3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Print PDF

Favorite

$5 Dollar Burglar Alarm!

I made a Burglar Alarm for under 5 bucks, and items I found laying around the house! No soldering required. (soldering optional)

I uploaded this video to the video section as well. Check out my video below:

Remove these ads by Signing Up

Step 1Items you will need to build your $5 Dollar Burglar Alarm.

4x4 piece of card board,
1 clothespin,
3 regular size rubber bands,
1 jumbo paper clip,
3 regular size paper clips,
1 push pin thumbtack,
1 AA battery,
6 to 8 inches of thread or kite string,
1 spare piece of thin cardboard,
An aluminum pie pan,
"AA" Battery Holder from Radio Shack (270-401A),
3VDC Mini Buzzer from Radio Shack (273-053A).

« Previous Step

Download PDFView All Steps

Next Step »

13 comments

Apr 29, 2012. 2:01 AMd-link2012 says:

Can I just with the speaker?

Jan 14, 2012. 8:21 PMpopasd says:

do we need a 3vdc mini buzzer

Dec 16, 2011. 4:35 AMSpecautomatics says:

good job !

May 2, 2010. 4:53 AMlollyXD says:

i did not get this step also!! anyone plz help, i gotta do this i'ble...

May 2, 2010. 4:48 AMlollyXD says:

i did not get tat how to cut tat boot shape... n how did u paste it to d paper clip can i get a clear image of it plz!! still i did not get tat how to cut it

Sep 20, 2009. 3:42 AMgriefer says:

nice! never even thought of using cardboard as a baseboard before :D

Sep 11, 2009. 8:30 AMMoscow_Wolf says:

Instead of using tin foil, you could just use two tacks - drawing pins in the clothes pegs, bare the ends of the wires and wrap it around the pins before pushing them home.

Apr 27, 2009. 8:10 PMGreatSage says:

Hmm. Would it be possible to replace the aluminum pie can with some aluminum foil? Or pieces of a coke can?

Jul 13, 2009. 2:37 AMjamesjamesjames says:

Yes

May 1, 2009. 6:21 PMjames.mcglashan says:

a little to simple to stop the alarm so that wont work if they kno what to look for... this can wake u up if it ia at night and some 1 comes in the house but if it is ur family u could get wocken up to easy...

Mar 20, 2009. 5:43 PMi805 says:

nice work.

Oct 22, 2008. 2:57 PM

PKM says:

I was about to say "I'm sure I've seen this exact thing before, I remember commenting on it- you must have stolen it!". Turns out it was just the video of this project. Nice to see it as a full Instructable for people like me who are suspicious of Metacafe videos :)

Oct 22, 2008. 3:25 PMjohnnyrockstah (author) says:

lebowski suggested that I should make a step-by-step Instructable with text + pictures in addition to my videos instead of just posting videos. So I took his advice and made the Instructable. I'll make more full Instructables on my popular videos, and any future projects. Glad you liked it!