DIY Blog

This organic pesticide won’t kill all the bugs in your garden, but may annoy them enough so that they move over to your neighbour’s.  I personally think that if you don’t want to use any chemicals in your garden, you need to arrange your plants carefully, to exploit the fact that certain plants naturally repel various insects.  This can help too, but from experience, you do need to spray often as this product isn’t deadly, but just mildly annoying.

Make an All-Purpose Organic Pesticide from Vegetables [link]

This is my first Instructable, and my entry for the Instructables pocket-sized contest. It’s a Pocket-Sized Watercolor Box in an Altoids tin. I’ve seen people make similar ones and I’ve decided to make my own, using what I had: Fimo clay.

For once, instead of just linking to an Instructable, I wrote one. About time!

Please vote for me!

Altoids Tin Pocket-Sized Watercolor Box [link]

While motivations will vary, I’m quite sure that many people will find this project interesting. You can make your own ECG (heart monitor) to monitor your own heartbeats for less than 10$ (not including your PC).

Disclaimer: This project involves strapping electrodes on your chest. Electrodes = electricity. Do it at your own risk.

Homemade Electrocardiograph (ECG) [link]

What’s the perfect remedy to winter? Tomato/cucumber salad, with basil and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It’s even better when you grow your own herbs. With this homemade greenhouse, you can have your own mini-garden year-round.

Homemade mini-greenhouse [link]

Make your own detergent ad fabric softener using easy to find ingredients.  You’ll save money: this detergent is about 20% the cost of the leading brand (The four letter word in the bright orange box). After all, it’s the consumer who pays for the endless TV commercials! By making your own soap, you pay for what its worth, not the salary of marketing execs.

Borax can be hard to find in certain locales. I know it’s available at your local Éco-quartier for those who live in Montréal. It should be available at any natural products store. You can also find it at the world’s largest retailer (yeah, that one) but try the other sources first, as the large retailer doesn’t treat its employees very well.

Do It Yourself Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener [link][via][via]

A confusing title indeed. Is it Mario that is super, or is it the table? Either way, this is a pretty cool piece of DIY furniture. And one could inspire himself from that table to create other things.

No instructions are provided, but non are really needed. Just ask the person at your favorite tiling store.  They will explain how to lay out the glue and the grout, and everything else you need to know.

Super Mario Mosaic Table [link][via][via]

Turn that Valentine’s Day candy box into a heart-shaped frame.

Or better yet, make your own valentine’s day chocolates and don’t buy that heart-shaped box in the first place.

Recycled Valentine’s Candy Box Picture Frame [link][via]

Throw-away swiffer pads are an abberation in this day and time. This nice article shows you thirteen different ways to make your own, all of which being cheaper than the store-bought ones. and some of them having the added benefit of being reusable.

DIY Swiffer Pads [link][via]

Thanks to Bold Lentil for this submission:

« You’ll never look at a screw the same way again. Starting with an
anecdote from a bar in Brazil, this post has a simple DIY to make
your own bottle opener. From there it’s simple to consider how
to fill your world with built in bottle openers and a decent example
of extreme re-use. »

Simple and elegant. There’s no excuse to go thirsty!

World’s simplest bottle opener [link]

This is a great find. I love to drink water and hate having piles of crap everywhere (I really need to clean my office). This upcycling project reuses 2 gallon water jugs and turns them into a brilliant (and modular) storage system.

Modular Storage Bins made from Water Jugs [link]