BL Workshop
How to draw cartoon dogs
Make your penciled puppies come to life. Here’s how.
Make a periscope
Making a periscope from wood and a few pieces of mirror is easier than you might think. Here are plans and instructions for a periscope more than two feet long—just what you want for heavy-duty secret agent work.
Make a ‘hide rack’ display
Show off your patches and other stuff with this rustic “hide rack” display.
Build a rain barrel
Conserve water by collecting rainwater and using it for your garden or lawn.
How to make a Kazoo
A kazoo is perfect to add some extra fun to your campout sing-alongs. Here’s how to make one.
Plant a compact vegetable garden
What makes this compact garden so productive is that you will be placing plants close together in squares instead of traditional rows. You can continue to plant as you harvest.
How to build an igloo
The best-known snow shelter is the igloo. A brilliant use of engineering and resources, this simple dome made out of snow blocks is both strong and versatile.
Fun wintertime projects
When Old Man Winter bares his cold, sharp icicle fangs, don’t turn into an indoor flake. Bite back! Here’s how to sink your teeth into winter and walk away with a few cool souvenirs.”
Make a compost tumbler
Here’s how to tumble your way to rich compost for your garden and plants.
Make a camera to take 3D snapshots
Make a stereograph, using two cameras to create cool 3D snapshots.
Make a homemade twig pencil
Twig pencils are fun, easy and cheap to make. And the expressions on your friends’ faces when you start scribbling with a stick will be writetious!
Six projects to do with plastic bottles and jugs
Go Green and recycle empties into fun and useful projects.
Make a solar hot dog cooker
If you curve some aluminum foil just right, you can cook hot dogs with the sun’s heat.
Make a “10,000-Year-Old” Lamp Shade
Cave paintings have been around for thousands of years. Light up your own bedroom “cave” with this torn-paper lamp shade.
Make a classic Soma puzzle
Looking for a homemade gift or just a fun game. Try making this classic Soma puzzle.
Make a firefly lantern
Want a natural nightlight? Catch some fireflies and make a firefly lantern. Here’s how.
Growing Plants Without Dirt
Plants don’t need soil as long as they have five things: food, water, light, air and support. You can provide all five in a hydroponic garden. Here’s how to create your own.
Make an Off-Shore Battle game
Charge up your power drill, sharpen that saw and make this cool custom-made Off-Shore Battle game.
Make your own banjo
Make a simple banjo and start making your own music.
Use nature to make great Mother’s Day gifts
Mother’s Day is May 11. Show your mom just how great she is by making her a gift inspired by Mother Nature herself! Topped off with a homemade card, it will be a present Mom will never forget.
Twist wire to make a great Mother’s Day present
With a few tools, you can twist and turn metal into something that is functional and easy on the eyes. Here’s how to wire up some new things around the house.
Make your own mailbox stove
Looking for a unique and fun way to cook for your troop? Do what this North Carolina troop does: Cook in a mailbox.
Make the ultimate raingutter regatta racer
A winning raingutter racer stays on an even keel, moves in a straight line, keeps the bow above water and does not drag. If your boat does all this, it finishes ahead of any boat that can’t. Here’s how to build your winner.
Build a flagpole, table or chair for your camp
With the right pioneering skills, you can create all kinds of contraptions that come in handy at a campsite.
Catch a snowflake and keep it forever
Snowflakes are among nature’s most beautiful and short-lived creations. Yet there is a way to preserve these fragile wonders to study or admire them anytime you wish.
Make a Civil War pinhole camera
Make your own pinhole camera, much like the ones photographers used in the Civil War.
Speed Secrets of the Pinewood Derby
There are many ways to make your Pinewood Derby car go faster. Here are some of them.
Build an Electric Motor
Learn the secrets of electro-magnets with this fun and simple project. With video.
Weather Experiments
Learn more about science, weather and energy by conducting these experiments with easy-to-find materials.
How to start a fish aquarium
Having an aquarium is cool – and easy! Here’s how to start yours.
MAGIC IN A MINUTE
Here's a fun prank disguised as an imagination test.HOBBY HOWS
Hobby ideas and tips contributed by readers
From photography to fishing to coin collecting, Boys' Life readers share their hobby secrets. Here are the most recent:- An easy meal for camping
- Keep your peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich
- When I go on camping trips
- If you are into LEGO Bionicles
- Keep the number stickers on your derby racecar
- Use the clips that hold old socks together
- For perfectly round pancakes
- When you are modeling with clay
- For a Klondike derby
- If you have a good baseball card
>> Send us your tips
YOUR PHOTOS
Post your Pinewood Derby pictures
>> Click here to upload photos
>> Click here to see all the photos
COLLECTING
Readers tell us about their collections
If it exists, Boys' Life readers probably collect it. Here are some of the interesting, unusual and just plain cool collections that you've sent us.- I collect fortunes from fortune cookies
- I collect stamps
- I collect pencil lead
- I collect hat pins
- I collect coins
- I collect farm toys
- I collect mini football helmets
- I collect keychains
- I collect video games
- I collect medals from special events
>> Tell us about your collection
