If you spend any time in the craft and DIY blogosphere, you've likely seen your fair share of galvanized pipe furniture and storage projects. Which, of course, are all cool and affordable and very customizable, and we approve.   But, I'm sharing this built-in pipe shelving project not because I think the concept is revolutionary, but because I'm impressed with how the whole thing came together. Usually, the use of such materials give off a modern industrial vibe; the whole Ace Hotel look, which I dig. But this effort by MonolithFab, through clever design and appropriate use of materials, brings in a whole Victorian, antique, almost steampunk sort of vibe... like a radiator/time machine that got stuck in a wall and then the homeowner put a buncha books and stuff on it. 

Planning the design around the wall studs led to some clever interplay of sizes and angles, and the rich stain on the wood and the paint of the piping brings the whole thing together.

This project serves as a great reminder of how important design choices can be, and how much they interact with concept and materials to affect the final outcome. Great job.

Get the full tutorial at Instructables: Industrial Pipe Shelving Built-In

Pendleton Woolen Mills is family-owned operation that have been making high-quality virgin wool goods since 1909 in Oregon's Blue Mountains. Since their early days, the company has been producing a series of blankets to honor some of the National Parks in the Western United States.    

The series has everything we love about Pendleton - long-lasting, heritage items made by family-owned companies - combined with our commitment to the outdoors and a celebration of that brilliant piece of inspiration: the Bureau of Land Management and America's National Park system. What's not to like?

You may have seen the iconic stripes of the Glacier National Park blanket (or recognize its similarity to the Hudson's Bay point blanket), but the series also includes Yellowstone, Acadia, Grand Canyon, Rainier, Badlands, Yosemite, and Crater Lake. 

You can learn more about each at Pendleton, and find a full/queen in each pattern at Amazon for just under $200 with free shipping. Sure, it's an investment, but so are most of the best things, and they'll last a century, at least. 

Pendleton National Parks Blankets - Starting at $188

[Photos: Pendleton blog, Brit.co, Canoe]

Rustic, modern, masculine. All the things I like to see in one mighty DIY project. 

For my money, Poppytalk has knocked it out of the park with this leather pendant light project. I love that it differs from other pendant light projects - which drill often convert existing objects into pendant shades with a cleverly placed holes -  by creating a new "shade" from raw materials. Yet, it still remains simple enough to be able to make several in a weekend.

Plus, it requires a small collection of only ten tools materials and tools you can likely already have. Just add leather. The raw leather finish remains timeless and will work in any room, especially if you have white walls and clean open spaces.

Oh. AND? This is a great solution for renters that can't install big hanging lamps at home! It's small and easy enough to install and remove as needed.

Can you tell I really like this one?

Ok, get your DIY on and head over to Poppytalk to read the full tutorial

Croatian-Austrian collective Numen/For Use have created "String Prototype," a fully-functioning massive inflatable jungle gym-like structure made up of a grid of strong cables. 

The whole thing operates under the same principle as a so-called "bounce house," where air is pumped into the structure and is able to create enough tension to make the cables strong enough to climb on. The whole network seems to be dense enough that it'd be almost nearly impossible to actually fall from any significant height, making the adventure more like a puzzle to climb to the top rather than a feat of speed or strength. 

The designers describe the project:

"When the volume deflates, the ropes get loose and lay on the ground enabling compression of the installation. When the object inflates, the ropes tense to a perfect line again, strained enough to carry the weight of a human being. Bodies entrapped in 3D grid, flying in unnatural positions throughout superficial white space, resemble Dadaist collages. Impossibility of perception of scale and direction results in simultaneous feeling of immenseness and absence of space."

Cool. Very cool. Read more at Colossal: A Massive Inflatable String Jungle Gym by Numen/For Use

The winter weather isn't quite over, but it seems we've seen the worst of the polar vortexes (vorticises?). So, while it's not quite the time to head out on weekend camping trips (unless your loaded with four-season and mountaineering gear), it is the time to think about heading out on weekend camping trips and getting your gear ready.    

With that in mind, consider trying this sharp-looking DIY camp axe sheath project. Matt Pierce, the creator, says, 

Over this weekend I devised a way to hang my axe using some scrap leather to make a sheath. I’d sketched out some designs and made a few paper templates, and finally came up with something I liked and that fit pretty well. I thought about dying it, maybe burning something into it… but I can experiment with that later. Right now, I wanted to share it with you, and even give the template in PDF form in case any of you wanted to make your own. This fits a vintage Stanley, but you could mod it to fit whatever you might have.

Matt formatted the how-to into a downloadable pattern/tutorial. which could be enlarged or reduced to fit your axe blade.

Get it at Wood&Faulk: Camp Axe Sheath 

We can never get enough of using wooden crates for storage, especially when they look this sharp!

We've seen a few DIYs that use simple wooden boxes to create extra storage at home - like this and this - but we like this idea to step it up with a bit of pattern and geometry. 

If polka dots and scalloped patterns aren't your thing, that's ok, you can always try something much more straight foward, like basic triangles or stripes. Things you'll need to create the designs:

• Painter's tape or sticker paper
• Black acrylic paint
• Sandpaper
• Sponge Brush

Create a pattern using the painter's tape and paint one side of the crate. Wait for it to dry and repeat. You can use all black if you want to go for a Scandinavian look, but if you're using this for storage in your kids' room or your own bedroom, feel free to add the appropriate color.

Also, don't worry about finding "vintage" crates since you're going to be painting over them. Just buy some inexpensive ones at the craft store - they usually sell them for a reasonable $20 each - or whip up your own with some select grade pine and some wood glue and clamps. 

Image via: Kotipalapeli

Artist and illustrator Hiraku Cho experiments with acrylic paint and the human body, giving flesh the illusion of interacting with buttons, zippers, on/off switches, and even other human forms.    

Laura from If It's Hip, It's Here reports, " Admitted to Musashino Art University, Department of Visual Communication Design in 2012, these images reflect the theme of Unusual Art, in which she was assigned to design images with body paint depicting the following subjects: clothing, eyes, realistic body parts, illustration, three-dimensions, and video."

I appreciate how these appear simultaneously completely realistic and yet obviously handmade. It's much more interesting than using a photo-realistic approach, or even printed graphics applied flesh.  

Check out the full collection at If It's Hip, It's Here: 25 Body Art Illusions Done With Acrylic Paint By Hiraku Cho

Today I learned something new: a wooden comb has all sorts of benefits over plastic. According toReddit user NoCleverNickname, the wood comb beats plastic due to a "complete lack of static. It's also more gentle on your scalp. And the wood fibers help to spread natural oils from root to tip. Pretty neat."

Pretty neat indeed. 

Inspired by the Reddit thread, Instructable-r fasaxc took a stab at making one at his local community workshop and hackerspace. 

The project is made out of walnut and purple heart, and the prongs were cut with a crosscut sled and a tablesaw, which was outfitted with a thin-kerf blade, which are typically less than 1/16" in thickness.

If you don't have a table saw, I imagine you could turn out a very usable comb with a simple Japanese-style pull saw or even a dovetail saw. Just be sure to keep the kerfs nice and parallel. 

fasaxc admits that his project is just a prototype and that he hopes to refine it a bit, but I think it's a great start, and I can't wait to try it in my own shop. 

Check out the full process: Hardwood comb [Instructables.com]

Inspired by the work of Reuben Margolin, a sculptor known for his mechanically-driven kinetic sculptures of wave-forms, artist and model maker Dean O'Callaghan created "Water Experiment No. 33."

Dean describes his project: "All components were hand made the aim was to recreate the reaction of droplet as it impacts a body of water."

And? It totally worked. Check it out in action: 

Cool, huh? See more of Dean's work at his Coroflot page.

Okay. Whoa. Just stumbled across a cool new store with awesome lighting products and plenty of inspiration.

While going on a safari through the vast plains of the Etsy landscape, I found Tudo and Co, a Shanghai-based Etsy shop that specializes in modern lighting.

These decanter pendant lights are my favorites. The design is stylish, plenty mod, with a touch of Mad Men class.

If you're more of a minimal-design person, then this one below is for you:

Clean shapes and simple colors are the way to go. This diamond shaped pendant light is a subtle statement and can be the answer to your "ugh, this room needs....omethin'"

And there's also a few rustic choices, like these ones below that reminds of of wire egg baskets (above).

Have you made your own lighting? If you do and have some advice for beginners, let us know! 

See more at Tudo and Co. 

Sometimes, the best DIY projects are also the simplest. This rustic cheese board takes less than an hour to whip up, and costs less than $10.00 in materials. Plus, it's easy to create even if you don't have access to a huge forest or wood pile, and doesn't require a chainsaw or any fancy power tools.  

Let's make one!   

Tools and Materials: 

• Wood slice - we used a basswood round from the craft store
• Stiff brush
• Sandpaper - 150 and 220 grits
• Mineral oil or butcher block oil

1. The key to this project is finding the appropriately sized wooden slice. If you have access to large hardwood stumps or limbs that have been dried or seasoned, they'd be perfect. If not, you can find basswood slices in the unfinished wood section of the craft/art supply store. Once you've procured your slice, it's just about prepping it for food use.

2. Begin by using a stiff-bristled brush to clean the bark. Make sure to remove any moss or lichen, as well as any loose bark or debris that will fall off easily and could mix with comestibles. If you have access to compressed air, give the bark a few blasts to really get rid of any dirt. 

3. Then, sand both sides throughly with 150 grit then 220 grit paper. A powered sander is helpful here, but a simple hand sanding block works just as well. Be sure to keep the sandpaper flat against the surface so as to avoid rounding over the edges or interfering with the bark. 

4. Lastly, finish the slice with mineral oil or butcher block conditioner. Since basswood is a relatively soft wood and you're applying to the end grain, it'll will soak up a lot of finish. End grain is basically a bunch of little straws all lined up, and they'll happily accept as much liquid as they can get. 

To apply, simply flood the mineral oil onto a side, and wipe with a clean rag to distribute. You may see a bit of blotchiness at the beginning, but that will subside as the wood becomes fully saturated.  After 30 minutes or so, repeat with a second coat. Allow the finish to soak in overnight, and then add a third and fourth coat if necessary. 

Once the finish has fully dried, your wood slice board is ready to use. It's important to note that this really isn't a cutting board or butcher block. Basswood is a relatively soft wood (it's easy to carve, which is why they sell it at the craft store), so don't go hacking at a chicken carcass with a super sharp clever. But, since it's exposed end grain, and wood is naturally self-healing, most light scuffs will be invisible with a fresh coat of mineral oil. Plus, I kinda like a bit of knife wear-and-tear; it gives the piece a more rustic, worn-in look with plenty of character.

The project's round shape and light weight makes it perfect for serving charcuterie, cheese, and other staples. Or, it'll work great for other dry foods like desserts, cured meats and fish, or small bowls of pickles and sauces. I've been using mine in our bar area for assembling cocktails, cutting citrus, etc. 

These basswood slices cost less than $15.00, and you can always find a 40-50% coupon for all the major craft stores at their web site or mobile app. So, $7.00 in materials plus a little sandpaper, some mineral oil, and about an hour of work. 

Enjoy! If you make one, we'd love to see it. Share a photo of your project in the comments below or mention @ManMadeDIY on Instagram or Twitter. 

Each Wednesday, I post some of my favorite can't-miss links, images, and otherwise mindblowing goodies from across the web. 

This is an interactive graph based on some serious math that proves: it's always a better financial decision to get the bigger pizza. Always.    

What's most interesting as you move the slider around is how MUCH of a better deal the larger pizza always is. Of course, there's the extra calories and food waste issues...but, it's pizza. You know what you're getting yourself into. And no one throws leftover pizza away. 74,476 Reasons You Should Always Get The Bigger Pizza [Planet Money]

DIY breakfast cereal "tea" bags allow you to steep a cup of milk to create that end-of-the-bowl flavor...

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ARTISANAL KNUCKLE SANDWICH by Keith Wisniewski on McSweeney's 

Survivalists take note... 

A DIY tool carousel made from an old wooden stool... 

Bicycles get around by pedals, chains, gears, and wheels. Except, all the times that they don't, and they get around by being carried by their rider. Anyone who spends significant time on a bicycle can attest— on nearly every ride, there's a time when your bike gets lifted off the ground.  Taking it inside and out, going up stairs, placing on rear or roof car racks, hanging it from hooks or storage, taking it onto public transit, placing it in a workstand for adjustments...you get the picture.

For those occasions, I'm digging this DIY lifter handle, which makes carrying a bike as simple as holding a brief case. 

Maker Mrballeng created the handle from a simple piece of soft aluminum (available at any home center) and a length of paracord tied in a "Chinese button knot." 

Get instructions for the knot and a complete how-to at Instructables: Paracord Bike Frame Handle

In the era when everyone's phone looks basically the same, it's time to reskin your digital sidekick with a new suit.

Some cases are super bulky and look like a bad 90's flashback...which, for us, dishonors the thoughtful design of the the actual piece. But, a phone case can not only provide protection but an extra boost of personalization. So, from geeky to sleek, we've got choices. 

1. Zorki Vintage Camera Case (above)

Love photography or old analog gear in general? Then this case is definitely for you. It adds a cool vintage touch to your device, plus, it'll get a few people curious about what kind of camera is that - to which you can respond, "it's called Instagram."

2. World Atlas Case

The perfect companion to an avid traveler. This world atlas case is what any modern era pirate should have (a.k.a. Google map pirate).

3. Pantone iPhone Case

Design nerd alert! Who doesn't know about Pantone? They basically invented color...kinda. We chose this sleek black case as a minimal option for your phone, but there are TONS of colorful options to choose from. You could even snag a few for different options while still looking like your phone.  

4. Glow-in-the-dark case: 

This is like a night club of a case. Or that scene from Tron. Bring it to your next concert with you and ditch that Zippo (seriously, who uses that anymore?) or use it to find your keys while trying to sneak in late at night.

5. Walnut Wood Case

Retro, rustic, and masculine. We kinda feel this should be the "standard case" for any DIYer. You could try making it yourself, but we say leave it to the pros. 

6. Black Marble iPhone Case

Marble is pretty "in" right now, if you care about that sort of thing. It's being used as a backdrop for food photos, as a material for DIY projects, and as inspiration for print design and patterns. So, take this trend with you with this super sleek marble case, if you please. 

7. White Trash Case

We get the quirky name this case, but don't really approve. Though, we dig the unique texture that looks very different from the regular "flat" look.

8. Pizza Case

You know what they say..."you are what you eat." Which makes me pizza. Whatever your eating habits are, this case will not get greasy in your pocket...and it doesn't need to arrive hot in 30 minutes or less.

9. R2D2 Case

Our geeky side is really happy with this one. Even though this case doesn't make all the cool noises R2D2 used to do, it does nail the look. Grab one for your phone and may the force be with you.

10. Watercolor Case

Fit for an artist! This case is meant to be a statement and will get you noticed. We love all the colour in it and the grungy feel. Very suitable for DIYers too!

So which one's your favorite? Do you have more than one case? Let us know in the comments!

For the past year, U.K.-based photographer Andrew Whyte has been snapping photos of "The Legographer," a LEGO minfig with a camera and a serious case of wanderlust.    

Fast.Co.Create reports and quotes Whyte, "I love to document everyday things and build them into mini-series...But quite often there's nothing cohesive about what I shoot from one day to the next. As soon as my kids discovered the camera accessory at the Lego store, which fits in the hand of a mini-figure, I worked out a way to start placing the character in my day-to-day shots and he became a cohesive element. For the whole year, I really never left home without the figure.”

They also discuss what we can learn from Whyte's technique:

Holding the phone upside down, for instance, rendered the lens low enough to look up at the figure and give him a sense of magnitude. The difference in depth of field, by which the background turns blurry, occurs naturally depending on how close Whyte positions the camera to the figure, often less than 8 to 10cm apart. “At that proximity, shuffling a few mm forwards or backwards can make a big difference to focus and the relative size of the figure,” the photographer says. Additionally, for lighting, Whyte uses apps that let him separate focus from exposure so he can dial in the desired levels without having to compromise on the arrangement of the scene.

See and learn more at Fast.Co: EVERYTHING ABOUT THESE PICTURES OF A TINY, ADVENTUROUS LEGO PHOTOGRAPHER IS AWESOME 

You can print on paper, you can print on fabric, you can even print on wood, but customizing glass has remained a little elusive. 

Enter this techniuq by Amy Azzarito on Design Sponge. It's fairly easy and has endless variations you can apply to any glass container 

In the original post Amy uses stamps to personalize honey jars, but really, this method could be applied to any kind of jar or bottle [I'm seeing customized home brewed beer bottles in my future.] Once you get a hang of the technique, it'll be useful for all sorts of creative projects.

And the list of materials isn't bad at all, you get most of the stuff at the craft store and the rest you probably have it at home...'cause you do clean your ears, right?

Materials needed:

• Glass jar with a lid
• Rubber Stamp
• Solvent Ink (using StazOn in Opaque White)
• Stamp Cleaner (recommend StazOn cleaner)
• Honey (support your local bee farmer, grab a gallon from the farmers market)
• Cotton ball + Q-tips
• isopropyl alcohol

This idea is also great to label jars for spices! No more mess or using cayenne pepper instead of paprika.

Get all the steps and tons of more how-to pics over at Design Sponge.

Like everyone, I guess I have a problem with stuff. With things - with keeping them too long, with placing emotional value on the physical object rather than the memory it recalls. Of course, I think I do this way less than everyone else, cause I don't have a problem with passive consumerism (errr....), and I don't spend tons of money on clothes, or shoes, or eating out, or on the latest gadgets, or all those things that personal finance books tell you to not spend money on.

But, buddy, do I have a media library. Not DVDs so much, but books. Lots of books. Like, a decade's worth of fiction that I'ma get to, countless guides to hobbies and passions, and two bachelors and three masters degrees combined household worth of books.

Oh, and vinyl albums. And CDs. Particularly old CDs, the albums I didn't buy as downloads. The ones I got in high school and college. The records that changed my life.

Sure, I've pared them down - lots already - to just the essentials. The 150 or so essential records...that I never actually play via CD and still have the jewel cases for cause I like the way they look on my shelves and that I still own them makes me feel. The CDs that 75% or so I'm sure are already in my iTunes library, but I don't actually know because that also has 25,000 songs and I can't seem to stay on top of labelings all that stuff, either.

See, I don't really have a problem with buying stuff... but, c'mon, I'm a librarian. What if I need it? These things should be preserved. They blew my mind...That's worth saving, right?

But, I've been reading and thinking a lot about stuff and money and letting go of things, and I'm finally ready to cut my media down to 25%. I'm gonna keep 25% of my books, and 25% of my vinyl records, and everything else has to go. Including all my CDs. (Did I mention they changed my life?)

I'm sure you've likely already done this, but this month...I'm letting go. iTunes Match will automatically back up my entire digital library - all 25,000 songs - for $25 a year. (I'll have to pare to 25k songs, too, but I need to do that anyway). Twenty years of library-ing and collecting will live in the cloud forever, and I no longer have to worry about manual backups or keeping hard copies in case hard drives fail.

And while I'm at it, I'm gonna embrace HuluPlus and Netflix and let go of my cable subscription and oh-so-library-inducing DVR. Which I never actually use. And I'm gonna let my subscription to The New Yorker lapse, for now...because I'm so behind I just read a story about the threat of congress shutting down, and the cartoons are starting to have ghosts and jack-o-lanterns in them. (!)

I know everyone says this, but they're just something you think you need because you have it. It's the mindset of a curator, sure, but it's mostly just a fear of missing out. But, I'm thinking I'd rather miss out on a few New Yorker stories or an episode of The Daily Show than the thing I'll actually be doing when I'm not trying to catch up on all that reading and watching and listening.

Here goes. 

It happens. Some well meaning person will bring over a cheap six pack of pale lager and then drinks something better, leaving you with the remains in the fridge. You pick up a few Pacificos at your local Mexican market thinking, "Oh, I actually like this." Or, you find your self at an all day party - a wedding reception, perhaps - where the beer is free, but leaves something to be desired. 

The answer? Turn them into a beer cocktail. While I'm sure using a quality brew wouldn't hurt these, the additions of other flavors would likely mask the subtlety, so each recipe is designed for a cheap bottle. 

First We Feast has gathered their favorite recipes from around the web, each of which uses a simple beer like Lone Star, Tecate, Dale's Pale Ale, Harp Lager, and common ingredients - hot sauce, fresh citrus, ginger ale, etc.

Check out their roundup: BEER COCKTAILS THAT WILL SALVAGE EVERYDAY BEERS

A Bluetooth speaker is a great way to enjoy music outdoors: while grilling or dining outside, when camping, at a barbecue or picnic, even when doing yardwork or outdoor maintenance projects. But, because they're made of fragile parts and cases, they can't always stand up to the rougher conditions and surfaces of outdoor use. Enter this DIY effort by ASCAS, which places the audio components, including the battery, Bluetooth player, five speakers for a 2.1 configuration, and an amplifier, inside a waterproof case. The whole thing was assembled using a simple rotary tool (such as a Dremel), a drill, and a soldering iron. 

ASCAS provides the full parts list and wiring diagram, so even if you don't have a full knowledge of audio components or circuit board building, you can obtain the parts and put the whole thing together over a weekend.

Get the full tutorial: DIY Tough Bluetooth Boombox (Lasts 20hrs!)

Happy Weekend! Here's hoping you get outside.

This weekend, I made a mess. A cover-the-entire-room-in-tiny-little-scraps-of-paper and a get-out-every-marker-and-cutting-tool kinda mess. It's still on the floor, on my office chair, on the main work table, on the computer desk, on my cutting mat, and its trail has seeped into the hallway. See, I've always been the kinda of maker that gets all the requisite tools and materials out so they'll be at hand, makes a huge batch of clutter until I've figured out what the project actually requires, then keeps making a big old mess until finished, after which I'll do a big sweep and scrub everything clean until the next project comes along.

I am not, as you can tell, following these guidelines by Erin Roberts for staying organized in the midst of a project. She says, "There's nothing quite like the feeling of looking up at the completion of a project and realizing that a once perfectly tidy room has been destroyed by some sort of crafting whirlwind. I am usually that whirlwind. I think a lot of us are usually that whirlwind. I've put together a few tips to help us all stay clean and organized during future projects. It certainly makes crafting more fun when it doesn't involve massive cleanup at the end!" 

I'm certainly that whirlwind, but I totally planning on taking this completely reasonable, actionable ideas to heart. Next time. I've got to clean up first.

How to Stay Clean and Organized During Craft Projects [Apartment Therapy, photo by Nicole Crowder]