Suggestions for upcoming 1-week speed contests?

5 years ago

Hey, I don't know if this will be seen, but I have an idea for a speed contest. 1) Paracord contest. This rope can be used in just about any survival or everyday situation. Submit instructables about Paracord fixes or projects. I've seen just about everything, from bracelets to bags, boot laces to belts. Post and 'ible about your Paracord wardrobe! This contest would be pretty interesting because the possibilities are endless. Thanks for listening, -Georgey.

Kiteman

13 years ago

Origami? Paper 'plane? (Optional rule there - "must have video of the 'plane flying".) Mobile (hanging variety)? "Adornments" (something to decorate something, like jewellery or a mobile phone charm)?

Kiteman

Reply 13 years ago

"Things can come out of pipes quickly"?

https://www.instructables.com/forum/TWEYDXBF3R7AOSP/

Kiteman

Reply 13 years ago

> A general "plumbing supplies" challenge (but no potato cannons or trebuchets, they've been done).

> Price limit - Strict limit of $X.XX (or converted equivalent) for materials, including value of scrounged materials.

> Zero cost - materials scrounged or otherwise acquired for free from dumpsters, council tips, free samples etc.

> "On the spot" - stuff you can make from materials around you, plus maybe a roll of sticky tape, in only a few minutes (say, something from paper plates to entertain after a picnic, or from straws at the table in a fast-food joint etc). Tools limited to a pocket-knife or similar.

bajablue

Reply 9 years ago

Do I see a paper plate Sun Dial gleaming in your eyes, Kiteman? ;-)

Kiteman

Reply 13 years ago

> Camping - I've got to make a camp-blanket anyway...

Doctor What

13 years ago

Duct Tape

bajablue

Reply 9 years ago

LOL!!!!

Kiteman

13 years ago

How about increasing the functionality of a walking stick? OK, they're useful for holding you up, but surely they could do other stuff as well? What could be built into a walking stick to make life easier, more fun for the user, yet also continuing to hold you up?

Bran

13 years ago

This is something that's been on my mind lately: Make a Home for a USB Drive! Come on, everyone knows the cases are wimpy! So, make a new one! There are plenty of iBles already on the subject. Prizes could be awarded for the most creative and/or best executed, along with the random award also. What do y'all think?

killerjackalope

Reply 13 years ago

I'm with you bran... Actually I like the sound of this contest, I have a chance at it, one of my most popular instructables was the lighter usb drive, the apple on did well aswell...

its a lion

Reply 13 years ago

maybe something like this one?
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/99f1/

Brennn10

Reply 13 years ago

I second that. I took mine out of its case, and have been trying to find something it fits good with ever since! It would give me some inspiration!

whiteoakart

13 years ago

Musical Instrument. Acoustic, electric, or digital.

killerjackalope

13 years ago

- Flash drives - Green projects - Life stuff (like the kind of thing you'd actually use everyday not a yaught tim...) - Umm stuff revolving around objects, like the led one except lighters of some component - A sound based one, like audiophile based one - One based on lighting (since we all seem to like making lights) - Some old school stuff, steam power etc. - Heavy mech stuff (not industrial monsters but more extreme stuff) - Car modifications (wait within a week instructables would be overthrown by chavs) - Furniture - Making just plain mad stuff...

Bran

13 years ago

Cycling! Painting! Paper airplane-ing!

GorillazMiko

13 years ago

Anything doing with the Instructables Robot?
iPods? (Or any MP3, MP4?)
Laser cutters?
Lasers?
Cell phones?
Radio Shack?
ANYTHING? (The contest will be like the Laser Cutter contest that we just had about a month ago.)
Cooking?

I have much more.

GorillazMiko

Reply 13 years ago

A few more:

USB Thumb drives?
Animals?
Speakers?
Stuffed Animals?
T.V. Shows? (You guys pick.)

They all have question marks because they are suggestions that I am not sure that you will accept, because you guys are the judges to pick!

crestind

13 years ago

How about a Quick and Easy 10 Minute Project?

zachninme

13 years ago

Greasemonkey scripts to improve the site! Winner... maybe $1,000,000? *cough*

Bran

Reply 13 years ago

Ha, you wish!

zieak

13 years ago

How about a contest that involves writing up games? This might be better for a sister site to instructables but there are many variations on dodgeball, kickball, and other activities that would be great to have collected in one place. Meh - some might be best as collaborations though. Variations on the original game as new "steps". I guess it's just a resource i'd love to have - especially if it could be searched for "5-10 people, 10-15 years old, one rubber ball and a field" or "40 or more people, all ages, no props, in a 6 lane 25 yard swimming pool" Nevermind - i'm not sure this would work.

canida

Reply 13 years ago

It's a neat idea, though. I like the idea of collaborations to get more variants on the game.

Weissensteinburg

Reply 13 years ago

That would be really helpful for people who teach sports classes...for instance, I work at the Sunday School at my temple, and there's a sports elective, and it's often difficult for the teacher to think up games.

crapflinger

13 years ago

the mcgyver idea is great....put up a set list of parts that you've got to use to make....something i also like the "can it fit in a DVD case" deal...that could be fun easy 1 week ideas: "things for the pets" - anything you can make to make your pet's lives better (automatic dog feeder, subliminal parrot trainer, LED fish distractor, etc...) "things that will fly the farthest from the instructables tower" - this would be another "mail in" contest...where people make something that flies (rockets, planes, small rocks, etc..) that can be launched frome the instructable's tower for a distance challenge (with optional prizes for "shortest flight", "most eratic flight path", "most likely to put an eye out", "ugliest design", etc..) "water movers" - devices designed to get water from one place to another in the most interesting way (like water carying robots, insanely large "silly straws", etc..) stuff like that

Kiteman

13 years ago

"Something that fits inside a DVD case" Entries could be mailed to The Tower from anywhere in the world for hands-on judging and subsequent display at Show-and-Tells. Extra points could be given for imaginative use of the cover and/or DVD box.

Brennn10

Reply 13 years ago

I like your idea of Hands-On judging. I also like how you mentioned it could be used at the show and tells. Nice Idea!

Weissensteinburg

Reply 13 years ago

Convenient storage/labeling too

Kiteman

Reply 13 years ago

I hadn't thought of that. I had been thinking of the DVD case spectrometer.

Brennn10

13 years ago

Has there been any wood competitions lately?

Bran

Reply 13 years ago

No, but I think there should be one - I love wood. What are you thinking, like "Things made out of wood" or a specific genre of Instructables using wood. I hope I made that clear.

Brennn10

Reply 13 years ago

I was thinking like structures made out of wood. Like chairs, sculptures, and so on.

curve12

13 years ago

How about something friendly to the environment, such as what to do with old CDs, uses for old poland spring water bottles, turn you old NY Posts into???

zieak

Reply 13 years ago

I like these. Kind of like Readymade's MacGyver Challenges.

KentsOkay

Reply 13 years ago

That's it! They (Instructables) can post a list of random easy to find products (eg. a stick of gum, a pen, bubberband, paperclip, and a spoon), and you make an Instructable out of those items (mini catapult). The ultimate MacGyverism contest.

Dirk_Ridgable

Reply 13 years ago

In the spirit of Magyver, any contest bearing his name should be a real SPEED contest. At a preset time they email and post the items... standard household... and you have an hour maybe two to post and then 24hrs to upload photos, write and edit.

KentsOkay

Reply 13 years ago

Not bad. Where's canida, she needs to here this.

JamesRPatrick

Reply 13 years ago

Hear.

canida

Reply 13 years ago

I'm paying attention- just not commenting too much, as we're on vacation! I just watched a bunch of shriners in minicars and high school marching bands parade down the street in rural Indiana. The problem with a small preset time for upload is that we've got world-wide contest entrants! It's not fair to folks in Lithuania or Australia if I set the time window for the convenience of, say, Californians.

KentsOkay

Reply 13 years ago

Okay, how about a week?

ll.13

Reply 13 years ago

GMT 0 ;) it's even for everyone (at least maybe be not for Britainers)

Honus

Reply 13 years ago

This could be a great speed contest- I like it!

curve12

Reply 13 years ago

How about you can use any or all of what's listed in the Macgyver commercial.

KentsOkay

Reply 13 years ago

Possibly, but that would only be one contest (or one week's?). I'm thinking a bi/weekly contest, with new items listed every bi/week. A group for the contest(Weekly MacGyverism?) can be created and everybody who joins the group will get pmed the list, as well as it being posted on the group page.

Tetranitrate

Reply 13 years ago

I am really liking this idea. It could be like at the end of Make magazine where they give you a list of supplies and a task, and your job is to see what you can build from the supplies to accomplish the task.