This is the most ridiculous iPad hack I've seen yet

We're big fans of the Apple Pencil here at Creative Bloq. Combine with an iPad, and it makes an outstanding stylus for digital art. But it isn't exactly cheap. And even though the Apple Pencil 2 magnetically attaches and has flat edges to stop it from rolling away, it can still be mislaid.

An economical solution? Well, if you happen to have a chilli pepper on hand, it seems that might be a decent stand-in. At least until you can find your stylus (see our roundup of the best Apple Pencil prices if you'd prefer the real thing).

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We've reviewed many Apple Pencil alternatives over the years, and we've even explored how to make your own stylus from household items. But this solution is a lot simpler. There really isn't much to it. You use a chilli pepper to draw on your iPad.

"Who needs a $129 Apple Pencil when a large chilli pepper will do!" asks the hand lettering artist Ian Barnard on Twitter (I mean X). He doesn't specify exactly which variety of chilli he prefers as his go-to stylus solution, but it's a rather large one. I imagine this would be fiddly with bird's eye chilli, and it's not going to work with a scotch bonnet. But an Anaheim pepper or a Peruvian yellow chilli pepper might do the job.

It's not going to give you thousands of levels of pressure sensitivity, but the build looks solid and comfortable enough to hold and the tip fine enough to work with. "Thanks! My cat ate the lead of the iPad Pro stylus, you saved me! I'm going out to buy a chilli pepper," one person replied on X. Someone else swears by asparagus as an effective veg-based stylus, but I think the firmer tip of a chilli would be more accurate.

Prefer to use your vegetables for eating? See the best current prices on Apple Pencil 1 and 2 in your region below. See our guide to Apple Pencil 1 vs Apple Pencil 2 if you're not sure which one works with your iPad.