Turn That Old VHS Tape Case Into a Security Camera with a Raspberry Pi

It wasn’t that long ago that home video surveillance systems were only for the wealthy. Cameras and recording equipment weren’t cheap, and tended to be pretty bulky. Most people seem to notice a shoebox-sized surveillance camera mounted in the corner of the room. Now, thanks to all of the wonderful advances in technology for makers, you can setup a simple video monitoring system for the price of a Raspberry Pi Zero W and Raspberry Camera (about $30 total).

If you’re going this route, one of the first decisions you’ll want to make is whether to make the camera noticeable or hidden. While it’s legal in most places to record video in your own home, it’s still pretty likely to put your guests off knowing they’re being recorded. In that case, making the camera unobtrusive might be the better approach to take. Maker Martin Mander (aka MisterM) has a tutorial walking through how he did this with an old VHS tape case.

The VHS case he used is designed to look like a hardcover book, so it was perfect for sitting on a book shelf without standing out. The software setup was pretty simple, he just installed MotionEye OS on a Raspberry Pi Zero W. With no monitor or keyboard attached, this was done with the headless method, which just requires adding a couple text files to your boot folder on the SD card. The Raspberry Pi was secured inside the VHS case, and a hole cut for the Raspberry Camera to peer through.

Mander readily admits his primary motivation was just to be able to watch his cat when he was away. That, and because he’s a maker who just likes making things — particularly with vintage things. If that’s an idea you can get behind, this is a quick and easy project that should only take you an hour or two to complete.