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Well, now the secret's totally ruined
Did you know that there are some rogue Moblins in Hyrule, just hanging out inside sealed caves waiting to give some dude rupees? This bizarre fixation with enclosure and charity is supposed to be a secret to everybody, but now Etsy's slothbot has let the cat out of the bag Moblin out of the cave. Way to go, slothbot.In other crafting news, Kotaku reader Aaron revealed not so much of a secret as a new discovery: that a Mario mosaic table is probably the best thing ever and it is now probably impossible for the world to continue existing without one. Check after the break for the most exciting table picture ever.
Space Invaders on our ears and necks
Every week it seems like we show you some sort of Space Invaders or Pac-Man themed memorabilia. We don't know why it's so hard to let go of these characters from the arcade days of yore, but it is -- so we won't.Neither will crafter Pardalote, who makes adorable beaded Invaders jewelry like the earrings shown above. The best news is, the earrings and necklaces are reasonably priced, especially for handmade items. You can see for yourself at the Australian's Etsy store here.Do any of you geekettes out there like these, too? Or is this blogger just blinded by her love for all things Space Invaders?[Via Technabob]
This piranha plant won't bite you
We usually don't feel warm and fuzzy when thinking about piranha plants, but we suppose it can't be helped when one actually is warm and fuzzy. Still, years of training (read: playing Mario games) have conditioned us to keep our fingers away from these beasts, even if they look harmless. This precious pincushion was made by a Toronto artist named FoulFowl, and was wet and needle felted. Since we're domestically challenged, we're not exactly sure what that entails, but it sounds impressive -- at least, we hope so, since the craft is set at $25.[Via Technabob]
You got The Quilt of Power!
Look, it's all well and good stomping off to rescue princesses and reassemble golden triangular relics, but at least remember that it's a cold, unforgiving world out there, and you'll need something warm to wrap around yourself at some point. As the only other Zelda quilt we've posted about was never put up for sale, this one should do the trick, even if it is ... $475?! We advise chopping grass to raise the required funds.Take a closer look at this work of art after the break.
It's like a Fruit Roll-Up, only for your DS (and not edible)
Christina Cary, the same gal who taught us how to make a DS cart caddy out of an old pair of pants, has expanded on her portfolio of handheld-related crafts with this strawberry-colored fold-up pouch. In addition to sewing in fitted belts for a DS Lite system and four games, she has included pockets for lip gloss tubes, compact mirrors, or anything else you might want to pack along with your portable!Christina also made a matching purse with the same patterned material she used for the pouch's exterior. You can see the bag and a shot of the homemade case rolled up after the break. Now, if only someone would make us something similar, but with this fabric ...
Hold these shiny cases above your head
To give these green and gold Triforce cases their shiny look, Craftster Renee Parrill used Zodiac naugahyde, or glitter-patterned pleather. The pouches are just big enough to encase a Nintendo DS, keeping their contents confined with a snap closure. They would match perfectly with your green cap and adventuring outfit! Also, you could probably stuff a fairy into one if you ever run out of empty bottles. [Thanks, Alexis!]
Keep sharp objects away from this Nintendo balloon art
When we usually see balloons, we get an urge to kick them. Or squeeze them. Or rub them on our clothes to create static and annoy other people. Or pop them. But that's not the case with these superb examples of balloon art. When we see these, we want to build a special cabinet to display them in, and pray that they never, ever, ever deflate.They're the work of gifted Flickr user TwystNeko, who seems to be quite the expert at manipulating rubber and air. As well as this Mario, s/he's fashioned other Nintendo-themed balloon masterpieces, which you can see after the post break, including an a-maz-ing Mega Man.
Bunny fact #35: Rabbids don't like cats
Check out this awesome rabbid plush, made by reader Michael Karpinski. As big fans of the rabbids (even if we don't always love the games), we were excited to see such an awesomely made plushie doll in their likeness. What we love even more is this picture of a cat hugging the rabbid, not only because we love cute or funny cat pictures (which we do), but because it makes the expression on the plush's face all the more fitting.To see the full greatness of this plush when it's not obscured by cat arms, make sure to check after the break.
YA RLY: Another homemade case
Norwegian craftster Silje sewed together this charming pouch to protect her Pink DS Lite and separate her games from the clutter in her purse. It's amazing what can be done with just buttons, ribbons, a cute print, and a sewing machine! Silje picked up the owl fabric from an Etsy shop with dozens of similarly playful patterns, if you're interested in tackling a case project of your own.The back of the pouch has three cart slots that secure their contents with a button and ribbon system similar to the enclosure on the front. You can see a close-up of those pockets and another shot of the case after the break!
The authoritative guide to making tiny Wiimotes from Model Magic
STOP! Put down that Crayola Model Magic. Read this guide from DIYLife's Victor Agreda before you attempt to fashion teensy Wiimotes out of the foamy modeling compound. Or you can just look at the pictures of his charmingly homemade, fun-size Wii controllers, embellished with markers. Victor used these to add cute touches to his Christmas gifts, but you are, of course, free to do what you like, from displaying them, to, uh ... a second use. One of our favorite things about the Internet is that there exist so many detailed guides to extremely specific things. And our pals at DIY Life are contributing to this infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
The DS Life: Doing it big
The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handhelds and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.Hazz: Hey, dude! :)Nelson: Hey, Hazz. How's your DS?Hazz: It's a little bigger than I expected! ^_^Nelson: *WANG*
Mario LEDs invoke the spirit of mooninites
What do you get when you combine mooninite inspired LEDs with items from Mario games? No, not bomb scares in Boston, silly. Check out these videos if you're interested in these projects by Carl Cartagena, where he makes star, turnip, bomb-omb, and mushroom LEDs. For extra points, Carl either wrote or remixed all the music in these vids, too. Some of them are a bit lengthy, but it's worth at least checking out the finished products. More LED videos after the break, just be sure not to invite any Boston police.
Homemade guitar-shaped bag to hold PSP
Alisha from DS Fanboy sent us a link to this lovely homemade PSP craft. With official pouches and cases so hard to come by for PSP-2000 systems, mewyam decided to sew an original guitar-shaped bag for her boyfriend's PSP system. This meticulously crafted design not only looks stylish, but works well too: "the PSP rests perfectly in the bottom curved part so it's far from evil snatching hands"We'd like to get our hands on one as well. But first, we have to buy a girlfriend. Where do we do that?
Wear this Bob-omb jewelry at a safe distance
Craftster user False_desire calls herself a "one woman jewelry workshop," a pretty accurate description considering her prolific output. Wading through her assortment of Rainbow Brite, Care Bears and Hello Kitty creations, we stumbled across these adorable (non-exploding) Bob-omb earrings and matching necklace. Hand-sculpted from FIMO (damn fiddly stuff, let us tell you), both of these cute one-offs are available now on eBay (here and here), so grab 'em while you still can!
iPod cozies from the Mushroom Kingdom
Is this not the cutest frickin' iPod case you've ever seen? Martha Wozniak knits not only these Luigi-themed cozies, but Mario and Princess Peach pouches as well. If only they could fit a Nintendo DS, that would be perfect! We're sure that many of you would gladly pay a king's ransom to secure one of these -- they look like great Christmas gifts -- but they're available on her Etsy shop for only six dollars each! Button your overalls and jump past the post break for images of the Mario and Princess Peach iPod cozies.
Red Ring of Death condolence cards
If you know someone who recently experienced the loss of an Xbox 360, show some support by sending a Red Ring of Death condolence card. Created by Etsy user BSAngel, the card has the dreaded red ring design on the front, made from red crystals adhered by industrial strength glue. The card says inside: "May this card help console you during this difficult time. I am very sorry for your loss." Get it? Console and console -- it's a heteronym.The card is $4 plus shipping and because it's handcrafted we're thinking not too many are available. Thankfully, the card seems simple enough to make with just a quick trip to your local crafts store. We actually think Microsoft should buy this concept off of BSAngel (she definitely deserves to be compensated for the idea) and send a card to every person who's gotten the RRoD (they have all the addresses). It would actually be a really nice PR gesture. If Nintendo can spend $18 million on Wii prophylactics, the least Microsoft can do is send out some cheeky cards of apology.[Thanks Paul, Via Technabob]
Nintendo DS Lite, Felt Pink edition
Fed up with screen protectors? Scared that you'll eventually crack your system's hinge? Looking to replace the DS Lite you threw against the wall after your girlfriend dumped you via PictoChat. Seriously, why didn't she just tell you to your face? She was only a few feet away when she did it!This latest hardware revision for the Nintendo DS, Felt Pink, makes those issues things of the past; the new design is even lighter and has a softer D-pad! Carol Esther, the craftster behind this limited edition portable, is willing to part with it for only fifteen dollars! Head past the post break for a photo of the handheld with its lid pulled back.
Tender hugs from a customized case
Inspired by Red Maloo's laptop sleeves, Alfine set out to create her own folding case for her Onyx DS Lite. The padded pouch's flaps lovingly embrace the portable, locking together with velcro and protecting its contents from the random items she keeps in her bag. Taking the DS out is as easy as pulling back the case's arms. Its plus-sign shape also gets bonus points for resembling a plump D-pad.We seem to find new ways to house our favorite handheld almost everyday; it's really amazing how creative people have been with their designs. What crazy idea will the craftsters out there come up with next? You can check out more photos of Alfine's case past the post break.
Zen and the Art of Mushroom Maintenance
20-year-old craftster Tiffany indulged her boyfriend's love of sand and Mario by joining the two with a themed zen garden. Since this will be a birthday present, she took extra care to decorate the lid with wood cut-outs that she painted and glued atop one another for a "3D look." If her beau doesn't run wildly around the room for 15 seconds after unwrapping this, knocking over everything in his path while sounding out "Starman" music, we'll be disappointed.Opening the box reveals Mario and friends, as well as a playground of sand to rake patterns into. Tiffany plans to eventually add blocks painted with question marks and possibly other elements. Might we suggest a miniature green boot? Enjoy your fleeting invincibility and somersault past the post break for more photos.
More fan-created Phoenix Wright: Ace Apparel
We're slowly gathering entries for our yet-to-be-announced Phoenix Wright Shirt Makers' Club. These elite crafters have decided to express their fandom for Capcom's graphic adventure series and its characters in the most reverent way they know: by giving Phoenix Wright a place of honor on the front of a t-shirt. The latest, from reader Maxy, goes beyond the limitations of home crafting. Maxy's sister has access to professional apparel-printing machinery at a uniform company, and transferred this iconic image of Phoenix on what looks like a 3/4 sleeve baseball shirt. Maya Fey, as pictured on the Gyakuten Saiban boxart, appears on the back. It's kind of unfair that we can't follow Maxy's example and make one of these! It may be unfair enough to warrant an OBJECTION! No, it's just kind of unfair.
