How To: Make Your Own Creepy 'Puta Putin' to Guard Your Stuff (Or Scare Your Roommate)

Earlier this week, we learned that you can get people to put more money in a tip jar simply by drawing eyes on it. But what if you want to keep them away from something? Eyes can do that, too, especially when they're Putin's.

Check out Overflo's creepy 'Puta Putin' project, a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin complete with horrific glowing red eyes that open when someone comes near.

He started with a "super ugly" frame from Ikea, then spray-painted it gold and found a scary photo of Putin. The eyelids are attached to an Arduino-controlled infrared proximity sensor that makes them open when you get close enough, but if you actually reach for the treasure it's guarding, the eyes light up. Check out the video to see it in action.

Overflo has the code and more details on the setup over on his blog.

Obviously, you don't have to use Putin for this—you could easily replace him with your favorite villain to make it your own. It would make a great addition to your Halloween decorations, too. Just hang it above a bowl of candy on your front doorstep and find a hiding place where you can see what kind of reactions it gets.

Which bad guy would you use?