Introduction: DIY Zelda Treasure Chest

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This is an outstanding replica of a chest from the Zelda games. Not only does it look incredible, but it also plays the same exact sound effect the game plays whenever you open it! This chest is clearly a must-have for any Zelda or video game fan!

Step 1: Supplies

For this Instructable you will need:

Wooden Chest ( you can find this at Micheals )
Brown Paint
Yellow Spray Paint
Popsicle Sticks
A Glue Gun
Packing Tape
Painter's Tape
A Recordable Audio Greeting Card
Scissors
A Paint Brush
A Piece of Paper - NOT SHOWN IN PHOTO

Step 2: Painting

To begin, you will need to cover the outer rims of the box with painter's tape. This way only the inside of the box will get painted. After you have covered both outer rims (top half and bottom half) of the box with painter's tape, you will then need to spray paint the inside of the box with yellow spray paint. Allow enough time for the paint to dry before proceeding.

Once the paint has dried you will need to paint the exterior of the box brown. This includes the part that you covered with painter's tape.

NOTE:
If your chest is raised slightly on both the right and left sides (some are made like this for decorative purposes), you do not need to paint those parts brown. You can leave it unpainted because you will later need to rip those raised sections off anyway.

Step 3: Preparing the Fake Wall

Next, you will need to gather some popsicle sticks to create a fake wall. Line them up so that you have enough to make their length equivalent to the height of the bottom half of the box. Also, the popsicle sticks' width should be small enough so that it can just fit in the box. You will need to make a few cuts. After it has been cut to the appropriate measurements, you will need to tape them together with clear tape.

Using some other popsicle sticks, you will need to make 2 little stacks that have a height equivalent to the other popsicle stick's mention before. These stacks should consist of several cut popsicle sticks stacked up on one another. You will need to wrap tape around both stacks to keep them from falling apart. These stacks will be used as "spacers" to push the fake wall out a little leaving some room for the speaker (You will start using the speaker in the next step). You may not know how many possible sticks to stack up, until you do the next step.

The photos in this step illustrate these instructions.

Step 4: Using the Greeting Card

To record the actual sound the chest makes from the Zelda games, you will need to first turn your computer's volume up high. Then, record the audio from this link using your recordable audio greeting card: Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time - Opening Chest

Test your card to make sure it works before continuing.

Now, you will have to carefully remove the electronics from the card. You may need scissors for this. The tab that activates the audio can also be removed. Be very careful when you cut. Make sure you do not cut any wires! Once you have removed the important parts you can discard the rest of the card. It is now time to use your glue gun to glue what you removed from the card (which should be a circuit board, a switch, and a speaker) to the back inside wall of the chest, leaving enough room for the 2 popsicle stick stacks (mentioned in the previous step) to go on either side. It is very important that when you glue the circuit board, the part that activated it (where the tab used pull) is facing up.

You should also you use your glue gun to glue the 2 popsicle stick stacks on either side of the electronics. The picture in this step illustrates how to do this.

Step 5: Hiding the Electronics

Next you will need to spray paint one side of the popsicle sticks you taped together yellow (not the stacks). Use your glue gun to attach the un-painted side of the fake wall to the front sides of the popsicle stick stacks that are already glued in the box. This will cover most of the electronics. You need one more popsicle stick to completely hide the electronics. It will have to be cut down the middle (the long way) making it small enough to cover the little opening above the electronics. Once you have cut it to the right size, you need to spray paint one side of it yellow. Before placing this piece, you need to a very small notch out of it. The cut needs to be right above where the activation switch on the circuit board is. It has to be big enough for a small piece of paper fit through and break the electric connection (like the tab once did). Once again, the pictures in this step illustrate what need to be done.

Step 6: Finishing

To finish, you can remove the brass pieces from the chest (save these if you would like to do the optional step), and paint the rest brown.

Finally use a small strip of yellow paper (you can spray paint the paper yellow if you need to) to activate the speaker. Make it small enough to fit in that little notch you made earlier. Once it has been sized down, use a small piece of packing tape to attach it to the inside of the cover. Do this in a way that when it closes, the paper goes down in the notch and breaks the electric connection the same way the tab did when it was a card. When it opens, it should make the connection.

If you would like to add a finishing touch, there is an optional step. It does require more supplies though.

Step 7: Optional: Adding Detail

To do this optional step you will need a few extra things:

A leather strap (an old purse may have a leather strap)
A hammer


1) Measure the length of the leather strap and then cut it, so you have 2 pieces that are long enough to go each ends of the box (as show in the photo)

2) Cut one piece in to 3 smaller pieces for each section of the box (the top curved part, the bottom of the front, and the bottom of the back). Do this for the other long piece as well. You will need to measure them to make sure you know where to cut. Now you should have 6 pieces; 3 for the left side and 3 for the right side.

3) Use your glue gun to place them where they should go (see the picture for accurate placement). There should be 2 on the front (left & right sides), 2 on the back (left & right sides), and 2 on the top curved part (left & right sides). The chest should still be able to open and close.

4) Use your hammer to hammer in the brass colored nails (you should have saved these when you took them off the chest) into the leather. Space them however you like.

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