We’ve never looked at a hotel’s bathroom counter and thought, “I could probably roll out some dough right there.” We’ve also never tried to use an iron for a hot plate, or shoved uncooked spinach into the coffee maker. But now that we’ve watched this proof of concept video from George Egg, we may consider going grocery shopping the next time we’re stuck in a hotel with an overpriced room service menu.
diy
"I Make My Own Bathroom Gag Gifts"
By 8.14.09
Twice this week, our Morning Deals post has featured a link to Tinkles the Toilet Cat, which surprisingly has still not sold out. (“It’s the lowest price we’ve seen for a toilet cat by $4,” writes dealnews.) We underestimated the ingenuity of shoppers, it looks like: Todd sent us this picture from his girlfriend’s incredibly frugal brother, who makes his own Tinkles. Or, uh, something like that.
Make Your Own Green, Cheap Cleaning Products
By 8.14.09
When McGyver wants to clean his kitchen, he doesn’t need any fancy Clorox or 409. Give him some baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice and he’ll create a clean-up bonanza of the likes the world has never seen. And he’ll catch seven bad guys and utter a catch-phrase quip, all before the commercial break.
Make Your Own Sports Drink
By 8.9.09
Why waste money on Gatorade when you can brew an equally effective sports drink from sugar, lemon juice, salt and orange juice? Hit the jump for the simple, inexpensive recipe.
1.3 Mile Long Wedding Dress Shows China Is Ready For Gross Consumerism, Too!
By 8.8.09
A Chinese bride recently walked down the aisle wearing a 7,083-foot-long wedding dress that took 200 guests over three hours to unfurl. The $5,800 dress could be a sign of China’s potential to threaten America’s reigning status as the capital of gross consumerism, if only the bridegroom hadn’t personally designed the dress with his family’s help. Explaining the lavish garment, he said: “I do not want a cliche wedding parade or banquet.”
Should You Keep Your Own Chickens?
By 8.6.09
We’re gonna say “nope.” But since we’re all here, let’s look at the recent New York Times article over the subject and consider whether the current “chicken boomlet” is right for you.
Make Your Own Pretreater and Stain Remover
By 7.25.09
Using little more than leftover soap slivers, baking powder, and hydrogen peroxide, you can brew up a powerful potion to get that damn sauce stain off your brand new shirt. Inside, Tipnut’s easy recipes for pretreater and stain remover.
Make, Serve, And Preserve Your Own Homemade Ice Cream
By 7.18.09
Ice cream makers may not be worthless pieces of junk, but they’re not absolutely necessary, either. Check out this most delicious roundup of ice cream-related tips and projects from Lifehacker. Make your own ice cream in a plastic bag, keep your store-bought ice cream fresh, learn new scooping techniques, and turn strange-colored liquid medicine into a tasty hangover cure. And more!
Fancy Fast Food Makes Your Favorite Junk Into Eye Candy
By 7.10.09
We’re really intrigued by Fancy Fast Food, which takes standard fast food items and, using only those ingredients, transforms them into something approaching haute cuisine. The recipes are available on the site if you want to try at home. (Pictured above: the Tacobellini)
By 7.7.09
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Tired of Big Sunscreen profiting from your love of the outdoors? Instructables shows you how to make your own sunscreen, with a few fun ingredients and some safety equipment. Alternately, sunscreen-ify your favorite premade lotion by adding zinc oxide or titanium oxide. (Via Lifehacker)
Repair Your Tattered Rags With Office Supplies!
By 6.29.09
Wise Bread tells us that office supplies can quickly and easily help patch-up ailing garments. In a hurry, staples can save skirts and cardigans by holding together fragile hems and clasps. Markers can even be tasked to help clear scuff marks from leather shoes. Still, it never hurts to stash an extra set of shoes and accessories in the office, just in case your repair calls for more than just office supplies. How do you fix your clothes in a pinch? Share your secrets in the comments.
Want To Learn How To Make It Yourself? Visit Homegrown Evolution
By 6.26.09
HomegrownEvolution.com is sort of a simplified Instructables for people interested in “mead making, beer brewing, bread baking, urban poultry raising, container planting, pirate gardening, foraging, pickling,” and more, according to Cool Tools. We have a feeling “pirate gardening” isn’t as fun as it sounds.
Award Your Own Golden Poo To That Special Company In Your Life
By 6.23.09
We tallied the votes and awarded the coveted Golden Poo trophy to AIG, winners of Worst Company in America 2009. However, we’re all about empowering the consumer. If there’s a company in your life that you feel deserves a Golden Poo of its own, though not on the epic scale of AIG, ThinkGeek has you covered. Order your own tiny golden poo charm for just such an occasion. Carry a pocketful and award them as needed! Attach one to your cell phone for good luck the next time you call the cable company! The possibilities are endless. [ThinkGeek] (Thanks, Adam!) Edit: ThinkGeek is now sold out. For an wide selection of poo bling, look here.
Recycle Old CDs Into An iPhone or iPod Dock
By 6.15.09
Do you have a dozen or so unusable CDs or DVDs lying around, some glue and tools, and a burning need for a cool-looking iPod or iPhone dock? Geeky Gadgets can show you how to combine all of these things into a functional, and fashionably recycled, gadget.
Need Your Apple Product Fixed? Try TechRestore Or iFixIt
By 6.10.09
I’ve always relied on TechRestore for cheap upgrades or repairs on any Apple products I’ve owned, but if you prefer DIY repairs, try the new iFixit website, which will sell you the parts and then provide detailed guides on what to do with them.
Make Your Own Playdough
By 5.17.09
Looking for a cheap way to entertain your kids or spice up a rainy day? Make your own playdough! The homemade stuff may not come in a shiny yellow play-doh container, but you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard already, and the concoction won’t smell or contain yucky toxins. Hit the jump for the recipe…
Create Your Own Opt-Out When A Company Ignores Your Requests
By 5.6.09
Mark started getting promotional emails from Hilton over a year ago, and he’s tried all sorts of opt-out strategies:
Create A Phone Stand For Free With A Business Card
By 5.5.09
Some PR person just sent us a notice about a new wallet-sized iPhone stand, which reminded us that there’s an easy and free alternative, and it most probably works for a lot of other (fairly thin) media devices as well.
