The Baby’s Playpen on… the Wall

Wall-mounted fold-down baby playpen for kitchen

As soon as a child has learned to crawl, they are overcome by the desire to explore the surrounding space, where there are all sorts of curious things. And here parents are often helped by a well-known invention — a baby playpen. Its wooden lattice or rope netting limits the baby’s movement within this fenced Read more…

Hallway Furniture Set

DIY hallway furniture: wardrobe and cabinet set

After a long DIY construction project of my own — or rather a major renovation of a purchased country house — it turned out that we would have to move in not only to “bare walls,” but also practically with empty pockets. I think some readers of this magazine I respect so much may find Read more…

Spice Rack

Simple DIY 5-part spice shelf from scrap wood

I offer you a shelf of a very simple design, consisting of just five parts. The reason for making it was that I had accumulated a large number of baby-food jars. The shelf is designed to hold five jars, although their number can be increased or decreased by changing the dimensions of the corresponding parts. Read more…

Water Carousel

DIY foam water carousel for beach recreation

As is well known, sun, air, and water create the most favorable conditions for recreation. So it is no surprise that on a hot sunny day so many people gather on sea beaches and by the banks of a river or pond that there is literally no room to spare. Unfortunately, well-equipped beaches are few. Read more…

Around the Nail

18 tips: how to drive nails the right way

It would seem that driving a nail is about as simple as it gets. Still, even this seemingly straightforward operation requires a calculated approach and some experience. 1. Long nails are best driven with a 400—500 g hammer, and small ones with a hammer weighing up to 250 g. 2. To find nails driven deep Read more…

A ‘Mittens’ for a Shovel

DIY sheath for a Fiskars shovel blade

The times of treasure hunters are back. “Black” and “green” searchers look for artifacts of past eras, dedicating all their free time to this pursuit. All in the hope of finding a coin hoard or a weapons cache. One cannot condemn them — times are hard. Better, if possible, to help. One of the main Read more…

Useful Things for a Sailboat

Sailboat fittings: rigging, cleats, and blocks

You have built a sailing craft — a yacht, dinghy, catamaran, or simply fitted a kayak with a sail. There is no doubt that the main attention was given to making the hull, mast, and sails. The small, at first glance inconspicuous fittings of a sailboat are remembered at best after construction is finished, or Read more…

Work Desk… on a Stepladder

DIY metal shelf for a stepladder at home

Is it necessary to prove that working on a stepladder becomes much more convenient if the necessary tools are always at hand? For example, on a shelf fitted onto the upper bow of the stepladder. Its design is simple: only six parts, not counting washers and rivets — a tray, two clamps, two hooks, and Read more…

Entryway: Simple and Beautiful

DIY hallway furniture suite for a small entryway

Not every home has an entryway that can accommodate the hallway wardrobe units sold in stores: as a rule, they are designed for a spacious hallway. At the same time, even in a small corridor you can rationally organize a corner with a mirror and hangers, similar to the homemade furniture set for a small Read more…

Cockroaches — With Electricity

DIY electroshock cockroach trap with Latour circuit

Cockroaches: people have tried everything to get rid of these black and reddish-brown sneak insects, but… Exterminating such hardy pests is still a problem. Especially for residents of densely occupied apartment blocks, dormitories, and rundown Khrushchev-era buildings. Among quite promising ways to fight cockroaches, in my view, are even the simplest electroshock devices. I, for Read more…