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Does anyone here collect the masses of flower pedals when the seasons change and the streets and parks are covered with them? Cherry and plum season are big ones! If so, what do you do with the pedals?
Do you scent your sinks, bathtubs, and ice waters? Or do you have some DIY craft purpose for them?
Super-small rooftop tent
While in the past people have been concerned with amassing every single item needed for the perfect camping trip, nowadays it seems that less is best. There’s not so much stress when it comes to ensuring all the things are included and there’s more thought behind the why of camping – getting away from the rush, enjoying nature, and spending time in solitude.
It’s also easier to do these days, especially with the uptick in interest around nomadic travel and designers who understand that simple, aerodynamic shapes are easier to work with. Sebastian Maluska, designer of a rooftop tent that affixes to the top of a vehicle, knows that very little is needed for a quiet weekend getaway.
Lightweight materials such as aluminum and waterproof fabric make up the entire tent, leaving room for one or two sleeping bags. The tent folds up quickly, and provides shelter whether in rain or sun. A ladder is also provided so that entry and exit are easy to attain.
If this type of tent camping interests you, there are plenty of photos and a write-up about this particular rooftop tent over at Bless This Stuff, which also notes that the model, named “The Nest”, is not only lightweight but cost conscious as well, taking up very little room and keeping costs down not only by materials but by conserving fuel as well (due to the shape and weight).
Make 8bit Wooden Reindeer
What about making reindeer out of readily-available wood to use as decorations outside the house this Christmas? We decided to make a basic plan for anyone out there to use to make an 8bit reindeer for their yard. The size is easy to adjust, and you could make it out of 2x6s (it would stand about 3 feet high or so when completed) or little pieces of plywood (for small foot high decorations). You can see from our blueprints we used equal-sized large squares as measurement-points, so you can simply divide or multiply to your chosen size. This reindeer shape was most influenced by a popular IKEA reindeer decoration that came out a few years back. We thought it might make a nice wooden DIY project, too!
DIRECTIONS for the large-size wooden 8bit reindeer:
- Get 2x6s and 2x4s (you could actually just use 2x4s exclusively by woodglueing them together)
- But the boards to the large rectangular shapes for each body part
- Notch and cut out the few adjustments to these large pieces. This involves the 3 leg pieces, as well as the angle-cut for the face
- Glue the 8bit reindeer together with wood glue
- Paint to desired color(s), and add any custom elements you want (We show one picture there where we colorized the design orange-brown, with white spraypaint around the edges, ears and face, and added a red nose and painted-on eyes
- We also show how to make antlers for those out there who want an adult-looking reindeer
If anyone makes one of these, big or small, please send us the photos so we can add them to this!
