Solar lights are a great way to light up your garden. They are both inexpensive and eco-friendly, relying on solar power instead of electricity. In this short video, Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows you how to set up solar lights.
This Home & Garden how to video is a DIY basic about accentuating outdoor living space with solar lighting. Watch and learn all about strategic placing of solar powered lighting to enhance the look and feel of your front yard. Always start with a plan before setting up and ins ...more
All you've got to do is a some simple wiring and a little digging in the garden. Among the simplest creative reuse projects I've done, this landscape uplight is also one of my favorites. I mean, who knew that you could use an old chimney pot to cast a warm, 50-watt glow on th ...more
Create a nighttime chorus of insect sounds by modifying a solar yard light! You'll need some components, and the circuit board is not for the timid. It's pretty complicated with resistors, capacitors, thermistors, amplifiers, and some transformers. If you can manage all of thi ...more
The key to a successful indoor hydroponic garden is in both irrigation and lighting. This video can't help much with the irrigation, but if you want to decide what the best lighting systems are, this video is for you! There are a wide variety of bulbs and power sources that yo ...more
With over 1.5 billion people on this planet without electricity, it's hard for those of us in developed nations to even fathom how anyone can read, write, repair, or do anything else that we take for granted without any lights. While some of our First World problems pale in co ...more
Samimy is at it again. And this time, his ingenuity has tackled a clever way to take something old and broken and restore it to something new and useful. What are we talking about? Modding a broken hard drive and some busted cell phones into a useful rechargeable USB / solar-p ...more
Want to stop wasting energy charging your USB devices? Transform some cheap solar-powered garden lights into your very own solar USB charger. For step-by-step instructions on replicating this hack yourself, watch this video tutorial. Just watch to see how to build your own sol ...more
This is a simple "take home" solar energy lamp project, based around a dirt cheap solar garden lamp, which suits enthusiastic ten-year-olds (with modest adult help). All that you need is a solar garden lamp, some tin snips, and some sandpaper. A drill will also be needed, alo ...more
Sometimes it's more than just inconvenient when your electronics lose power. Sometimes, losing power could be dangerous. Never worry about a dead cell phone again! Charge your portable electronics by harnessing the power of the sun. You Will Need *Solar-powered garden lights ...more
Mason jars are a DIYer's best friend, nearly on par with duct tape and paper clips. Why? Because you can use mason jars for so many things besides just canning and drinking, and I'm not talking about other obvious uses like basic storage containers or miniature terrariums. I'm ...more
A smartphone is pretty much useless with a dead battery. When you're out and about, it can be hard to find a place to plug in (if you remembered your charger, that is). But this DIY solar panel backpack made by electrical engineer Theodore Protasiewicz will help you use the sc ...more
I have an absolutely wonderful time making projects and writing articles for all of you mad scientists! Today, I will bring you behind the scenes for a look at the workbench, tools, and software that make the Mad Science World possible. Above is my beautiful workbench! My who ...more
Check out this Greener Business Show video tutorial on how to make a portable solar powered USB charger with an LED flashlight inside an Altoids tin can. You will see in this episode how to modify a solar path light into the Altoids tin so that you can have a nifty LED flashli ...more
Garden of Imagination demonstrates how to make a real working miniature chandelier light for a doll house. We need some cord wires, beads, an electric bulb of 12 volt and plugs. Take the cord connected to a plug and remove the metal tips and remove the plugs. There will be tw ...more
How to divide and re-pot onions and herbs Take some green onions from your garden and bring them inside. If there are any dead or dry leaves on the onions that you bring in clean them up so that you have nice clean onions. Herbs are also good to grow inside during the winter a ...more
If you're tired of replacing the batteries on your remote control and you would rather have the TV remote charge by itself, grab a few solar cells, rechargable batteries, and a few extra odds and ends. With this mod to your remote, you can let light charge your remote and neve ...more
If you're running low on time and short on money this holiday season, there is a way to still give your friends and family presents without having to resort to cliche $5 Russell Stover chocolates from the drugstore. Check out this crafting tutorial to learn how to craft a pre ...more
You can engrave just about any surface available, as long as you can press your engraving pen over it. Watch this tutorial to learn how to engrave stones from your garden or the beach with gorgeous floral designs or names. If you have a party coming up, you can create stunning ...more
Want to bring some light to your garden and make it look fabulous at night? You may want to consider installing garden lights. As for what sort of lights to install, that depends on your garden and the type of effect you wish to achieve. For detailed instructions on choosing t ...more
Graffiti is a great way of getting your message out to the masses. The earliest known graffiti dates back to 30,000 years ago and used the traditional apply-paint-to-wall technique. Though our paint now comes in cans and not from scavenged berries, the actual graffiti process ...more
55-year-old Peruvian inventor, Eduardo Gold, was one of 26 winners of the "100 Ideas to Save the Planet" competition of 2009. His winning plan? To whitewash a mountain in order to restore it to a glacier. Some consider it a simple yet brilliant solution, others consider it fo ...more
Solar Shades Looks like it's going to be another hot summer and this time of year, I always get questions about the best kind of Shades for the home! I may be a little bias in my opinion because I'm going through a more minimalist "less is more" style in my life right now. Ta ...more
WonderHowTo is a how-to website made up of niche communities called Worlds, with topics ranging from Minecraft to science experiments to Scrabble and everything in-between. Check in every Wednesday evening for a roundup of user-run activities and how-to projects from the most ...more
This is definitely the work of a Trekkie. Reddit user ModXMV shared the below image of his uncle's new homemade Star Trek mailbox. It's constructed of different-sized PVC pipe, a plastic dish container, wood, lights, etc. It even has a solar panel attached so it can light up ...more
This video tutorial is in the Home & Garden category which will show you how to light up your ceiling without recess lighting. Tamara Maslar shows two easy lighting projects to brighten up your living room. The first project is lanterns. You will need paper lanterns, assorted ...more
Everybody loves lasagna, but how about trying something new with your lasagna meal? Like zucchini. Try out this zucchini lasagna, which is very light, and can come straight form your garden. Watch the video recipe to learn how to make a zucchini lasagna. This creative twist o ...more
Just about every household gadget we own runs on 1.5 volt batteries of one size or another. Wouldn't it be great if you could reuse all of those dead AA, AAA, and D batteries after they've passed on? It turns out you can make a simple circuit called a "Joule Thief" to reanimat ...more
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills. Submit your best shot to our weekly competition for a chance to win an awes ...more
You can have a garden in less than 30 minutes. The key is a product called garden socks. They are two cubic feet long and they have one cubic foot of compost inside of them. One thing that makes this product useful is that they are very light and easy to carry around and they ...more
Just a couple Saturday's ago, we were blessed with the Supermoon, where the moon was at perigee with our planet, creating a larger than usual Moon for us here on Earth. Now, we've got another spectacular show in the skies coming up, only this one isn't at night. There will be ...more
Turn your home or patio into an incandescent flower garden with plain holiday lights and egg cartons. You Will Need * Scissors * Three to four cardboard egg cartons * A string of holiday lights * Watercolor paint (optional) * A pin (optional) Step 1 Cut out and discard the ro ...more
One of the best ways to add summer colour to your garden or patio is with hanging baskets. Now is the perfect time to plant up baskets in order to give the plants a few weeks to establish before they are hung outside after the danger of frost has passed. Learn how to make a be ...more
Solar Thermal Microgeneration may be used to reduce your hot water bill, fossil fuel use, and lower your carbon footprint. For water heating, water is collected from solar panels. It is used to heat the water, as it filters through the water heater. Some areas require all new ...more
What happens when you combine a passion for astronomy and a love of wine? Cabernet that's out of this world. Literally. It's called Meteorito, and has a berry, nutty flavor with just a hint of iron and nickel. The wine was made by oenophile and amateur astronomer Ian Hutcheon, ...more
Via craigslist: Do you like organic living? Willing to learn what you don't know? Are you a writer, student or someone who makes your own hours? If so read on.. In exchange for 10-20 hours a week (more from March-July, less from July-March) of work that includes tending and h ...more
Solar panels are an amazing invention. Catching energy from the Sun before it even enters Earth's food chain, photovoltaics are like an all-natural nuclear power plant. Unfortunately, the constituted parts of a solar panel are rare, valuable, and subject to the coercive forces ...more
Learn how you can plant and care for rhubarb with this gardening tutorial. As rhubarb is likely to be in one position for many years, ground preparation is very important. Plenty of organic matter in the form of garden compost or rotted manure should be worked into the soil an ...more
Here is a simple gradient eye look created with Cool Heat Mac products. Follow along and learn how easy it is to apply this dark and light blue eyelid color. Products used for blue gradient look: Eyes Base - Too Faced Eyeshadow Insurance Base 2 - L’Oreal HiP paint in Steely ...more
When protecting your garden, you can stay green with some environmentally sound solutions. You Will Need * 1 A tape measure * 2 Two lightweight polyester row covers * Work clothes * 1 Safety glasses * Garden gloves * 8 oz. 8 oz. Bt powder * Distilled water * 1 A spray bottle * ...more
When you design your irrigation system and pick the plants for your garden you need to think about picking plants that have certain characteristics in common. This tutorial gives you tips on how to group similar plants together by light and water requirements.
This is just a simple survival light source. You can use a cheap outdoor solar yard light like the one in the video from walmart. There only about 3 to 5 bucks but you can use them not only as a light source but a way to recharge AA rechargeable batteries. First, it will make ...more
Do you have two dollars and a water bottle? Then you can put together this simple but awesome solar-powered lantern that will provide more than enough light to read by at night. To begin, you'll need a water bottle, of course, some string, and optionally, a little bleach. You ...more
There's nothing worse than when you come up with a brilliant idea while you're busy with other things and then promptly forget it. Whether it's the perfect ending for your novel or a comeback you should've said during that argument with your roommate last week, it's always ann ...more
Observations of a distant dust-filled solar system have shed light on the process of planet formation. Our current understanding of planet formation suggests that planets form slowly over a period of several hundred thousand years from particles of dust left over following th ...more
Aside from being completely adorable, Fijibot is a completely autonomous robot that automatically seeks out light sources to charge his solar-powered battery. He's built from a 1.5 liter Fiji water bottle, packed with an Arduino Uno, 6 volt solar panel, and an Arduino Proto Sh ...more
Plants all around us capture sunlight every day and convert it to energy, making them a model of solar energy production. And while the energy they make may serve the needs of a plant, the process isn't efficient enough to generate power on a larger scale. So, scientists from ...more
Don't throw away your dead light bulbs, they may come in handy one day. This video will show you how to start a fire using a dead lightbulb. And no electricity. The tricky part is emptying out the insides, but this can be done with sticks and stones, assuming you're in a surv ...more
Omniscience is not required to make some really cool shit happen. Yes, it took a while, but we can make fuel from the Sun! Solar panels are basically our answer to God. And now that we can make solar electricity, finding the most efficient way to harvest it is tricky. Some so ...more
As sheltering at home orders ease up, we still have to remain respectful of social distancing. Camping is one of your best options. You'll avoid the crowded beaches and trails while still soaking up nature. Right now we can all use some fresh air and sunshine. The last thing ...more
Most sandboxes wait for children on a playground or the occasional zen garden raking. This one combines light, sand, and depth cameras to create a completely malleable topographical map you can alter with a brush of your hand. Video: . Gary Glesener, director of the Modeling a ...more
When the power goes out, having the ability to contact others becomes extremely important, and your cell phone can be one of the most important tools to have. But if the power is out for an extended period of time, battery life becomes a constant problem. Without the ability ...more
This is a simple design built from reclaimed wood and purchased ¼” wood slats. It cost very little and only took a couple of hours to complete the build. The goal was light weight, shallow and wide for collecting leafy vegetables, easy to handle and somewhat attractive. Video: ...more
This magical, glowing mixture is very strange, with an equally strange name (Oobleck), because it feels like moldable pizza dough in your hands one second, and like liquified goo the next. Even stranger is the fact that this glowing "magical mud" is made from things we eat, s ...more
Always downing a glass of red wine in the evening? Don't be ashamed. Red wine has some great health benefits when consumed in moderation, including improved memory, lower risk of heart disease, and even bone strengthening. Photo by Joe Shlabotnik Aside from improving your hea ...more
In the case of rotting food, microbes are not our friends. Now, scientists have developed a new food wrap coated with tiny clay tubes packed with an antibacterial essential oil that can extend the shelf life of perishable food, so we can waste less and eat more. "While compan ...more
WonderHowTo is a how-to website made up of niche communities called Worlds, with topics ranging from Minecraft to science experiments to Scrabble and everything in-between. Check in every Wednesday evening for a roundup of user-run activities and how-to projects from the most ...more
As our society and population grows, more developments such as housing and restaurants are built. While this is beneficial for us, it's not so great for the environment and the animals that occupy it. Some of the victims of our prosperity have been the birds, forced from their ...more
Rick van Man of Container Gardening For Food details his techniques for making a solar-powered food dehydrator out of such household debris as scrap wood and old pint cans. The finished product looks amazingly professional! Truly a must-watch for any DIY-inclined gardening ent ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to start an urban living indoor garden during the winter. You can easily place a shelving unit over the side of a window sill. This will also need a fastener attached to it to give it extra support. After this, you will need to install florescent ...more