Epic Cardboard & Popsicle Stick Marble Machine
Next Level DIY Marble Machine
We have been building this epic marble machine for weeks, and today we finally get to share our work with you. We built our Epic Marble Machine mostly out of cardboard and paddle pop (popsicle) sticks, and they are held together with hot glue and super glue. This project was so much fun, and even though my boys aren't quite old enough to help build it, they enjoyed watching it.
Epic Marble Machine Video
Here is the finished video showcasing the marble machine. I am new to editing video so please forgive any errors, and sorry if you hate background music :)
How We Made the Cardboard Marble Machine
This machine took weeks to build, mainly because I am raising a 2yr old and a 1 yr old. Spare time is hard to come by. But, I just chipped away at it, one small section at a time.
You can read and see plenty of build photos here: Building our epic cardboard marble machine.
I didn't have a plan, just a few ideas. I built the circular receiver and the marble lift first, so that gave me a place where the marbles ended up, and a point where the marbles started. From there, I would just build the main sections, and then once they were mounted, I tried to connect them in unique ways.
Trial and error is the key to making this marble machine. Just keep running the marbles on the section you are working on, and take note where it went wrong. Fixing it might be as easy as lifting one side or sticking on an extra popsicle stick to stop a marble bouncing out. This project is for people with patience; that's for sure.
What Is It Made Of
I have been collecting cardboard tubes for a long time. Toilet rolls, bin liners, wrapping paper and clink wrap... All have a cardboard tube on the inside. The cardboard tubes were the marble machine inspiration.
Here are the things we used
Cardboard Tubes
Cardboard Boxes
Popsicle Sticks (Paddle Pop Sticks)
Hot Glue
Super Glue
Nails
Marbles
5v DC Hobby Motor
STEM Learning
This project is cheap to make, just takes a lot of time. This project teaches STEM in many ways, the most obvious being engineering and science. The construction is all about engineering, but you need science for it to work. Kinetic energy, gravity, friction... it's all here. You can dig into STEM education as deep as you like with this cardboard marble run.
Read Next
Make an Epic Cardboard Marble Machine
This is how we made our epic cardboard marble machine. Hopefully, it helps you create your own cardboard marble machine.
