Becky Stern

Today, I’ll show you how I built a smart illuminated display case for showing off your finest wares. Specifically, I built this as a YouTube Makers Secret Santa gift for Nate From The Internet. I wanted this year’s gift to balance delight with practicality, so it has two parts: the LED display case with 3D printed logos, and a sturdy fabric knife roll.

The Smart Cabinet

I started with a locking steel and glass key storage cabinet, and customized it by adding NeoPixel LED strip and a 3D printed honeycomb storage wall (HCW), which is a great system of 3D printable parts that lets you swap in whatever hooks or shelves you need. I know Nate loves 3D printing, so while I printed a few generic mounts, I expect he’ll want to customize his to match the items he chooses to display. 

The holidays are the perfect excuse to celebrate creativity! Stock up on tools, kits, and projects that inspire more making in the new year. Whether you’re shopping for the electronics tinkerer in your life, the sewist, or a friend who would appreciate a handmade gesture, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite maker-friendly gifts for 2025.

Disclosure: Some links included in this article earn me an affiliate commission, at no extra cost to you.

Table of contents:

• Dopp Kit Bag
• Canvas Backpack
• Ring Holder Necklace
• The Inventor’s Workshop by Ruth Amos
• A Guide to Making Friends in the Fourth Dimension by Toby Hendy
• IoT Hug Plushies
• 3D Printer – Prusa or Bambu
• iFixit FixHub Portable Soldering Kit
• Favorite DigiKey Things 2025
• Bantam Tools NextDraw Plotter
• Internet Security Software

Today, we’re taking a look inside two new LED red light therapy masks, the CurrentBody Series 2 and the Shark Cryoglow.

Tools used in this teardown:

• Tweezers
• Pliers
• Awl
• iFixit Jimmy
• Screwdriver
• Microscope

First up is the CurrentBody Series 2 mask. It’s flexible like the previous version, but also more contoured to the shape of the face, especially under the chin.

Meet Spiker:bit, the new micro:bit-compatible accessory for building your own projects that interface directly with the electrical signals from your body. Spiker:bit provides three basic ways to measure: electromyography (EMG), electrocardiography (ECG or EKG), and electroencephalography (EEG). I’ve been a Backyard Brains fan since I met Greg Gage at Maker Faire Detroit in 2011!

To follow along, you will need:

• micro:bit board with USB cable
• Spiker:bit board and accessories
• 2x AA batteries
• Computer or mobile device capable of running the MakeCode website

Today, I want to share the advice I wish I could go back and give beginner-me. If you’re just getting into DIY electronics—or even if you’ve been at it a while—these tips might save you some time and energy.

Let’s start with tools. Buying fancy tools doesn’t replace practice… but sometimes, yes, the fancy version is genuinely better.

Soldering irons and wire strippers in particular—spending a bit more here can really make your experience smoother. A good quality soldering iron heats faster, holds temperature, and doesn’t make you feel like you’re fighting the tool. But the tip must be clean to work well. Even the best soldering iron won’t work well if the tip is dirty.

Today, we’re taking a look inside the Belkin Auto-tracking Stand Pro. We’ll try it out, take it apart, and analyze the design and manufacturing of the circuitry inside.

So here’s the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro. It’s got a simple but solid design. Snap your phone into the Magsafe connector, and the stand automatically rotates to track you. It’s a cool piece of tech, and the first product to use Apple’s new DockKit accessories standard. Previously, products like this would be limited to capturing with their own apps, but now the DockKit system allows the stand to seamlessly integrate with the native camera app while capturing content or during video calls.

It has a battery inside, which makes it portable and a tripod mount on the bottom. It moves super smoothly and quietly, so I’m curious what’s going on inside.