Urban Comfort If I were brainstorming gifts for my son it's unlikely that a pencil holder would come to mind, but that's exactly what he's getting from me this Valentine's Day and I think he's going to love it. It all started with pottery classes, which I've been taking since September. My son has enjoyed watching my progress, taking particular delight in my mishaps since I am always reminding him that we get better at just about everything through practice. At any rate, I had purchased a wood grain texture mat and made a vase to use for the holidays, which I liked a lot and was continuing to experiment with, working to create a more organic, slumping profile that felt treelike. To continue this very long story, the pencil holder pictured here is not the one I'm giving him. Here's how: Step 1: Create a base. Step 2: Make slip. Step 3: Roll out the clay to form the body of the tree trunk and press the wood grain texture mat into the clay, using your fingers or the rolling pin. Step 6: Scoring.
THE WEEKENDER Featured: Lex Trip Bag So this weekend will have you jetting off to the coast for sun & surf? For a weekend excursion you need a quick trip bag. Dimensions: approximately 18″ x 8 x 17″ [45cm x 20.5cm x 43cm]. You will need: 6 pop rivets1 metal slider, 2″ dia [50mm]2 latch hooks, 1″dia [25mm]2 d-rings, 1″dia [25mm]1 square ring, 2″ dia [50mm]2 dome snap set, 5/8″ dia [15mm]1 heavy metal zipper, 25″ [64cm] long *1-2/3 yds. [1.5m] of nylon webbing, 2″ [50mm] wideheavy-duty thread1 yd. [0.9 m] of upholstery weight fabric, 54″ [137 cm] wide1/3 yd [0.25 m] of polyurethane leatherette, 39″ [100 cm] wide 1 square = 1 inch [2.5 cm] Bag – cut 1X on fold Pocket- cut 2X Struts – cut 4X Handles – cut 2X Handle trim – cut 2X contrast Bag Bottom – cut 1X contrast Tab – cut 6X contrast DESIGN TIP: Use a permanent marker in the leather colour to carefully “dye” the edges of the leather pieces if you get a white edge after cutting it. To make D-ring tabs, wrap tab piece around D-ring and stitch close to d-ring.
"Indestructible" Dog Toy My mom's dog, Molly, loves to play - an activity that for her usually involves rounding up all her toys and ripping them to shreds. In an effort to make some kind of indestructible toy or at least something that she could play with that might last longer than a half hour, I rounded up a few things and gave it a shot. While she was able to dismantle this awesome rope and dried sweet potato contraption, it at least took her a little longer, and she seemed to really love it. Molly was probably able to obliterate this because she is so tough (doesn't she just look so tough?), but it would be awesome (and probably last a little longer) for dogs who don't shred toys up in record time, as well as for puppies. Note: Homemade treats or an awesome princess bed are other great options for your fabulous furry friends
Make a simple 'natural' wooden T-lite holder I have made around 20 of these in various forms, I have used branches with smaller branch stubs on and trimmed to about 20mm and smoothed them to leave a more rustic look, or cut the top at a slight angle, I have Also used a larger thickness branch and set 3 or 4 T-lites in. Once, at the point where I was going to start sanding I thought No!, leave it like that! - Just a slice of Oak with a hole in one end with some twigs and leaves still attached, - now that's rustic... WARNING! How to create your own 3D Printed iPhone Case Please check out my Shapeways shop where you can buy iPhone cases such as this one and others such as the TriStand - iPhone case with 3 in 1 built in flip out Kickstands for 3d printing by Shapeways (3d printing service). An iPhone case says a lot about a person, that is why there are so many on sale, one to match every type of personality, but what if there isn't one that matches you, either that or you just want a challenge, or just want to show off your amazingly cool iPhone case that you designed and is 3D printed to your mates, well READ ON... The versatility of 3d printing is incredible and this instructable is going to show you how you can design your own customised 3D printed iPhone 4/4s case step by step simply and easily in less than 20 minutes. This instructable is suitable for all levels of experience with CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs. So far, using the method in this Instructable, I have successfully designed and manufactured 2 iphone cases: Now... to make your own:
Intro to Arduino An Arduino is an open-source microcontroller development board. In plain English, you can use the Arduino to read sensors and control things like motors and lights. This allows you to upload programs to this board which can then interact with things in the real world. For instance, you can read a humidity sensor connected to a potted plant and turn on an automatic watering system if it gets too dry. Basically, if there is something that is in any way controlled by electricity, the Arduino can interface with it in some manner. The possibilities of the Arduino are almost limitless.
Building A Simple, Stylish Clothing Rack From Pipe Using some pipe, a few Kee Klamp fittings, and a basket from IKEA, you can build this simple, stylish clothing rack. Great for areas where space is limited, or when you just need that bit of extra space to hang clothing, coats, or jackets. The lower basket adds flexibility, perfect for hats, mittens, boots, etc.! Planning, Parts List, Tools, and Cost The easiest way to plan your project is to (A) measure the available space you have to work with, and (B) purchase your wire basket. Why? The parts list below is based on our project dimensions of 75" x 40" x 16"... Parts For simplicity, and if you have enough space, you can simply use our project dimensions. Tools Power Drill and bits Screwdriver (Phillips or Slotted, depending on your hardware) Wrenches (Sizes depend on your hardware). Cost The approximate cost for parts (pipe, fittings, basket) for this clothing rack is $172 not including mounting hardware. Now that you have your parts and tools, it's time to move on to the first step.
Scrap Wood Cutting Board I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to materials and supplies, so it's no surprise that my wood shop is filled with a lot of cut-offs that perhaps other people might just throw away. It turns out that all these odds and ends actually have some real value for making small projects like jewelry boxes, thin strips for inlays, or joined together to form larger boards. This Instructable shows you how to join multiple different sized boards together to make a scrap wood cutting board. Here's what you'll need: Tools: table saw jointer planer router with round over bit and round nose groove bit router table clamps cauls glue brushes palm sanderMaterials: various scrap pieces of wood (read below for explanation) Elmer's® Carpenter's® Wood Glue MAX food safe finish such as mineral oil or butchers block oil and rags The woods that I chose to use were basically just what I had lying around from other projects. To be perfectly clear, when I say "scrap wood" I mean scrap hard-woods.
DIY Braided Bead Bracelet It’s been awhile since our last bracelet DIY. I don’t know about you, but our wrists have been begging for another colorful addition for months now. So after playing with some materials that were already on hand, we’ve created a tutorial for a braided bead bracelet, which is a not so distant cousin of the hex nut and wrap bracelet. Because honestly, you can never have too many . . . You’ll need: Cut the waxed linen cord into a 26″ and 19″ piece. Tie a knot about half an inch down from the loops. Start braiding the strands. Push the bead against the base of the braid, and cross the left strand over the middle. Keep a finger at the base of the braid, holding the beads in their place and keeping the braid tight. Finish the bracelet with another inch of braided cord, measuring it against the wrist. Thread on a two hole button – two strands through one hole and one strand through another. Trim the end. Your bracelet is finished! (all images by HonestlyWTF)