Cardboard Control Panel

This guide will show you how to make a 2 player Arcade control panel out of just cardboard! You do not need any special building skills to successfully make your own, let’s do it!

Materials

Let’s take a look at the materials and tools needed to build the control panel.

Materials

• Cardboard box that will become the control panel. If you are buying a PC monitor to build the Arcade, use the box that the monitor came in.
• 2 joysticks and 6 buttons for a 2 players OR 1 joystick and 4 buttons for 1 player, plus 1 button as an extra, optional RESET button. Search for “Arcade Game Kit” to find a kit near you as a source for parts (avoid using any LED buttons or analog joysticks).
• 31 Male-to-Female jumper wires to connect the buttons to the Raspberry Pi (see later in this list). Buy a few more if you can in case you make a mistake.
• Electrical tape to secure the jumper wires to the arcade button connectors.
• Zip ties to secure the joysticks; you can also use machine screws if you have some at hand.
• Raspberry Pi Zero Kit with a Raspberry Pi Zero (Wifi/BLE not required), HDMI cable, power supply, memory card (not all kits have one).
• Clear tape (optional) to make name labels for the jumper wires.

Tools

• Cardboard cutting tools: scissors, rotary cutters, or a carboard knife. You’ll need something to cut into the cardboard (our favorite is the “Canary Yellow Knife”).
• Wire stripper, cutter to cut and strip some of the jumper wires.
• Crayon or sharpie to mark where to drill.
• Glue gun (optional) if you make a mistake, a glue gun can easily save the day. Optional but recommended.
• 1 inch drill bit + cordless drill (optional): while you can drill the button holes with a manual tool, the 1” drill bit is the best at making a clean hole for the buttons. It’s recommended that you use a drill if you have one and can use it safely.

Instructions

• Cardboard box
• Prepping Wires
• Assemble
• Raspberry Pi Zero Setup