Smelgon: Upcycle a Deodorant Container Into a Retro Robot Figure!

Is it just me, or does the deodorant insert look like a cool satellite dish when properly washed...?

No...?

Introducing Smelgon! Powered by the scent of the ocean, Smelgon!! Move his arms!!! Move his hands!!! Give him LEGO weapons for slicing!!!!

You build him yourself from plastic waste you collect! That's right, with just 8-12 plastic waste pieces, you can have your own Smelgon!! Conquer your planet('s plastic waste problems*) with SMELGON!!!

*Smelgon does not solve all plastic waste problems

1 roll-up deodorant/sunscreen/etc container

4 small, 1-inch caps from soda bottles

> I did two sets in matching colors. You can also swap out 2 soda caps out for other cool hand drill/laser/etc hands.

2 marker caps or pen/mechanical pencil/lip balm parts of the same size

hole making device (see this link about using a drill to make holes in plastic caps)

elastic/string

cleaning tools

Clear tape

Optional:

Some thing(s) to make a head with (in this image its the wide white lid, I ended up changing it later)

decorating supplies like fancy tape, stickers, paper, pens, etc.

Here's the "blueprints."

This design has up to five points of articulation: Both hands, both shoulders, and the head.

This bot's design is inspired by Ideal's Zeroids (1960s) and Robo Force (1980s) toylines. These guys prove that even if you don't have legs, you don't have to give up your dreams of breaking through walls. Commercials attached.

Once you gather your materials, clean, clean, CLEAN them!

Remove the part of the deodorant that holds up the stick and slides up the pole. Also remove the label.

Since I haven't specified what kind of plastic junk you need for the head, allow me to show you some ideas made of 1-3 caps that fit together. You can use a color scheme like I do, or use whatever you want and have.

1 hole per side of deodorant container, but below where the lid goes.

1 hole in the middle of 2 soda caps through the middle. These will be the shoulders.

1 hole through the sides of 2 soda caps. These will be the hands.

>Optional, add an additional hole 90 degrees from the first angle in order to be able to hold weapons.

1 hole through arm rod pieces on the side but close to the top. This is where the shoulder will meet the arm. If using a marker cap, this hole should NOT be near the already open side. You want to utilize the existing hole.

1 hole through top of deodorant lid if adding a head

holes through head piece(s) as you see fit

I used a 9/64 inch drill bit and some LEGO minifigure accessories fit in the hands. You could make larger holes for the second hole in order to hold larger accessories.

Make a knot in the string, thread it inside to outside through the hole in the body (The lid should be able to close on the body without touching the string knot. ).

Then, thread through the shoulder piece, down the arm piece, and knot once through the hand piece.

Repeat for the other arm, making sure that the hands match if you drilled holes (insides facing each other with holes on top.).

Once you're finished, tape the lid on so it doesn't fall off.

This is where you make a face if you didn't give your robot a head. I cut out a bit of junkmail and used a pen to create a fancy '50s nameplate.

You can also decorate by drawing or printing out gizmos to put on, use stickers, or whatever else you can think up!

Lastly, I like to have a little reflection on where all these plastic things I used came from in an effort to reduce waste. For example:

Can I get larger 2-Liter soda bottles instead of using multiple little ones?

Can I use wood (colored) pencils instead of markers, pens, or plastic mechanical pencils?

Can I buy writing/drawing supplies from a stationary store to avoid unnecessary packaging?

Can I recycle deodorant containers in my area?

Can I make my own deodorant or switch to a brand that is more sustainable?

Now, what junk could you upcycle to make a spaceship, base, or accessories? Let the inspiration begin again!

Thank you for reading!