Seven awesome, unusual DIY USB flash drives (pictures)

After sifting through the Web for DIYs, here are seven of the most doable (and unusual) homemade thumbdrives out there.

There's more than one reason to boast about this hand-crafted USB drive. Besides finding a way to upcycle an old relic from the '90s, Flickr user Charles Mangin found a way to wire the drive so that, when plugged in, the red activity LED lights up.

See more photos here, and a video tutorial here.

This DIY drive is just adorable. A 49-cent IKEA toy and a capped USB drive are combined to create a stealthy thumbdrive. Beheaded and plugged into a USB port, the stuffed animal looks like it got its head stuck in the computer.

Get the step-by-step on IKEA Hackers.

How awesome is this DIY? Friends and colleagues will do a double take when they see a torn USB cable plugged into your computer.

Using any thumbdrive and a USB cable you no longer need, this project can be completed for under $15. Get the step-by-step here.

(Just make sure no one throws it away after mistaking it for a ripped cord.)

What's better than one storage drive? Two!

Ed Lewis, the creator of this double-ended USB drive, explains that he created this drive with a desire to keep his work and personal files separate. He writes, "Sure sure, this could be done with two folders on one drive, but I enjoy the switching of one drive to the other as a physical reminder of what I'm working on."

Check out his DIY on Instructables.

It's always fun juxtaposing items from the days of pencils and paper with modern-day tech. First spotted on Apartment Therapy, this DIY shows you how to house a USB drive in a classic pink eraser.

(And, before you ask: yes, you can still purchase these erasers at stores that sell office supplies.)

Get the easy step-by-step instructions from Instructables user fungus amungus.

OK, maybe this isn't a USB drive, but this was closely related and too awesome to exclude from this collection.

First spotted on Lifehacker, this DIY shows you where to put a USB port where least expected: in your mouse. More than that, you have the option to also embed an internal drive in your mouse for extra storage space.

Crazy, right? The DIY uses a few store-bought items and tools you likely have laying around the house.

Get the instructions here.

You might have seen USB drives like this for sale, but if you have an old collection of Lego, it's pretty easy to make yourself.

The best part? If you use a flash drive that includes an activity LED, your translucent Lego brick will light up when plugged in.

Instructables did it again. Get more photos, the complete tutorial, and a few variations here.