Living on a budget often means compromising what you want for what you need—or at least, for what's affordable. But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to compromise on flavor, especially if you know the right tips and tricks to make something spectacular out of the ordinar ...more
Let's be honest, most of us buy the bottom-shelf vodka either because we're broke or because we're going to disguise the gag-inducing taste of it with juice or something fizzy. If you're cooking or baking with vodka (ice-cold vodka works wonders in pie crust), what's the point ...more
Patrick Norton Shows you how to make a simple WiFi antenna booster. This booster is a parabolic reflector made to focus a signal so it is stronger and can project farther. This is perfect if your wireless router is awkward and cannot broadcast a wifi signal to the far reaches ...more
While it's easy to make fun of water with "electrolytes," there's actually some science behind it. Despite the name, electrolyte-enhanced water isn't all that high-tech, it mostly means that it's been infused with vitamins and minerals such as potassium and sodium, which are v ...more
Need to add some spooky ambient fog to your super-scary Halloween party? Rather than shelling out money for a fog machine you'll probably only use once a year, make a trip to the nearest drug store and pick up a bottle of glycerin, a gallon of distilled water, a 2-liter bottle ...more
Casting Angelina Jolie as Maleficent was a no-brainer on Disney's part. No one else could project beauty, elegance, and fear simultaneously just like the animated villain in Sleeping Beauty did. But what sets the character apart from other evil witches, or any other Disney cha ...more
If you're going to build yourself a water gun to cool down this summer, or maybe just a useful water pump, you'll need some check valves. However, the most expensive parts of a water pump or DIY super soaker are usually the check valves. So, let's make some from scratch for as ...more
It may be intended as a toy, but this gizmo can be hacked for more than just watching a remote-controlled car's video spy cam. This HUD (heads-up display) comes with the Wild Planet Spy Gear Video Car, but it's said that you can purchase the video headset separately. And it's ...more
A typical resistance spot welder can range in price from about $200-$800, but with a little resourcefulness and a bit of free time, you can make one like this for about $10 or less. Before starting on this project, there are a couple of videos you should check out, because yo ...more
Check out this video tutorial on how to make cheap dragon wings, controlled by body posture. You can do this project for $18 if you use plastic garbage bags and Scotch tape for the membranes. You'll see how to make very light and strong costume wings. How strong? That strong. ...more
Using dry beans and and some scraps of cotton fabric, you can make your own DIY microwavable heat pack which can be used to relieve sore muscles, warm your hands when stepping outside into cold weather, heating up your pillow case on a freezing night, and more. In lieu of dry ...more
This is silk screen production, the cheap and easy DIY way! In order to make this easy silkscreen for making cool T-shirt logos and designs, you'll need some acrylic paint, paintbrushes, cheap net curtain (patterned or plain), vinyl sign sheets, blackboard (or cork board), and ...more
This article will teach you how to make an iPod video projector for about $6 (depending on what materials you have) that works pretty well. First off, you need to gather your materials. I had everything except the magnifying glass, which I bought for $3. Materials Cardboard ...more
Looking to make a homemade movie projector but don't have much cash? In this video, learn how one person created a video projector with $60 and some old cardboard. Tips from the videomaker: Add spacers on bottom of cardboard to keep LCD screen about 1/8 of an inch above the o ...more
Skulls. What spooky Halloween décor or staging of Hamlet is complete without a skull or two popping up? For ghoulish special effect and/or setting a dramatic scene, skulls are absolutely integral. Well, with some artistry, hardware supplies, and a good dose of patience, you ca ...more
One thing that's always important to have in your home office is a bulletin board, because they let you quickly display papers that you need to see every day, such as schedules, notes and memos. That's not the only thing a bulletin board is useful for, though. You can also pi ...more
There seems to be a renewed interest of late in the great beyond that is space. After the Red Bull Space Jump and the retirement of space shuttle Endeavor, space is kind of cool again. The easiest way to get in on the astronomy action at home is to check out the starry skies ...more
Aquarium filters can be expensive to replace, but are important for the health and happiness of your aquatic friends. This video tutorial shows you how to keep your pet fish in good condition by making a replacement aquarium filter out of a soda bottle and a few other househol ...more
Check out this video tutorial on how to make a cheap multi-touch pad like in the MacBook Air. Yes, that's right... you can make your very own multitouch, finger-sensitive touch pad for your computer. This is definitely the cheap way to go to make a Multitouch Mini (MTmini), wi ...more
Remember the young Parker who taught us how to make fun things like the ghost trap from Ghostbusters and the cheap severed leg effect? Well, he's definitely grown since then, and in his latest video he takes a more practical approach to DIY with a cheap and easy soft box for y ...more
There are plenty of ways to speed up your wireless network at home, some as simple as changing the placement of your router. While you can always buy equipment to boost your signal, there are plenty of cheap or free DIY solutions you can try as well. Danilo Larizza shares a n ...more
Film and television cinematographers love sliding camera shots, especially since ER made them a standard device for television dramas. A professional sliding camera setup is expensive though. Why not make one yourself? This video will show you how to turn $20 into a high-quali ...more
Step aside, vodka—whiskey will soon be the best-selling hard liquor in the United States. The whiskey renaissance has been largely attributed to the current trend for locally- and artisan-produced goods. Local whiskey distilleries are rapidly increasing in number across the n ...more
Check out this instructional lighting video that explains how to make cheap barn doors for your lights. For this project, you will need a total of 4 hinges, 12 nuts and bults, a screwdriver, cardboard, scissors, and a lighting fixture. This is a simple guerrilla filmmaking tut ...more
The alluring and stylish GiannyL is the DIY fashion design guru of the web. Do-it-yourself has never been so sexy before. Her fashion design video tutorials make new outfits not only hot, but cheap and easy. And recycling and reusing old clothing is not only practical, but eco ...more
Did you know you can stimulate yourself to have a lucid dream? Well, it may take a little bit of practice first, but this sleep mask can certainly help you have the most interesting and realistic dreams of your life (yes, kinda like "Inception.") Just check out this video to l ...more
Sputnik, Apollo and the Space Race. If you watched the State of the Union address last night, you probably heard President Barack Obama mention those three things. The Space Race was an informal bout between the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (USA) over the ascenda ...more
Turning unused items into usable pieces of furniture is a great way to save money and create some really good-looking pieces for your room. And nothing beats repurposing old wooden pallets. Redditor BaconStripsandFishin used old wooden pallets and a month's worth of coffee to ...more
In this video you learn how to make your own green screen for less than $15 in under an hour. The material for the screen is a green felt-like fabric that can be easily found at a local fabric store or Wal-Mart. The fabric itself is just over 1 yard in width and you will need ...more
If you're anything like me, you probably rinse your mouth out after you brush your teeth. I know technically you're supposed to not rinse your mouth out after brushing, but I just can't stand the feel of the excess toothpaste in my mouth. It's a surefire way to dry it out. To ...more
Make a $100 super bright cop flashlight for less than $10, as shown in the steps of this how-to video. This flashlight is brighter than a Surefire and is so easy to do. You will need a compact flashlight, a Krypton flashlight lamp, a file or drill bit, and 3 volt batteries. Wa ...more
Dr Kreepy, Halloween crafter, shows how to obtain a rotting head without killing someone! For this project, you will need a skull, paintbrushes, liquid latex, black spray paint, brown paint, and cotton balls. Watch this video prop-making tutorial and learn how to make a cheap ...more
I loved the Gold Rush unit back in third grade. We went up to the American River and panned for gold, and my panning skills balled above all. I got like three tiny pellets. Of course, it was all fool's gold, aka pyrite, but it was still pretty legit. And this was before wearin ...more
Super cheap eyeballs without breaking the bank! While grapes are the safe standard to spook out trick or treaters, they don't look very realistic. For this project, you will need clear spray paint, white spray paint, black spray paint, blue acrylic paint, black acrylic paint, ...more
Many of the beauty products you buy at drug and department stores are loaded with potentially toxic ingredients like parabens, while their active ingredients are made of things like glycolic, lactic, malic, and alpha hydroxy acids and retinoids, which are all derived from food ...more
Watch this video to learn how to make a cheap grind rail without welding. This does involve stealing a stop sign which is illegal.
For as long as I can remember, I've always sucked at wrapping presents. No matter how careful I am, my gift-wrapping usually ends up looking like a toddler did it, so I'm always looking for easy ways to spruce up my packages. If you've got a lot of gifts to wrap, store-bought ...more
Every Christmas tree needs a topper, but most of them are boring and generic. If you want something a little more unique, making it yourself is a great way to go, and a DIY Weeping Angel topper is a good twist on a classic, but not everyone is a Dr. Who fan. One thing that ev ...more
In this video, we learn how to make a cheap and realistic blood splatter. After you have made your blood, you will need to make sure it's the right color you need for blood. Now, take Kleenex and rip it into five different parts. Then, stick these into a tube and grab a pestic ...more
In this clip, learn how to make a super cheap stash can that really works! This can is made from an old Lynx or Axe deodorant bottle and looks completely real and inconspicuous. If you have some things you need to hide from your roommates, mom, siblings, the police.. check out ...more
In this clip, learn how to make a fast, cheap and super easy mount for your your bicycle to display safety lights. Wearing bike lights at night will help you stay safe in the dark and if you want to avoid the cost of getting lights custom fitted, this hack is perfect for you. ...more
A bike rack that's lightweight, small enough to store in your car, easy to build at home, and only costs 50 dollars sounds to good to be true, right? It's not. This guy built a suction-based bike rack in just two hours with only his jigsaw and a drill. He built the contraption ...more
For this project you will need 2 Wooden palettes (long as you can get), angle iron (coping made from steel), Sheet of ply (or any other wood will do fine) and the usual tools like nails, hammer and saw. Stick the two wooden palettes together using glue and make sure they're dr ...more
This is a pretty intense tazer (or taser) construction using a disposable camera and some hard core circuitry.
It's time to pick a few locks, but with what? Check out this video tutorial to see how to make a cheap lock pick set from saw blades. You can make any lock pick you want with saw blades, a little grinding, a little more grinding, and yes... grind, with a few finishing touches.
Make a cheap talkbox out of common parts for a very small amount of money and time. This will NOT give you a sound like a pro talkbox, but it's cheap, easy, and fun.
This sculpture and candy making video will show you how to make your own sculpted silicone candy mold. This process uses Sculpy/Fimo, Amazing Mold Putty, and white chocolate for casting custom candies! This video is really good for ice cubes and jell-o too!
If you consider yourself a "laser" man, then you probably know all about front-surface mirrors. But do you know how to make an FS mirror? This video from AP Digital light will show you how to make cheap first surface mirrors. You'll need an acrylic mirror sheet, safety glass, ...more
This video will show you how to make some cheap Star Wars light saber movie props with a few hardware store items such as pvc pipe, pool cues, duct tape, electrical tape, and spray paint. Part 1 of 3 - How to Make a cheap lightsaber prop from Star Wars. Part 2 of 3 - How to M ...more
Complete your knight costume - or damsel in distress who's really a kick ass swordsman in disguise costume - with this cardboard Medieval sword. Sturdier than paper and much safer than the metal of a real sword, this version can be used by kids without risk. Watch this video ...more
A laser vortex is a basically a tool and allows you to make a circle of red laser light quickly and easily for creating lightshows, especially useful when combined with a fog machine. This video will teach you how to make one for cheap out of parts your can find at any hardwar ...more
If you're making a cheap horror movie, you're gonna need fake blood, and lots of it! In this video, you'll learn how to make a liter of fake blood. And the supplies are everyday household supplies, costing less than a dollar! Materials needed: Half a cup of chocolate powder ...more
You just ran out of shampoo, but need to give your hair a quick wash. Use baking soda! You can make an emergency shampoo paste from 1 part baking soda, 3 parts water, then work the paste into your hair, allow to sit for a few minutes, and rinse out with warm water. Most commo ...more
Here is a step-by-step video guide on how to create your own homemade pop filter for your recording microphone, using easy-to-find materials. A pop filter is used to prevent popping sounds while recording. Most pop filters range from $15 to $80. This particular pop filter cost ...more
Finding yourself in the wilderness where there is no chance of possibly making a fire outside is pretty dangerous. But you can avoid the danger by making your very own cheap woodburning stove for the inside of you shelter. Enjoy! In order to heat the shelter we thought that w ...more
Got about two to three yards of a slinky cloth? Then that's all you need to make yourself a flirty cocktail dress in time for your next big soiree! Watch this video by Gianny L to see how to turn a few yards of fabric into a girly dress tied up at the shoulder with a ribbon a ...more
This is an informational video for people that want to have some action in their movies but have a small budget. Each squib ended up costing us about $0.78. These are for fake gunshots.
Maybe you've never heard of the Dutch Roll camera effect, but you've seen it in movies whenever a character is delirious and the camera starts spinning crazily end over need. In this tutorial you'll learn how to set up a cheap version of the effect with a plain old hand drill. ...more
Interested in making a custom stylus suitable for an Apple iPad or most any other touch device? It's much easier than you might think. So easy, in fact, that this guide can present a complete, step-by-step overview of the process in just under six minutes' time. For detailed i ...more
Pasta is a ridiculously versatile food. You can have it with almost any kind of meat, vegetable, or sauce that you could imagine, and unless you throw in something totally bizarre, it usually tastes good. If you're really feeling fancy, you can even make dessert pasta. But wh ...more