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Homemade Holidays Contest Winners

Instructables, The Wand Company, and Shapeways are happy to announce the winners of the Homemade Holidays Contest!

There were an amazing 256 (2⁸!) entries in the contest. All sorts of presents and decorations were entered. If you haven't taken the time to check out the entries we urge you to do so now. The winners below are fantastic, but there was so much more. The ideas out there were great.

We'd like to thank our partners for putting up prizes in the contest. We'd also like to thank all of the judges who helped out: starshipminivan, gmjhowe, emattrose, bloomautomatic, =SMART=, onebrokenneck, flaming_pele!, dragonfyredawn, and macgeek800.

And now, on with the winners!

Pallet Playhouse by jkratman

From Sewing Machine to Scroll Saw, a Christmas tale by bongodrummer

Knex Christmas Wreath by Shadowman39

Christmas Story Bunny Costume by seamster

Death Star Christmas Tree Topper by craineum

Christmas window lighting frames by Stryker

Custom 3D Settlers of Catan board from scrap plywood by makendo

Make a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree by AngryRedhead

Christmas card with inbuilt retro video game for under $10 by bradsprojects

Tesla Tornado Christmas Tree by mrfixitrick

Anti-Gravity Tree Stand by hpstoutharrow

Tea Light Lamps (an Easy Last-Second Gift) by laxap

A garden inside a ball - Christmas time by florablog

animated truck conveyor belt gift box by dave spencer

Shoe Tower - a free standing, multi-tier floating shoe rack by Jayefuu

I love you because... Message in a Bottle Key Ring by ShrimpSaladCircus

Surprise Rumbling Box by Adum24

SPIRAL LED CHANDELIER by Dipankar

Quiz Show Buzzer System using Staples Easy Button by Meeker46

Make any sweater an ugly Christmas sweater by zieak

34 comments

Dec 6, 2011. 3:12 PMjjone538 says:

Good Job Everyone!!!!!!!!
YOU DID GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan 13, 2010. 2:22 PM

Shadowman39 says:

Yay! I won something!

May 31, 2010. 7:52 PMRandomguy65 says:

GO Shawdowman39!!!!!!!!

Jan 15, 2010. 4:08 PM

Seleziona says:

Congratulations shadowman :)

Jan 15, 2010. 4:44 PM

Shadowman39 says:

Thanks :-)

Jan 16, 2010. 8:35 AM

Seleziona says:

Your welcome. =D

Jan 26, 2010. 9:49 AM

Jayefuu says:

I just got my prize in the post. Thanks!

Did anyone else get an extra random PCB? Along with the hackable christmas card came a "CNC Winder Controller Board Ver. 1.0". Ummmmm......

Jan 31, 2010. 12:41 PM

laxap says:

I got this PCB too, and asked StumpChunkman, who told me it was a mistake (primarily from their Chinese PCB supplier) and we can keep the boards.

I sure want to make a CNC project one day, but did not plan so soon, and don't have the time now.

If not CNC, let's see what cool project we could make with it... Tell us if you have good ideas!

Jan 31, 2010. 12:47 PM

Jayefuu says:

A reprap is on my list of things to make when I get time, though a CNC machine would be cool too :D

Jan 23, 2010. 6:21 PMy2kkmac says:

Heehee, I would like to point out that
2^8! = 857817775342842654119082271681232625157781
520279485619859655650377269452553147589377440291
360451408450375885342336584306157196834693696475
322289288497426025679637332563368786442675207626
794560187968867971521143307702077526646451464709
187326100832876325702818980773671781454170250523
018608495319068138257481070252817559459476987034
665712738139286205234756808218860701203611083152
093501947437109101726968262861606263662435022840
944191408424615936000000000000000000000000000000
00000000000000000000000000000000
and not 256 :)

Anyway, great contest and great entries. My personal favorites were the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and the Anti-Gravity Tree Stand. Nice job to everyone, and congratulations to all winners!

Jan 25, 2010. 10:39 AMchimpanzeeboy says:

2^8 = 2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2
Which is 256...where do you get that huge number from?!

Jan 26, 2010. 3:39 AM

Jayefuu says:

The exclamation mark on the end means factorise.

Jan 26, 2010. 9:32 AMchimpanzeeboy says:

Ah, yeah, I guess so, but I don't think they meant it mathematically, it was just for emphasis :)

Jan 26, 2010. 9:36 AM

Jayefuu says:

I agree with you, I think y2kkmac was trying to be funny :p

Jan 29, 2010. 5:20 PMy2kkmac says:

I was trying to be funny :)

Jan 15, 2010. 5:27 PMMehehehful says:

YAY THE BUNNY COSTUME MADE IT IN!!
yay for all!!!
Great job to all!!

Jan 15, 2010. 6:24 AM

AngryRedhead says:

Phew, I was shakin' in my booties for days. I'm still a bit shocked to have taken a 1^st place. That's just wild especially with such awesome projects, and I'm just honored to be among some of the projects I particularly enjoyed. There are some projects that were very awesome but didn't make it to finalist, but there really were a lot of amazing entries. I'm certainly glad I wasn't one of the judges. Picking finalists and winners would have stressed me out.

Jan 14, 2010. 3:54 AM

=SMART= says:

Congratulations to all the winners ! And to all the entrants !

I thought the "Sewing machine to scroll saw" ible was particularly awesome :D

Jan 13, 2010. 3:27 PMseanroberts says:

256 is 2^8 hence all of the possibilities of a byte.

Jan 13, 2010. 12:05 PM

makendo says:

Many thanks to all those who voted and judged - 256 fantastic projects! My kids are now demanding that next year's Christmas tree is an anti-gravity Tesla Tornado with Death Star topper... uh-oh...
Thanks also to the Instructables staff, the Wand Company and Shapeways for supporting the competition.

Jan 13, 2010. 1:04 AM

bongodrummer says:

Wooow. Cool! Made my day! Thanks everyone. Instructables is the best!! Other instructables were all so good. Tesla Tornado is probably one of the coolest things I have seen in ages!
Hope you all have a great new year!

Jan 12, 2010. 11:20 PM

mrfixitrick says:

I'm overjoyed and humbled to win the Decorations prize!

The Tesla Tornado has been (and will continue to be!) a fun project.

Thanks to the Instructables folks, and all the instructable makers, for generating good-hearted joy at Christmas!

Jan 12, 2010. 10:35 PMcool bas3 says:

SHADOWMAN39!!

Jan 12, 2010. 6:44 PM

Alberta Leong says:

Keep up the awesome job everyone! :D

Jan 12, 2010. 5:29 PMsmilee says:

Gooooo!!!!!! Shadowman39!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan 12, 2010. 5:21 PM

craineum says:

Woohoo! and First place (of 8) Too! Thanks everyone! When I first thought of the Death Star I was like... yeah I got this, then I saw all the awesome entries!

Congrats to all... and I especially love the Charlie Brown Tree and Christmas Story Bunny suit! And of course the Retro Card (being a retro gamer myself)!

And thanks to instructables... I love you guys :)

Jan 12, 2010. 4:31 PM

Sunbanks says:

Congrats everyone!

Jan 12, 2010. 4:30 PM

zieak says:

Now i'm really glad that i took a few pictures when my friend needed a sweater for a party! I didn't even plan on entering it in the contest until i realized it was eligible...

As always, thank you!