DIY Life

This has got to be one of the neatest compilations of DIY inventions I've ever seen. This site takes 25 ordinary items and finds new and creative ways to transform them into something completely different and totally useful. It's not in English, but you really don't need any explanation, the pictures speak for themselves.

Topping the list is a chopstick hack that I wrote about a while back. All you need is a clothes pin and a pair of chopsticks and you can put together a set of spring-loaded chopsticks. Great for kids! Here are a few more of my favorites on their list:

• Stamp nails - Have you ever seen postage stamp designs and thought they would make funky nail art? Well, if you haven't, you'll start noticing them now, because this is one cool project. All you do is cut out the nail shape from the stamp and stick it on your nail. I imagine you'd apply a top coat of clear polish to finish them off.
• Cactus soother - I have to admit, this one seems awfully cruel, but if you're looking for a quick way to ween your child from the soother it just might work. Replace the nipple with a mini cactus bud. Your little one will never call for his soother or love you in the same way ever again!
• Dish cloth hanger - I have a few hooks around the kitchen where I hang dish cloths. The cloths are typically on the floor, having slid right off the hook. This clever little hack takes the clip out of a binder, pegs it to the wall and gives you a secure place to hang your dishtowel.
  

You'll find all sorts of little treasures there, like inventive uses for tennis balls, beer cans, goggles, tissue, flower pots, rubber gloves, sponges and more. Which one is your favorite?

Do you know what Steampunk is? Initially, it was a speculative fiction movement that posited the development of modern technologies slightly earlier than they actually developed, and in somewhat different directions. More recently, it's taken on a life of its own, as an inspiration for certain films and a subcultural fashion style. It's all about gleaming ornate Victorian tech, how things might be if they were still powered by steam rather than electricity, and clockwork humanoid robots.

In other words, totally awesome.

If you're interested in making a little bit of easy, inexpensive steampunk gear for yourself, check out these "blindingly" cool Mad Scientist goggles made by Instructables user Pleasedontspamme. They're just made from some leather, paint, and plastic, but they look good, and they will definitely suit the Doctor Frankenstein or retro aviator costume you've been planning for Halloween.

And that's not all. It turns out that some like-minded Instructables users have formed a whole Steampunk tutorial group. Visit it, and you'll find a different idea for goggles: modifying welding goggles into a steam-inspired look. This one is cool because, while the result doesn't look as hand-manufactured (and therefore period-appropriate), it uses existing goggles and mostly just involves changing their look, no drilling required. The tutorial also includes some links to other steampunky DIY resources. When the time comes to rescue Queen Victoria from the aliens who have landed in London, you'll be prepared.