Chip Jewelry, Floppy Bags and Other Tech Crafts

Old computers aren't just DOS sandboxes anymore. If you're finally upgrading from an i486DX to a Pentium II, don't toss that old machine -- you can recycle it, or you can wear it. Tech crafts separate the True Geeks from the Linux monkeys. The CD coaster is a cliche -- get creative!

Floppy Disk Bag

This one has been floating around the Net for a while now. With 46 floppies, lots of metal rings and some duct tape, you can build a sturdy messenger bag.

Start by drilling holes into each corner of the disks, not more than 1/8" from the edges. Arrange the floppies in a 10 x 4 grid, with two "arms" of three disks each on the fourth row. These arms form the sides of the bag, and the front and back are three rows each. Loop the metal rings where the drilled holes meet, closing the rings tightly.

After the bag is assembled, attach strap fasteners to either side with short bolts and nuts. I pulled the fasteners off a few laptop bags I had lying around, but they can be bought at craft stores or even places like Wal Mart.

You'll have a large bag, perfect for school books, a notebook PC, or even craft supplies. It's a good idea to line the inside with duct tape or cloth, if you're up for it.

RAM Key Chain

This one is a lot easier: pull some RAM out of a junk computer and slap it on your keychain. Just about any RAM will work for this, but old one-megabyte SIMMs are best for both their uselessness and the "vintage" geekiness they carry.

You don't need to worry about drilling holes in RAM; they already have holes in the short sides where the motherboard clamps on them.

Ethernet Bracelets

ThinkGeek sells these, but they are easy (and cheaper) to make yourself. Strip the jacketing off an Ethernet cable and you'll find eight thin, color-coded copper wires that are perfect for crafts. Weave them, tie clasps on the end and you have fine geek jewelry. My favorite way to turn Ethernet wires into jewelry is to use the "Viking weaving" method, which makes thick, attractive and indestructible bracelets, perfect for hands-on hardware geeks.

CPU Necklaces

A few people take old CPUs, especially 486s, and drill holes through the middle of them for necklaces. It looks cool, but after a while, those pins poking your chest will get old. Sanding the pins down is one way to fix that problem.

Keyboard Greeting Card

It won't fit in a Hallmark envelope, but you can create interesting (even romantic) messages by taking the keys off a keyboard and rearranging them. Keys like "End" and "Home" can save on letters, but a few spare boards for duplicates might help.

I gave my wife one of these to celebrate an anniversary. You could do the same, or you could also tell the boss you're quitting by using his pricey ergonomic keyboard. Bonus geek points if you do it in haiku.

CD Drive Bookends

Take an old CDROM drive and put it on your bookshelf. This should hold most paperbacks, but what if you have gartgantuan PC certification books? Easy enough -- just superglue two together! They will hold up almost anything.

Of course, all this just scratches the surface. Maybe you can build a better bookend, or realize my dream of circuit board body armor.