DIY Life

Duct tape has to be among the handiest fix-it tools around. That big, fat roll of tape sure is bulky, though. Consider stowing just a small amount in your pocket, bag, or glove compartment. That way you'll always have some tape on hand, and there'll be no more riffling through the garage searching for the main roll of tape.

Here's how Lifehacker's Brad Isaac made his own pocket-sized duct tape dispenser from a drinking straw. You will need a roll of duct tape, a drinking straw, and a pair of scissors. Carefully wind a length of duct tape around and around the straw, then cut the excess straw on either side. Voila! You have a decent amount of duct tape that slips into your pocket for those unexpected little repair jobs around the house, car, at work, or camping out.

[via Lifehacker]

My husband is a self-proclaimed computer geek. We don't just have a home computer; we have a downstairs server through which all of our incoming and outgoing email is processed. We have an upstairs computer which is the hub we can connect to remotely.

Add two laptops, a wireless router, a docking station, and infinitely many things that I cannot begin to tell you what they are used for, and you have our state-of-the-art wired household.

Did I say wired? You betcha. With technology comes wires, cables, and a mis-mash of mess -- everywhere! -- and that's where Creatrope's Card Cable Organizer comes in.

In my house, ink on skin happens when my teenage kids want to make a "mental" note. With a pen, or sometimes, in a moment of hormonal lunacy, a Sharpie. Perhaps you have a creative toddler in your house, or perhaps you even do it yourself. I've been known to jot down a critically important "must remember" note on the nearest available surface -- even if it is the palm of my right hand!

But once you don't need that note any more, you're stuck with it: ink just doesn't come out so easily. It's one thing to scour your own arm raw trying to remove that black stain, but just try doing that on an outraged toddler! It's a three-man job... unless, that is, you have a teabag.

According to a post by writer Lisa Katayama at Lifehacker, it's a simple matter to steep the teabag, let it cool briefly, then scrub away. Ink should lift right off -- even permanent marker stains.

Katayama's book, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan, which features this tip, has been getting a lot of coverage at Lifehacker lately. She refers to urawaza as "life hacks and unmapped shortcuts" that were developed in Japan during the economically lean days that followed World War II. Now that they're available in book form, why not check them out?

I know, I know they come seedless now. I even know the beauty of the watermelon seed spitting contests of my youth. So is there really a need to know how to un-seed a watermelon?

Well, it is a neat trick, a way to show off to your friends, something else to say you know how to do. So yes, you really do need to know how to un-seed a watermelon.

Instructables gives a step-by-step tutorial, complete with pictures, on how you can do this. Basically, you cut wedges up to where the seed line would be and you serve those parts. Then, cut the seeds away from the middle and serve the center of the watermelon.

You are officially ready to be seen with red juice dripping down your chin.

(via Lifehacker)

You may not know it, but there could be a tea garden growing in your very own yard. Many weeds make excellent herbal tea, and they are medicinal to boot.

In my yard, I have a variety of chocolate mint that is my favorite tea, but I also have rosemary and sage that come up every year. Oh, and the plethora of dandelions, but I suppose I shouldn't admit that.

Country Living has some fresh plant blending ideas that you can use to make your own herbal teas. They include weeds, herbs and even edible flowers. They also include an extensive list of edible -- and drinkable -- plants, some of which may surprise you. I've never thought of steeping young birch leaves or pine needles, but according to Country Living, they'd make some great tea.

So, whether for medicinal or culinary purposes, fresh plants can make delicious tea. Now, who is baking the cookies to go with this delicious fresh tea?

(via Lifehacker)

This can be a great way to source out a rare vintage find, or expand your collection of designer handbags without shelling out the big bucks. Keep your closet fresh this spring by getting rid of stuff you don't wear, and swapping them for things you will. And needless to say, this is a great way to find those rare pieces you've been coveting for your next DIY fashion creation.

[via: Lifehacker]

The howl of pain could be heard for miles. Last week, my two-year-old daughter tipped the kitchen chair over onto my big toe. She was still in the chair, so all 38 pounds of her landed on my toe. When I was finally able to hobble over to the freezer, I discovered I didn't have any bendable ice packs. It is impossible to shape a frozen ice pack.

If only I had seen Uncooped's post, how to make a shapeable ice pack. I could have opened my freezer door, pulled out the ice pack, and given my toe the relief that it needed, but unfortunately didn't receive.

Why not mix up your own shapeable ice packs? All you need is one part rubbing alcohol and 3 parts water, a plastic zippered freezer bag, and a marker to label the bag. These ice bags will work great for the next time you get an ouchie somewhere a non-bendable ice pack will not work.

[via:Lifehacker]

The year is coming to a close. The next few weeks I'll be busy with shopping, planning, and parties. Before I know it Christmas will pass, and a new year will be just days away. Gina Trapani put together this great list last year of all the geeky and regular tasks to tie up the year. If you followed her suggestions last year, you probably had a smooth one. If you didn't, start now. Adding these 6 items to your to-do list will help and end 2007 on the best possible note and kick off an organized 2008.

1. Get your free credit report
2. Book your last doctor/dentist appointment of the year
3. Make your tax deductible purchases and donation
4. Max out your RRSP contributions
5. Review your data backup plan
6. Rotate and archive your files

The original post has some important detail about each item on the list. She offers helpful tips, including the filing cabinet makeover. I hope you find these tips as useful as I did.

Lifehacker pointed us to this mailing tube wine rack project. If you need a place to store your wine bottles, but aren't going to shell out for a classic wine rack, then this weekend project solves your storage issue and appeals to your DIY personality. All you need is some cardboard mailing tubes. You can find these at any office supply or postal store. You might want to paint them, or line the insides with patterned paper. The natural look is appealing too, so choose what compliments your style and space. The result is really attractive and doesn't take up much room.

This project isn't for the wine drinkers who carefully consider the temperature, humidity and vibration control of their at-home cellar. This is for the rest of us, who have wine on hand, but keep it up in the cupboard. This is for those of you who would enjoy taking on a little project and displaying your wine in a creative way. It is however recommended that you don't store wine in direct sunlight or any place where the temperature will fluctuate too much. The bottom of a bookshelf away from a window should work just right.

How do you store wine at home? Share your wine rack hacks in the comments.

The last thing a DIY'er needs is to be held back by a nasty cold. Here we are at the close of summer, heading into a new school year and a new season of colds. Your children will bring them home from school, your partner will carry it home from work, and you'll notice every runny-nose child in a shopping cart, just waiting to pass it your way. Colds seem unavoidable, but they don't have to be.

LifeHacker pointed us to this Prevention article titled Stay Cold-Free This Winter. They list six simple things to can do to avoid catching a cold. I found the most interesting one to be the suggestion that we should carry our own pens. It seems simple, we avoid sharing all sorts of other things in attempts to avoid a cold. Still we often borrow pens from one another, or use common pens for things like signing kids in and out of school or into a doctor's appointment. Take a look through their five other suggestions. They are all simple, easy to do things that will significantly reduce your exposure to cold germs.

Try some of these tips along with washing your hands frequently, and teaching your children to do the same. Good luck dodging the upcoming cold season!

I have assembled a list of no cost and low cost strategies that home sellers can easily use to sell their homes quicker and for better prices. Most of these ideas will cost nothing more than some time and good hard work. None of these ideas should individually cost over $400 depending on your region and the size of your home and that money spent should be returned by double or even triple when your home sells.

I suppose some people don't really care what their computer keyboard looks like, but I find mine to be especially boring. Black with white letters. Yeah, that is sure to wake me up in the morning. Not!! I came across an interesting article on 88bytes.com about a guy who painted his computer keyboard. I think this idea totally rocks and it is sure to wake up my brain when my 2 year old gets me up before I am even ready to think about dragging my butt out of bed.

Step 1. Remove the keys with a flat screwdriver or a butter knife,
being extra careful with the longer keys, especially if they
have a metal hook on the back that attaches to the
keyboard. I would grab a container to put the keys
in, just in case you have a cat or kid that thinks they are now toys.

Step 2. Take the screws out of the back of the keyboard and put them in another small container so that you
don't lose them. Remove any remaining keys from the front plate and clean that dirty nasty keyboard.


Step 3. Spray the keyboard with plastic spray paint. You might have to do this 2 or 3 times to get the desired
effect that you want. Spray very lightly the first time and then heavier the second time. Let dry thoroughly,
probably overnight.

Step 4. Put the keyboard together in the exact opposite way that you took it apart.

I think that taking a picture of the keyboard is helpful in case you might not remember exactly where the keys go. If I had to tell you right now, this instant, where all the keys go, I am most certain that I couldn't do it. I don't think either, that I could sand all the letters and numbers off the keys as mentioned in the article and remember what symbol was what. I am good, but certainly not that good. I like to see what I am typing.