Members of YouTube’s maker community have continued an annual holiday tradition. Creators like Colin Furze, Emily the Engineer, and Look Mum No Computer (pictured above) built gifts to give to one another as part of a ten-person Secret Santa exchange.
As part of the exchange, all participants uploaded behind-the-scenes videos depicting the construction of their respective gifts. The results of the Secret Santa vary wildly depending on which creators are involved. Some of the presents are flat-out ridiculous, others encourage creativity, and some even seem helpful. Emily the Engineer made This Old Tony a third arm to help him with his productivity. That sounds a bit more useful than Furze’s gift: The inventor helped the children of Kids Invent Stuff improve their fart jokes by building them a rear-powered flamethrower.
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YouTube’s top makers have publicly exchanged gifts every year since 2019. The Secret Santa group started as a six-person pod but has gradually grown in size. It included nine creators in 2022 and reached double digits this year. Furze, Kids Invent Stuff, and Look Mum No Computer have participated in all five exchanges; 2023’s first-time entrants are Ali Spagnola and Brothers Make.
The gifts given in the maker Secret Santa have evolved over the years, but the latest exchange reinforced an enduring truth: These engineers are big nerds. 2023’s presents include two different Marvel-inspired builds: Xyla Foxlin gave James Bruton a carbon fiber Iron Man helmet, and Brothers Make 3D printed an Infinity Gauntlet for Emily the Engineer.
YouTube tinkerers like Furze have emerged as widely-watched creators and in-demand influencer marketing partners. The curiosity, wits, and camaraderie shared by YouTube’s engineering community was on display at Open Sauce, a maker fair launched earlier this year by William Osman. Attendees included Secret Santa participants like Furze and Emily the Engineer. Open Sauce is slated to return in 2024.
You can see a full breakdown of the 2023 YouTube maker Secret Santa gifts here. I can think of a few people who would vibe with Becky Stern‘s strange cat clock. Too bad it’s not on sale — yet.
