This week we’re highlighting a number of our favourite tools for maker-educators. We regularly receive questions from libraries and schools asking what tools they should buy and how best to use them. In this series of posts, we’ll be shining a spotlight on some of our favourite tools and looking at five great examples of how to use them.

MAKEDO

Makedos are described as “tools for playful cardboard construction.” These tools are very similar to traditional zip-ties and are used to rapidly build 3D objects from cardboard. Simply poke a hole in two pieces of cardboard, stick one half of a Makedo through, and then cinch it closed with the other half to join the two pieces together.

Makedos can be used to construct everything from costumes, to furniture, to props, to games. Here are five of our favourite Makedo projects:

1. How to use Makedos to create a DIY camera flash diffuser

2. How to make a geometric cardboard storage unit using Makedos

3. Create a working record player using a pizza box and Makedos

4. How to transform a pizza box into an art easel

5. How to build a life-sized human using Makedos

It can be difficult to imagine how to use Makedos when thinking about them abstractly – these links provide a great place to kickstart your imagination.

If you are thinking about using Makedos in educational settings, keep in mind that Makedos often break when projects are being disassembled. In our experience, the breakage rate is pretty low (around 1 in every 10 break). But keep in mind that you will experience a degree of attrition using these.

Have you used Makedos? We’d love to hear about your successes and challenges using them.

-The MakerBus