If you find hit movie characters like James Bond or Tony Stark and their high-tech toys fascinating, buying a cool set of spy gear will undoubtedly enhance your life.

But you know what brings you even closer to the real deal? Building the gear yourself with your DIY skills! Lucky for you, we compiled some awesome DIY projects for spies below to get you going.

1. Coffee Cup Spy Cam

Need to take pictures on the sly? You can turn two ordinary paper coffee cups into an effective spy cam in just a few steps. And it's even easier to capture those shots because no one can tell you're taking pictures in a million years.

To everybody else, you are just another stranger sipping their coffee away. And if you feel you blew your cover, calmly rotate the cups to conceal the camera, and continue enjoying your "coffee." Check out the above YouTube video guide to complete this project.

2. The Spy Light

If your kids have been all about super spies and special agents lately, the spy light is a fun DIY project to try with them. It is an infrared LED inside a bottle that's only visible when illuminated by a webcam or light from a smartphone. They can have fun in the dark or show it off at school.

Plus, it's easy to make and requires easy-to-find items such as a plastic bottle, solid core wire, battery, alligator clips, and some solid core wire. Check out this step-by-step guide on Instructables to complete this project.

Here are more challenging but awesome DIY projects to spark your kid's creativity.

3. Spy Bear

If "I spy with my little eye" were a doll, this DIY spy bear would be it. It has a camera camouflaged as an eye to record everything that happens in front of it. Although it sounds sophisticated, it's practically effortless to make.

You only need to cut out the eye on a stuffed bear (or any stuffed animal you think will work best) and replace it with a camera, as elaborated in this Instructable.

4. DIY Spy Phone

Need to eavesdrop on particular conversations for some personal or professional reasons? This DIY spy phone will make the endeavor a tad easier. It's incredibly compact and easy to conceal because it's housed in the old flip phones we once treasured but ditched once technology evolved.

Note, however, that the goal is to make it small and concealable. So, if you lack a flip phone, any other small gadget, from the MP3 player, to an old burner phone, will do. Check out this Instructables guide for a step-by-step guide on how to build it. And if you're looking for more DIY ideas using old phones, feel free to check out these fantastic DIY projects made with old phones.

5. USB Spy Shirt

The button camera is the ultimate spy gadget. It's super discreet and boasts high-frame rates to capture footage without being distorted. But button cameras cost an arm and a leg, so building one at home is a great idea.

You will need a laptop, laptop bag, USB camera, a dark-colored shirt, a pair of scissors, and this Instructables guide. The resulting setup will be a little bulky, but it's cheap, easy to build, and most importantly, incredibly concealable and good at its job.

6. Pocket Spy Robot

Accidentally lost a treasured accessory under your couch but can't see it despite flashing your smartphone's touch for the umpteenth time? Or do you want to check out your attic without physically getting up there? If you answered yes to either question, this pocket spy robot on Instructables would make the situation easier.

As the name implies, it's so tiny that it can get to those hard-to-reach spots in seconds. The best part? It captures real-time footage of everything it sees through a mobile app. If this project sounds a bit tough for you, check out these DIY projects that make learning tech easier.

7. Spy Mouse Cam

If you work in a formal setting where your colleagues take your pens, staples, coffees, and the small but essential stuff you must keep at arms reach, the spy mouse cam will be a game-changer for you. It can capture pictures and footage of things near your PC setup without anyone suspecting it.

Building one means you can now spy on the guy who has been taking your pen and confidently ask for it back. Check out this detailed guide on Instructables to complete this project.

This DIY project can be a great addition to your incredible DIY ideas to amuse your TikTok and Instagram followers.

8. Live Stream Spy Car

Curious about what lies under your bed or in the inaccessible basement of your home? Build this live stream spy car as shown in this detailed Instructables guide, and you won't have to get in there physically. It's super easy to make as it only involves mounting a camera on a remote control car.

Once complete, you can use it to access your basement and for fun covert missions. Plus, you can double it up as a fun toy for your kid(s) whenever you are not using it. And it will be especially beneficial for them because it helps develop their motor skills.

9. Build Your Own Spy Satellite

Find NASA's spy satellites intriguing? Well, you can always build your own at home. No, it won't orbit the earth like NASA's satellites, but it has a camera that can transmit real-time video and audio for up to 300 feet.

You can launch it and have it orbit around your home. The best part? It's eco-friendly and relies on garden variety solar panels to recharge. Check out this Instructable for supplies and detailed build instructions.

10. Tiny Ladybug-Sized FM Spy Bug

If you've ever wanted to own a spy bug, this tiny ladybug-sized FM spy bug is the perfect DIY project for you. At 0.05 square inches only, it's so compact you can bring it wherever you go and record without anyone noticing. Plus, it runs on a 1.55V button cell, which, although compact, can keep it running for up to 48 hours. Head over to Instructables to complete this project easily.

Build the DIY Spy Gadget of Your Dreams

Owning a set of spy gadgets is undoubtedly cool and comes in handy in various situations. For instance, our USB spy shirt lets you discreetly record real-time footage, which might be helpful if you are a content creator, while the spy mouse cam keeps colleagues away from your office supplies.

So, whether you are a real-life spy, or consider yourself one at heart, using your free time to try the awesome DIY project for spies above is something we recommend. Feel free to recreate as is or modify any of these projects how you find fit.