::An Summer Project for Guys::
My son learned how to make marshmallow shooter guns on a You Tube video and wanted to give it a try. It was great fun and we highly recommend making one! They are more fun around here than video games...and that's saying ALOT!
First stop, Home Depot. Gather a 1 1/2" PVC Pipe, 2 PVC elbows, 2 T-Bars and 2 caps. No threads in these pieces. Forgive my lack of proper hardware lingo, but know that I'm trying.
We are making 2 marshmallow shooters so we need double the supplies. These are all that's needed to make the basic shooter. Cost for 2 shooters was under $5.00.
But they wanted to paint them, too. And they wanted laser pointers on them, too...
4 cans of spray paint (that works on plastic) $18 and 2 laser pointers (Target, flashlight section) $20.00
Cut the pipe into one 7" tube, and three 3" tubes. There are easy tools for cutting PVC pipe, but we went with what we had:
Sand the edges afterwards. Then assemble the shooter as shown, they all fit together easily. Paint them up to your liking and duct tape a laser pointer to the barrel of the shooter.
After you load the ammo into the top tube, you just blow into the tube and out come the marshmellows. Pow!
They've been playing with these non stop. Part of the "cool" factor (in my eyes) is that they made them themselves, ya know? Course, we have mini marshmallows all over the backyard...and you aren't going to give me any grief about that either. K? They do pick them up and don't fuss about it, so far anyway. It's all worth it!
At the beginning of the summer they wanted air soft guns (a family down the street owns a shop full of them--ugh) and that just wasn't gonna happen. They are really diggin these though! They even work better than the marshmallow shooters we bought at the upscale toy store last summer... and these have a LASER.
Pow Pow Yum. Edible ammo, gotta love it.
(As an afterthought, we'd leave the paint off the very top of the shooter where your mouth goes...for obvious reasons. We put duct tape there after photos were taken.)
Very clever! I can't believe how light your little's hair got!! He's so darling!
Posted by: Maija Lepore | July 30, 2008 at 12:01 AM
oh my gosh, that is hilarious. you guys are cool parents!
Posted by: jenny fowler | July 30, 2008 at 02:50 AM
Okay...It is hilarious how BOY-ish your house is.
It's such a foreign concept to me!
Posted by: Stephanie Howell | July 30, 2008 at 07:35 AM
So fun!!! My husband would love to do these with our nephews! Thanks for the instructions... the laser pointers are a great touch!
Posted by: Heather - Speckled Egg | July 30, 2008 at 07:51 AM
My kids each have a marshmallow gun and they love them. So does the dog! He runs around eating any of the sweet minis he can find...no worry about picking them up, just if he will get a stomach ache.
Posted by: amy | July 30, 2008 at 08:20 AM
Aubern'e and Chloe were telling me how they want to make one of these. Such a small world. Clarice
Posted by: clarice | July 30, 2008 at 08:20 AM
How fun -- all my little boys grown up now -- but hmmm grandson would love it -- Our kids start to school Friday -- no more summerdays and lunch and fun things -- Time goes too quickly - so wring out every smile and memory making event - for now that mine are grown -- It is the little things that they remember and make them laugh -- kathy _ GA
Posted by: Kathy Lowry | July 30, 2008 at 08:50 AM
What cool parents! I love these guns might need to make 1 for the winter and hot chocolate (shoot them right in there) LOL! Grace
Posted by: Grace P | July 30, 2008 at 08:58 AM
boys will be boys!!
so fun. very creative. just like mama!!!
call ya this week.
oxoox,
jessi
Posted by: jessi nagy | July 30, 2008 at 09:26 AM
You have just GOT to love boys!
I have a certain grandson who is going to have to have one of these, and probably his grandpa, too.
Thanks for the tutorial!
Posted by: What Happens Next... | July 30, 2008 at 09:33 AM
Boys and their toys:) Fun, fun!
Posted by: Leah C | July 30, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Too funny, Teresa!!
My DH actually bought me one for a birthday gift this year. It's a combo marshmallow cannon and tommy gun...we were shooting marshmallows all over the house at each other! (Yeah....we're *real* grown up here...)
They did a great job on them!!
Posted by: Candace | July 30, 2008 at 11:03 AM
We used these shooters for our youth group all the time. The best part is if you dip the marshmallows in a little flour so that you can tell if someone has been hit. Of course, that also adds to the mess (and the fun).
Posted by: Joy Cendrowski | July 30, 2008 at 11:08 AM
cool, crafty and creative!!! What fun...I wish my boys were younger so we could do this!
Posted by: sherry | July 30, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Can't wait to show this to my 12 yr. old son. You wouldn't believe how many air soft pellets are on our property - 1000's! Marshmellows would be a nice change!
Posted by: wendy | July 30, 2008 at 01:15 PM
The did an awesome job on them! Love the paint job! My boys have these too and love them!
Posted by: Catherine Sebree | July 30, 2008 at 05:08 PM
Ok, let tell you how to go PRO with these. If you buy some more pvc and cut into 2ft and 4 ft sections you can make "rifles" etc. My husband (son of a plumber) and son went to LOwes and stocked up on "t's and "elbows" and extra pvc to make all different lenth and type of guns. It is like legos, my son builds plays then breaks down and rebuild all different kinds.
Next level, if you have NERF foam darts-usually orange with little velcro tips, load them instead of marshmallows and shoot all day without "buying" more ammo. WE have tons because we have nerf guns that he doesn't play with because he uses them in the "other" guns. Here is the trick, if you use the 2 and 4 foot and make it extra long then load like 20 darts in the pvc all lined in with at least 3 blow holes, one on the end and make a second on top like a site and have two people blow at one time, the darts come out like RAPID FIRE!! Hysterical and FUN! email if you need better instructions.
[email protected]
Posted by: Terry A | July 30, 2008 at 06:58 PM
LOVE this!!!!
Posted by: karin@creativechaos | July 30, 2008 at 07:11 PM
Gotta love this!! And I've got to thank you... my son is needing a little bit of an 'out' about now (mom too!) ;)
So off to the Home Depot we go! Yay!
....dad is gonna love this...
We just might ambush him when he gets home today!
Hugs,
Shannon
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Posted by: Judy | July 31, 2008 at 01:04 PM