Our family has a 35+ year tradition of disguising Christmas gifts. This took over 80 hours to build.

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image showing Our family has a 35+ year tradition of disguising Christmas gifts. This took over 80 hours to build.

Miniscule-fish on December 24th, 2018 at 22:04 UTC »

You have won the competition, I’m proud of you for this

altrefrain on December 24th, 2018 at 22:10 UTC »

This "cannon" is actually disguising a golf umbrella, hidden in the ramrod. The cannon is made out of cardboard, with a little foam for structural support, plus the candy cane spokes. The cannon has a remotely triggered CO2 canister hooked to a solenoid valve to launch Christmas ornament on command. Link to the construction album.

It's hard to tell dimensions from the picture, and I don't have a banana. But it is 90" from the tip of the barrel to the end of the trail.

Our family has been doing this for over 35+ years. Here's a few links to years past constructions:

2017 Projector screen and reel Here's a video of it in action

2016: Snowblower. constuction album. video of auger and blower

2015: Baby Stroller. constuction album

2014: French Easel

2013: Rocking Chair constuction album

2012: Toy Sailboat outfitted with a remote control car chassis on the bottom so that it's drivable

2011: Radio Flyer Sled. construction album

2010: Blunderbuss

2009: Hedge Trimmers. Bonus: Decoy umbrella, a broom (to replace the one he accidentally ran over with his car that Fall), wrapped like the umbrella gift: http://imgur.com/WZxFzyX

2008: Telescope

2007: Lawn Spreader

2003: Scooter

1996: Trombone

Edit: We built a remotely triggered CO2 canister rig inside the barrel to launch a Christmas ornament: Link

Edit2: The umbrella is a promotional gift you get this time of year from Aramis, which my mom buys for my grandfather for his birthday at the end of November.

Edit3: Since there is some confusion due to a lack of info provided on my part, the gift is always an umbrella. Not the same umbrella, a bee one each year. It's a promotional gift from buying cologne. I understand it may seem idiotic to spend so much time wrapping an umbrella to be a snowblower or a baby stroller, but that's what it is. It's why it's a tradition.

meoka2368 on December 24th, 2018 at 23:41 UTC »

Next year, get them a cannon. Wrap it exactly the same as this year.

They'll never suspect it.