How to Make a Stylus for iPad

Written by Sam Browning

Last Updated: August 2, 2024 References

If you have an iPad, a stylus is an incredibly useful tool. It lets you draw masterpieces, eat without getting food fingerprints on your screen, easily scroll through articles on the web, and more. These styluses can be a little expensive, but if you are looking to save money, or just looking for a fun DIY project, there are ways you can make your own. In this wikiHow article, we will show you how you can create a stylus for your iPad.

How to Make a DIY iPad Stylus

Remove the ink chamber from a pen, and tape the cut end of a cotton swab to the end. Then, wrap the pen with a sheet of aluminum foil so it's in contact with the cotton swab. When you want to use your stylus, dip the swab in water and hold onto the foil to make it work.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating a Stylus with Household Supplies

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1
Gather a pen, aluminum foil, a q-tip, scissors, and some tape. Lay these items out on your workspace. With just these supplies (and a few drops of water), you can make a stylus for your iPad.^{[1]
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- When you get your foil, be sure you have enough to wrap it around the pen a few times.
Unscrew the cap at the tip of your pen, then remove the ink cartridge to make space for other components of the stylus.

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Use your scissors to cut the q-tip in half. You should be left with two pieces that are roughly the same size, each with a fuzzy tip and shorter stem.
Push the stick end of a q-tip half into the tip of the pen cap, leaving the head of the q-tip exposed. This will be the “point” of your stylus.
Wrap tape around the point where the q-tip and the pen meet to secure it in place.
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Wrap the pen in aluminum foil. Encircle the pen several times with your aluminum foil, making sure the q-tip is in contact with the foil. Otherwise, your stylus will not work!
- In this case, the foil acts as a conductor for that electricity to and from your finger, sending it through the head of the q-tip. This means that if you are not touching the foil, or the foil is not touching the q-tip, your stylus will not work.
To prevent your foil from uncurling, tape the edge down.
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Wet the end of the q-tip. Sometimes, your iPad might have some trouble recognizing your stylus. In that case, simply wet the end of the q-tip, and your stylus is ready to go.
- Wetting the end of the q-tip will increase its conductivity, making your stylus more easily recognizable by your iPad.
When testing out your new stylus, be sure you’re holding the aluminum foil. Also, don’t be afraid to apply some pressure when you’re using it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Creating a Stylus that Doesn’t Need Water

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Grab a plastic highlighter, 3 feet of bare wire, a small piece of conductive foam, some electrical tape, pliers, and scissors. While some of these items are less common than those used in the other method, they are still quite inexpensive, and the stylus will be recognizable without using water.^{[2]
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- Before you begin, make sure you are not using insulated wire. To act as a proper conductor, the wire must be stripped.
Unscrew the end of the highlighter to remove the ink well, then use your pliers to remove the tip, making space for the components of the stylus.
Insert your wire into the highlighter, leaving some extra wire out the tip and the end for later use.
Wrap your wire around one end of your conductive foam. This wire is responsible for providing conductivity to and from the foam and keeping it secure, so make sure you wrap it tightly.
Use the wire hanging out the back of the highlighter to bring the conductive foam to the tip of the marker. Pull in enough foam that about ¼ inch is still exposed for the tip of the stylus.
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Wrap the remaining wire around the highlighter. Cover the outside of your highlighter with the rest of the wire. Be sure to wind it down the entire marker, otherwise the stylus won’t work.
- As mentioned in the previous method, the wire serves as a conductor between the iPad, the foam, and your hand, so you have to be touching the wire when using the stylus.
Use your scissors to shape the tip of your stylus however you please.
If it does not work, make sure your wire is properly attached to the conductive foam tip, and that you are touching the wire while using it. Also, do not be afraid to apply pressure with the stylus to help the iPad sense it.

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Tips

In the first method, you can also replace the q-tip with a bit of sponge. Just remember to remove any abrasive backing, and to wet it for optimal use.^{[3]
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iPads have what are known as capacitive touch screens. This means they need an object with an electrical charge (usually, your finger, which is naturally charged) to detect “touch”.^{[4]
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You can also make styluses in different shapes. Any object you can attach foil and a q-tip/sponge or wire and some conductive foam to will work. If pens and highlighters are not comfortable for you to use, try experimenting with differently-shaped objects to see what you prefer.

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