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MacGyverisms How-Tos

iOS 18 Tips, Tricks, How-Tos, News

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: 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: 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: Dry Your Soaking Wet Shoes Faster — Without Shrinking Them in the Dryer

Wet shoes are uncomfortable, no one can deny that. Just think about walking around with soaking wet footwear ... and each squishy step you take. Makes you cringe, doesn't it? It can happen in heavy rain, at the beach, or from an unforeseen puddle on the street. And while you can't always avoid soggy shoes, you can rest easy knowing that the next time this happens to you, you know the secret trick to drying your shoes faster without damaging them with excessive heat.

How To: Make a DIY Magnetic Hammer

So simple yet so brilliant: Designer Jung Soo Park found a way to improve a “run of the mill” hammer by incorporating a magnet at the end of the handle. It holds a few nails while you’re working and if you drop a few on the floor, the magnet makes it easier to pick them up.

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: 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 Leftover Cardboard Boxes into Sturdy Chairs and Stylish Nightstands

Contrary to popular belief, IKEA can get pretty expensive. You find something that comes pretty cheap, but then, you decide that your GORF will look good with the BLERGH, and you really need the SPLOOF to tie it all together. Pretty soon, your living room looks like an IKEA magazine ad, and your bank account has seen better days. Instead of spending so much money at IKEA, why not build your own pieces of furniture?

How To: Make a Picture Frame Jewelry Organizer

Frustrated with how to organize your jewelry? Why not make your own jewelry organizer! In this episode, learn how to make a frame to transform an ordinary picture frame into a DIY jewelry organizer, using easy to find materials and simple tools. You will be able to store your jewelry on the wall, out of sight, while at the same time displaying a beautiful photo. Having decorative items like this DIY jewelry holder that also function as storage is perfect for small space decorating.

How To: Repurpose Your Old LEGO Bricks into a Functional Hanging Key Holder

LEGO may no longer be in its heyday, but those colored building blocks of joy can still make some really cool and creative things. I mean, take a look at these pieces from LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya. While making something like that is undoubtedly impressive, it could be just a little too difficult for the common LEGO enthusiast—and expensive (LEGOs aren't cheap these days). So, for the regular LEGO-builders, usefulness is more important that extravagance.

How To: Make a Pendant Lamp

Not sure how or what kind of lights to add to a room in your rental? Consider making your own pendant lamps from materials you can recycle from your closet and kitchen. This is a do it yourself lighting project on a budget that's perfect for renters and anyone needing to add light to a room. You'll see how easy it is to make customized pendant lamps that will add that extra touch of style to any room, no electrical wiring needed!

How To: Turn an Old Gooseneck Lamp into a Flexible Smartphone Stand

Need a good way to hold your iPhone up? There are a ton of smartphone stands out on the market, but they can be pricey or just downright ugly—and potentially phone damaging. But like the Une Bobine above, they do have their perks, like movability at almost any angle. But to alleviate pressure off of the connection port, Sharon Vaknin from CNET developed her own flexible iPhone stand—from an old desk lamp and suction cup.

How To: Turn Your Old Satellite Dish into an Outdoor Solar Cooker

Harnessing the power of the sun is something that Captain Planet made cool before it was the go-to for renewable energy. Solar-powered energy is quick and cheap, and can make for some really cool DIY projects. And for those of you wondering what you should do with your old satellite, look no further. Aaron from Sharealikelicence offers up a way to create a DIY outdoor satellite cooker. He started with an old Ku Band dish and covered it with aluminum tape, for better reflection of the sunlight...

How To: Turn Any Ammo Box into an Awesome Set of Portable Speakers

Believe it or not, an ammo box can still be of use to you once its rounds are gone. You can use it for storage, as a toolbox, or possibly even as a Faraday cage. But if you want to use it as more than just a container, why not turn it into a portable set of speakers that you can take with you anywhere? The ammo can speaker pictured above was made by Instructables user Dustin White. He started with an empty .50 cal box, though you could probably even use thinner 5.56 or 7.62 mm cans. He remove...