How to Make a stylus

Lost your stylus? Are you looking for a solution to draw on your tablet with more precision or have trouble using the touchscreen while wearing gloves? There is no need to spend money to buy a new stylus because you can easily make your own stylus from common household items.

Table of Contents

Learn about touch screens

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/52/Make-a-Stylus-Step-1-Version-6.jpg/v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus- Step-1-Version-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/52/Make-a-Stylus-Step-1-Version-6.jpg/ v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus-Step-1-Version-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Determines the touch screen type of the device. There are different types, and the stylus you make yourself doesn’t work with every touch screen.

For iPhone, iPad, Android devices, Kindle, and many other smartphones or tablets with capacitive touch screens, this type of screen requires a conductive substance (like the human body) to record. receive contacts.
Nintendo DS handheld game consoles, Nintendo 3Ds, Nook tablets, and some other phones and e-books use infrared or resistive touch screens that require only force to set up. establish contact. You can use anything as a temporary stylus (just be careful not to scratch the screen).

Check the screen if you are not sure. Touch the screen with the tip of the pen. If the device responds, your screen is infrared or resistive touch. If nothing happens, the monitor is not activated.

Make a stylus from a sponge (for capacitive touch)

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/3/3e/Make-a-Stylus-Step-3-Version-6.jpg/v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus- Step-3-Version-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/3/3e/Make-a-Stylus-Step-3-Version-6.jpg/ v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus-Step-3-Version-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Collect tools. Find a dish sponge (not a sanding pad) and a ballpoint pen with a removable tip. ^{[1] X Research Source}

An inexpensive plastic pen is best, as long as you can pull out the plastic tip and remove the ink inside easily.
A clear plastic pen can make it easier to see what you’re doing.

Cut a piece of sponge about the width of the tip of the pen. You can estimate the size by inserting the tip of the pen into a sponge and using a marker to mark it, or you can just measure it. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If the sponge has a sanding side (like a Scotch-Brite dish sponge), cut or tear it off. Anything rough can cause scratches and damage to the screen. You just need to use the foam sponge part. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Wash and dry the sponge. Some dishwashing sponges may still have soap on them, so take extra care by dipping the sponge in warm water. Squeeze out the water and let the sponge dry.

Remove the plastic tip and pen internals such as the ballpoint pen tip, ink cartridge, and spring (if it’s a stylus). We only use the empty pen case. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You can simply pull the tip of the pen by hand. If having difficulty, use small nose pliers.

Insert the sponge into the pen. Squeeze the sponge to shrink it and push it into the pen case.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/ae/Make-a-Stylus-Step-9-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus- Step-9-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/ae/Make-a-Stylus-Step-9-Version-5.jpg/ v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus-Step-9-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Leave 0.3-0.6 cm of sponge sticking out of the tip of the pen. Use your fingers to clip and compact the sponge fibers. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Hold close to the tip of the pen for the touch to work. ^{[6] X Research Source} Your finger should touch the base of the pen where the sponge comes into contact. If you hold it in the recess of the pen case, no current will be transferred to the sponge and the screen will not recognize the touch of the stylus.

Make a stylus out of aluminum foil (for capacitive touch)

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/dd/Make-a-Stylus-Step-11-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus- Step-11-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/dd/Make-a-Stylus-Step-11-Version-5.jpg/ v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus-Step-11-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Collect tools. You will need a 10-foot-long roll of aluminum foil, duct tape or any similar adhesive, and a dull-tipped pencil. In addition, you also need a sharp knife to sharpen the pencil. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If you don’t have a pencil, you can replace it with a pen, chopstick, peg – anything shaped like a pen. Pencils or wooden objects are best, however, you need to cut to make the stylus have an angled tip.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/b/bb/Make-a-Stylus-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus- Step-12-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/b/bb/Make-a-Stylus-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/ v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus-Step-12-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Use a sharp knife to sharpen the tip of the pencil to a slightly flat, blunt angle.. ^{[8] X Research Source} Although you will be using the pen to write, there is no need to sharpen it. The pencil tip should still have a flat surface with an area of at least 4 mm, about the size of a pencil eraser or the tip of your finger. Many capacitive touchscreens won’t recognize touches from anything even smaller. ^{[9] X Research Source}

This step is not important, the stylus will still work properly, but you must hold the pen upright and facing down. This will help you to hold the pen more comfortably.
Remember: always use caution when handling the knife and cutting away from the body. Never pull a knife towards you.

Wrap the entire pencil with at least two layers of aluminum foil. Fold the aluminum foil neatly around the ends of the pen.

If you are using a pen, keep the cap on when wrapping. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Smooth the aluminum foil over the rounded edge of the pencil. The tip of the pen should be flat and smooth, without wrinkles or protrusions. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If the pen tip is not flat, the stylus cannot work.

Wrap a piece of tape in the center of the pencil body to secure the aluminum foil. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Wrap the tip of the stylus with transparent tape. This helps protect the screen from being scratched by the aluminum foil. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Try it and see if the pen works. If not, try to flatten the tip even more. You need to remember that the minimum size of the tip of the pen should be the same as the tip of a pencil eraser, otherwise the touch screen will not be recognized. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Make a stylus with a wooden wand (for infrared or resistive touch)

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/8/80/Make-a-Stylus-Step-18-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus- Step-18-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/80/Make-a-Stylus-Step-18-Version-5.jpg/ v4-728px-Make-a-Stylus-Step-18-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Collect tools. You need a chopstick, sandpaper, and something to sharpen the wood. A manual pencil sharpener is the best solution, but you can also sharpen the wood with a sharp knife if you don’t have a pencil sharpener.

Do not use an electric pencil sharpener as it may break the chopsticks.

Sharpen the tip of the chopsticks (the small end for picking up food) with a pencil sharpener. Don’t sharpen it like when you sharpen a pencil, you need to make it look like a dull pencil tip.

Smooth the tip of the chopsticks with sandpaper. The sharp tip of the pen can “hurt” the touch screen (or yourself). Use sandpaper to blunt the tip of the chopstick until you can press against the skin without feeling pain.

Hit the raw edges of the wand tip, as long as you don’t break your stylus into pieces.

Decorate your stylus with decorative tape or paint. A few layers of colored tape wrapped around can help make the pen feel more comfortable to hold.

Remember: this stylus does not work on iPhones, Android devices, Kindle Fire tablets, and other devices with capacitive touchscreens.

Warning

Use caution every time you use a knife. Always hold the knife away from your body when cutting or sharpening – do not pull the knife towards you!

Things you need

Make a stylus with a sponge

Clean sponge
Ballpoint pen with detachable tip
Drag

Make a stylus out of aluminum foil

Aluminum foil
Tape (clear tape, silver tape, etc.)
Blunt-tipped pencil
Sharp knife (optional)

Make a stylus with chopsticks

Chopsticks
Sharp knife or manual pencil sharpener (not electric)
Sandpaper
Decorative tape, paint or markers for decoration

Steps