DIYTV Premiere #TVWithATwist!
Build a cardboard "TV" and make a hand-cranked rotating scene that plays a short stop-motion-style animation using drawings and recycled materials.
Step-by-step guide to build a cardboard TV and make a hand-cranked rotating stop-motion scene
The Story Behind S01E04 - Home Improvement
Step 1
Choose a box or a flat piece of cardboard and cut out a rectangular window to make the TV screen.
Step 2
Use a pencil and colouring materials to draw and decorate a fun TV frame around the screen opening.
Step 3
Mark two holes on opposite side panels at the same height where the axle will go.
Step 4
Carefully cut the marked holes and push drinking straws through them to make axle supports and tape the straws in place.
Step 5
Cut a cardboard circle about the size of your screen height to become the rotating wheel.
Step 6
Cut 6 small rectangular scene cards from paper and draw a simple step-by-step picture on each card to show motion.
Step 7
Glue or tape recycled small props onto the scene cards to add details and depth.
Step 8
Evenly attach the scene cards around the edge of the cardboard wheel so they face outward toward the TV screen.
Step 9
Slide a wooden skewer or pencil through the straws and then through the center of the wheel to mount the wheel on the axle.
Step 10
Tape a bottle cap or large button to the end of the skewer or pencil to make a hand crank.
Step 11
Turn the crank slowly while looking through the screen and adjust card spacing or prop angle until the pictures create a smooth stop-motion-style animation.
Step 12
Take a photo or video of your finished DIYTV Premiere and share your creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of drinking straws, a wooden skewer, or a bottle cap if we can't find them?
If you don't have drinking straws, a wooden skewer, or a bottle cap, substitute glued rolled cardboard or short paper-towel-tube sections as axle supports, use a pencil or chopstick for the skewer, and tape on a large button or thick coin instead of the bottle cap when assembling the axle and crank.
My cardboard wheel won't spin smoothly — what should I check or fix?
If the wheel sticks or wobbles when you turn the crank, slightly widen the marked holes in the side panels, make sure the straws are taped straight and level, trim or sand the skewer/pencil ends, and re-center the cardboard wheel so the scene cards don't rub the TV screen opening.
How can I adapt this DIYTV activity for different ages?
For ages 3–5 have an adult cut the screen and holes and use a larger wheel with 3 big scene cards and pre-glued recycled props, for ages 6–9 let kids draw the TV frame and attach 6 cards themselves, and for ages 10+ challenge them to create finer artwork, mount the skewer themselves, or motorize the crank with a small hobby motor.
How can we extend or personalize our DIYTV Premiere after finishing the basic version?
To extend the project, decorate the TV frame with patterned paper or fabric, add a battery LED tea light behind the screen for backlighting, increase the number of scene cards or make double-sided wheels for longer animations, and record frame-by-frame stop-motion video on a phone while adjusting prop angles for smoother motion.
Watch videos on how to build a cardboard TV and make a hand-cranked rotating stop-motion scene
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Facts about stop-motion animation and cardboard crafts
🎬 Stop-motion started in the late 1800s — tiny changes between photos make toys and drawings look like they're moving!
🔁 The zoetrope is a spinning drum of pictures invented in the 1830s that makes still images appear to move when you peek through its slits.
🎡 The praxinoscope upgraded the zoetrope by using mirrors so the animation looked brighter and steadier while it spun.
📦 Cardboard's fluted inner layer gives it surprising strength, which is why it's perfect for building a sturdy DIY TV frame and crank mechanism.
✏️ Hand-made stop-motion looks great with only about 8–12 frames per second, so fewer drawings can still create smooth, charming motion.
