Category Archives: Tools

Use your hand as a ruler

Rulers are those impractical tools: you’re never carrying one when you need it. But you know what you do likely have on you? Your hand.

By measuring your hand once and making a mental note of it’s measurement, you can have a trusty measuring device whenever you need it.

Just remember the height of your hand from the wrist to the end of your tallest finger and use your hand to estimate length of an object or space.

Dust-free drilling

drill post it

Automatic drills make home improvement a breeze, but they leave a dusty mess behind. Save yourself the clean up with Post-it® style sticky notes.  Simply, fold the not in half, so the bottom half of the non-sticky side is pointing up, and stick it to the wall below the place you’re drilling. The note will catch the dust the drill makes.

After you’re done, carefully remove the note.

Make the heavy (box) lifting, easier

box carrying

Heavy cardboard boxes can be really hard to carry.  Make your moving life much easier with this simple tip: Cut “handles” into the box (as seen on the illustration above). Do this by making two upside-down triangles on either side of the box. Make sure the triangle as wide as your four fingers, and not longer. This length ensures the handle can support the weight of the box.

How to manage multiple extension cords

Knot Your Power Cords to Avoid Unwanted Unplugging

Living a modern, device-filled life often means dealing with the sea of extension cords they require. Here’s a simple tip for managing multiple extension cords and keeping them from disconnecting or short-circuiting due to tension: Tie the cords together like the illustration above. The tension of the knot will reduce the stress on your plug connectors, so you’ll reduce the chance of shorting out, or unplugging accidentally.

Cutting clean sheets from a large spool of paper

cutting big spools of paper
Avoid sloppy cuts and ripping, when cutting from a large paper spool, by keeping the spool upright and starting your cut a couple inches from the edge of the paper. Continue to slice all the way down to the floor. The uncut section will support the paper so it doesn’t fall down and tear, and help create the tension needed for a clean cut. When you’ve sliced all the way to the ground, go ahead and snip the top portion.