Here is an awesome way to wrap a gag gift! I wouldn’t recommend giving it to your heart attack prone loved ones though. When the victim..... er, thankful receiver, opens the trap... I mean present, a blast of confetti surprises your loved one by shooting in the air!

Step 1: Materials Needed

1x, shoe box with a tilting lid
1inch schedule 40 pvc (2inch, 4inch and 5 1/4inch lengths)
2x, 1inch pvc 90 degree elbows
1inch pvc end cap
3/4inch pvc (1 1/2inch, 2inch, and 2x 1 1/4inch)
3/4inch pvc 90 degree elbow
3/4inch male threaded to 1inch slip adapter
3/4inch male threaded to 3/4inch slip adapter
14inch x 8inch peg board
3/4inch ball valve (must open easily)
2inch to 4inch long pull spring (strong enough to open ball valve)
Schrader valve
1/2inch x 1/8inchx 4to5inch steel strap
1/8inch x 8inch steel rod
8-32x1inch machine screw, nut and 2 washers
Safety wire
String
Wrapping paper (optional)
Paint (optional) I used Krylon spray paint to paint mine brown
Electrical, Teflon thread and scotch tape
Silicone gasket sealant
Confetti or other stuffing
Small box or cardboard
Present tissue

Step 2: Tools Needed

Pliers
Wire cutters
Saw
Screw driver
Drill with bits (9/16, 5/32) link to 9/ 16 bit http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00966050000P?keyword=9/16+drill+bit&prdN o=1&blockNo=1&blockType=L1
Pvc primer and glue
Vice
Hammer
Tape measure
Air pump or compressor
Glue stick or white glue

Step 3: Base of the Trap

Peg board, shoe box, saw, tape measure

Cut the peg board to size so that it will fit nicely into to bottom of your shoe box. THIS WILL BE DIFFERENT FOR DIRFFERENT BOXES! 14x 8 might be to small or large for your box so measure first!

Step 4: Schrader Valve Assembly

1inch end cap, Schrader valve, silicone sealant, 9/16 drill bit

Drill a hole in the center of the end cap so the valve can be snugly pressed in. SOME SCHRADER VALVES ARE DIFFERENT SO MEASURE FIRST! Mine was 9/16. I prefer the metal Schrader valves that bolt on but these are the only ones I can find lately.
Put some silicone on the valve seat and press the valve into the end cap. Smear some silicone on the inside of the assembly to seal it up some more and to hold this type of valve in better. You could also use some epoxy for this.

Step 5: Starting the Air Assembly

All pvc parts, 3/4inch ball valve, Schrader end cap, tape measure, saw, Teflon tape

Measure your box and cut your pvc parts to fit and slip together the parts like so. Do not glue yet, make sure it will fit in the box before you glue. Cut your pipes if needed, make sure the ball valve’s handle is on the bottom of the assembly. The ball valve is in the closed position in the pictures. We will glue the parts together in a few steps.
Take the treaded pvc adapters and wrap a few layers of Teflon tape on the threads to seal any possible leaks. Screw them tightly into the ball valve.

Step 6: Modifying the Ball Valve

Ball valve, pliers, vice, 5/32 drill bit

Take the handle off of the ball valve by taking off the nut that holds it on. Put the handle in a vice like so and tighten the vice so the valve handle looks like this. When you put the valve back together the top of the handle should be at the same level as the top of the nut.
Drill two 5/32 holes side by side in the handle. One will be the spring mount and the other, the trigger mount. I took off the red rubber grip.
Put the valve back together.

Step 7: Finishing the Air Assembly

All pvc parts and ball valve assembly, pvc primer and glue

Check again that this will fit in your shoe box. Prime and glue your 1inch parts together. You do not need to glue the 3/4inch parts together since they do not hold any pressure.

Step 8: Air Assembly Supports

Pvc parts, peg board, electrical tape, saw

Take the 1 1/4inch 3/4inch pieces and trim them so that the support the piping. Tape them in with electrical tape. You want the nut and the lever on the ball valve to sit just above the peg board.
Paint if you would like.

Step 9: Attach Air Assembly to Board

Peg board, completed air assembly, safety wire, pliers, wire cutters, pull spring

Put the pull spring on the ball valve lever.
Place the air assembly on the peg board. Safety wire the air assembly to the peg board at the four places marked. Wrap another wire around the ones holding down the air assembly to tighten it down more.

Step 10: Make the Trigger

Assembly, 1/8inch rod, 8-32 bolt nut and washers, vice, hammer, tape measure

Measure from the trigger mount hole on the ball valve lever to a hole to the left of it. I am going to use hole 1-3 so I can get allot of leverage on the trigger in a latter step.
Bend a 90 degree angle in the 1/8inch rod. Mine is 1/4inch in length. Measure from the inside of the bend to the length you measured from hole the trigger mounting hole to hole 3. Mine was 4inches. Mark and bend another 90 degree the same direction as the previous. Cut off excess material. This is how the trigger will mount. Pull the spring to the lower right to a tight but easy point to pull to. Spot a near by hole and rum the 8-32 bolt through with a washer on each side of the board and run the nut tight. This will be the spring hook. I used hole 12-7.

Step 11: Make the Trigger Lift

Assembly, 1/2inch strap, saw, 5/32 drill bit

Cut a 4to5inch piece of 1/2x1/8inch strap. Drill one 5/32 hole on each side. This will be the trigger lift.place it underneath the trigger and locate a hole near the top of the peg board. I chose hole 2-2. Next you will make a keeper the hold the trigger lift in place.

Step 12: Make Lift Keeper

Pliers, wire cutters, safety wire

Make a loop in the wire by bending it in half.
Twist the wire to strengthen it about an inch and leave a few inches of untwisted wire.
Cut the bent tip off.
Bend the twisted part in half.
Feed the twisted part from the bottom through the hole (2-2). Pull the untwisted “tails” through some adjacent holes and come around and through two others back to the bottom.
Place the trigger lift on the keeper.

Step 13: Make the Hook and Loop

Pliers, wire cutters, safety wire, shoe box

Make the hook and loop.
Take a pice of safety wire and bend it in half to make a loop.
Twist a little bit of it.
Cut off one “tail” and bend the other into a hook.
Take another piece of wire and poke the ends of it through the box lid from the outside at a point an inch or two from the front portion of the lid. Make sure it is flush on the outside of the lid.
Twist the “tails” together into a loose loop so you can hook to hook onto it easily.

Step 14: Attaching the String

Trigger lift, hook, shoe box, assembly, string

Tie the string to the hook.
Put the assembly in the shoe box and assemble the trigger. Hook the hook to the box on the wire loop.
Holding the string to the trigger lift, open the lid to a point where you would like the trap to be sprung at and mark the string. Mine happened to be 9 1/2inches. From the loop on the hook to the hole in the trigger lift.

Step 15: Make a False Floor

Small box/cardboard, scotch tape

Make a false floor for the gift to sit on a to protect it from the ball valve lever’s swing and the movment of the trigger. I just used a box I had laying around.
And your done!

Step 16: Wrap the Present

(optional)
Shoe box, glue, wrapping paper

Take the trap assembly out of the box and pull the box apart so it can be made flat.
Measure and cut a large enough piece of wrapping paper to cover the flatted box.
Glue the wrapping paper to the outer part of the box.
Cut around the box and fold it back up.
Put the trap assembly back inside the box
Now all your unsuspecting foe has to do is open the box without ripping off any paper.

Step 17: How to Use

With the spring off of its hook, close the ball valve, put in your confetti and air it up to 30 psi. I used some neon fuzzy things I found at Walmart. You can put a cotton ball in the end to keep the confetti from falling out.

Assemble the trigger. Do not hook the lid and the trigger lift together yet!

Pull the spring to it’s hook in the lower right corner.

Place your false floor over the moving parts. Make sure the string is out and not hanging up on anything.

Camouflage with some packing tissue. Make sure the string is out and not hanging up on anything.

Place the gift you wish to give ( Ipod, legos, another hand made gift, coal) in the box.keep in mind the string!

Hook the hook to the loop on the lid and be sure to pinch the hook closed so it does not come off and render all your hard work worthless.

Close the box and its ready to rock!

I hope you enjoyed my instuctable! If you make some tell me how they turned out and what people thaught. Happy gift giving!