Game of Thrones Dragon Egg Music Box

For this project I was looking to make something for my younger cousin as a 18th birthday present. She is a HUGE Game of Thrones fan so I set out to make her a gift that she would cherish and never forget!

Step 1: Gather Materials

I found a few of these dragon eggs online for sale, but after seeing how they were made and the price I knew I could make my own...not only cheaper, but better than what was out there.

When it came to the box I was torn...I am a woodworker at heart, so when it came to the box to hold the eggs I wanted to build my own rustic version, however after I priced all of the material combined with my lack of time I decided it would be best to find a pre-made box. I search throughout Hobby Lobby and stumbled across a box that was PERFECT, AND it was on sale!

All of the supplies I purchased for this project I got from Hobby Lobby, Radioshack and eBay.

(1) Box

(3) Large Foam Eggs

(10) Packs of Silver Thumb Tacks (ended up having some extra)

(4) Packs of Artificial Peat Moss

(1) Bottle of Mod Podge

(1) Push Button Momentary Switch

(1) Recordable Greeting Card

and a few various acrylic paints and some spray clear coat.

Step 2: Created Dragon Scales

This step took the longest, when it was all said and done I spent probably 3-4 long nights pressing the thumb tacks into the foam eggs. It was a interesting task to say the least. I found the easiest way was to start at the larger "bottom" of the egg directly in the center, and then slightly overlap each tack going around in a circle...til you reach the top.

Some of the thumb tacks were hard to keep it, especially if the foam got "wallered" out when pushing the tack in at the wrong angle and re-adjusting etc. Just keep it in there long enough to apply the mod podge.

Once you have all of the tacks in place start covering the eggs in Mod Podge. I used roughly 4 coats on each egg, just because I wanted them to be SOLID.

After the Mod Podge had dried I had my artist friend using his painting skill to paint each egg. One Green, One Red and One Yellow just like in the show. Each of the eggs also has some brown/tan features that make them look "dirty" they are very pretty up close. I also added a matte clear coat finish to all of them just to protect them from scratches.

Step 3: Add Music Source and Switch

I wanted this box to be similar to a music box, so when opened music would start to play.

To do this I purchased a recordable greeting card from eBay, I then took the card apart to access the circuit board and speaker. I decided the Game of Thrones theme song would be perfect for this box, so I recorded the first 45 seconds or so of the song to use.

I then wired up the guts to a momentary switch, which I drilled a hole into the corner of the box when when closed would "open" the circuit, cutting off the sound. When the lid is open the switch closes completing the circuit and starting the music.

Sorry I do not have any videos of this, but it was really neat! and super loud surprisingly!

I also added some chicken wire mesh to the bottom to keep the peat moss out of the circuit board and speaker.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

Once all the components were done I put everything together and added some special finishing touches.

I also own a vinyl plotter, so I cut out a stencil of the Targaryen House Sigil and lightly spray painted it matte black, adding a matte clear coat to the whole outside for protection.

She LOVED the box, it was a huge hit at the birthday party...and it was a blast to build!

Thanks for checking out my project! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

Comments

[TaraT38]

You said 10 packs of thumb tacks... what was the count and the size??? The eggs are amazing I am ordering on amazon and want to make sure I am ordering the right amount. Thank you for the best idea ever... can’t wait to make them!!!!

[rickdod3]

I bought my thumb tacks from Walmart. I can’t remember how many came in a pack...maybe 100? It’s been a few years! Lol I just remember them being like $1.50 a pack, and you could always find them just about anywhere if you don’t order enough. Good luck with the project! It was a lot of fun...and my cousin still has them and displays them proudly!

[parrotdragon]

I love, love, love this!

[GeorthanIV]

What size of eggs in inches did you use?

[rickdod3]

Sorry for the slow response...I just seen this comment. To be honest, I don't remember which size eggs I used. I believe they were around 5" in diameter though.

[wapachangzz]

can you explain the switch button part steps again? I don't really get how that worked.

[rickdod3]

That is a momentary switch...they open/close the electrical circuit depending on wither the button is up or down. Normally the putting being pushed DOWN will close the circuit (meaning the electrical circuit will now be powered). I wired the button in reverse, so that when the button is pushed down it OPENS the circuit...not allowing the circuit to be complete. Then when you open the lid, the button springs back up closing the circuit and turning on the music.

Hope that helps :-)

[wapachangzz]

Actually, that is very helpful! I understand it a little more haha. Can you just explain how did you reverse wire it? Thank you in advance!

[rickdod3]

That part is actually very simple. The push button switch only has two terminals. All I had to do was put it on my "test bench" and see which way the switch worked. If it was the opposite of how I wanted it to work, I simply switched the two wires around. :-)

[wapachangzz]

I bought a recording module and a push button switch but I'm not exactly sure how I'm suppose to wire it up so that it works. If the switch is in the corner and the module is at the bottom of the box, how do I connect the two? Sorry for the stupid questions! And as always, thank you for taking your time to explain :)

[rickdod3]

Also I have the switch mounted in the back left corner of the box...I simply drilled through the wood enough to make the lid flush once the button is fully compressed

[ethicaloffence]

This is freakin awesome....

[rickdod3]

Thank you!

[sewcraftyme]

You are one super nice guy. I hope your cousin realizes how lucky she is. What a wonderful thing to do for anyone, the thought, and the work that went into this makes it a treasure. Never let anyone tell you that you're not all that, cause you sure are. I admire your dedication to your family and your creativity. Ila

[rickdod3]

Thank you! I appreciate those kind words! I try to make almost every gift I give out. Especially during the holidays. I always end up spending way more than I should...but I think handmade gifts are far better than anything you can buy in a store. I plan to start taking photos of everything I design and make and post them on here, I am very new to this site...but I enjoy it very much!

[tomatoskins]

I love the look of those thumb tacks!

[rickdod3]

Thank you! It took quite a while to place all of those, it was well worth it however!