DIY Life

For a few years I have loyally used Oral-B's disposable Pulsar toothbrushes. But throwing them away when it is time for new bristles seemed extra wasteful. So with a few of them kicking around the bottom drawer of the bathroom to experiment with and a bit of spare time I made one of them into a vibratory etcher.

Curbly user erinloechner points us to this tutorial for an Etched Mirror Silhouette. All you need is an old mirror, contact paper, etching compound, a silhouette you like, and a well-ventilated space to work in.

This technique could also be used to add a border to a mirror or create a patterned mirror.

About.com has more detailed instructions for etching mirrors or glass.

Finding new life for materials that would otherwise be headed for the city dump is always such a satisfying endeavor. It's recycling at its most instantly gratifying. Plus, people come up with such clever repurposing projects. Case in point: this slightly dangerous Instructable on turning a wine bottle into a drinking glass.

This project requires some specialized equipment, but what better excuse to acquire some new tools? For starters, you'll need a bottle cutter, which you can purchase new for less than $30 and used for considerably less. (The clever being responsible for this Instructable, fstedle, recommends getting a cutter with a metal frame rather than plastic.)

The priciest parts you'll need are a rotary tool with a grinding bit and drum-sanding attachments. You might also want to invest in some etching cream and glass stencils to decorate your glasses (fstedle suggests initials, and you also can find stencils for all kinds of decorative designs). Bottles, of course, you can get for free from wine-guzzling friends, relatives and neighbors. Oh, and don't forget a mask! There's nothing good about inhaling ground glass.

On the other, um, hand, if you prefer things you can make with no tools other than your own lovely mitts, try this Instructable (more like a Destructable) on how to break a beer bottle with your bare manos. Not as functional but such good fun!