2 Floor Hamster Maze

In this instructable I will be showing you how to make a cardboard, 2 floor hamster maze.

You will need:

A Sharp Scissor

Cardboard

Hot Glue Gun

Graph Paper*

Pencil

1 Hamster

A Diagonal Cutting Plier

A Cutting Kife

I hope you are ready to build the most amazing hamster maze.

(*You could substitute graph paper with regular paper.)

Step 1: A Plan

Of all the things you need to make a cardboard maze is a plan. The maze should be simple but not too simple, like a straight pathway. Make sure to remember that to a hamster, it will be hard, but for a human, it will be easy. This is also when your graph paper steps in. I used the lines on the graph paper to outline my maze. I think that using the graph paper is neater, but you could use regular paper instead.

When you draw your maze, the first floor should be rectangular and the second floor should be about a third of the size the first floor is.

You could copy my maze or you could come up with your own. Make sure that there are many dead ends. That would make the maze harder. Be sure to include accessories(See step 4).

Step 2: Building Your Maze (Floors 1 & 2)

Of course, after you make a plan, you must start to build.

1. The Base: I used an already made cardboard box and used that as my base but you could just get some cardboard and build the base if you like(I would choose the base I used because the outer walls were already made for me). And don't forget to make the exit!
2. Copying Your Plan: After you have chosen your base, you have to imagine where the maze will be. To help you do this, I think you should mark the perimeter, putting a line where the grid line on your plan should be(See pic 1). Then, it would be much easier to copy the plan onto the cardboard base.
3. Building the Inner Walls: After you have done that, you should start to cut up the cardboard so that you have pieces to build up the inner walls of the maze. Be sure to remember that you have to measure the length of the cardboard before you cut it. Once you have enough pieces you should start to glue them on with the hot glue gun(See pic 2). Continue to glue on the pieces until your first floor looks exactly like your plan.
4. The Base(Floor 2):This base is smaller than the first floor base so I had to cut it up. which also means I need build the outer walls as well. The outer walls are easier than the inner walls because all you have to do is measure one of the sides, cut a piece of cardboard that is that side, and repeat for the rest of the sides.
5. Copying Your Plan(Floor 2): For your second floor, you would need to cut another base so that it could go on top of the first floor. Repeat the steps you did to copy your plan onto the first floor onto the second floor, except this time with your plan for the second floor(See pic 3).
6. Building the Inner Walls(Floor 2): To build the inner walls for the second floor you'll need more cardboard. You could either cut some more cardboard, or if you have some spare cardboard pieces, great! Glue on the pieces of the inner wall until you are done.
7. Cutting the Hole(Floor 2): How will the hamster get down? It will go down a hole. Before you cut out a hole, you must find a suitable place for your hole. The hamster should be able to find it, and the hamster should be able to land in the first floor. After you have decided use the knife to cut a hole that a hamster would be able to fit in.

After you have done all of these steps you should have been able to build a maze that looks kind of like mine(See pic 4).

Step 3: Attaching the Floors Together

I think that attaching the floors deserves its own step because it is a very crucial step.

As you might of seen in the video, the second floor can bend back so that the camera could see the hamster. Well we're do just that!

1. The Fold: The fold is a piece of cardboard that allows something to bend without falling off(See pic 1). Our fold will be small. To make the fold, take a small, rectangle of cardboard, hold it horizontally, and cut it in half. Not all the way though, just to the other side of the card board piece. That way it will bend but will not fall off.
2. Attaching the Fold: To attach the fold, stack the two floors on top of each other, where you want them to be, and then hot glue gun the piece vertically so that the non-cut side is facing out.
3. The Stabilizers: The stabilizers are two pieces of cardboard that helps to keep the second floor steady when you are flipping the second floor(See pic 1). Our two stabilizers will be about the same size as the fold. Take your two stabilizers, hold them horizontally, and draw a line on both of the stabilizers. Make sure the line is marking the half point rather than a random spot.
4. Attaching the Stabilizers: Use the hot glue gun to put glue onto one half of the stabilizer and attach it to the first floor. Make sure that the half that isn't glued is facing up so that it will prevent the second floor from sliding side to side(See pic 2). Repeat for the second stabilizer.

Once you have attached the fold and the stabilizers, your final product should look like pics 4 and 5(Note: in both pictures the fold and stabilizers are not there. To see where they are watch the video).

Step 4: Accessories

Now, does the maze look kind of plain to you?

If it does, then you might need to add some accessories! If not, you could just skip this step.

My maze has only one accessory, and that is the spinning thingy that the hamster went through(in the video). You could add more accessories if you want but or you could just make the accessory that I will show you how to make.

You'll need the following materials:

4 Square Pieces of Cardboard

A Diagonal Cutter Plier

4 Medium Toothpicks

Now, I don't have a lot of photos for how to make the accessory but it is pretty simple.

1. Glue all of the pieces together so that it looks like an addition symbol from a birds-eye view.
2. Stick a toothpick into the middle of the addition symbol(See video for help).
3. Make two holes on the walls that placed where you want your spinning thingy to be. Then fit the spinning thingy in.
4. Cut the parts of the toothpick that are sticking out with the diagonal cutter plier.

(If the spinning thingy is too high, and the hamster can squeeze under, then place toothpicks under the spinning thingy as bars so that the hamster cannot squeeze under)

Step 5: Finished/Done

Hooray! You have finished this instructable and now have a 2 floor hamster maze.

What will you do next? Will you build a 2 floor hamster house? Or will you build a hamster obstacle course?

Do whatever you want, but remember, to build something, you have to be completely determined, have enough supplies, and have fun.

(Remember to like and follow Kookadoodle)