Welcome to the 7th annual holiday special project competition. The holidays mean something different to everyone so think about what makes the holidays special to you and do a project around it. Use your imagination to build something that could only come from you and what makes the holidays unique to you! Share your joy, creativity, and holiday spirit with the community.
Let your creativity run wild! Work on your holiday project and bring your vision to life using music, LED displays, Nixie Pixels, strobe lights, a fog machine, or anything else that puts you into a celebratory mood. You could also do a project inspired by gifts, food, or cards exchanged during the holidays. Or you could focus on electronic ways of sending the warmest wishes to friends and family, such as an electronic greetings card, a way to automatically email or use RF transmission to link up via video etc. It can also be a fun project that's made in the holiday spirit such as a snow globe that will warn you of inclement weather conditions, voice-activated ornaments, jazzed up holiday cards, LED decorations - anything that means the holidays to you. Your project can be related to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus for the rest of us related! It can even be a Star Wars project, if you only believe in the Force.
May the force of your creativity be with you as you embark on this special holiday challenge!
The Project with the Most Heart Wins a Tool Kit Bundle, a $400 Shopping Cart, and a $100 Shopping Cart to Gift to Another Member!
Let Us Know Your Holiday Season Project Ideas!
How to Get Started
This year, we're excited to bring you a unique and improved way to showcase your holiday projects. To ensure your entries shine, we're introducing a new blogging format that enhances the presentation of your creativity. Here's a step-by-step guide to participating in the competition:
Ho-Ho-Hold on a minute, is that a blog? A new way to submit your project!
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Step 1: Log in or register on element14, it's easy and free.
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Step 2: Come up with an idea and share your idea to begin a discussion in the forum. Videos, pictures and text are all welcomed forms of submission. Let your creativity run wild!
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Step 3: Submit your completed project. Upload high-quality images and video of your completed project along with a brief description explaining your design choices and the inspiration behind your creation. Include documentation such as github links, schematics, 3D Print files, and code.
You're free to submit any project in the holiday spirit. Here are some ideas to help get you started:
- Deck the Halls: Create stunning holiday decorations for homes or public spaces.
- Yuletide Greetings: Design the perfect holiday card, music box, or light show using electronic components.
- Build a Present: Gifts from the heart. Use electronics to craft thoughtful and unique holiday gifts.
- Merry Boxes & LEDs: Incorporate merry boxes or dazzling LED displays into your project.
- Holiday Hacks: Repurpose old electronics or make something useless useful.
Prizes:
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| Bench Digital Multimeter |
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| Bench Power Supply |
| Buy Now |
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| Pliers |
| Buy Now |
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| Household Tool Set, w/Cloth Bag, 32 Pieces |
| Buy Now |
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| Soldering Station |
| Buy Now |
Grand Prize:
The project that shows the most heart wins a tool kit (~ $500 value) that includes a bench digital multimeter, linear bench top power supply, pliers, 32 pc household tool set, soldering iron, and a $400 shopping cart. You will also have a $100 gift to give shopping cart to gift to another member for their project.
Gift to Keep: Multicomp Tool Kit Bundle ( a bench digital multimeter, linear bench top power supply, pliers, 32 pc household tool set, soldering iron, ) plus a $400 Shopping Cart!
Gift to Give: $100 Shopping Cart
3 First Place Prizes:
Three first place winners will receive a tool kit bundle (~value of $300) that includes a bench digital multimeter, pliers, 32 pc household tool set, soldering iron and a $100 shopping cart. You will also have a $100 shopping cart to gift to another member for their projects. All Gift to Gives are given to any member’s that the winners think are deserving but did not win and announced on Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Gift to Keep: Multicomp Tool Kit Bundle (a bench digital multimeter, pliers, 32 pc household tool set, soldering iron) plus a $100 Shopping Cart!
Gift to Give: $100 Shopping Cart
* Anyone who did not win will get a chance to win a shopping cart prize if their project is selected by a winner. Gift to Give winners will be announced on Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17th 2024)
Contest Rules:
Your project will be judged based on the following criteria:
- Follow the Steps - Did you show the steps it took you to complete the project (text, video, or images) and did you include documentation such as schematics?
- Submit Video Proof - Did you post video proof of you project?
- Stick to the Theme - How well did your project stick to the theme (any holiday project) of the competition?
- Demonstrate Originality - Was your project your original? Did you come up with a clever name for their project?
Key Dates:
| Event | Date |
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| Competition Opens: | 17th November 2023 |
| Competition Closes: | 15th January 2024 |
| Winners Announcement: | 22nd January 2024 |
| Gifts to Give Announced (Random Acts of Kindness Day): | 17th February 2024 |
On Random Acts of Kindness Day, we'll show the world how much heart the community has with a Gifts to Give Winners Announcement!
Project Examples:
Check out the winners from previous holiday contests to see which holiday projects dazzled the most:
- 2017 Winners (The Holiday Special): Project14 | The Holiday Special Winners: A Christmas Miracle!
- 2018 Winners (Merry Boxes & LEDs): Project14 | Winners Announcement: Merry Boxes & LEDs: Projects that Bring Joy to the Heart!
- 2019 Winners (Holiday Special 19): Project14 | Winners Announcement: Holidays Special 19: Showing a Lot of Heart!
- 2020 Winners (Holiday Special 20): Project14 | Winners: Holiday Special 20: Closing the Season with Joy and Wonder!
- 2021 Winners (Build a Present): Project14 | Winners Announcement: Build a Present that Spreads Joy to Others!
- 2022 Winners (Hack the Holidays): Project14 | Winners Announcement: Hack the Holidays!
Your Chance to Win
| Come Up With a Clever Name |
Stick to the Theme |
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| Be Original |
Submit Video Proof |
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Your Project, Your Ideas!
| About Project14 |
Directions |
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Every month you'll have a new poll where you'll get to decide an upcoming project competition, based on your interests, that will take place a couple of months in advance. Themes are broad in scope so that everyone can participate regardless of skill set.
What are Monthly Themes?
What are Monthly Theme Polls?
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Step 1: Log in or register on element14, it's easy and free. Step 2: Post in the forums to begin a discussion on your idea. Videos, pictures and text are all welcomed forms of submission. Step 3: Submit a project post. You are free to submit as many project entries as you like until the end of the contest.
Be sure to include video proof of your project!
Visit: Holiday Special 2023
and click on Submit an Entry, tag your project with holidayspecial23CH.
You have until January 15th 2024 to submit your completed project!
A jury consisting of your Community Staff and your peers will judge project submissions! |
Terms and Conditions: Project14 Holiday Special Terms and Conditions