Steampunk Structure/Machine

In this Instructable, you will learn how to make a cheap, easy, realistic steampunk structure that can fit in well as a prop for a play, Halloween decorations, as a decoration, or something else!

• Brass paper fasteners
• Metallic spray paint (preferably copper)
• Spray paint primer for plastic surfaces (optional)
• Brown paint
• Paintbrush
• Hot glue gun
• Cardboard boxes (the big ones from Costco)
• Small cardboard boxes or pieces of cardboard (as supports)
• Big pieces of cardboard with no folds, like from Amazon or food delivery boxes
• Random objects: paper plates, shower curtain rings, foam pipes, anything in a gear shape, etc.
• Plastic bottles
• Awl
• Craft knife
• Scissors
• LED lights (remote controled)- Led Lights Battery Operated Spot Lights with Remote https://www.amazon.com/Submersible-Operated-Decor...

Paint the boxes brown. You only have to paint the sides that will be visible, which may include parts of the inside and outside. You should also plan the setup of the boxes.

As our base, we had two upright boxes with their openings facing each other. We then stacked alternating layers of boxes and plastic bottles, starting and ending with a box, with the boxes' openings facing down.

Gears are a big part of the steampunk theme. You can find many templates and images online, but here's how to make a simple fan-like gear.

Divide a paper plate into many sections (here we did 12) with a pencil. Cut notches a bit more than halfway: how much you cut depends on what look you're going for. Then, for each protruding strip, fold the clockwise side down, creating a fan shape.

Follow all instructions on the can of primer, then spray it on the plastic bottles and any other plastic objects you want to paint.

Follow all instructions on the spray can. Spray paint the bottles. It's okay if you don't get some areas of a bottle.

Most other objects don't need primer, so you can spray paint them directly.

Set up two boxes upright so that their openings face each other. Punch holes in the cardboard with the awl and attach the gears with brass fasteners so that they face you. Use small boxes for supports as needed. When the boxes are put together, this will create the impression of the internal workings of a machine. If you are planning to display this so that it can be viewed from the back, you should add gears back there as well.

WARNING: DO NOT CONNECT THE BOXES BY ATTACHING A GEAR TO BOTH OF THEM, UNLESS YOU DO NOT INTEND TO MOVE THE BOX.

A wide variety of decorations can be applied to the sides and the top. Foam poles can be added like tubing through natural holes in the cardboard. They can also be split in half and attached with brass fasteners to create a cabinet- or bumper-like effect. Remember to not let a space get too empty or too busy, and be creative!

WARNING: DO NOT CONNECT TWO BOXES BY ATTACHING SOMETHING TO BOTH OF THEM, UNLESS YOU DO NOT INTEND TO MOVE THE BOX.

We had enough for a 6 by 4 rectangular ring, a 5 by 3, and a 4 by 2, with 1 or 2 bottles removed from each layer to leave space to place the LED in.

Cut out a piece of cardboard to fit the bottles and hot glue the bottles on. Repeat for all of the plastic bottle layers.

Arrange the plastic bottle layers, then hot glue adjacent layers so that there are less pieces to carry around. If you are planning to move this around a lot, you don't need to hot glue at all. If you are planning to leave this in one place and never move it, you can hot glue all the pieces together.

Place the pieces in your desired arrangement if you have not done so already.

Place the remote-controlled LED lights behind the plastic bottles and turn them on!