But there were lots of things at the show that could amaze and astonish.
Take this sign and diorama. They were made from masking tape by artist Danny Scheible.
3-D printers are popular gadgets with makers.
Printrbot's line of affordably priced 3-D printers were among several on display at the show.
But there were lots of other things visitors could touch, learn about, and play with.
Among them: This working replica of an Apple I computer. Visitors could play with it as well as several other vintage computers and video-game machines at the Computer History Museum's booth.
Maker Faire is focused not just on showcasing what other people have created, but in inspiring attendees to get into the maker spirit.
Soldering was just one of many skills visitors could learn at the event.
Maker Faire is also intended to inspire kids.
Another perennial favorite is the giant Lego display put together by the Bay Area Lego Users' Group.
But many of the homemade items on display were on a much smaller scale.
The handmade R2-D2s put together by members of the R2-D2 Builders Club are an annual favorite at the festival.
Not all the sculptures at Maker Faire pose a fire danger. You could play jacks with this one if you were big enough.
The Jack is an inflatable plastic sculpture designed by a group calling itself the Chromaforms.
Some parts of Maker Faire are like a smaller, more family friendly, Burning Man, complete with sculptures that have been set aflame.
This is "Pulse," a so-called fire sculpture by the Flaming Lotus Girls, a group of artists based in San Francisco.