Tag Archives: DIY

FlipBooKit: A New DIY Mechanical Flipbook Kit

FlipBooKit: A New DIY Mechanical Flipbook Kit flipbook DIY device animation Horse in Motion, a mechanical flipbook installation by Wendy Marvel

Ascension, a mechanical flipbook installation by Wendy Marvel

View of a prototype FlipBooKit

FlipBooKit Detail

In 2011 kinetic artists Mark Rosen and Wendy Marvel created a series of wonderful mechanical flipbooks based on the work of Eadweard Muybridge, the guy responsible for pioneering photographic studies of motion. After touring a few art galleries and making a well-received appearance at the 2012 Maker Faire the duo teamed up with manufacturing designer Steven Goldstein to create kits that mere mortals such as you and I can use to create nostalgic moving pictures of our own design. If you’re as ridiculously excited about this project as I am, head on over to Kickstarter to pledge a few bucks.

Loomi: A Modular Light Kit

Loomi: A Modular Light Kit lighting DIY

Loomi is a modular, paintable, recyclable light shade made from high quality paper that’s cut into interlinking quadrilaterals. The set of 33 pieces can be formed into at least a dozen shapes and can be dyed, glued or otherwise modified to suit your creative whims. The Kickstarter project is going gangbusters and if you order asap they’ll ship before Christmas.

By Christopher on December 8, 2011 • DIY lighting

DIY Modular Gourmet Chocolates

DIY Modular Gourmet Chocolates food DIY chocolate candy

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Sweet Play is the diploma project of French designer Elsa Lambinet who recently graduated from the ECAL University of Art and Design with a Masters in Advanced Studies in Luxury. I’m not 100% sure what a Masters in Luxury is, but if it means I get to create projects like this, I’m applying for scholarships. The idea behind sweet play is pretty straightforward. A modular design allows for three types of chocolate that can support two added ingredients: black chocolate has a hole to contain fruit, milk chocolate has spaces for nuts, and white chocolate is surfaced to hold liquids, and all three contain a hallowed compartment for inserted flavored wafers, perhaps nougat or carmel. Participants get to mix and match ingredients for hours and hours as they gorge themselves on custom confectionery goodness.

Via email Lambinet says the project remains only a concept as she has yet to find any interesting offers to help realize the project, which is a crying shame. Somebody call somebody. This seems like the perfect thing for Alinea. (thnx, elsa!)

By Christopher on October 12, 2011 • candy chocolate DIY food

Welcome to Planet Earth: The UFO Welcome Center

Welcome to Planet Earth: The UFO Welcome Center UFOs space documentary DIY architecture

After encountering aliens in the 1990s Jody Pendarvis of Bowman, South Carolina began construction on an enormous 30-foot spacecraft in the front yard of his home (this also coincided with his failed campaign for mayor of Bowman, but that’s another story). Lacking any formal plans or blueprints Pendarvis built the entire structure by hand and claims to dwell inside it several months each year, keeping vigilant watch for extraterrestrials through a portal in the roof called the Lookout Center. Documentary filmmaker Mikey Livingston captured this touching portrait of a rather bizarre man in his short film, Welcome to Planet Earth. (via vimeo)

By Christopher on August 21, 2011 • architecture DIY documentary space UFOs

Balance Study

Balance Study performance gravity DIY balance

Whoa. I have no idea what this is, suffice to say, I want one. Balance Study is a video by Jacob Tonski that studies balance filmed from a fixed horizon. Tonski says the project began as a metaphor for the disorienting experience of art graduate school. (via trendbehere)

By Christopher on March 28, 2011 • balance DIY gravity performance

Rocket Candles

Rocket Candles space home DIY candles

Taking inspiration from retro-futuristic space illustration as seen in 1950s era comic book Tintin these Rocket Candles, should be “available soon” from the folks at Design Division. I’m trying to imagine an aesthetically pleasing way for the flame to originate from the proper end, however this solution seems sufficiently awesome.

By Christopher on March 2, 2011 • candles DIY home space

DIY Webcam Giant

DIY Webcam Giant paper miniature home giant DIY computers

Architect Ryuji Nakamura thought of a brilliant way to convert his screen-mounted webcam into a miniature paper house that creates the illusion of turning him into a giant. Complete with tiny furniture. (via spoon & tamago)

By Christopher on February 14, 2011 • computers DIY giant home miniature paper

East Campus Roller Coaster 2010: The Reverse Cowgirl

East Campus Roller Coaster 2010: The Reverse Cowgirl wood stunts roller coasters DIY

This September students from MIT built a vertical wooden roller coaster from scratch. What happened to drinking beer and playing video games?

Rush 2010 featured EC’s first fully vertical wooden roller coaster track. The Reverse Cowgirl, designed by Mike Nawrot ’12 and Romain Teil ’11 dropped its riders vertically, then turned them face down as they skimmed 2 feet above the ground, face down and strapped with their backs to the cart, before bringing them back to vertical upside-down.

From what I can gather this appears to be part of an annual coaster tradition that is only vaguely documented online. Additional photos here. (via make)