Hobbies & Projects - Scout Life magazine

How to Build a Duck Nest Box

This duck nest box is an eggcellent place for feathered friends to raise their young.

6 Top Tips for Building Better Lego Creations

An Eagle Scout professional Lego master shares his top tips for building better creations. Plus, send us your Lego photos.

How to Make a Model of the Solar System

Make a detailed model of Earth and all its neighboring planets with this quick STEM-focused project.

The Friendship Knot: How to Secure Your Neckerchief Without a Slide

Learn how to tie the friendship knot and find out the really cool story behind it!

How to Build a Frog Pond in Your Backyard

A step-by-step guide to creating an amphibian ecosystem in your own backyard.

Make a Do-It-Yourself Archery Quiver

Embrace your inner Hawkeye, Link or Katniss with this easy-to-make arrow holder.

How to Start a Rock Collection

Becoming a rock hound -- an amateur collector of rocks and minerals -- is easy! Here's how to get started.

How Much Would You Weigh on Other Planets?

Use this calculator to find out what you'd weigh on the other planets in our solar system.

Amazing Pinewood Derby Car Designs of 2019

Take a look at these photos of awesome Pinewood Derby car designs sent to us by Boys' Life readers.

How to Wash Your Dog

Being a responsible dog owner means keeping your pup clean. Try these dog-bathing tips from the Dog Care merit badge pamphlet.

3 Fun Wintertime Projects When It’s Cold Outside

Don't stay indoors during the winter! Here are three fun projects that you can only do when it's cold outside.

Make Your Own Homemade PVC Snowshoes

Here's how Webelos Scouts in North Carolina make homemade snowshoes.

How to Make a Classic Tangram Puzzle

A tangram is a puzzle consisting of seven pieces that can be recombined into many different shapes and figures.

Take Tastier Food Photos With These Professional Tips

Go ahead and play with your food to learn more about lighting, composition and photo magic.

How to Make the Perfect Hot Chocolate Mix

This jar of hot chocolate mix makes the PERFECT holiday gift for everyone on your list!

How to Make a Plaster Cast of Animal Tracks in the Snow

Don't give up. Making plaster casts of animal tracks in snow is tricky but not impossible.

How BL Uses Photo Magic to Get the Not-So-Big Picture

Experiment with lighting, angles and a camera to set up fun photo shoots and create a little bit of photo magic.

How to Build a Bat House

This simple one-chamber roost will give those beneficial bug-eaters a much-needed boost! Here's how to build a bat house.

How to Solve the Rubik’s Cube

Solving a Rubik's Cube takes patience, practice and plenty of trial and error. Here's how to do it.

Make Your Paper Airplane Soar With These Tips

Making paper airplanes is tough, but BL is here to help. These three videos will make your next paper airplane fly far.

How to Lash Together Your Own Clothes Drying Rack

A drying rack is perfect for hanging wet clothes or towels during a long-term campout. Here's how to build it.

10 Amazing Duct-Tape Creations You Can Make Right Now

Is there anything you can’t make with duct tape and a little imagination?

How to Build Your Own Dishwashing Rack

Here's how to build a dishwashing rack that can be used for backcountry dish and utensil cleaning.

How to Make a Duct-Tape Wallet

Use duct tape to make a handy wallet that will last for years.

How to Build a Stand-Alone Camp Table

Here's how to lash together a small camp table to provide a convenient raised surface.

Cool Pinewood Derby Car Designs of 2018

Check out these pictures of cool Pinewood Derby car designs sent to us by Boys' Life readers.

Outstanding Pinewood Derby Car Designs of 2017

Need ideas for your Pinewood Derby car design? Here are images of some of the coolest Pinewood Derby car designs of 2017.

How to Make an Animated Flip Book

Learn how to make a flipbook animation and easily bind it into your own animated picture book.

How to Build a Hand Wash Station

This wash station is sturdy, portable and very useful when camping away from washroom facilities.

Pedro’s Nitro Derby

Collect nitro boosts as you race your car on nine challenging courses in Pedro's Nitro Derby.

How to Make a Monopod Hiking Staff for your Smartphone

Keep your smartphone steady and at the ready to take videos and photos on the trail -- or anywhere else.

Six Projects to Make With Recycled Plastic Bottles and Jugs

Recycle empty plastic bottles and jugs and turn them into fun and useful projects.

Make This Bottle-Cap Disc-Golf Game

With a tin can and paper clips, you can make a mini disc-golf basket.

Cub Scouts Race Pinewood Derby Cars in SunTrust Park and Get a Visit From Their MLB Heroes

Nothing tops the feeling of sending your Pinewood Derby car flying down a track … unless, you’re racing that car on the field where baseball superstars hit it out

Learn How To Be a Ventriloquist

A world-famous ventriloquist shares the secrets of how to do ventriloquism.

How to Keep Spiders as Pets

Spiders can make fascinating pets. Here are a few steps to get you started keeping spiders.

How to Carve a Willow Whistle

Make a variable-pitch whistle that you can use to signal, play a tune or just show off your carving skills.

How to Make Slime With Glue and Borax

Simple slime is made of glue and borax. Here's how to make your own batch of stretchy slime.

How to Build a Mason Jar Bird Feeder

This fun project can help keep backyard birds fed during the winter.

How to Make a Twig Number Sign

This rustic plaque is a perfect way to identify your pack or troop's unit number.

How to Make Homemade Dog Treats

Here's how to make some yummy, homemade treats that your dog will love.

This Mom Wasn’t Sure About Her Son’s Pinewood Derby Car Design But Then…

When Sherry’s son had an ambitious idea for the design of his Pinewood Derby car, she wasn’t enthusiastic about it. In fact, a slew of questions came to her

Build a Chuck Box for Camp Cooking

Make camp cooking easier and more convenient with this portable kitchen box.

Build a Wooden Bee House to Make a Home for Solitary Bees

This easy-to-make shelter provides solitary bees with a warm, dry place to nest.

How to Make an Invisible Bookshelf

Your books will appear to be magically floating on the wall when you make this fun, invisible bookshelf.

How to Build a Secret-Code Wheel

Writing secret messages is easy with this cipher wheel. It scrambles the alphabet so nobody can read your message.

This Scout Dad’s Use for Old Pinewood Derby Cars Will Make You Want to Get Crafty

Love the Scouting memories but need a new use for those fewer-than-five-ounces blocks on wheels? Neil Fern, father to two Scouts, is here to save the seasoned Pinewood Derby

How to Grow Your Own Crystals

It might seem like magic, but all you're doing is collecting salt crystals from evaporated salt water. (It's still cool!)

Putting Science to Work for Pinewood Derby – Tips From a Former NASA Engineer and a Scout Mom

Ask a Cub Scout his favorite activity of the year. There’s a good chance he’ll tell you Pinewood Derby. And whether kids realize it or not, part of enjoying