Sewn-up: a Nintendo DS case

This NES controller DS case was painstakingly needlepointed (?) by Craftster user rosered. It's held closed by a velcro panel on the front, while there's an opening in the back for your charger chord. In other words, she thought of everything.

Craftzine Blog editor Natalie Zee Drieu has come up with instructions for making a simpler version of the case which still looks pretty awesome and won't take a huge chunk out of your life!

[Original Craftster forum thread with more photos]
[Needlepoint Nintendo DS case instructions]

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Perler bead video game crafts

These would make an awesome gift for yourself or someone else. Best of all, they're really easy to make. The above sprite mirror ornament was created by a Craftster user.

It seems to have sparked something of an addiction...




1. Chocobo, Final Fantasy 4 version.
2. MetaKnight, Kirby Superstar
3. Moogle, Final Fantasy III
4. Moogle, Final Fantasy FFVI?
5. Link, Zelda first game.
6. Megaman, megaman
7. Red Mushroom, Mario Superstar Coll.
8. KoopaKing, Super Mario Bros.
9. 1up Mushroom, Mario Superstar Coll.
10. Megaman, Megaman
11. Magus, ChronoTrigger
12. Simon Belmont, Castlevania
13. Mario, Super Mario Bros.
14. Luigi, Super Mario Bros.
15. Ryu, Ninja Gaiden
16. Super Star, Super Mario Bros.
17. White Mage, Final Fantasy I
18. Gemini Man, Megaman III
19. ? box, Super Mario Bros.
20. Frog, ChronoTrigger
21. Kirby, Kirby Super Star
22. Super Sonic, Sonic II

How to make your own

Find a suitable sprite - search for video game sprites or '_game title_ sprites', or start with this site. Small sprites can be blown up in an image editing program to view them in detail.

Buy some perler beads - the official site has information on where to buy the beads in-store. It also has an online shop if you don't want to search for them.

Make your mirror ornament - the instructions (click 4 E-Z steps) are meant for children, so there's no reason why you can't do it!

Don't make your mirror ornament - you could make loads of other video game trinkets with this stuff. Fridge magnets, notebook covers... use your imagination.

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MAKE: Painted NES consoles

For $125 and a trip to eBay you too can own one of many painted NES consoles. Other design themes include Kid Icarus, Metroid, Megaman 2, Dragon Quest, Super Mario 3 (duh) and Legend of Zelda.

This makes me wish I'd held on to the NES I used to own rather than giving it to the opportunity shop many years ago. Actually, I've wished that for a while, and if I still owned it would probably be playing it, rather than painting and selling it for a tidy profit on eBay.

[via Destructoid]

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MAKE: First level of Super Mario... scarf-style

It might not look like much yet but cassinator of craftgrrl is attempting to render the entire first level of Super Mario as a scarf. It could be awesome, but if you consider that the section pictured above took two hours and is two hand-widths long, it becomes clear that:

1) this is going to take bloody ages
2) it's going to be so ridiculously long that it'll probably force its creator to consider the question of when a scarf just becomes a really long piece of knitting

For an idea of scale, the author is working off this image. I know I'd give up at about the point pictured above. No, scratch that - one row and I'd be out. I'd probably just be too busy marvelling at the improbability of my suddenly and inexplicably gained ability to knit, which I do not currently posess.

If the thing gets completed gamecraft fans all over with have something to hype about. If not, A+ for effort and inventiveness, eh?

[Super Mario bros scarf update via Wonderland]

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MAKE: Beginner Nintendo papercrafts

Via Crafty Crafty comes these Nintendo papercraft print-outs. They look easier than, say, certain other papercrafts, and would be cute to have around the house. Next time you find yourself doing a jigsaw puzzle on a rainy day, how about you rustle up one of these instead?

[Nintendo papercrafts via Crafty Crafty]

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MAKE: Bewdiful Katamari papercraft

To accompany the news that Beautiful Katamari is bypassing the PS3 in favor of the Wii I thought some Katamari craft was in order. Wii owners can celebrate the announcement with their new Katamari Prince papercraft, while PS3 owners can place the papercraft in front of their TV set, squint really hard, and imagine a wonderful alternate dimension in which they are actually playing Beautiful Katamari on their PS3.

Of all the Katamari crafts floating around I chose the Tiny Prince paper toy because it doesn't look too tricky (as far as papercrafts go). And because the Prince is really cute.

You can download the print-out via the link below.

[Paper Toy Friday: The Tiny Prince at Warm 'n Fuzzy]

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MAKE: Plush Embroidered NES

blueblythe at the Craftster forums took two weeks to create this plush NES set. Not content to stop at just the system itself, the set includes Super Mario 3 and Duck Hunt cartridges, a controller, gun and embroidered 'screenshots' of both games which are fastened to the TV with velcro.

No instructions on how to make your own, but they would only make us cry anyway. Hit the link below for close-up pics of each element.

[Embroidered Plush Nintendo System at Craftster]

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