When I get tired of programming and engineering, I typically turn to hands-on activities – it took programming video games for 40 hours a week to get me started in blacksmithing and metal casting. Since I’m up at school now and don’t have as easy access to forging space (not to mention that it’s currently balls-to-the-wall cold outside), I somehow got the idea to pick up some plastic canvas supplies from AC Moore and taught myself how to make useless little trinkets out of yarn and plastic mesh.

Back in the heydays of fourth grade, I stumbled upon papercraft (although I had no clue that it had a name until a few years ago) and made all sorts of little sculptures out of paper. Although I drifted away from papercraft when I discovered computers, it’s always been an important part of my creative mentality. And as it turns out, plastic canvas has a lot in common with papercraft.

When working plastic canvas in 2D (like the Black Mage, pictured below), it’s quite like a special cross-stitch for dexterously feeble people like myself. Due to the rigidity of Plastic Canvas, however, it can be woven together into 3D structures, such as the Main Battle Tank I designed and built, pictured below. And it only took me over six hours to build!