If You Can't Replay It, At Least Reuse It

We all have a lot of video game junk lying around. I know that a lot of my friends have old consoles, games, controllers, and more. Many people will hoard these items hoping that someday they will be able to sell them for some huge amount of money. Some even hold out hope that they will someday hook that old console or load the game back up and give those ancient levels one last go. But there comes a time when blowing into your game cartridge just won't cut it anymore. Here are some fun ways to keep your non-functioning gaming history near and dear.

I know that everyone has heard of this or has a friend who did it. Turning that old Game Cube console into a lunchbox. The cool one about this is that you can keep the games. The Wii is backwards compatible so you don't even have to sacrifice your favorite Cube titles. Its a really easy process and a great conversation piece. All you need to do is dismantle your Game Cube until all you have left is the shell. When you are removing the inner workings of the console, just make sure that you don't damage or attempt to remove the latching device in the corner that holds that lid shut. When I remodeled mine, I just carved out the space where the disc goes and used that. Other people split the entire console in half. If you cut it in half, you will need to by a hinge and some screws from a hardware store. Luckily, its pretty cheap. You can't fit a ton into the case, but its great for snacks and other random items.

There is no better was to wish Jesus a very happy birthday than dressing your tree in video game ornaments ! My favorite way is to use old Game Boy games. This one is crazy simple. Just drill a small hole into the tiny cartridges and run a string through the hole to make a loop. Easy ! We had a bunch of Game Boy games that we took to several shops to help us try to make them work and no one could fix them. This was the next best option. Every year, our tree is adorned with these adorable mini cartridges. I love Castlevania and Jesus does too.

The controller wind chime. Ok, this one is really labor intensive. I have never done it but I have one lone friend that had the free time to go crazy on this one. Here is the process. She took a thick piece of wood and cut it into a large circle. Drill holes around the edge and one in the center. Run a sturdy rope or chain through the middle to hang up the chime. She then took old controllers (from an NES to be exact) and cut the plug off the end leaving the controller and about 18 inches of cord depending on how large you want to make it. Go to a local craft store and pick up some decorative bells that have loops. Run one bell down each cord so that it rests on top of the controller. Then run the cords through the holes around the edge of the piece of wood. Hang it up and enjoy.

A less time consuming alternate to the crazy ass wind chime would be to make a baby's mobile. You could use game cartridges of different sizes, maybe from NES, Game Boy, N64, Sega, and more. There are lots of "make your own mobile" kits that can be ordered online, add these games and let in spin ! You wont have to bother with the with mechanics of a motor or trying to hang it. Just remember not to put the bells on this time.

Some of these are super easy and others are ridiculously complex. These are just a couple big ideas. There is always the possibility of doing smaller things like reusing maps and strategy guide pages as wrapping paper. Taking apart controllers can provide lots of fun little pieces for arts and crafts as well. I know it sounds harsh to destroy this stuff. But it seems like a waste to keep them all in a box in the closet when they are no longer playable and can't be fixed. The games may not be functional, but at least you will have them around in a nostalgic, cheeky way. Yes, i used the word cheeky.