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We’ve all heard that “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” And that’s usually fine when it comes to tasks at work or baking your own birthday cake. But if you want a specific lamp built for your bedroom or a tricked-out bicycle, you might need to acquire some skills before you can get started.

That’s why it’s so impressive when people actually do manage to finish amazing DIY projects that would have never existed without their out-of-the-box ideas. Here’s a list of posts from r/Maker featuring some of the coolest creations and inventions people have made at home. Enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the ones that inspire you to channel your inner engineer too!

#1 I Turned My Son’s Wheelchair Into Bb8 For Star Wars Day And Took Him To Hollywood Studios. This Is Coen In His Bb8 Chair Meeting Bb8

#2 I Made My Own Portable Two-Player Arcade Briefcase

#3 I Designed And Build An Hexagonal Livingroom Lamp. Walnut, LED, Hue Compatible, Upward And Downward Illumination Can Be Controlled Separately

We live in an age where we can have any item delivered to our doorsteps in a matter of days. You don’t even have to buy groceries or make dinner if you’re not in the mood; a courier will bring you whatever you’re craving within the hour. This convenience culture is great sometimes, but it has removed so much friction from our lives that many of us have forgotten how to acquire new skills.

There’s certainly still value in making something yourself, though. Just look at the Maker subreddit! This group is dedicated to celebrating all sorts of things; as long as you made it yourself, it fits the bill. So we hope that the photos featured here will remind you that you don’t have to order everything off Amazon, pandas. You can always follow a YouTube tutorial and figure out how to make that shelf yourself!

#4 I Built A Side Table That Automatically Fills A Cup

The goal was to make something that feels like a real side table but also has a built-in function instead of just being a random prototype. This version still needs some refinement, but I was happy enough with how the test turned out to share it.

#5 An Interactive Desk Lamp Prototype, Exploring Light As Behavior (3D Print + Electronics)

I made an interactive sci-fi desk lamp / prop. This is the third iteration of a small experimental project I’ve been working on. It started as a design exercise inspired by watching the full Star Wars saga with my kids, exploring how light could feel more diegetic – less like a lamp, more like a contained system or energy core. This version is fully 3D printed and built around a Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040. The main change here is proximity-based brightness control using a ToF sensor, so the lamp reacts to presence rather than direct input. In previous versions, I used an encoder for this purpose. Still very much a prototype – mostly focused on behavior, interaction and fabrication rather than a finished product. Now considering an horizontal variant of this lamp

#6 I Built A Floor Lamp For My New Apartment

This project was relatively quick. Spent a couple weeks 3D printing the upper and lower parts, laser cutting the pieces (there’s jigsaw pieces on the top and bottom you can’t see in this pic), 3D printing the hub parts, and stripping and burnishing the pipes. Usually I do custom LEDs but kept this simple and wired up some outlets and put some T10 bulbs inside. A fun project and I really like its steampunk but also a bit refined look. It honestly came out far better than I expected.

If you’re wondering what the benefits are of doing projects yourself, Houzz has got you covered. First, they note that anything you DIY will have a personal touch. You won’t own the exact same pieces from IKEA that everyone else in your life has, and every time you look at that bookcase or table, you’ll remember how hard you worked on it.

In the same vein, upcycling comes with a sense of accomplishment. Anyone can go to the store and pick something out or order a product from Amazon with just a few clicks. But not everyone has the vision and skills to be able to create something totally unique. You might just become obsessed with that sense of accomplishment and start DIY-ing all the time!

#7 I Made A Semi-Automatic Cooking Robot. It Made Me A bad Meal

#8 I Made A Cartridge Music Player

Being a fan of 80s and 90s gaming tech as well as music, I thought it would be fun to play with the idea: “What if music was sold on cartridges in the 80s?”. 🙂

I’ve designed the PCBs and the case and cartridges and printed them on a Bambu Lab X1-C.

#9 10-Foot, 16-Wheel Skateboard

Making things yourself is also a great way to reduce your environmental impact. If you use materials that were on their way to the landfill, you’ll benefit both your home and the planet. Plus, by making something unique, you’ll reduce the demand for cheap, low-quality products sold by huge corporations. It may be convenient to buy those items, but they won’t last a lifetime. It’s better to invest your time and energy into something you’ll truly love.

#10 My Latest Weekend Project: Over-Engineering A Solution To The Sun Shining In My Eyes

#11 Amazing Idea

#12 I Made A Really Cool Lamp And I’m Really Proud Of It!

Now, we’ll be honest, not all DIY projects are cheaper than purchasing something from a store. But once you’ve accumulated all the supplies you need, future projects will likely be much friendlier on your wallet than shopping for something brand new. Plus, you have the ability to customize your items to make them exactly how you imagined, whereas you might have wanted to paint or zhuzh up something you bought from IKEA.

#13 I Made An Eternal Flame In A Tiny Dumpster That Burns Until The End Of The USA “President”

I made this with a couple of friends over the past few months. It’s called the Eternal Trash Fire. We lit it on Inauguration Day and it’s been burning ever since (actually on fire, not a metaphor). The plan is for it to continue to burn as long as Trump is president.
The dumpster is a 1:12-scale model made of 22ga steel. It was designed in CAD, laser cut, bent on a brake, and TIG welded. I’m especially happy with his little wheels! It was tricky to work with such thin material, and I honestly think it would have been easier to make a full-sized dumpster. (And before you ask, yes, I have plenty of experience making gas-fueled appliances and know how to do it safely).
First pic is right after it was lit, and the last pic is how it looks now, one month later. Most of the rest of the scene (you can’t see it all in the photos, but soon!) is made of dyed castable refractory cement (fireproof), then painted with gouache to age it.
We’re live-streaming it on YouTube. I’m not posting the link though so as to not break the no-self-promo rule. Posting from a fresh account since I want to stay anonymous for now.

#14 I Made A Motorcycle Gear Hanger Out Of Recycled Parts From My Bike

#15 Drone That Flies Like An X-Wing From Star Wars

If you’re starting to wonder where exactly to start your DIY journey, we understand; it can be overwhelming. But The DIY Playbook has recommended 13 manageable skills that every homeowner should be able to pick up. First up: knowing how to change your air filter, as this should be done every few months. It’s also important to know the correct hardware to hang things from and how to fill holes in your drywall. And while you’re at it, figuring out how to use a caulk gun is a great idea.

#16 I Made An iPhone 13 Pro Case That Holds A Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

I wanted to share a fun project I’ve been working on recently.

I designed and 3D-printed a case called iBerry – it’s basically an iPhone 13 Pro case with a built-in slot for a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. The Pi sits in on the back, with access to GPIO, microSD, HDMI, and USB.

Right now it’s fully compatible with the iPhone 13 Pro, but the plan is to expand it to fit all iPhone models in the future.

Currently, my version is printed in PLA, but i have plan to make it in aluminum for durability and a more premium feel.

The idea is to have a portable device connected to your phone via SSH, powered by an external battery, so you can carry a mini hacking/automation setup in your pocket.

#17 I Made A Rug Of My Cat. I Think It Looks A Little Derpy But It Looks Pretty Close For Being A Rug!

#18 Steampunk Mechanical Arm For My Son’s Halloween Costume

If you’re scared of power tools, now’s the time to conquer that fear. Because The DIY Playbook says operating a power drill is something we should all know how to do. And another simple one is knowing how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity in your home. If there’s ever an emergency, you’d better know how to use a fire extinguisher. And you might want to pick up some basic plumbing skills if you want to avoid paying a plumber hundreds of dollars every time there’s a minor leak.

#19 Project – 3D Printed Hybrid Bike Frame

I’ve been working on a DIY bike project for a while now and finally have a rideable prototype (V0.2). It’s built with 3D-printed PA12-CF lugs and bamboo veneer tubes from MOSO, all bonded together with epoxy. I wanted to see if a home-built frame with printed lugs could actually hold up in real riding conditions, and so far it’s been surprisingly solid.

The lugs are printed on a Creality K2 Max in PA12-CF with full infill, printed slowly for strength. I didn’t try to hide the layer lines, so the texture is still visible. The bamboo tubes are CNC-milled MOSO N-Vision veneer tubes. They’re lightweight, straight, and fit nicely into the lug sockets.

Test riding so far:

I’ve done around 30 km on it on asphalt, cobblestones, and a bit of off-road. (All on safe non-traffic places and wearing protection) The frame feels stiff, tracks straight, and didn’t make any strange noises. No cracks or issues with the lugs or the bonding. The epoxy joints actually feel like they’ve stiffened a bit over time, maybe because the real cure time was longer than the datasheet suggests.

I am fully aware the frame will break eventually, just curious when. I honestly think the seatlug will crack first. Due the flexible nature of Nylon, I don’t expect it to break suddenly.

I don’t have a rear brake mounted yet, so riding it is a bit more exciting than usual. Also the drivetrain rattles because the rear gear is old and I put a new chain on it, so the teeth and chain don’t match perfectly. But the important part, the printed lugs, are holding up better than expected.

Some basic details:

– PA12-CF printed lugs (full infill)
– Bamboo N-Vision tubes
– Standard BSA bottom bracket
– Tapered head tube
– PA12-CF printed dropouts
– Frame weight is 1.85 kg
– Printer: Creality K2plus

What’s next:

I’ve started designing a version specifically for indoor smart trainers like the Kickr Core. That one will have a more reinforced rear triangle, Some aluminium lasercut parts for enforcing the dropoutss – thicker lug walls, and a fixed front setup to handle the lateral forces during sprints on a trainer.

If anyone here has experience mixing composites with FDM parts or has ideas for improving printed lugs, I’d love to hear it. I can share more photos or details if helpful.

#20 I Made A Lamp Out Of A Skateboard!

#21 Pocket-Sized Guitar

A fully functional, pocket-sized guitar built from scratch in 48 hours at REDHackathon in shanghai. Six capacitive touch “strings” respond to finger contact to trigger chords. A joystick selects the configuration, a rotary encoder scrolls groups. It actually plays music. The stack: ESP32-S3, ES8311 audio codec, 240×240 SPI LCD, IMU, RTC, 11 RGB LEDs. All in one hand. Polished enough to ship. Tactile feedback feels real, and it has instant “wait, what is that?” party energy. Guitar players would love it. With proper influe͏ncer marke͏ting, this goes vi͏ral. Well-deserved.

One task that you might actually consider fun is painting the walls of your home, as long as you know how to do it properly. And don’t forget that cleaning the outside requires knowing how to operate a power washer. To master all these DIY skills, you’ll want to have a well-stocked toolbox. And although it’s unpleasant, you should probably know how to fix minor toilet issues. Finally, a smart DIY-er knows their limits. Sometimes, it’s better just to hire a contractor.

#22 Halo Odst Helmet With Backlit Rgbs And Switchable Transparency Visor

Pretty hyped about this one, the visor needed 20VDC but that kept smoking out Arduino nanos so I used a DC to DC step down transformer to power my Arduino, visor and RGBs off the same battery source

#23 Neon Dandelion

I love flowers and I took on this little project to recreate one of the most ubiquitous ones that tends to grow absolutely anywhere and everywhere – I think most people see this plant as a weed but a weed is only a plant that’s growing somewhere you don’t want it to be 🙂

Created using filament LEDs and powered by 24V DC.

I’m looking to create more flowers of different types and maybe one day work up to creating a whole bouquet! Let me know what you think – I would love to hear what flowers you would like to see created using this medium!

#24 I Made A Backpack From Unnecessary Jeans, What Do You Think?

Are you feeling inspired by these impressive creations, pandas? Keep upvoting the ones that you wish you could make yourself, and let us know in the comments below what your next DIY project will be. Then, if you’re looking for another article from Bored Panda featuring similar creations, look no further than right here!

#25 I Made A Huge Planter In Place Of An Eye Sore

#26 Got Asked To Make Some Life Sized Mario Warp Pipes For A Local Cinema Promo

#27 An E-Ink Conference Badge I Made W/ Nfc To Share My Portfolio

Still a work in progress, hoping to add more features, and make it more polished.

I added an NFC module on the back that lets me share my portfolio when I tap it on a phone.

#28 I Made A Superfancy Bow A While Ago, Its Using Springs Instead Of The Regular Bow-Limbs

Was Actually Made For A Collector Guy As A Prop, But It Punched Through Wooden Plates Like They Are Whip Cream! Two 40kg Springs On Each Side. Made Of Aluminium And Brass.

#29 I Made This Trophies For An Engineering Event, What Do You Think?

#30 Your Next Smart Home Device Is A $30 Used Kindle

#31 I Make The Fifth Element Stones

#32 Scratch Built Loom, My Son Built This In Middle School Solving One Problem At A Time. Design By Building!

#33 I Wanted To Try Combining Wood And 3D Printing

#34 I Made Myself A Rocket Lamp Like The One Going Around Reddit A Few Months Ago

#35 I Designed An Arch Light For My Paint Station

#36 I Made This Walnut Pencil Tray, What Do You Think?

#37 Designed And Built A “Retro Time Travel Wrist Device” For A Commercial

#38 Today I Made A Floppy Disk Chandelier

#39 12 Layered Mandala Took Some Hours To Cut, But It Looks Pretty Cool

#40 Wife Is A Special Ed. Teacher In Washington And Will Be Working From Home For The Next Couple Months. She Asked For A Standing Desk, I Had Scrap Wood. Boom

#41 Designed, Laser Cut And Hand Stitched A Leather Mask For Halloween

#42 Just Some Helmets I Have Made Over The Last Month And A Half

#43 Cornet Lamp

#44 Spent The Last Few Days Working On These Six Handbags. What Do You Think?

#45 When I Need To Tap Threads, I Really Rely On It

Magnetic Tapping Guide

Ensures my tapping is vertical.

#46 I Finally Finished A Project! This Is My New Bench Power Supply

I feel like this is the first project in a very long time that I actually saw through to the end and I wanted to share my joy with the community i love 🙂 Not as impressive as most of the builds here, but I am proud of this one

#47 How Would You Even Make Something Like This?

#48 I Built A Tool That Turns Real Objects Into Accurate Svg/Dxf Files Using Just A Phone Photo Multi-Discipline Project

I’ve been working on a small tool for laser cutting, CNC, and makers, and I wanted to share an early preview to get some feedback before I release it everywhere.

Basically, the tool converts any real object into a millimetre-accurate SVG/DXF using just a phone photo and an A4 sheet for scale.

Here’s an example using a digital caliper case →

I take a photo of the object on an A4 sheet

The software detects the sheet + corrects perspective

It extracts the object outline and generates a clean, ready-to-cut file

#49 Got Sick Of Fumbling Around Whenever Plugging In Power, USB, Etc. So I Made Port Labels For My Laptop

#50 St. Louis Gateway Arch

#51 Spy/Hack Box

Saw someone post their In-box Computer, & unable to post photos in comments… So a new post was Made.

Here it is… my Hack box. In it fits: •A 7” touch screen on the outer case •Runs off Raspberry Pi 3B + •A silly Flipper Zero Named “Kasumi” •Cases contain A CC1101,NRF24,&IR Blaster. •Also in the cases, GPIO wires including 2 Specifically for Sentry Safe Access. •2 Blank re-writable RFID cards •USB w/Linux OS •USB Rubber Ducky •USB Keylogger •A PortaHack RF with 3 Antennas & headphones. •128gb blank memory card •IPhone lighting Memory stick •64gb body spy cam

If I am missing anything lmk!? I’m looking into getting a Chameleon Ultra, M5 Stick, Pawnagotchi, & a Esp32 Lora running meshtastic… If anyone has any experience with these or any regrets buy them, I’d love to hear the input.

#52 I Made This Wooden Wall And Wrapped These Columns With Steel! What Do You Think?!

#53 I’ve Been Working On This Harp-Like Instrument For A Few Months Now. Almost Finished!

#54 Custom Made Soldering Station, Built From A British Army Artillery Case. Wip

#55 So This Is Interior Wall Light / Sculpture I Made As Final Exam Piece On My Secondary School Of Applied Arts – Blacksmithing

#56 My Brother And I Made A Giant Crossbow Out Of Pvc Pipe And Painted It To Look Like A Nerf Weapon So We Could Chase Inflatable Dinosaurs Around A Field, As You Do

#57 1:2 Scale Eagle Lunar Module – Cardboard And Ply Constructed By Me

#58 I 3D Printed Molds To Cast These Concrete Speakers

#59 The Barrow Chair (Tm)

#60 3D Printer Star Wars Droid

#61 I Make These Airplane Wing Tables From Scratch Using .050” Aluminum Sheet

#62 Maple And Walnut Edge Grain Cutting Board I Made

#63 3-D Printed Magnetic Sweeper

#64 I Made A Boba Fett Helmet Out Of 94% Cardboard!

#65 I Made A Miniature (Mostly Correct) Van From The Movie Onward Using A Fire Rescue Van Model Kit And Some 3D Printed Parts I Made

#66 A Bike-Themed Pizza Cutter I Made

#67 3D Printed Bd-1 From Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order. Painted And Weathered. Weeks Of Work Finally Done And Pleased

#68 Made A 3D-Printed Printing Press

#69 I 3D Printed Molds To Cast This Concrete Tabletop Fire Feature

#70 My Second Sculpture Is Finished

A Full Metal Arm (550 Hrs Almost 3ft / 1m Tall), Made Of Countless Selfmade Parts Plus Antique Typewriter Parts (Black) And Industrial Spare Parts (2 Larger Alu Parts) Plus An Old East German Carburator. There Are 2 Angles That Can Be Locked In Place By A Mechanism.

#71 I Made A Security Camera Bot

#72 Made A “Mini Desk Lamp Thingy”

#73 Had A “Lightbulb” Moment, Filament Leds

#74 I Made This Copper Salt Spirit Lamp For Halloween

#75 Made These Sword Earrings Out Of Clear Acrylic! Let Me Know What Ya Think!

#76 A Charcuterie Board Made From 100% Recycled Plastic Bottle Caps

#77 I Made A Chess Set And Needed A Container For The Board And Pieces. I Designed This In Fusion 360 And Then 3D Printed It. Inserts Are Next. All Designed, Just Have To Order Filament To Print Them

#78 I Just Finished A Window Mounted Bird Feeder That I Can Refill From Inside

#79 Case For Nintendo Switch

#80 A Pair Of Boxjoint Pliers I Made In A Class Last Year

#81 My Wife Is Pregnant With Our First. My Dad Made Us A Tardis Wardrobe For The Nursery, And It’s Amazing. The Light On Top Flashes. And Yes – It’s Bigger On The Inside

#82 Rail Road Spike Fisherman

#83 My Wife Asked For A Fruit Bowl Where She Can Keep Hard And Soft Fruit Separate. Made Form Black Walnut And Sycamore

#84 Kegerator Is Finished! Beer Is On Tap

#85 Just Finished Up This Bench Unit Behind Our Pool. It Has Storage Inside, And Power For Charging Phones And Speakers

#86 Mud Kitchen From Scrap Wood

#87 All She Deserved Was A Piece Of Firewood For Valentines Day

#88 I Made A Lamp

#89 I Built An 8-Foot Tall Whimsical Bookcase From Plywood, Lauan, Poplar, And Padauk. This Was A Fun Build And My Wife Absolutely Loves It!

#90 Finished Making My Beat Up Old Crane & Son Piano Into A Gin Bar!

#91 Made This Tilt Out Trash Cabinet

#92 After Learning About The Magic Wheelchair Program At Nation Of Makers, Our Makerspace Built This Fire Truck For A Wheelchair Bound Kid’s Halloween Costume. Complete With Working Lights And Bubbles. He Loved It!

#93 I Made A Kentucky Stick Chair To Complement The Angular Look Of My Tiny Cabin

#94 Ring I Made Yesterday. I Think It Is My Nicest One Yet

#95 Wheelthrown And Hand Sculpted Pottery

#96 Made This Field Notes Cover From Buffalo Leather – Wonderful Leather! It Was Awesome To Work With It:)

#97 Get Into Woodcarving!

#98 I Built A Stirling Engine Road Roller Using 3D Print And Lathe Machine

Self designed all parts and FDM 3d printed

Aluminium machined 2mm wall thickness cylinder to be used as displacer piston

SS310 sheet for cold junction

SS degreased ball bearings for smooth low friction operation

Ethanol as fuel while cold water at cold junction 6. Took around 2 to 3 weeks to finalise the design 7. A fun home project, time well spent

Model is inspired from vintage Steam traction engines

#99 My Son Wanted To Be A Tusken Raider For Halloween. Since They’re Scavengers I Figured I Could Make It Instead Of Buying It

#100 I Built A 4ft Axolotl Puppet

#101 Made This Lamp With Concrete, What Do You Think?

#102 I Made This Ash Yarn Bowl For My Wife

#103 Refurbished Free Library For My Son’s School

#104 Made Some Recycled Hdpe Plastic Scales For This High Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife. Love The Marbled Effect!

#105 I Made This Table

#106 Wife Wanted The Restoration Hardware Coffee Table. $260 And It Came Out Decent