How to Make a Periscope

How many times have you wanted to play spy, but you didn't have the right equipment? With this homemade periscope, you'll be able to spy on your friends and enemies with a couple of mirrors, some milk cartons, and very little effort. Just make sure your periscope doesn't get into the wrong hands.

Things You'll Need

• Two 1-quart milk cartons
• 2 small mirrors
• Utility knife
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Tape

Instructions

1. Remove the tops of your milk cartons.

2. Cut a hole in the first milk carton. Make the hole on the front of the carton and at the bottom and leave a quarter of an inch around the rectangle you make. Place the milk carton on its side. The rectangular hole you made should be facing to the right.

3. Measure 2 and 3/4 inches up from the left edge of the carton on the top side. Mark that spot and then draw a line diagonally from the spot you marked and the lower right side corner.

4. Cut on the diagonal line you made. Make sure you start at the lower, right hand corner. Make the cut the same length as your mirror, so you may not have to cut the entire length of the line you drew. Also, if your mirror is thicker than the line you made, you may have to make the slot thicker with your knife.

5. Place the mirror into the cut that you made. Make sure the reflecting side of the mirror is facing the hole you made on once side of the carton. Tape the mirror here, but not very tightly. You should be able to see the ceiling if you look through the rectangular hole you cut in the side of the carton.

6. Repeat everything you just did to the second carton.

7. Put one carton on the table. The rectangle should be facing you. Put the other carton next to it, upside-down and with the rectangle facing the other direction.

8. Grasp the carton that's upside-down on its open end so you can place it into the open end of the other carton and tape the milk cartons together.

9. Look through the bottom rectangular hole and you should now have a working periscope.