Alright, buckle up, because I’m about to spill the beans on my “tiny gallon basketball” project. It was a wild ride, but totally worth it.
It all started with me staring at this empty gallon jug – you know, the kind your milk comes in. I was bored, and suddenly, basketball. But, like, tiny. The challenge was on!
The Idea: A mini basketball hoop that fit on the jug, and a tiny ball to go with it. Sounds simple, right? Ha!
First Steps: Planning & Materials
- I grabbed some cardboard. Lots of it. From old cereal boxes to that Amazon package that just arrived.
- Scissors, glue, and tape. My trusty arsenal.
- A marker for sketching things out.
Building the Hoop: I started by cutting out a circle from the cardboard. Then, I made a smaller circle inside it. That was the hoop itself. I glued strips of cardboard around the edge to give it some depth and make it sturdier. It looked kinda janky at first, but hey, gotta start somewhere.
Attaching the Hoop to the Jug: This was tricky. I needed a way to attach the hoop securely to the gallon jug without it falling off every time I made a basket (assuming I even COULD make a basket). I ended up cutting a flat piece of cardboard, gluing it to the back of the hoop, and then taping that whole thing to the jug. Not the prettiest solution, but it held. For a while.
The Backboard (because why not?): Cardboard again! I cut out a rectangle and decorated it with some sharpie lines to make it look like a real backboard. Glued that sucker behind the hoop. Now we’re talking!
The Tiny Ball: Okay, this was the hardest part. I tried everything. Rolling up paper and taping it (too light). Play-Doh (too sticky). Finally, I found a small bouncy ball from a gumball machine. Perfect size! It was still a bit too bouncy, so I wrapped some tape around it to give it some weight and grip.
Testing & Iteration: This is where the fun REALLY began. I started shooting. And failing. A lot. The hoop kept falling off. The ball kept bouncing out. The whole thing was a disaster. But, I kept tweaking it. More tape. Stronger glue. Smaller ball. Bigger hoop. Whatever it took.
The Final Product: After a few hours of frustration and cardboard cuts, I finally had something that resembled a tiny gallon basketball setup. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked! (Sort of.) I could actually make a basket every now and then. Success!
What I learned:
- Cardboard engineering is harder than it looks.
- Tape is your best friend.
- Sometimes, the jankiest solutions are the best solutions.
- Tiny basketball is surprisingly addictive.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! It was a fun way to kill an afternoon and end up with something ridiculous and awesome. Plus, now I have a new way to recycle gallon jugs. Who knows what I’ll build next!
