Make an iPod Speaker from a Hallmark Music Card

Ever get one of those cards for your birthday that plays music when you open it? Don't throw it away! With a little help from Tony the Tiger, you can use it as a speaker for your iPod.

Step 1 Required materials

Hallmark Music Card
Old headphones
One empty cereal box from a Kellogg's Cereal Variety Pack - I used Frosted Flakes, but you can choose your favorite cereal. It will not impact the outcome of this project. ;-)
Glue Gun
Electrical tape
Utility knife
Not required, but helpful: Soldering iron

Comments

[ewilhelm]

This project was mentioned on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday!

[isaacwilk]

If you're using headphones with both left and right wires, then you only connect the speaker to one of the wires, won't it play only left/only right instead of both sides at once?

[4lifenerdfighter]

So are the headphones just used for their TRS plug and the card just for its speaker? This Instructable is a bit hard to follow.

[Noahslater16]

Cool it works!!

[mg9990]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0v-JZLp06Y

I made this video, based off of this instructable :) hope it helps anyyone. feel free to ask me questions

[nickiek]

Im trying to use a set of ipod headphones for this and there are four wires in it. A green, red, a green and red, and a copper wire. im trying to attach them in almost all combinations and they are not working. any tips?

[mg9990]

Ok so what you need to do is separate the RED and COPPER wires from the headphones. You can tape the other 2 to the cable or cut them or keep them for adding a second speaker the same way. Then you need to take a lighter and burn the red and copper wires until they are black, but leave a little hint of color at the bottom so you can tell which is which. When you burn them, you will light the fiber insulation in the middle that keeps you from making a conection when you tie/solder the wires together. :) Hope it works for you! I found my project did not work with a pair of headphones that were broken (thought i'd try it). Make sure your headphones work before you use them!

[Frank Lampard 13]

mine did not work

[Caleb Nehrbass]

i want to know how to actualy AMPLIFY it. thats what i'm looking for!

[fireguard]

Zackly! I saw another instructable that mentions an amplifier, but not much about it... frustrating. I made one with a cardboard cornmeal can... also no amp, but it's almost loud enough, with the musical card speakers. Good luck with your search. If you find something, post here, I'll do the same, okay?
Thanks Caleb.

Doug

[ariddick1]

Cool. It works!

[dodo91]

im a genious! im use both side, and im ganna make the two sides, then stick the to my equilizer shirt! (a shirt that show a light up equalizer with music). i will be a walking dance party!! thnx man!!

[robotalamode]

cool

[i_is_for_impulsive]

where do you cut the wire?

[robotalamode]

doesnt really matter

[leggomylegoeggo]

I don't think it realy matters as long as you have access to both the positive and negative wires inside the bigger one.

[bassclarinet23]

I'm just testing the speaker with my iPod, and I am able to hear the songs, but it is very quiet, even with the volume cranked up. What do I do?

[robotalamode]

get/make a preamp/amp(theyre called diffrent but they do the same thing)

[ShadowAssassin]

I'm thinking of making this project... But instead of just one speaker I'm getting four. I'll get two pairs of head phones and Connecting them to all of my speakers. Then getting a headphone splitter so it can all go onto one ipod... Should I do it??? ;)

[robotalamode]

it will probably be quieter because at least with my nano 3 gen when you ues a splitter the volume in the speakers/headphones is halved

[chilll2009]

great(!), but does it work for a 5g nano?

[robotalamode]

it works for litterally any device with a headphone jack

[charlie.nourse]

Yes, in fact, I tried that with mine this morning before even reading this!

[chilll2009]

thx!

[TheRyleeAnn]

hehe this seems simple. i always TRY stuff like this, and fail miserably. but i think if i come across some old headphones, and someone gives me an audio greeting card, i'll do this ASAP (mainly to stop my siblings from playing it day and night. it gets annoying.)

[jmastroberardino]

How durable is this?

[huntjulien]

its super durable. its heavy duty. its what construction workers use.

[Fearbot]

I like you.

[Fearbot]

There is a way you could add more sound to it. Use the old headphones left and right stereo speakers, and the hallmark mono speaker. And arrange like in the image below, wiring is practically the same as this guides.
(Only major problem about this would be power, but since they are cheap speakers, might not be a problem.)

[hgladysz]

its doesnt work, can u help at all? thanks

[peacemon1198]

does it matter the quality of the headphones

[Loganbdubz]

Very nice. Quick and easy build.

[packerfan12]

would duct tape work instead of electrical?

[cody316]

Duct Tape will work instead for pretty much anything! lol

[popcorn4lunch]

tru dat!

[jotism]

duct tape??? what is it with instructables and duct tape??? yes it would work.

[Foaly7]

Duct Tape is The Universal Medium, and it fixes everything. Duct Tape Owns. That's what's up.

[Foaly7]

Actually strike that second sentence. DUCT TAPE PWNS!

[Johnboy TM]

duct tape is like the force. it has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together

[fireguard]

U stole that! From my Pa! Good on ya.