Everything Else
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: Hack Your Spray Bottles to Spray at Any Angle—Even Upside Down!
There's nothing more annoying than that last little bit of Windex that won't come. Most spray bottles are horribly designed, with the suction tube usually the culprit, but you can replace it and have a spray bottle that works in any position in about five minutes.
How To: Beat the Heat for Cheap with These Five DIY Sprinklers
What’s better in the summer than playing around in the water? Lounging in the pool, water balloon fights, and playing in the sprinklers helps us forget how much it sucks to be outside in 100+ degree weather.
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 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: Make Long-Lasting, Wax-Free Candles for Your Home
Scented candles tend to magically turn a house into a home. The light flicker of the flame gives a relaxed or romantic tone to the atmosphere, and keeps the space smelling fragrant for hours. The only problem? Wax melts, and the candle becomes worthless after the wax is all gone. So how do you keep the flame going for more than a few hours? Simple, just remove the problematic ingredient—don't use wax!
How To: Make a Smartphone Projector for Less Than $5
There's nothing better than gathering up all the cushions, pillows, and blankets in your home and having a good ol' fashion movie night. But if you're still rocking the old 19-inch TV your parents gave you in college, you may want to upgrade to something bigger.
How To: DIY Candle-Powered Fan Keeps You Cool at Home Using Fire
Staying cool in the summer heat sometimes feels like it takes all the energy in the world. But what about a fan using no-cost electrical energy? If you're looking to keep cool during a power outage, or if you don't want to break the bank by running your DIY air conditioner all day long, you can use candlelight to power a fan!
How To: Organize Your Cable Clutter with Sugru & Mini LEGO People
No matter how organized your workspace is, chances are you still wind up with tangled cords dangling off your desk. Sure, there are a lot of ways to keep your cables separate, from strategically placed binder clips to stretchy socks, but none are as fun as using a LEGO minifigure.
How To: Make the Bitty-Q (A Mini Outdoor BBQ from Drink Cans)
In this project, I'll show you how to make an itty-bitty outdoor BBQ from leftover beer or soda cans. It's the perfect summertime hack if you don't have a grill and are cooking for a small group of people—one bratwurst at a time. You can grab the wire grill template here.
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: 10 Life Hacks That'll Make Your Life Easier & Stress-Free
Life hacks are tips and tricks to help make life easier. Shortcuts and clever workarounds for life's daily problems. Sometimes common sense isn't so obvious until you've actually seen it. In this video, I'll be sharing with you 10 life-changing hacks you can use right now, from finding your lost smartphone to sleeping better at night.
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: Ceiling Fan Not Cooling? It Might Be Spinning Backwards
Sometimes, ceiling fans just don't cut it. They spin meekly, barely generating any air flow to cool down your sweltering room. Or, when turned up high, they can wobble wildly, shaking and vibrating as if the ceiling is about to come crashing down. If this sounds like your ceiling fan, chances are the solution is a simple as flipping a switch.
How To: Make Your Own Waterproof Matches for Faster, Easier Fire-Starting
Camping in the rain sucks. It's not enough to deal with your clothes and tent being soaked—it makes starting a fire nearly impossible if you're not carrying waterproof matches. You can buy them pretty much anywhere that sells camping gear, but if you've got regular matches and a candle at home, they're just as easy to make yourself..
How To: Trade in Your Bulky Set of Keys for This Simple DIY Swiss Army-Style Keychain
Keys always seem to multiply. You start out with your house keys and car keys, and the next thing you know, your keychain is full and you have no idea what half of them even unlock.
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 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: 5 Cool DIY Projects for Reusing Your Old Computer Keyboards
With how quickly technology evolves in this day and age, it's only natural that people replace their computers every couple years—even sooner. It seems that right when you get a new desktop, there's always a faster model with more features released the following week.
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: 10 Ultra-Practical Uses for Your Hair Dryer (Besides the Obvious)
Hair dyers are pretty straightforward tools, but they can actually do way more than just dry your wet hair or defog your bathroom mirror. From the kitchen to the backyard, a blowdryer can help you solve common problems around the house and beyond, and here are our 10 favorite uses.
How To: Make an Ovitrap Mosquito Trap
Do you have a major mosquito problem? Well, here's a solution used by the military to drastically cut down their numbers.
How To: Use Those 'Useless' Leftover Toilet Paper Tubes to Clean in Tight Spots
How many times have you thrown out the remaining cardboard tube from an empty roll of toilet paper? Most of the time, they don't even make it to the recycling bin, and with the average American using over 20 rolls each per year, that's over 6.4 trillion tubes being wasted each year. Yet these small tubes are particularly valuable helpers around the home, especially when it comes to cleaning, so why toss them out?
How To: Make an Elegant No-Gas, No-Electricity Heater for the Winter
The weather outside might be frightful, but heating bills are downright scary this time of year. Heat is absolutely essential during the winter season, but it's also really expensive. If you aren't blessed with a fireplace or unlimited disposable income, fear not, because you can still heat your home on the cheap using flower pots and tea lights—even if the power goes out.
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: 5 Cheap Life Hacks for Organizing Your Bathroom
There comes a time in relationships when two people decide to move in together, and when this happens, you learn two things:
How To: DIY Pedal-Powered Phone Charger for Your Bike
Being healthy and active will help you live longer, but finding the strength to work out? That's hard. What does it do for me right now? I mean, here I sit, writing this article, thinking about going for a run, and I feel good just for thinking about running. But will I do it? Nah, I'm too lazy.
How To: The Simple No-Prop Method for Fixing a Wobbly Table Super Fast
As sure as death and taxes, sitting at a wobbly table at one time or another is inescapable. With your weight on it, the table shifts from one end to the other, lifting one leg in the air and then the other; a parade of seesaws, especially if you have someone sitting on the other end.
How To: Rock Your Next Summer Party (10 Insane Tricks for the Perfect Backyard Bash)
Parties are a great way to celebrate and have fun with your good friends, so to make sure your next party rocks, I've assembled some of the biggest life-hackers on YouTube to bring you 10 outrageous party tricks your guests will not forget.
How To: Double the Size of Your Closet Using Soda Tab Hangers
While walk-in closets are nice, not many of us actually have one. Instead, we're stuck with tiny wall closets or those oddly-shaped spears. Add a roommate or girlfriend and you have yourself a classic dilemma—"Where in the French toast do I put all my damn clothes?"
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: 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.
DIY Hack: Fix Your Stubborn, Hard-to-Close Door with a Couple Toothpicks
Toothpicks can be surprisingly handy when it comes to woodworking and fixing small household problems like stripped screw holes and scratched furniture. They can also be used as a quick fix for a hard-to-close door that has to be forced or slammed shut.
How To: Turn a Pair of Pants into a Lightweight Emergency Backpack
If you're an avid camper or hiker, you've probably been in a situation where you've needed a backpack and not had one. Maybe you brought one and it got broken or lost, or maybe your day trip turned into an overnighter. Whatever the reason, if you're in a pinch and have an extra pair of pants, you can turn them into a super lightweight emergency backpack. This trick was thought up by Instructables user Ludvicka and only requires some thick string or cord (besides the pants, of course).
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: Top 12 Hacks for Making Your Gadgets Better with Sugru
Sugru is some pretty versatile stuff. The company's slogan is "Hack things better," and for good reason. It sticks to aluminum, steel, ceramics, glass and plastics, it's waterproof and heat-resistant, and it can be molded into any shape you can imagine. Anything from your kitchen cabinets to your bicycle can be improved with some Sugru and a little creativity, and gadgets are no exception. Here are 10 of the coolest hacks to fix or upgrade your smartphone, tablet, or camera.
How To: Keep Your Earphones Tangle-Free & Smelling Good with This Minty Fresh DIY Cord Container
The cord on your headphones is usually more enemy than friend. While they obviously need it to function, a tangled or unnecessarily long cord can wreak havoc on your sanity. Personally, I've broken at least two pairs of headphones by tripping over the cord and yanking the jack right off of the wiring. There is a fix for that, but you can prevent the problem altogether by organizing your cords. There are plenty of ways to wrap a cord so it won't get tangled, but you still have to unwrap it if ...
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: Turn Boxed Wine into a Mega Ice Pack That's Perfect for Big Coolers
Next time you finish a box of Franzia, don't throw out the bag. Instead, wash it out, fill it with water, and lay it flat in the freezer. As America's Test Kitchen points out, your newly created flat ice pack is perfect for lining the bottom of a cooler for a barbeque, camping trip, or hot summer day on the beach.
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.