DIY Styluses for Touchscreens
Capacitive touchscreen styluses let you interact with touchscreen devices like tablets and smartphones without covering the screen with your fingers. While you can buy styluses, you can also make your own DIY versions with common household items. Here are some creative DIY stylus ideas you can craft yourself:
Repurposing Old Pens
One of the simplest DIY styluses is repurposing an old pen. Remove the ink cartridge from a pen and insert an earbud or cotton swab into the hollow tube. Then wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around the exposed cotton or earbud tip. The foil conducts electricity to register touches on the screen. Give the foil-wrapped tip a light moistening to improve conductivity.
Crafting with Paintbrushes
Old paintbrushes make unique stylus bases. Drill a hole through the brush handle and feed wires up through the hole and out the top. Attach a small conductive tip like copper tape or foil to the exposed bristles. The soft bristles won’t scratch screens and the wires conduct touches. Style your artwork with this custom “brush stylus”!
Wearable Touch Gloves
For a hands-free interface, rig up a conductive glove stylus. Cut copper tape or mesh into fingertip shapes and attach them inside an old glove. Run wires from each fingertip down the back of the hand and arm. Connect the other ends to a controller or battery pack clipped to your clothes. Now you can manipulate screens by touch without physically contacting them.
Upcycling Sponges and Tongs
Don’t toss that old kitchen sponge—recycle it into a screen tool! Cut a small pice of the sponge and attach copper tape or mesh on one side. Grip the sponge between the prongs of metal tongs, running wires from the mesh down the handles. The slightly conductive sponge allows touches while the tongs provide control. An eco-friendly way to engage with tech!
Adapting Quill Pens
Think outside the box when repurposing objects. Inspired by quill pens, one creator crafted an “iPlume” stylus by fitting a hollow quill with conductive fibers inside. Running wires up through the shaft connected touches to a battery pack, letting the quill nib elegantly glide and tap like a real quill on digital screens. Outside-the-box designs show the versatility of DIY touch tools.
Choosing the Right Materials
While many common materials can form DIY stylus cores, it’s important to select items providing a smooth, sensitive interaction. Soft plastics like hollow pens or utensils avoid screen scratches. Include a small conductive tip—materials like metal mesh, copper/aluminum tape/foil, or graphite effectively transmit touches. Experiment until finding a core-tip combo letting you seamlessly engage with your touchscreen devices. With some creativity and repurposed items, you can craft unique styluses on a budget!
