- StumbleUpon You'll only need basic tools to build a cold frame. Since the cold frame will be pretty large, it's best to build it outside or in a garage, or you may not get it out the door... A hand-held drill (cordless or corded) A miter saw (powered is better, but you could do it with a hand saw and miter box) A jig saw, circular saw or table saw (really, anything that can cut large sheets of plywood) A screw driver A Tape Measure A marking implement of some sort A paint brush Two, Three or Four windows, with at least one dimension in common Some 2x2s (as required) Some 2x3s (as required) Some 2x4s (as required) Some inexpensive 1/8" or 1/4" plywood Exterior wood screws (deck screws) Exterior wood-sealing paint Some galvanized or brass hinges (may not be necessary if the hinges on the windows are still good) Some big, sturdy exterior-grade handles A tube of latex sealant A common heating vent (optional) I was fortunate enough to have a lot of the materials just lying around already.
Make A Cheap & Easy Solar USB Charger With An Altoids Tin Photos by Joshua Zimmerman The craftster behind the very popular $3 solar-powered emergency radio is back with a new awesome project: a cheap solar battery charger with a USB plug. Zimmerman wrote, saying that he saw a lot of small solar powered chargers being talked about over Earth Day, but there was a big problem: "They're all quite nice, but also quite expensive. So, he came up with his own, using one of our favorite reusable items -- the ever wonderful Altoids tin. In looking for the cheapest way to accomplish the task, Zimmerman found that he could build a USB solar charger for under $30 (or $10 if be buys parts in bulk, though it's not likely you'll be buying bulk solar cells and DC-to-USB converter circuits). Zimmerman states, "The central brain of our project is a DC to USB converter circuit. It can be done with a Minty Boost kit, a premade circuit off of ebay, or grabbing one from a cheap USB charger.
Breadboard How To The purpose of the breadboard is to make quick electrical connections between components- like resistors, LEDs, capacitors, etc- so that you can test your circuit before permanently soldering it together. Breadboards have many small sockets on them, and some groups of sockets are electrically connected to each other. On the underside of the board there are many small metal strips which physically connect certain groups of sockets together and allow electricity to flow freely between them. Breadboards are usually divided into four sections, two outer sections and two inner sections. Build a Solar Charger For iPhones In 30 Minutes Images via Joshua Zimmerman of BrownDogGadgets Earlier this year, Joshua Zimmerman brought us the super easy DIY solar charger made from an Altoids tin. We loved the project, however, he noted that "Apple doesn't let its products play nice with generic USB chargers." So, he has created a new project that works specifically with iPhones and iPods. This new Instructable is made specifically for those of us who want to charge our Apple gadgets, and it can be made for under $20 -- and it can be done in as little as 30 minutes (or 60 if you're less experienced with putting these little chargers together). The parts include: Charging Circuit2x AA Battery Holder2x Rechargeable Batteries1N914 Blocking DiodeSolar Cell greater than 4VStranded WireTapeAnd of course, the trusty Altoids Tin that is the mark of all things small, gadgety and DIY. You can get an entire kit of all these parts at BrownDogGadgets, Joshua's website. The steps are straightforward. And Voila!
Top 40 Useful Sites To Learn New Skills The web is a powerful resource that can easily help you learn new skills. You just have to know where to look. Sure, you can use Google, Yahoo, or Bing to search for sites where you can learn new skills , but I figured I’d save you some time. Here are the top 40 sites I have personally used over the last few years when I want to learn something new. Hack a Day - Hack a Day serves up fresh hacks (short tutorials) every day from around the web and one in-depth ‘How-To hack’ guide each week.eHow - eHow is an online community dedicated to providing visitors the ability to research, share, and discuss solutions and tips for completing day-to-day tasks and projects.Wired How-To Wiki - Collaborate with Wired editors and help them build their extensive library of projects, hacks, tricks and tips.
Electronic Mail Services Take a wooden matchstick and slice a thin sliver from one side. Then cut the remaining stick in two, lengthwise. Make sure you leave a little of the red tip intact for effect. Discard one half. Make the aircraft by glueing the sliver of wood - the wing - across the remaining part of the matchstick - the fuselage. Catch a bunch of flies. Meanwhile, put a tiny drop of rubber cement at each place along the wing where you want an engine. Take the flies out of the freezer. Breathe life into the flies. Launch the aircraft.
Camping Wind Turbine AdWords We use AdWords to deploy digital advertising on sites supported by AdWords. Ads are based on both AdWords data and behavioral data that we collect while you’re on our sites. The data we collect may include pages you’ve visited, trials you’ve initiated, videos you’ve played, purchases you’ve made, and your IP address or device ID. This information may be combined with data that AdWords has collected from you. LiveRamp We use LiveRamp to deploy digital advertising on sites supported by LiveRamp. UpSellIt We use UpSellIt to help create a more streamlined shopping cart experience. Doubleclick We use Doubleclick to deploy digital advertising on sites supported by Doubleclick. RocketFuel We use RocketFuel to deploy digital advertising on sites supported by RocketFuel. Twitter We use Twitter to deploy digital advertising on sites supported by Twitter. Facebook We use Facebook to deploy digital advertising on sites supported by Facebook. Sprinklr Dstllery Marin LinkedIn Demandbase Yandex AdForm Bing
Pokeball, Go! I have a gift for all of you Pokemon lovers (or parents of Pokemon lovers out there) in Cyberspace.But first, a little back story: My two oldest children are ever-so-slightly obsessed with Pokemon. They are also obsessed with throwing things at each other while yelling "Charizard, use Flamethrower!", or "Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Needless to say, I got sick of the younger one screeching about being hit in the forehead with a plastic Pokeball so I decided to make a slightly softer version. It was early in the morning, and Ash and Pikachu were preparing to enter the Safari Zone, when suddenly the spotted a Chansey! Ash sent Pikachu out to prepare to battle in the hopes that he could weaken Chansey enough to catch him with his Pokeball. "Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Chansey was down, and Ash threw out his Pokeball in an effort to capture the much coveted Pokemon. Phew! Crocheted Pokeball Pattern Materials: Small amount each of red, black, and white worsted weight yarn. G hook Scissors Yarn needle
Wooper | Kiwiyarns Knits Many of you dear readers will know by now that my little boy is a great fan of knitted soft toys (plushies). Especially ones that have anything to do with Pokémon. So imagine my delight when researching Pokémon toys on Ravelry to stumble across the wonderful Alyssa, who creates amazing amigurumi knitting and crochet patterns! And this is what Eric chose and asked me to knit at speed: It’s a free pattern, and written in a very innovative way – you almost need to do no sewing up at all as it’s pretty much knitted in one. I am afraid I did not do a perfect job with the duplicate stitch on the tummy, but he doesn’t seem to mind, and Wooper was duly taken to school today for a show-and-tell. Knitted in The Wool Company‘s 100% Perendale 8 ply yarn in Aqua and Cyclamen. Thanks once again, Alyssa! Like this: Like Loading... Related
Ampharos I hope you'll forgive the fact that pictures aren't really all that great, but the weather has been really crummy outside, so we took the pics inside. Ampharos is another of the lesser known pokemon I'm really quite fond of. The pattern is a bit complicated in that there are quite a few parts to him, and lots of color changes. Other than that though, he's not very difficult to make. I used a yellow color called cornmeal, it was the closest color I could find to the color of Ampharos in the show and on its cards, but you can use any color that's close. As always, if you find a problem in the pattern, or if you just need help leave a message and I'll get back at ya as soon as I can. :) Ampharos WW yarn in Yellow, black, white and red G Hook Fiberfill Small amount of black and white felt (for the eyes) Yarn Needle Although I generally join all my rounds, working this doll in the continuous round method will be just as effective. Using yellow Using yellow: Using black Using white: Using white
Bonsai Care and Types of Trees in Your Guide to Everything Bonsai The art of bonsai care and training requires time, patience, and most of all, careful practice. Craftsmen labor for years to produce a single tree, which may last a hundred years or longer. Mention the word "Art", and most will think of painting or sculpture. There is a kind of sculpture though, that takes as its raw material not stone, or wood, but a living tree. That is the art of bonsai. The trees are then often passed down from generation to generation... each successive artist adding his or her own distinctive style. As the tree is lovingly molded according to the personal aesthetic of each caretaker, past efforts are venerated and learned from. There are a select number of bonsai producers and growers who specialize in providing high quality bonsai trees and supplies for the budding artist. These trees are lightly shaped and well established, and provide an excellent point to begin this artistic journey. Sit back and take some time to explore the world of this Living Art.
Montreal: Des jardins sur les toits | Alternatives Depuis 2003, Alternatives promeut la récupération des espaces inutilisés comme les toits, les terrasses et les balcons pour développer de nouveaux espaces verts et productifs. Le but est de créer de nouveaux modèles de production alimentaire simples, abordables, écologiques et participatifs. Cette nouvelle technologie se veut facilement transférable au Sud comme au Nord. Concrètement Notre technique consiste à cultiver des fruits et des légumes dans des bacs à réserve d’eau. Victoires Grâce à ces projets, nous les citoyens : Produisons des fruits et des légumes écologiques; Agrémentons le paysage; Favorisons la pratique d’une activité physique saine et productive; Contribuons à réduire les îlots de chaleur; Valorisons les déchets organiques; Augmentons la biodiversité; Améliorons la qualité de l’air. Partenaires À l'international, les partenaires d’Alternatives à Port-au-Prince, à Cuba, au Mali, et en Afrique du Sud appliquent la même technique avec notre appui. Un programme primé !!
Mimosa pudica Mimosa pudica (from Latin: pudica "shy, bashful or shrinking"; also called sensitive plant, sleepy plant and the touch-me-not), is a creeping annual or perennial herb often grown for its curiosity value: the compound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, to protect them from predators, re-opening minutes later. The species is native to South America and Central America, but is now a pantropical weed. It grows mostly in shady areas, under trees or shrubs. Description[edit] Flower Mimosa pudica folding leaflets inward. Mimosa pudica seeds Mimosa pudica with mature seed pods on plant The stem is erect in young plants, but becomes creeping or trailing with age. Plant movement[edit] Video clip showing leaves closing after being touched Mimosa pudica is well known for its rapid plant movement. Taxonomy and nomenclature[edit] Common names[edit] The species is known by numerous common names including In South Asia many unrelated names are also common. Distribution[edit] Cultivation[edit]
Build Your Own Jellyfish Habitat Though MAKE Volume 27, which hits newsstands on July 26, is the Robots issue, like all issues of MAKE, it features a wide variety of projects. One of the major projects in Volume 27 is Alex Andon’s Jellyfish Tank. Jellyfish are hypnotic, with their translucent bodies, sweeping tentacles, and fluid motion, but they require custom tanks to prevent them from getting sucked into filtration intakes. On the pages of Volume 27, Andon, who studied biology and environmental science and is founder of Jellyfish Art, teaches you how to either convert an existing aquarium into a jellyfish habitat or how to build your own custom tank from scratch. Your choice. Here’s the “how it works” visual breakdown: The Jellyfish Tank is one of a few projects from the new issue that we’ve shared with you on Make: Projects, our DIY wiki. Photograph of Alex Andon with the Jellyfish Tank by Garry McLeod; illustration of how the tank works by James Provost. From the Pages of MAKE MAKE Volume 27, Robots! Goli Mohammadi