K'nex Shadowbox for Small Gaming Characters

For a while now, my husband has been wanting a shadowbox or display case for his gaming action figures. I was going to buy him one for his birthday, but then I realized that the size display boxes that he needs are quite hard to find... not to mention expensive. So, I decided I would make him one using K'nex, foam board, and hot glue. I absolutely love how it turned out. He requested I put a black backing on it, so I used black poster board since the back is towards a wall. Here is the resulting shadow box:

The action figures here are Heroes of the Storm mini Funko Pop characters (from Blizzard Entertainment). The larger slots will fit the normal-size Funko Pop characters as well as some other gaming action figures he wants to display. He can set stuff up on the top shelf that doesn't conform to the little cubbies.

What about you? Have you ever incorporated other materials into your knex builds? I would love to hear about it! Follow me on Twitter @Knextravagant and let me know!

Nightstand (with Special Feature!)

I have been in need of a place to put my phone and baby monitor next to my bed. For the past month or so, I've been setting them on top of a Christmas decoration (lit gift boxes). Well, I put the decorations away, and decided I should finally make myself a night stand. Furthermore, I put a drawer in said nightstand. Yes, a drawer. Made out of K'nex. I have never seen a knex drawer before! I was so excited to be able to try my hand at it. It works quite well, and I don't think it's too shabby for a first try. The method I used to implement it only allowed for a very small drawer. But it's perfect for a nightstand! Check it out!

(Yes, those are shorts on the bottom shelf... :P)

I am loving it! I've got a place to stick my phone cord so that it doesn't keep falling on the ground. It's got space for clothes on the bottom shelf. I can fit a couple of books in the middle shelf, and the drawer is perfect for stowing lotion or whatever else you choose to put in there.

And also, just to remind you of the great quote from Ron Swanson:

(although, I suppose you do have to buy K'nex to make all these things... but still! It's much more fun to just make things!)

Simple Slanted Shelf

Since having a child, I have noticed that the amount of small books has increased greatly! He loves books, mind you, so it's a good thing. However, they have been stacked up on a desk in his room for the past ten months. This build was basically just to organize his space a little better. This shelf could be used for blu-rays, books, memorabilia, or CD's. It was very easy to make and doesn't require a lot of pieces.

What would you like to see made out of K'nex?

Reworked Build: Bottle Drying/Storage Rack

As a mom of an infant, I always seem to have bottles drying. Not to mention I use many bottles over the course of the week. I made a bottle yard (aka a drying rack) earlier last year to accommodate the frequent use of bottles. However, I got tired of it sitting on my counter taking up space. So, I came up with a solution! I now have it hanging on my wall under my cabinets--easy to access but out of the way. It also holds 7 more bottles than the last one! Makes me happy. ^__^

Spiffy Christmas Storage Solutions

I know it's been a while, but believe it or not, I still keep tabs on my blog! Crazy, I know. I am back with some pretty simple builds for storing Christmas lights. I know, I know. I've done a post before for storing lights and tinsel, but I believe these ones look way cooler. xD Make these reels and never have to spend hours untangling lights and tinsel again!

Have an idea for a build? Comment and let me know!

Updated Small Bookshelf

I have continued to update some of the builds around my house. This past week, I updated the small bookshelf that holds most of my childrens books. It's nothin' fancy, but it works!

The Back

Diagonal

Front View

With all my books

And there ya have it. It's pretty easy to build, but it does take a lot of blue/purple connectors, yellow rods, and red rods.

New and Improved Paper Towel Dispenser

I've been considering redoing a few of my builds for better usability. One that came to mind was my paper towel holder, which had an annoying flaw: you had to hold the k'nex part in order for the paper towels to unravel properly. As such, I redesigned it to make the roll spin without being aided by my hand holding the holder. Because after all, doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of a paper towel holder? Nothing too fancy, but the spindle now turns on the rods in the very center of the white circle connectors.

Want to see something in particular made out of K'nex? Comment and let me know!

K'nex Bottle Yard

This build comes to you on the heels of feeding an infant and going through bottle after bottle, whether because of formula feeding or just supplementing with already pumped breast milk. I know most of you probably have no interest in a build of this sort, but I have found it to be a lifesaver during the first ten weeks of my little guy's life! I did boil the knex rods to make sure they were sanitized before using my bottle yard, and that is why you may notice some discoloration, particularly on the red rods. Turns out, k'nex rods do sometimes lose color! I was not aware of this because my k'nex have done really well around most elements (rain, sun, heat, cold, etc). I didn't build it around the bottles that I chose, but the Playtex Ventaire is the only bottle my little guy really likes. It just so happens that my bottle yard is perfect for all the little parts that come with that particular bottle! Without further ado, here is my bottle yard (which you may notice sits on top of a drying mat).

As you can see, it has become a permanent fixture on my counter as I do tend to go through a lot of bottles. I don't know how else I would've gotten my bottles to dry out aside from buying a bottle yard. But you know my motto! Why buy something when you can make it out of K'nex?! Thanks for reading my blog! If you have any suggestions for future builds (whether you think them mundane or not), please let me know! I am always looking for more ideas.

Storage Cubbies II

I realize it's been quite some time since I updated my blog. My husband and I welcomed a baby boy in March, and most of this year has been spent in preparation for our little one. I am hoping that I can update much more often in the next few months.

However, today I bring you another storage creation! For those of you who are familiar with all of the builds I have done, you may remember that I made a storage cubular a while back. Well, this one is much improved from the last one. It is structurally sound enough to be able to hold much more weight, and it shouldn't bend under pressure. I will warn you that it takes a massive amount of k'nex pieces as well as a good chunk of time to make. Without further ado, here are the pictures!

I got the plastic storage bins at the Dollar Store, and the smaller ones fit quite easily into the cubes. 

As always, if you have any suggestions for builds, let me know! I would love to be challenged by different types of builds. Also, I am willing to try and answer any knex or building-related questions you may have. I have been building with k'nex for many years now, and I would love to share my knowledge with others. Happy building!

Knex Fixes: Kitty-Proofing a Feeder

Today, I bring you a fix that I made for our cat feeder. We've got a feeder that dispenses food 3 times a day, every day. It's quite handy for portion control and whatnot. However, our gluttonous cats have figured out how to tamper with it. While we were gone on vacation (and a friend was watching them), they were able to knock over the feeder and pry the lid off. So, this build was meant to 1) keep the feeder standing, 2) keep the lid on, and 3) prevent them from sticking their grubby little paws up behind the food dish to get more food to fall out (they figured out how to remove the dish in front).

Here's what I got:

By adding the water bowl holder onto the side, I believe I made a more stable base that will prevent them from knocking it over.

They can't get the lid off without unhinging the 4 navy rods. Win!

As you can see, the food dish is now firmly in place, and now the cats can't get at the mechanism that drops food. 

Have anything around the house that you could use a fix for? Comment and let me know!

Turkey Napkin Holder

I have been feeling quite festive lately, and so I made a napkin holder that looks like a turkey. =P I know the head/face is lacking a bit, but I couldn't figure out how to make it look quite right! This is one of my first builds to feature micro k'nex, actually, because I couldn't find any regular pieces to accent the face.