Hot MacGyverisms Posts

Winter Hack: How to Turn a Dead Battery into a Hand Warmer

My least favorite aspect of the winter season is how my fingers always turn into stiff, numb digits, unfeeling and seemingly incapable of making even the slightest movement. Yes, that might sound overdramatic, but if you hate wearing gloves like I do, you probably know exactly what I mean.

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: Save Over $30 on Kleenex with a Personalized Tissue Dispenser

So, this idea was born from a necessity to save. My household uses tissues a lot. I have two small kids, so they are extremely useful. The problem with tissues is that they seem to disappear in no time. So, whenever we ran out in-between shopping visits, my family would just use toilet paper.

How To: Easy DIY Fire Starters, Plus 9 More Ways to Reuse Old Wine Corks

Always downing a glass of red wine in the evening? Don't be ashamed. Red wine has some great health benefits when consumed in moderation, including improved memory, lower risk of heart disease, and even bone strengthening. Photo by Joe Shlabotnik

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: 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: Turn an Ordinary 9-Volt Battery into a Secret Safe

Sometimes the best way to hide things is in plain sight. Whether you're trying to sneak some medication past security at a concert with a zero-tolerance policy, or you're just worried that maybe Omar comin', YouTuber MrGear has a clever way to put your mind at ease.

How To: Fix Your Cell Phone's Broken or Missing Volume Buttons Using Sugru

Smartphones are almost completely controlled through touchscreens now, but most of them still rely on physical buttons to turn it on or adjust volume. When those buttons stop working, you've got trouble (especially if it's your Home button).

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: 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: 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 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: 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.

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: 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: Make DIY Decorative Shell Dresser Knobs

A quick way to revamp an old dresser is to change out the knobs for some new decorative ones. Here’s an easy and budget-friendly way to make your very own DIY dresser knobs using shells – perfect if you’re looking to add a little bit of the beach to your decor: What you’ll need: shells (I got mine from the Dollar Store), nuts & washers, bolts (about 1 to 1.5 inches longer than the thickness of the shell), scrap rigid cardboard, rubber bands and epoxy glue.

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: 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: The Trick to Keeping Your Home Warm During Winter for Cheap

When temperatures drop and hit new lows during the cold, winter months, it's hard not to crank the heat up. That means increased energy bills each month, no matter if you rely on gas, electric, or another fuel for heating.

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: 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: Charge a Cell Phone on Train Tracks

If you're ever lost or hurt out in the middle of nowhere with a dead cell phone, you might be able to "flag" down help as long as you're near some railroad tracks.

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.

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: 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: 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: Keep Tall Boots from Slouching (And Organize Your Closet Chaos)

During the colder months, it seems like almost everyone wears boots. Even when it's hot out, people can be spotted with knee-highs and westerns. Whether it's for fashion or because you live in a place where 3 feet of snow is common, a good pair of boots (or five) is nice to have.

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: 8 Easy Ways to Remove Cigarette Smoke Smells from Your Car

The lingering smell of cigarette smoke can bother just about anyone, including smokers themselves. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to mask or completely get rid of the smell altogether. While you can go through extremes like washing and even repainting the walls in your home, those options don't exist when the odor is in your car.

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: Use Nuts to Repair Small Nicks & Scratches in Your Wood Furniture

Furniture gets beat up—it's a fact of life. Your beautiful tables will end up scratched, the legs of your chairs will grow nicked, and you'll find interesting dents and damage in other places around the house, too. Yet if most of your furniture is made of wood, you don't have to live with unsightly scratches. In fact, you can remove years of damage with a simple snack food: nuts.

How To: Use Extra Shower Curtain Rods to Increase Bathroom Storage & More

If you're anything like me, clutter scattered across the bathroom counter, on the shower floor, or on any other available space is maddening. Who enjoys a mess of shampoos, scrubs, and sponges strewn around their feet or just out of reach in the shower? What can you do when space is limited?

How To: Extend the Life of Your Disposable Razors & Keep Them Sharp

Early in the morning, there's almost nothing worse than discovering your razor is dull midway through your pre-work routine. No matter how hard you try to preserve those precious blades, it can seem like they're dull every time you reach for the razor. With one, seconds-long step after each use, you can save your razor blades and make them last longer.

How To: 10 Life Hacks You Need to Know for a Better Summer

Are you a messy burger eater? Ants and fruit flies invading your home? Hate drinking warm drinks? Find out the quick and easy DIY solutions to these problems with these 10 amazing tips and tricks for the summer.

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: Turn Corn or Potato Chips into a MacGyver-Style Emergency Candle

Not having power sucks. It can be fun for the first few hours, but if it lasts any longer than that, most people run out of things to do pretty quickly (i.e. the batteries in all their devices die).

How To: Turn Your Spare Pocket Change into DIY Batteries with This Penny Power Hack

What's a penny worth these days? Not much. But could there be some free energy hidden inside your spare pennies? You'd be surprised! See how I hack together stacks of pennies into makeshift batteries that can drive small-current devices like LEDs and calculators.

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.

News: How to Start a Fire with a Lemon

There's no doubt you've heard the old saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." The phrase was penned in an obituary to a dwarf actor in 1915 by an anarchist named Elbert Hubbard, who lost his life five months later aboard the RMS Lusitania when it was torpedoed by a German submarine.

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.