to, it’s that living space is at a premium. So if it’s possible to replace multiple pieces of furniture with a single item, it’s worth doing. Get Hands Dirty shows off a versatile coffee table that they built that also serves as a platform for a murphy bed and a pop-up desk.

Maker Peter Sripol has an obsession with flying machines. He recently put together a working replica of one of the more unusual aircraft – a gyrocopter. Combining elements of a helicopter and an airplane, it has both horizontal and vertical rotors. It took Peter a lot of trial and error (and crashes) to make one that flies reliably.

Musician and inventor Nicolas Bras is known for his weird homebrew musical instruments. He recently put a band together to perform live on these unusual music makers. For his “Trash Orchestra,” Nicolas was joined by fellow musicians Vinz Vonlanthen, Nicolas Strazzini, Andrei Pervikov, and Máté Drippey.

We’ve always been wowed by the craft of Kumiko. Inspired by the elegant Japanese latticework, Make With Miles created a unique electric guitar with a body that incorporates the technique. After cutting and assembling the wood, he filled the openings with tinted epoxy for contrast. He also made a matching amp.

There are lots of tutorials how to recycle paper to create handmade paper. XYZAidan shows how the pulp extracted from cardboard can also be molded into sturdy 3D objects. The resulting pieces are reminiscent of egg crates or Starbucks drink trays. You can download his 3D printable mold designs on Thingiverse.

Make Anything’s Tippi Tree is a party game that challenges players to stack and interlock blocks but in a more organic way than Jenga. Maker Devin Montes has now built a giant version of the game out of wood. If you want to play some Tippi Tree for yourself, you can purchase the design for 3D printing from MyMiniFactory.

Costume armorer David Guyton shows us how it’s possible to sculpt a sheet of aluminum into the shape of a human face. It’s a time-consuming process to stretch and bend the metal, but with enough practice and the right tools, you could make one too. He also posted a tutorial on how to make a matching Roman helmet.

Hot tubs can be pretty expensive. But not so if you’re a DIYer like HomeMadeModern. In this video, he shows us how he built a rectangular outdoor hot tub from cedar 2x6s and waterproof Flex Seal. A portable water heater and recirculating pump keeps the water nice and toasty.

Pask Makes shows us how wood skewers are good for more than serving kebabs. By stacking, cutting, clamping, and gluing hundreds of sticks, then planing and sanding the result, he created a beautiful cutting board we’d love to have on our kitchen counter.

Normally, if you want a Mercedes-AMG G63, you’re looking at a six-figure price tag. Not so if you’re King of Crafts, who fabricated a drivable replica of the rugged G-Wagon out of cardboard. It rides on a homemade steel tube frame and can hit speeds up to 25 mph. It’s even amphibious… sorta.