This is an instructable that will teach you how to make your very own Mario, or any themed pinball machine. Overall, it will cost you about 20 dollars or less, depending on how many things you have lying around the house.

Step 1: Materials & Tools

What you need:

Major components:
Wood- rectangular plywood, small scrap detail wood
Clay / Play dough
Spring
Screws / Nails (whatever you have around the house)
Glue
Rubber bands
Giant Laundry clips
Paint
Spring
Washers
Dowel rods- 3/4in and 1/4 in.
Paper towel tubes

Other Needed things:
Hammer
Drill
3/4 in drill bit
Screwdriver

Step 2: Starting

Design your pinball machine on a piece of paper. It could be anything you want. I did a Mario theme. Then create some clay figures to go on your machine.

Step 3: Adding Wood

Add your sidings and launch area onto your base wood. Cut a hole for your launcher on the bottom siding. Then drill holes for losing and winning features. Put wood on the bottom to make the machine reset. Put on feet of dowel rods (3/4) to make feet(screws or glue.)

The size of all of this is to your liking.
Pre-drilling holes will help.

Step 4: Paddles & Launcher

To make the paddles, break apart your giant clips and glue them together in the opposite direction. Then glue two small dowel rods to make a reset position, and when you line up the clips with the rods, put a nail into the created hole. Glue a rubber band to the paddle, and to the outside of the machine to make them spring back.

To make the launcher, fit the dowel rod (1/4) in the designated hole. Then put the spring around the rod. Then put washers on the end of the rod so the spring stays in place. Put glue on the bottom so the rod does not go through the hole.

Step 5: Decorate

Decorate your machine with ways to win and lose. It is what makes a pinball machine a pinball machine.
Use the paper towel tubes to make a chute back to the launcher under the machine from the winning and losing holes.