Quick and Easy Office Darts
by fjordcarver in Living > Office Supply Hacks
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Quick and Easy Office Darts
*****DISCLAIMER -- THESE DARTS CAN BE DANGEROUS....THEY ARE DARTS!*****
Okay they are darts, they are great for throwing. Please don't throw them at anyone. You will probably hurt them.
They are really easy to make and discrete to use. By discrete, I do not mean that you can sneak up on a friend or enemy, I mean that they will stick into loads of stuff while leaving behind very little evidence. The wall won't be covered in discernible holes.
They are about as accurate as a regular dart-board dart, which is to say as accurate as you are.
Okay they are darts, they are great for throwing. Please don't throw them at anyone. You will probably hurt them.
They are really easy to make and discrete to use. By discrete, I do not mean that you can sneak up on a friend or enemy, I mean that they will stick into loads of stuff while leaving behind very little evidence. The wall won't be covered in discernible holes.
They are about as accurate as a regular dart-board dart, which is to say as accurate as you are.
Stuff You Need
You will need to collect a few things.
- 4 toothpicks (Check the cafeteria)
- 1 business card
- a sheet of paper (for the dartboard)
- a needle and thread (ask around, one of your coworkers might have a small sewing kit on their person)
- a small piece of tape (not required...helpful)
Shafted
To make the shaft of the dart you need to connect the four toothpicks together lengthwise very tightly.
Begin by positioning the toothpicks together and putting a small piece of tape just to hold them while you get the thread started.
Tie the thread around the cluster at around 1/3 of the way up the toothpick, and then wrap it as tightly as you can for a bunch of turns. (30 or more). Once you are satisfied that it is secure, tie off a knot without allowing the thread to loosen.
Begin by positioning the toothpicks together and putting a small piece of tape just to hold them while you get the thread started.
Tie the thread around the cluster at around 1/3 of the way up the toothpick, and then wrap it as tightly as you can for a bunch of turns. (30 or more). Once you are satisfied that it is secure, tie off a knot without allowing the thread to loosen.
Eye of the Needle
Now on to the other end. Remove your tape, and start another thread wrap up close to the end. If you are using rounded toothpicks, as I am, then go to the point where the toothpick begins to taper. Just a few turns at this point. We want it snug, but not too tight yet.
Leaving it a little loose, stop winding and set your sewing needle into position. You want it to be held in the center of the four toothpicks. It should be inserted only a little ways, just past your initial winding.
Once you are satisfied, continue winding, now as tightly as you can without snapping the thread. As before 30 turns or more, and then tie it off.
There, you already should have a decent looking harpoon. I bet this would shoot nicely out of a marker tube with some elastics too.
Lets go on to make the fins.
Leaving it a little loose, stop winding and set your sewing needle into position. You want it to be held in the center of the four toothpicks. It should be inserted only a little ways, just past your initial winding.
Once you are satisfied, continue winding, now as tightly as you can without snapping the thread. As before 30 turns or more, and then tie it off.
There, you already should have a decent looking harpoon. I bet this would shoot nicely out of a marker tube with some elastics too.
Lets go on to make the fins.
Fishy...erm...Finny
Cut your business card to a square, roughly will do fine.
Fold it in half to create a triangle.
Fold that triangle in half.
Fold that triangle in half, again.
Unfold it all and work each second segment into the center, creating a beautiful set of fins for your new dart.
Slide it into position on your dart, just like a real one.
Go on then give it a toss.
Fold it in half to create a triangle.
Fold that triangle in half.
Fold that triangle in half, again.
Unfold it all and work each second segment into the center, creating a beautiful set of fins for your new dart.
Slide it into position on your dart, just like a real one.
Go on then give it a toss.
Play!
Your dart is finished, now go play with it. These little beauties will stick into a lot of stuff, they are sharp and well balanced Getting a game set up is as simple as drawing up a board, taping it to almost any wall and throwing darts. Make a set of three and get an office tournament going.