DIY Life

I find safety gates inexcusably ugly, so I don't use them. Just kidding: of course I use them! I curse their dreadful sight every time I pass, but I still use them.

With our older ones we had white plastic gates. These weren't just an eyesore, but were incredibly awkward to use. Now, we have wooden ones. They are much more convenient and attractive, but are hardly a compliment to interior design.

These homebrew safety gates might be just the answer, keeping your adventurous little ones safe without compromising your style. The design isn't available, but Joel lists the materials and method in his post comments. Looking through the pictures and reading the conversation following the post is probably all you need to reproduce this innovative safety gate.

If you're using the gates to keep animals to a designated area, these safety concerns don't apply, so you can build the basic design and enjoy your stylish gates. If you're using it to keep children off the stairs, you'll find the conversation in the comments about safety and the various solutions helpful.

It's hard to believe with all the trendy tot-type merchandise out there, nobody has developed a better baby gate. It just goes to show that if you want something done right, you'll have to do it yourself!

There's a little known strategy for getting into places without paying the cover charge. It worked for people many years ago and I'm guessing that it would still work now. I think the trick to making it work these days is to be certain that you're attempting it at the right event.

What you need to do is to show up at your chosen event in a clown suit. Yep, show up at an outdoor concert dressed as a clown with full face makeup and a couple balloon animals and then go to the rear entrance where they let the vendors in and out. You have a fifty percent chance that you'll be able to walk in through the rear gate completely unmolested. After all, who pays any attention to a clown? If someone stops you, you're in the perfect position to say something about hoping you were scheduled to work and that you're looking for the promotions staff or supervisor. Sell yourself into the event. You're a clown for the day.

The angle is that when you get inside, you had better be walking around making people laugh and smile. When the security people walk by, if they catch you two or three times leaning against a picnic table and sucking a cold draft beer, they might get a little suspicious. Work the crowd, travel the grounds and be a clown. Chances are that you'll have more fun in a clown costume than you would have had otherwise!