Sometimes it’s fun to bring props from video games into the real world. [Hulk] has done just that with their latest Halloween build—creating a working replica of the lantern from Minecraft.
Key to the build is the 3D printed enclosure, which faithfully mimics the look of the in-game item. By virtue of Minecraft’s simplistic visual style, it’s a relatively straightforward print, without a lot of quirky geometry or difficult overhangs that might otherwise trip up your printer. It’s printed in six parts and assembled with acrylic lenses which act to diffuse the light coming from inside.
Electronically, an Arduino Nano runs the show. It’s hooked up to a pair of NeoPixel addressable LED rings, which provide rich RGB colors on demand. Rotary pots are installed on the enclosure to enable the color to be tuned to the user’s desire. Power is courtesy of an 18650 lithium-ion cell and a TP4056 module ensures the battery is kept happy when charging.
It’s a fun prop build, and one that would be the perfect addition to any Minecraft costume. Except for maybe a chicken jockey, because they don’t use lanterns. In any case, we’ve seen similar work before, too.
Little pessimistic on this one. I feel like this is one of those projects put together quickly with spare parts for the sake of a video.
If the important part here is the journey, then please expand on some of the strengths of using an Arduino and Addressable LEDs… otherwise you could have used an RGB(W) LED strip and driven each channel directly with PWM to greatly simplify everything about this project. (You could even use those cheap PWM motor speed controllers for color selection)
The strengths I’d like to encourage, would be adding some effects that addressable LEDs can do that others cant. Make them flicker, move, dance… You could also explore or talk about controlling the ‘base color’ with HSV instead of RGB. Make this more of a learning experience.
(Also.. please update your wiring diagram, four pots are not used in the project)
Soooo, a 3d printed box eh?
One could also say it’s a bunch of near identical flat plates of regular sizes attached together.
Oh look, none of the dimensions or tolerance matter so there is no benefit over hand-making it.
And it’s a 1-off with nothing helpful to be had from a complicated design process since it isn’t meant for production or even duplication.
So why are we aplauding this atrocity of 3d printing misuse again?
Further, why is anyone even watching this “I need to make a video to appease The Algorithm so I’d better slap something together” trash?
This is negative-value content-for-content-sake stuff right here.
Doing anything but shunning this kind of junk is why we are in the YouTube Shorts/Instagram/TikTok/Social Media valuless time waster situation right now.
This is some “I have to write an essay that is due next Tuesday, and I don’t really care. But I still want a good grade so I guess I’ll do it.” kind of content.
We have amazing REAL channels like Applied Science, Alpha Phoenix, Ben Eater, Huygens Optics, and many more, where the subject of the video is something they were going to do anyway, and we get the HONOR of having them tell us about it in video form.
Yet every platform is flooded with call-outs to trash like MrBeast or the like.
(I’m guessing they are still around in 2025? I honestly couldn’t care less.)
Let me ask a real question.
If someone wrote a tech blog, and they had a post titled “So I need to do a build log. I’m not actually building anything right now, but I guess I’ll look up what is trending and make some of that.”
Would you read that post/build log?
Would you even go back to their blog?
I know my answer.
Some of these comments… do you all go around and defecate this hard on every project or only on YT videos? This isn’t Nextdoor, you don’t need to yell at people to get off your lawn: just go look at another project or offer constructive criticism. SMDH