Homemade Alarm from A birthday Card

I thought that this was an ingenious way to use a simple inexpensive device to gain a small amount of security, for now or later.  Its not that high tech nor is it the “Best” option but its better than nothing and you can pick up a Module itself on Amazon that plays for 120 seconds for around $8.99 or 10 second  10 pack for 4.95 for each card, or you can just tell your family and friends that for your birthday next year it would be “so nice to hear your voices since you cant be here, i love those recordable birthday cards, if you can please send one of those!”  You can also just use a regular birthday card (non recordable) with sound to do the same thing for much less, a “singing” card that plays “Classic Rock” can be picked up for .99!

Items Needed:

• Recordable Birthday Card (This is important unless you want you alarm to be a “birthday song”)
• Tape
• String
• Cardboard

Step 1: Carefully Rip open the Birthday Card and take out the electronics

Step 2: Press the “Recording” Button (see Below) and Talk or play whatever you want the alarm to be into the speaker (I would prefer to play a “alarm” you find on the net somewhere”

Step 3: Tape the whole mother board to a piece of cardboard

Step 4: Tape the device to a wall near the door, window, etc

Step 5: Now you will notice that there is a white paper like tab connected to the board, if you begin to pull it out the two metal parts touch, complete the circuit and the sound starts blaring out the speaker.  What you do is attach a piece of string of fishing line to this and then to the door/window you are “securing”.  As seen in photo above

Step 6: Test.  When you open the Door/Window the tab pulls out and the alarm blares.

Notes:

No this isn’t the “best” option however it is one, and one that you may just have laying around the house.  You may even have better alarms around the house, but the shed or small window in the bathroom etc may not be secured at the moment and this is a way to use what you already have at home.

One option might be something like these GE alarms that go off when they are separated, one goes on the window and one goes on the frame..

The batteries in the cards are also a “Con” in the list of Pro’s and Con’s but this is also a matter of “waste not, Want not”.  I thought it was a cool idea so i thought I would pass it along.