All for the love of Animal Crossing in the coronavirus pandemic. Read the rest

This is a perfect popcorn machine to make for your next camping trip. Or a fun project to craft during yet another day at home, for which you might want to use Corona beer cans just for grins. One thing to possibly tweak is the size of the popcorn bowl. Read the rest

A few months ago, my son bought a cute mini-zine from the Zine Machine vending machine at The Bindery in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury. What we noticed right away is that the 8-page zine was ingeniously folded from just a single sheet of paper. In the above video, Austin Kleon, author of the wonderful Steal Like An Artist, explains how it's done. And Umami Design posted a layout template here.

In the video clip, Austin recommends this book by Esther Watson and Mark Todd that looks like fun: Whatcha Mean, What's A Zine? The Art of Making Zines and Mini-Comics. Read the rest

Wow, man. Some of us take on more extreme projects during the Great Coronavirus Quarantine than others. Read the rest

“I made this huge leather bound "spellbook" with traditional bookbinding techniques,” says Nerdforge7 of NERDFORGE, on IMGUR. What an amazing project. Read the rest

Reporting TV news from home can make for a much more colorful broadcast. Read the rest

From bandannas to jock straps, people are coming up with all kinds of clever ways to make homemade face masks. Hell knows, they have the time. And so here's another really simple mask project that uses any scrap of fabric you have lying around. No jock strap required. Read the rest

Look, nothing about what's done in this video is easy or anything less than time consuming. But, if you're hellbent on being able to enjoy something as close to a Cadbury Creme Egg as possible, 365 days of the year, this recipe is your huckleberry. Read the rest

All the Disney Parks are closed* but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy two of their most famous flavors: the Dole Whip and churros.

Last Sunday, the Disney Parks Blog shared the recipe for Churro Tots, which is based on their in-park, cinnamon-y snack:

Crazy fact: Over 5.5 million churros were sold at Disney Parks each year. Not this year but, you know.

And, via the Disneyland app, they shared how to make an at-home version of their super-popular tropical treat, the Dole Whip. Full recipe here.

*And expect mandatory temperature checks when they re-open.

photo via Disney Parks Blog, screengrab via Disneyland app

(Deseret News) Read the rest

If you've ever wanted to catch a fish with a trap designed to catch other edible, living things, your time has arrived. I'm not sure if this is a technique that's common knowledge in outdoor circles, but it's frigging brilliant.

Also, what's the deal with the guy in the top left corner of the video, two minutes, fifty-five seconds in? He just kind of melts into the tree. Creepy. Read the rest

While using a bandanna is one excellent way to craft a face mask, this jock strap hack takes only three easy steps and doesn't require anything extra.

I made a Jockstrap Mask Tutorial, because I’m ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/JiYhV3K8uh

— Emerson Collins (@ActuallyEmerson) April 3, 2020

Read the rest

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be installing a number of upgrades into my shotgun and converting my iPod classic to use SD cards for storage and a 3,000 mAh battery. Both projects will allow me to get a lot more use out of the stuff that I already own. That said, I'm feeling kind of bummed that I don't have the parts on hand to build my own motorized drift trike. Read the rest

As usual, TikTok is a bit ahead of the curve. I.e., this is how the younger people in your house are likely self-educating right now. (This vid is 14hrs old, w/6.7M views and 740K likes.) pic.twitter.com/J09RIgJyCR

— David Hobby (@strobist) April 3, 2020

While I have nothing against the classic cowboy robber bandana mask, this technique, while it does require two hair rubber bands, is genius.

"How to Fold a No-Sew Bandana Face Mask" (Make:) Read the rest

Yesterday's outing inspired me to make a more fashion-forward mask, with distance warnings and an equalizer effect responding to the sound of my voice. Also a goofy mouth graphic because why not? pic.twitter.com/URDfQhbovO

— Chelsea Klukas (@chelscore) April 6, 2020

Chelsea Klukas is a product design manager at Oculus and she made this cool facemask with a color LED display.

Here's a tutorial! Read the rest

Autodesk's former CEO Carl Bass is a deeply talented artist and maker with his own fab lab in Berkeley. Now, Carl along with his pal Chris Taggart and their families have been cranking out a unique kind of plastic face shield to help protect nurses and doctors on the front lines of COVID-19. In some cases, they've had to be discreet in their donations due to health regulations.

“There are a huge number of people around the country who make stuff and are trying to figure out how to help out,” says Bass who is also a member of BLK SHP, a conspiracy of radically creative folks working to make the world a better place.

The shields which cost around $1.50/each to manufacture are free for healthcare providers and financial donations are welcome. You can contact them at peoplesprotectiveequipment@gmail.com. Go Carl and Chris!

From Berkeleyside:

Over the weekend, working on a design put together by Taggart, the men manufactured 500 pieces of personal protective gear. The design involves snapping a long piece of plastic into a baseball cap....

By Sunday, the 500 shields were gone, handed out for free in plastic-covered packs of 25 to people who had heard through word of mouth about the project. Now the men are gearing up to make tens of thousands more...

The Alameda Health System issued an internal memo on Monday expanding where staff can wear masks and pledging to provide respiratory masks to workers in the ER, labor and delivery, urgent care and psychiatry emergency services.

Instructables.com has some new instructions on how to build your own bagpipes, and all you need is:

1 Garbage Bag or large plastic bag 2 Recorders (or 2 PVC Recorders:https://www.instructables.com/id/PVC-Recorder/) 2 Pens (You can also use a decent sized straw or a piece of hose) Scissors Tape

It sounds a little ridiculous, but when you break it down, bagpipes are basically just a recorder with a drone with an attached airbag. As long as you're social distancing, you can imagine yourself standing atop the grassy peaks of the Highlands, where your DIY Garbage Bagpipes can be heard all across the land, undoubtedly pleasing your neighbors to no end.

I know what I'm doing this weekend.

How to Make Bagpipes Out of a Garbage Bag and Recorders [Instructables.com]

Image: Public Domain via PxFuel Read the rest

This dad in China created a 'baby pod' suit to protect his child from coronavirus. His ingenious DIY design was reportedly based on the action game "Death Stranding." Read the rest