Excited K'nex Cat

Knex Cat Bed

This build is was purely for entertainment, but it turned out great!

The bed frame

I made a "mattress"out of an old pillow case and some fiberfill

Put a piece of fleece on top of it

And BAM! Cat bed!

Review: Loopin' Lightning Coaster

The other night, I made the Loopin' Lightning Coaster, which uses classic *and* micro Knex. This was my first coaster using both types of K'nex, and here are my thoughts on it...

The coaster was easy to build. It took me a mere 1.5-2 hours to build. However, the coaster did not work correctly. It had trouble getting over the first small hill, and it would never catch on the chain once it made it to the bottom. Also, I was not a huge fan of the track. I feel it is much less reliable than the ones that use tubing. Since the track is all attached with micro knex, it is much easier to break or just come apart.

Consequently, I did have to make some modifications to the track to allow the coaster cars to make it all the way down the track and attach onto the chain. So technically, this coaster isn't exactly the Loopin' Lightning, but it is fairly similar.

Knex Yard Game: Ladder Toss

The past couple days, I have been devoting most of my knexing (is that a word?) time taking down my Ferris wheel. Why, you ask? Because I really needed more blue connectors freed up. xD  However, tonight I got inspired to make a ladder toss game! I have seen it made out of PVC pipe, so I figured I could make one out of knex! It's portable enough that you could take it to a tailgate or just use it out in your lawn during a cookout!

Coming soon: some sort of big build. Haven't decided what exactly I will make yet, but I am thinking maybe a coaster or a ball tower.

Knex Guest Builder: Elijah

I received these pictures from some friends who saw my post about hosting guest builders! So, here is our first guest builder: Elijah. I always enjoy seeing the different creations he makes on Facebook. He seems to enjoy building by himself as well as with his grandpa! 

Elijah and his recent build: a knex gun.

These types of guns work with the use of a rubber band! You just slip the rod into the barrel (the white part) and pull the orange and black trigger out of the way. The rubber band acts as a spring, propelling the red rod through the barrel.

Some more of Elijah's creations.

Rubber bands are one of my favorite supplements for knex builds, and Elijah has found them quite useful as well!

While he loves building catapults, he does enjoy making all kinds of builds. These are some vehicles that he made.

Thanks so much for sharing your creations with us, Elijah! You're proof that even from a young age, you can enjoying building with K'nex. I look forward to seeing what you create in the coming months and years!

Knex Photo Frames

This build is easy enough for pretty much any age! You can make these with your kids, and then they can pick out some of their favorite photos to put up in their bedroom or playroom! Knex photo frames are fairly easily customizable to whichever size you need. I found that Wal-Mart's photos are weird sizes (the middle two frames). I am thinking a collage frame would be pretty cool made out of k'nex as well, but I am trying to figure out what exactly that should look like. So, I may get around to doing that a little later on. Without further ado, here is today's knex creation:

Four frames I made using random old pictures I found.

5x7

Back of the 5x7

Weird Wal-Mart size

Back of weird Wal-Mart size

Wallet size

Back of wallet size

Wal-Mart wallet size

Back of Wal-Mart wallet size

 If you've got ideas for new, creative, interesting, or ingenious builds, just let me know! Also, I am looking for builders to guest on my blog! So, if you've got something ingenious or useful you'd like to share (no matter your age!), just send me a tweet/message/e-mail/comment!

Knex Lazy Susan (or turntable)

Hello, cyberworld! If you've never been to my blog before, welcome! I try to take K'nex and make them into everyday, useful items. Sometimes, I just make things for fun, though, because let's face it... Knex are meant to be fun! Today, my build is more of a functional build: a lazy susan. Now, let me note that this is not for placing really small or skinny items on, as I did not cover the whole area with platforms. My main intent for this was that it be useful for cake decorating. However, it could be used for various other things. For instance, it can hold condiments or a pizza on the dinner table. You could also use it in your cupboard for storing spices (although, depending on the size of the spice bottles, you may want to lay down some cardstock or cardboard first). In that same vein, you could make a second tier and put larger bottles on the bottom and the short ones up top! Use your imagination!

The top on the lazy susan.

The lazy susan flipped upside down so you can see the base.

Side view.

View from the bottom.

Another side view.

If you would like more thorough details on how to build one of your own, just ask! Also, I am always grateful for more build ideas. If you'd like to be a guest builder on my blog, just let me know!

Kitchen Organizing with K'nex: Lid Holder

Wow, it's been quite a while since I've posted a new build. I was on vacation for almost two weeks this month. My hubby and I took an Alaskan cruise, and I loved every minute of it! But you didn't come here to read about that, so let's get down to business.

I am continuing to find ways to organize my kitchen using knex. Over the past couple days, I have been trying to make a holder for the lids for my pots and pans. I have two different sets of lids, so it was a little tricky finding the right combination of parts, but I think I've finally got it. I plan to put this in the cupboard right up against the edge, and then I can stack my pots up next to it!

Also, I do run out of ideas for builds every now and again, so if you've got anything you'd like to see knex-ified, let me know! =D

Knex Box Fan

As we approach summer and temperatures increase, I decided to create a motorized box fan. It's small, light, and fairly functional. However, I am planning on placing either paper or some sort of other material on the fan blades to create a greater breeze. I will try and post a video up of it soon!

Here's the front view

I attached the motor so that it is turning the rod that is bound to the large, yellow gear. As you might imagine, the gear does have its work cut out for it as it is turning the fan blades at a quick pace. However, this motor seems better-equipped for it than the two-part motor (the red and clear one that I use to run the Ferris Wheel).

Toilet Paper Holder

Here's an extremely simple build, a toilet paper holder, that I whipped up yesterday:

Kitchen Organizing with K'nex: Measuring Spoon/Cup Holder

I have been meaning to organize my kitchen a little bit better, and I think K'nex can help me achieve a functional, colorful, organized kitchen! This build is super simple. Anyone who has bought a knex set at any point should have the few key pieces I used to make this. I plan on hanging it on a Command hook in an accessible place above one of my counter tops! If you have smaller hanging holes on your kitchen tools, you can resort to using micro knex for the pegs!