Homemade Compass

Apparently, you can build a compass with a glass of water, a needle, and a anything that will allow the needle to float, like a piece of cork. You will also need a magnet. Rub the needle about 30 times one direction with the magnet. Stick the needle through the cork, and place the cork and needle in the glass of water. How wonderful! Instant compass.

I was watching a movie, and this guy rubbed the needle on his shirt (static electricity). He then placed the needle on a leaf which was placed in a small puddle.

So if you're lost in the forest, don't blame me if this doesn't work.

Sure, just try to accumulate static electricity on a piece of metal by rubbing it. It will not work.
But even if you could, it would be worthless: what you want is to magnetize it, not to charge it ... two very different things, since charging is about an excess (or a lack) of electrons, while magnetizing is about magnetic orientation of domains.

Anyway, to give a positive side to this WU, you can magnetize a metal bar by holding it in a fixed north/south orientation and hitting it with a hammer.