I just decided to check to see how much it would cost to ship 'anything' to you from NY (where I'm from). I guess-timated a five lb weight through UPS (US postal sevice). Guessed a town in Montenegro (Budva) and got the postal code there (necessary to estimate the costs)--it would be similar for any town afaik. The calculator gave me a 17x13x11" box (the smaller size) and after putting in the data (my guessing the value at $20 US --came up with a figure of $377.90 JUST to ship it to you! Now maybe that's way off and it doesn't cost half that (which would still be outrageously expensive). But if you can come up with a way for people to give you 'free' things and also send them without paying a fortune (which most people don't have), I'd like to hear your ideas?

i think Start with what you have. You're more likely to get people interested in helping you out if you show them what you can do.

Shipping overseas is expensive. Usually people learn to ignore beggars because, sadly, there are so many people in the world who want things for free.


It helps if you start by making something, ANYTHING, using what you have on hand. You say origami is too boring... but have you tried it? It's a combination of art and math... it can be fascinating and beautiful.

There's an artist who creates temporary art in nature using leaves, sticks, rocks, or whatever he can find.

Start with what you have. You're more likely to get people interested in helping you out if you show them what you can do.

I agree ! My first 3 or 4 "test equipment" pieces I made were done on old pc boards, and I made cardboard boxes out of discarded cardboard for the enclosures. Plastic hobby boxes are EXPENSIVE :-)

You may be able to spell it, but you have not yet managed to follow it.

As others have said, tailor your projects to match the materials you have available:

• Pick up a scrap of wood, sharpen a knife, and carve something.
• Use flour and water paste to build things with papier-mâché.
• Find some string, learn macramé.
• Gather scraps of fabric, and sew something.
• Learn to juggle.

I agree. I have paper laying around and I build stuff from it.

Along those same lines, you will have better luck if you get in touch with people near you. Don't beg, don't demand, don't annoy people. Just explain to those you know that you would like to create something from the stuff they are going to throw away anyway. If there are any construction companies or just about any business really (talk to the people at the stores and businesses you go to regularly, with your family), they'll have lots of stuff they have to get rid of. Lots of stuff you can use. Things like wooden planks, metal wires, plastic sheets, plastic boxes and storage containers, cardboard boxes, foam packaging, etc.

They probably won't have lego or knex or arduino boards for you, but they'll have a whole lot of stuff. If you let friends and family know what you're after, and WHY you want it, they can get the word out to all their friends, eventually, the whole town will be supplying you with craft materials.

Exactly! I think they would have a lot of stuff that could be useful for him to make something.