There are two types of people: morning lovers who'll spring out of bed naturally because they've got perfect biological clocks and heavy sleepers who would trade the world for an extra five minutes of slumber every morning.
If you fall in the second category, an alarm clock is a necessary evil for you since it'll be less tempting to hit snooze. Check out these ten DIY alarm clocks to start a great morning.
1. Smartphone Alarm Clock
Remember that iPhone 4 or 5 you no longer use but don't want to throw away because it holds sentimental value? It's time to put it to good use with this smartphone alarm clock project. It displays time, wakes you up, and can even play music because it features a mini amplifier and a speaker.
Moreover, it's super compact, making it a perfect accessory to bring to camping, road trips, and other outdoor adventures. Check out this step-by-step guide on Instructables to complete this project.
2. Puzzle Alarm Clock
If you keep getting in trouble because you consistently forget to set the alarm and wake hours late to your responsibilities, the puzzle alarm clock will change your life. You need to manually set the time by rearranging the digits hence its name; the puzzle alarm clock.
And while it might appear standard due to its wooden frame, this alarm clock does more than wake you up. It turns on the lights a few minutes before it rings, motivating you to roll out of bed.
The cherry on the cake? It can also play music, read the weather forecast, traffic reports, or any other information necessary for you to start your day on a productive note. This guide on Instructables shows detailed steps on how to complete this project.
3. VFD Alarm Clock
This VFD alarm clock isn't just functional; it also looks good. It spots a vacuum fluorescent display you can easily create from any vacuum fluorescent sitting in your garage or purchase the IV-27M Russian 13 grid, a seven-segment tube from your favorite retail store.
Like most DIY alarm clocks, it's also Arduino-controlled. Check out the necessary supplies and step-wise guide in this Instructable.
4. Dynamite Alarm Clock
Before you panic, this alarm clock won't blow up. However, it'll leave you no chance of snoozing, as it's amazingly annoying. It features several PVC tubes and LEDs that go off when it rings, instantly forcing you to wake up.
Besides the tubes and LEDs, you'll also need several wires, a digital clock, red paint, and all the supplies highlighted in this Instructable.
5. Sunrise Alarm Clock
If you loathe the instant and almost heart-stopping sound of your alarm when it goes off, the sunrise DIY alarm clock will certainly tickle your fancy. It gradually brightens your bedside lamp, naturally stimulating your visual senses until you wake up.
Its design helps you wake up more naturally and comfortably than standard sound alarms' instantaneous, irritating sound. Review this guide on Instructables for required supplies and step-by-step instructions.
6. Speaking Alarm Clock
Speaking alarm clocks are gentler and tend to wake you up more naturally than standard alarms. However, commercial ones spot quite the price tag, which is why you should consider making this DIY speaking alarm clock.
It's surprisingly easy to make since it's centered on Raspberry Pi (the code is readily available in this Instructable) and features a basic breadboard base with a couple of resistors and capacitors.
It uses a DIP switch to register your input and will play whatever words you want to hear first thing in the morning, meaning you can even sing to it and have it sing to you as a wake-up call every day. Here are more cool Raspberry Pi projects that you can try out.
7. Blind Opening Alarm Clock
Waking up to a natural sunrise is the best way to start the day, and with this blind opening alarm clock, that will be your reality. It uses a geared motor, spark core, and an H-Drive circuit powered by a 12V power brick, to drive a pull chain and blind chain gear to open your window blinds every morning, waking you up to beautiful sunrises daily. See this Instructable for additional supplies and step-by-step instructions.
8. Water Gun Alarm Clock
If you can snooze and sleep through any sound, light, or scent, then you need something super obnoxious for an alarm clock. This water gun alarm clock certainly fits the description. It combines a motorized water gun and a typical sound alarm and is designed to squirt water on you and simultaneously ring, eliminating all chances of you ever snoozing for an extra five minutes.
Besides the water gun and the alarm clock, you'll also need push buttons, a jumper wire, an empty water bottle, and all the supplies listed in this Instructable to build one.
9. Phaser Blasted Alarm Clock
Don't want to wake everyone up with your alarm clock? This DIY project on Instructables lets you create a phaser you can use to instantly turn your alarm clock off when it goes off. It's perfect if you are also a light sleeper who needs a little nudging to wake up but hate the annoying sound of an alarm.
All you need to do is point your phaser to your alarm clock to turn it off. And the best part? No more getting out of bed to turn off the alarm as you can do it from the comfort of your warm duvets.
10. Slap Alarm Clock
Some people can sleep through anything, including loud bumping music and thunderstorms. If you fit in that category but don't want anyone or anything squirting water on you first thing in the morning, this slap alarm clock is perfect.
It's Arduino-controlled to softly slap you until you wake up. Check out this detailed Instructable for a list of supplies and instructions. You can also check out other creative beginner projects you can make using Arduino if you're interested.
Wake Up the DIY Way!
Some days—for instance, Mondays—are usually harder to wake up than others. It might be because you partied too hard the previous night, slept late binge-watching your favorite show, or are naturally a heavy sleeper. Whatever your case, the DIY alarm clocks above leave you no chance of snoozing.
Try making the smartphone alarm clock if you need something that doubles up as an accessory, or give the water gun and slap alarm clocks a go if you're a deep sleeper who needs more than a nudge to get up in the morning.