Hot MacGyverisms Posts
How To: Fix the Worn Out Heel Linings in Your Ragged Shoes & Sneakers—MacGyver Style!
The worst thing about running shoes is that they're expensive, but you're supposed to abuse them. Even if you're not a runner, everyday wear and tear takes its toll. No matter how well you take care of them, if you use them enough, they're eventually going to wind up looking like this: And it's not just running shoes. I have a pair of Vans that I've worn for almost four years, and the heels are just about ripped all the way through.
How To: Silence Your Obnoxiously Squeaky Bed with 4 Easy MacGyver Style Fixes
Any living creature will die if deprived of sleep for long enough. The longest documented occurrence of a person not fully sleeping and surviving is only 11 days. There is a rare disease where deep sleep is never achieved, affecting roughly 100 people worldwide. Patients usually only survive between 6 to 18 months after the onset of chronic insomnia, and only 3 to 9 months in a parasomnia state without any real REM sleep.
How To: Slope Your Dish Rack Pan for Perfect Draining
Let's face it, pretty much everyone has an automatic dishwasher. They are super convenient and are becoming cheaper to allow the general public better access to them. With that being said, though, dishwashers are also becoming a lot smaller.
How To: 10 Reasons Why Everyone (Even Men) Should Have Nail Polish in Their Homes
When you think of nail polish, it's probably almost always in the context of a manicure. I mean, that's what it's made for, right? But there are plenty of other things you can use clear or colored nail polish for besides painting your nails.
How To: Make a DIY Home Theater Projector and 50" Screen for Only $5 (Great for March Madness!)
Today's project will show how you can convert your laptop, smartphone, or tablet computer into a makeshift projector—just in time for March Madness! It's super cheap to build, and can add a little bit of creative fun to your next sports party.
How To: Remove Scratches & Scuff Marks in Your Car's Paint Job with Toothpaste
Whether you drive a new or used car, discovering a new dent, scratch, or scuff mark can send you into a frustration spiral. While there are many DIY ways to deal with dents, scratches and scuff marks are trickier because using the wrong stuff could make your car's paint job look even worse.
How To: Fix Your Broken Vertical Blind Slats MacGyver-Style
Most of you probably have a set of blinds at home, the most popular being horizontal or vertical. They're great for keeping the sun out of your eyes and maintaining privacy, but unfortunately, each comes with its own set of problems.
How To: Replace Worn Off Lettering on Home Appliances with Sugru
Whether you've had them for years or bought them used off Craigslist, old appliances can always benefit from a facelift. One of the first things to go is usually the lettering on the knobs, buttons, and other surfaces that are frequently touched, leaving them faded and difficult to read.
How To: 5 Clever Ways to Make a Simple No-Kill Trap for Mice & Rats
Once when I was a kid, my dad used a glue trap to catch a mouse in our basement. The result was so awful for the mouse that my mom and I made him promise to never use that kind of trap again. Call me a softy, but I'm a firm believer that you don't have to kill pests to get rid of them.
How To: Make a Homemade Bee & Wasp Trap (Kill or No-Kill)
Bees are the key to pollination and healthy vegetation, and wasps may help by assisting in pest control, but despite their benefits in the world, they're still a real pain in the ass if they're in your face.
How To: If You've Run Out of Shaving Cream, Give These 10 Household Items a Try
Running out of any shower necessity is just a temporary annoyance, but it always seems worse when it's an empty can of shaving cream or gel. Sure, you could dry shave or use whatever liquid toiletry item is in hands reach, but if you want a truly smooth shave without irritation, you'll want to try one of the following alternatives. Some of them might even work better than your can of Barbasol or Skintimate.
How To: 10 Creative Ways to Upcycle Your Junk into Usable DIY Chairs
With the upcycling revolution, folks are turning their otherwise useless junk into something functional for the home. Practically anything that you would normally toss or recycle can be reused for a bigger and better purpose. Your milk jugs, chopsticks, toilet paper cardboard, glass jars, and even your old junk computer keyboards can be upcycled into something totally useful around (or away from) the home.
How To: Inflate Any Ball Without a Pump or Needle
What happens when you find your ball deflated and there's no pump or needle in sight? You could always cancel your plans of kicking around the soccer ball or starting that pickup football game in the park. Better yet, you could be terribly clever and find another way to get air into the ball. From a pen to a balloon to a gas station, there are ways to inflate it.
How To: Make a Simple No-Sew Workout Armband for Your Phone or MP3 Player (No Sock Required)
I've never been much of a runner. I've tried running alone, with a partner, on busy sidewalks, and back country roads, but I just never got it. There are a few other forms of exercise I genuinely enjoy, but have yet to experience that "natural high" that avid runners are always talking about.
How To: Next Time You Fly, Hack Your Barf Bag into a Smartphone Holder and Watch Your Own Movies
There are so many unpleasant things about flying. You have to wait in line after line, take off your shoes, belt, and jewelry, and somehow make sure your luggage stays intact. And then, once you've made it onto the plane, there are the awful movies that most airlines play—if you even get a movie.
How To: Make Sticky or Stubborn Wooden Drawers Slide More Smoothly
When I was moving into my current apartment, I had to store some of my things in my ex-roommate's garage for over a month while I was getting settled. One of those things was my dresser. Upon moving it into my new place, I realized something was horribly, horribly wrong—none of the drawers seemed to fit quite right anymore (if they fit at all). The combination of the differences in temperature and humidity in the garage caused them to swell and change shape. Several months later, they fit bet...
How To: Screw Staples—You Don't Need Any with This Stapleless Paper Trick
Staples may be an office staple when it comes to joining sheets of paper together, but they're a pain in the ass if you ask me. They're annoying to take out, you can't shred 'em, and they eventually loosen up. Plus, staplers tend to stop working right when you need them the most.
How To: Make a MacGyver-Style Chess Set Using Just Nuts & Bolts
You know what ladies love? A man who can handle his tools. What do the ladies love even more? A man who can say checkmate. Well, except maybe this lady.
How To: Remove Water Rings on Wood Furniture with Toothpaste
Most wood furniture is long-lasting, durable, and resistant to great wear and tear over the years. However, set a single sweaty, wet cup or bottle on the surface of your favorite wood dining table, or your prominently placed wooden coffee table, and you'll end up with a round water ring stain that is difficult to get rid of.
How To: This Simple Hack Prevents Static Electricity from Zapping Your Gadgets During DIY Repairs
I don't like paying for repairs, and I don't like purchasing extended warranties. When one of my gadgets break, I perform emergency surgery and try and fix it myself. It doesn't always go well, but I've managed to resuscitate a few iPhones, an HDTV, an Android tablet, multiple MacBook Pros, and other gadgets seemingly on their deathbeds.
How To: Refill an Air Duster Can with a Bicycle Pump
In this life hack video, I am going to show you how you can refill your air duster can with a bicycle pump.
How To: 3 Easy In-Flight Hacks for Hands-Free Movie Watching on Your Smartphone or Tablet
The closest I've ever been to first class was when I was a young kid running up and down the aisles on a long international flight. I remember being in awe of how big the seats were and how much food was available. Ever since that moment, I've made it my life goal to earn enough money to make first-class flights a regular occasion.
1 Buck Toothpaste Hack: Make This Tube Squeezer in Under 5 Minutes
Let's face it—if you care about anyone around you, then you brush your teeth. Brushing is an excellent way to not only prevent tooth decay, but to keep people from running away from you with their noses pinched.
How To: Charge Your Cell Phone with Fire
There are plenty of times when we need to charge our phones but don't have access to electricity. Whether the power is out do to storms, you're camping and run out of juice, or you're in a Tom-Hanks-like Castaway situation, it's important to have a charged phone in case of an emergency.
How To: Dry Your Soaking Wet "Hand Wash Only" Clothes Faster
Let’s be honest: you’ve thrown a few delicate, "hand wash only" clothes into the wash with your jeans. Maybe you’ve even ruined a sweater or two. There are so many things to look out for when doing laundry, and they’re easily ignored or forgotten, especially when it comes to drying.
How To: Build a Low-Cost Shoe Rack Using PVC Pipes
I actually have a lot of shoes, and putting them on the floor in my closet just makes for a very large mess, and makes it harder to find a matching pair. So, this simple yet cool DIY shoe storage is actually something I could benefit from doing. This project shouldn't be too difficult to complete. You can get PVC pipe from your local hardware store and either have them cut it, or you can do it at home if you have a table saw. You can also opt to buy concrete forming tubes, which may be a litt...
How To: Turn Dried Out Markers into DIY Alcohol Ink That Works on Glass, Metal, and Plastic
Dried out markers are the worst. They take up space, and for some reason, even though they're totally useless, most of us have at least a few lying around just for the sake of not throwing them out. Luckily, Julie Finn over at Crafting a Green World has come up with a way to repurpose them into alcohol ink, a versatile type of ink that can be used on non-porous materials like plastic, glass, and metal. This is truly a tutorial for the pack rat in all of us. First, a little primer on what you ...
How To: Make a Foldable, Wallet-Sized Paper Amplifier for Your Smartphone
Are your smartphone's built-in speakers not loud enough? Don't want to fork out the cash for some additional speakers? Instructables user urant's got you covered. He created the Whirlwind—a portable paper stand and speaker that folds up to fit in your pocket or wallet so you can take it with you on the go. The best part about this amplifier is that it's free to make. You can use regular old printer paper, but urant suggests using something a little sturdier for the stand.
How To: Protect Your Wall from Stray Darts with This DIY Dartboard Cabinet Made of Wine Corks
The worst part about playing darts is that when you miss—it can damage not only your ego, but also the wall behind the dartboard if it's not protected. Redditor mavantix found a solution to this problem in wine corks. Over a year, he collected over 1,000 corks from family and friends to make this DIY Cork Dartboard Cabinet—that's a lot of wine!
How To: Make a Mini Grill Out of a Wire Hanger & Foil Pans
It is a beautiful, yet scorching day here in Los Angeles, and the only reason I would ever step outside from my air-conditioned castle would be to grill out by the pool. There's just one problem: backyards are few and far between here in The City of Angels.
How To: Keep Cool Outside with This Overhead DIY Water Misting Rack
Summer is here, and with the season comes more freedom and searing heat. It's the ultimate between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place situation. You want to be outside and enjoy the sun, but you don't want to be over-powered by it. Thankfully, you can create makeshift misters on the cheap to enjoy the summer heat right on your deck.
How To: Never Get Another Hanger Bump Again with This Sweater Hanging Secret Tip
I'm one of very few Americans that suffer from TMS syndrome, i.e. Too Much Swag. While there are no current cures for the disease, I'm in no rush to rid myself of the problem.
How To: Save Money on Your Home Theater with This Pro-Looking DIY Projector Screen
Projector screens can be pretty expensive, depending on the size and quality you're looking for. If you're thinking of installing one and want to save some money, you can build a pretty decent one yourself with just a few simple materials. Redditor dodgeboy made this 128" DIY projector screen for only $200, and I have to say it looks pretty impressive. Poplar 1x4s make up the frame, with pine 1x3s as supports. Once the frame was assembled and painted black, he installed mounting blocks on bot...
How To: Turn an Old Fan Grille into a Decorative Plant Hanger
Everybody should have plants in their home. Not only do they give off oxygen, but they add a whole new level of decor and awesomeness to an otherwise drab room. So naturally, if you want to improve a room, just display a few plants.
Summer Cooling Tip: How to Upgrade a Handheld Fan into a Mister
If you're anything like me, the heat of the summer can often be unbearable. Where I live, it often gets as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit, so anything that cools off is a welcome and amazing thing. Mister fans are especially amazing for cooling off, but they are usually very big and attached to buildings (which currently is way out of the picture for me.)
How To: Build a $20 Super Antenna for Better Signal Strength & More Free Broadcast TV Channels
If you've recently joined the ever-growing ranks of the cable cutters, you're far from alone. More and more people (myself included) are getting fed up with service providers' outdated subscription models and absurd pricing—and canceling their service.
How To: Build a Corn Dog Rig for Easy Deep Frying
Fairs and festivals are awesome, and one of the best parts about them is the food. Sure, it's all deep-fried and terrible for you, but it's so delicious. It's also always on a stick, which makes eating fried food even easier for us fat Americans.
How To: 20 Simple Solutions to Life's Most Irritating First World Problems
Just because a problem is small or superficial doesn't mean it can't annoy the living crap out of you. Others may think you're overreacting, or even have the audacity to roll their eyes, but you're in your own personal hell.
How To: Build a Simple Flat Screen TV Ceiling Mount from Unistrut and Pipe
So you bought a new flat screen, and now you have to tackle the next issue—you have to mount it somewhere. Most people go for the wall, which is the most obvious place, but if you want to go for something a little different, the ceiling is always an option, too.
How To: How You Should Really “Fold” Socks to Prevent Stretching Them Out
I don’t buy socks—I get a pack from my parents on Christmas Day, so I’ve got to make sure they last all year. Other than losing them mysteriously in the dryer, the biggest threat to my limited sock collection is a stretched out cuff. Nothing's more frustrating than a loose sock sliding down into your shoe.