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How To: Make Sleek & Super Simple Drink Coasters Using Concrete & Plastic Cups

There are tons of materials you can use to make your own coasters, from wine corks to old magazines, but something as basic as concrete can look surprisingly sleek. These DIY concrete coasters by Blair over on Man Made DIY look great and are super cheap and easy to make. All you need is a box of quick set concrete, some plastic cups, sandpaper, and felt if you want to line the bottoms. The process is simple—just mix up the concrete in the cups, let it set, remove it, and sand down any rough e...

How To: 11 Ways to Reuse Used Computer Paper

If you are like most people, you probably have a lot of used computer paper lying around at your home or in your office. Before you toss them directly into the recycling bin (which you should at least be doing if you're going to be getting rid of them), what are some crafty and practical things you can do with used computer paper?

News: The 'Electri-City' Tables by Ben Yates

I have an interest in using recycled materials in sculptures, particularly circuit boards and other wasted electronic and mechanical components with which I put together sprawling cities lit with fairy lights. These cityscapes can conjure an image of a parallel society built from what we throw away. Utopian or dystopian, the ‘Electri-Cities’ remain a feast for the eyes and the mind. What makes them particularly intriguing is the population of tiny model railway people—they bring a host of nev...

How To: Save Money on Your Home Theater with This Pro-Looking DIY Projector Screen

Projector screens can be pretty expensive, depending on the size and quality you're looking for. If you're thinking of installing one and want to save some money, you can build a pretty decent one yourself with just a few simple materials. Redditor dodgeboy made this 128" DIY projector screen for only $200, and I have to say it looks pretty impressive. Poplar 1x4s make up the frame, with pine 1x3s as supports. Once the frame was assembled and painted black, he installed mounting blocks on bot...

How To: Live with Only 100 Things or Less

So is it possible to live with only 100 things or less? Blogger David Bruno has created sort of an online meme dare called "100 thing challenge" for people to live on 100 things or less. If you Google "100 thing challenge," you can see how other people who have taken on the challenge have whittled down their personal belongings to just 100 things.

News: Solar Bag Lets You Fashionably Purify Water On-the-Go Using UV Rays

Water purifiers are already portable, but not as portable as this crazy invention. Created by Marcus Triest and Ryan Lynch, the Solar Bag can be worn like a shoulder bag and holds up to 2.5 gallons of water. In a feat of ingenuity, the bag is designed to use sunlight to purify the stored water, allowing you to filter drinking water on the go. The bag is made from two layers of polyethylene—a clear, high-clarity layer on the outside and a black layer on the inside. The top layer allows the max...

News: News Clips - June 26

» ‘Obama Truth Team’ Orders GoDaddy To Shut Down Website. A political website that contained stinging criticism of the Obama administration and its handling of the Fast and Furious scandal was ordered to be shut down by the Obama campaign’s ‘Truth Team’. » Former Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Confronted On Torture.

News: Paper-made Girls

Korean artist Osang Gwon creates more than just alluring paper-made girls. Gwon has moved past traditional papercraft, taking volumes of photographs of his subjects and constructing sculptural forms from the carefully arranged 2D images. Gwon shows in galleries, and has done commissioned projects for both Fendi and Nike.

How To: Set Up a Coffee Station at Your Buffet

When having a large dinner party or family gathering, having a coffee station set up saves the Host/hostess a lot of busy work. Guests like getting their own beverages rather than having to ask for one, and the coffee station is the key solution. Plus, one can serve several kinds of coffee and even tea at the same station.

How To: Use Fireworks CS4

This ten-part video tutorial series covers all the new features and uses of Fireworks CS4. This is a great introduction to any user new to Fireworks in general, or wanting to learn what changes have happened from Fireworks CS3 to CS4.

How To: Pop Delicious Popcorn on the Stove

Remember the oh so delicious buttery popcorn you could only get at the movie theater? You can actually make popcorn that tastes this good right in your own home. All you need are the right ingredients and a little practice. Once you try this delectable snack, you will never eat microwave popcorn again.

DIY Blacksmithing: Forge Your Own Steel at Home!

Metal is a great material to work with. It's rigid, tough, malleable and conductive, but sometimes the part we need doesn't exist in any store. In order to create custom pieces, you need to either melt the metal and cast it in a mold, or heat it until it's soft enough to shape with your hammer. Properly melting metals can be a bit dangerous in our home shop, but we can make a coffee can forge for all of our home blacksmithing needs.

How To: Play Spleef in Minecraft

Welcome to Minecraft World! Check out our advanced tutorials and come play on our free server. Sometimes it's easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer scale or complexity of a build or group project on your favorite server. Too much stress from any creative endeavour can lead to mistakes, discouragement, or fighting among a community. What better way to relieve stress and entertain the troops than some old fashioned competition?

Build a Home Arcade Machine: Part 1

Remember the arcades? Were you saddened when they closed up one by one, leaving no outlet to actually go out and socialize while you played video games? With all the home consoles and internet connectivity, gaming has evolved, but the social factor has been eliminated. Sure we can play against others, but they may be miles and miles away. Remember back in the day when you could go down to the corner store to play your favorite game and show off your skills in front of a crowd? Well, all is no...

News: Birds as the Ultimate DIY Architects

The widely used expression "free as a bird" intimates an enviable existence: delicate, yet mighty wings transporting to destinations no human could so breezily venture. But despite their fanciful, superhero ability, in truth, the avian race leads one of the most difficult existences in the animal kingdom. Yes, birds have existed for eons—they likely evolved from small dinosaurs of the Jurassic period—but for these creatures, life can be ruthless.

How To: Restore and Sharpen Rusted Scissors

Leaving scissors wet or forgetting them outside can cause them to rust. Rusty scissors, if you can even open them, will leave brown marks on everything you attempt to cut through. Attempt is the truth—rust dulls the blades of the scissors making it virtually impossible to cut through any type of material, ranging from paper to fabric. But don't toss the scissors in the trash just yet. You can restore rusted scissors to a usable condition provided they are not completely covered and have rust ...