Low-Tech Solutions You Probably Didn’t Think Of
We live in an era in which virtually every practical problem can be solved by an Amazon order - but with a little bit of ingenuity, it's possible to tackle some of these issues with whatever you have lying around the house.
These solutions run the gamut from brilliant to questionable, and we don't necessarily endorse all of them. That said, it's hard not to admire the pure creativity on display.
Stack of cups can rotate to show when coffee was brewed
Here's a brilliant solution to a common problem: people using shared coffeemakers often don't know when the coffee was brewed.
These coffee cups have been annotated and stacked, and whoever brews the coffee needs to simply rotate the cups to show when it was brewed.
Using a partially inflated baggie as a phone stand
Finding a way to prop up your phone while traveling is a common issue, and it seems like it's never quite possible to get your phone at the right angle.
This guy had a ziploc bag on hand, and he utilized it in a simple way to allow him to watch movies on his phone.
Bench can be reversed to face either direction
Benches are generally built to face in one direction, but what if there are two viable ways for a bench to face?
In this case, the bench's back has been attached to its base in a way to allow it to be converted to face either direction.
Filling up gas without a funnel
Ideally, we should always use an approved container or a proper gas pump to fuel up our various gas-powered devices.
If these tools aren't available (and again, a proper gas can has a safe spout on it), it's possible to fill up using a soda bottle as an improvised funnel.
A proper rain boot
This downspout didn't drain properly, so in the absence of an actual elbow pipe, this ingenious person repurposed an old rain boot.
It seems like the kind of solution that will either last for an hour before falling apart, or will somehow be eternal.
Puzzle includes a stand for the box
If you're doing a jigsaw puzzle, you're going to be looking at the box constantly in an effort to understand where a given piece goes.
Here's a feature that should honestly be standard on every puzzle box. After all, it barely uses up any additional materials.
Using a ping pong paddle as a stop sign
Everyone knows that a bright red sign, usually in a hexagonal, octagonal, or sometimes circular shape, is almost always a stop sign, regardless of what language the word is written in.
This isn't a sign at all, it's a ping pong paddle. But something about the design language of the typical stop sign makes it immediately apparent what the paddle is trying to indicate.
All six need to be unlocked
If you really, really want to make sure a lock is unlocked or locked (or if multiple people are interested in the lock), here's a great solution.
It's admittedly a fairly niche scenario, but it's also a foolproof way to be absolutely certain that you locked up.
Adding floaties to avocado seeds so they're watered automatically
When it comes to planting avocados, one could either water them on a set schedule, or equip them with some floaties so they water themselves.
For those who have both a green thumb and a tendency to forget things, this is obviously the way to go.
Hand sanitizer station with foot pedal
It's handy to have hand sanitizer stations available to you, but the handles of the pumps tend to get dirty and broken over time.
Unlike the typical hands-free stations that rely on motors, this solution needs no external power - just a couple of steps on its foot pedal.
Using string to direct condensation into a pitcher
Window-mounted air conditioning units tend to drip their condensation down onto the floor, often in a way that makes it tough to simply put a container underneath them.
However, due to water's tendency to adhere to a string, it's entirely possible to rig up an elegant solution to catch all of the excess condensation.
An improvised level
Traditional levels rely heavily on the eye test, with the user assessing whether something is level based on the liquid inside the device.
This method may not be quite as precise, but it relies on exactly the same principles.
Making a mallet out of a hammer
Do you own a hammer but not a mallet? Are you okay with your mallet having a relatively small striking area?
If so, this is exactly what you needed. The rubber bands help to dampen the impact of the metal hammer.
A low-tech cooling sensation
These people have rigged up a fan to a pair of pants in order to direct the airflow to two separate areas.
Sure, it looks weird to have a fully inflated horizontal pair of pants in your bedroom, but that's the price of innovation.
Using an umbrella to capture paint drippings
Painting can be an absolute nightmare, particularly when painting an area that might drip onto other surfaces.
This solution requires a bit of work to attach the umbrella to the paint roller, but once set up, it's easy to see the genius at play.
Improvising a document camera
It's a bit tricky to see what's going on here, but this person has rigged up a CD so the computer's webcam captures the reflection of a document on the CD's mirrored surface.
From there, it's possible to take a screenshot of the resulting image, making for easier studying.
Linking multiple barrels to collect rainwater
Plenty of people have a rainwater barrel, but these tend to fill up pretty quickly during the rainy season.
However, with a little bit of ingenuity and a few PVC pipes, it's possible to build a multi-tiered rainwater collection system.
An actual homemade lawnmower
A Reddit user spotted this rustic-looking lawnmower in Serbia, but unfortunately didn't get to see it in action.
Assuming it has actual blades under there, it just might work. After all, hand-powered lawnmowers operate on very simple principles.
Device lets you open 7 books at once
This 300-year-old device allows the reader to look at seven books at the same time, turning the wheel to switch books.
It's kind of like the 18th century equivalent of having way too many browser tabs open at once.
Making a greenhouse out of an old trampoline
This greenhouse has a few components that didn't come from the trampoline, like the door and the tarp, but pretty much everything else came from the trampoline frame.
The curved pieces form a perfect roof, while the springs have been repurposed as roof supports.
Fork repurposed as iPad holder
There are a million ways to prop up your iPad, but this might just be the simplest - all while using something you already have in your house.
Of course, you'll need to sacrifice a fork to make this happen, but it seems worth it.
Quick lawnmower fix
Lawnmower wheels don't need to be fancy - they just need to be wheel-shaped and attached to the mower in question.
This might not look pretty, but it absolutely fulfills both of the requirements outlined above.
CD rack turned into ramen holder
Do you have as much ramen as you used to have CDs? It's a weird question, but if you're a true ramen fan who's given up on physical media, it's relevant.
The reason for its relevance is that ramen packages fit very neatly into old CD racks.
Foot-operated hand wash station
This all-in-one solution would be great for anyone working on a job site.
The foot pedal pumps water into the bucket for hand-washing, and the wastewater runs into the bucket below.
Improvised doorstop
While this doorstop admittedly looks like it might collapse in a strong wind, it's hard not to admire the ingenuity.
A door requires some kind of wedge in order to be propped open, and this is about the most minimalistic wedge possible.
No adapter needed
You have to be fairly certain that you know what you're doing here, but for those who are electronically-inclined, it's entirely possible to make this work.
Of course, a trip to Best Buy would also yield a safer solution.
Creating more light with candle and mirror
Traditional lanterns often utilize mirrors to create more light, and that's the principle at play here.
Anyone who finds themselves in a situation where they need to rely on candlelight should invest in a couple of small mirrors as well.
You don't need much for a gear shifter
A gear shifter isn't fancy - it's just something to hold onto as you shift gears, usually with a helpful annotation on the top.
This solution didn't take long to make, but functionally it's no different from whatever originally came with the car.
Homemade AC unit with PVC pipe
This truck can't fully open its windows, but it's making the most of its options with this solution.
A small PVC elbow funnels outside air directly into the truck's cab, making the temperature a little more bearable.
3D-printed "digital" sundial
Here's one of humanity's oldest, most useful inventions - the sundial - made with modern tech.
Thanks to the wizardry of 3D printing, this sundial actual displays a "digital" display of the time in its shadow.
Anti-theft remote control
Not many people are going to steal a remote control, but remotes do have a tendency to go permanently missing.
This laundromat wants people to be able to control the TV, but they don't want to lose their remote - so they opted for this elegant solution.
Remotely controlled switch
Here's a highly specific case, but it does demonstrate that light switches can be controlled remotely without the aid of smart devices.
All it takes is some string, PVC pipe, and a lot of trial and error.
Siphoning pool water for plant watering
The siphon is one of those principles that's so simple and so useful that it almost seems like magic.
Sure, it's slower than a pump, but it requires no external power source.
Cooler/grill out of a toilet
A lot of people would understandably think twice about eating anything that's been grilled over a literal toilet, and that's fair.
This might be more of a gag device than a serious grill, but it's hard not to admire the work that went into this.
Mess-free freezer defrost
Defrosting a freezer can be a wet, messy job, but it doesn't have to be that way.
One ingenious Redditor found a way to defrost their freezer using three items: a hose, a bucket, and a bunch of duct tape.
Using a bucket to protect infrastructure
This ethernet box needs more long-term protection than a simple overturned bucket, but in a pinch, this works.
Sometimes it's just about keeping things dry and protected from the elements until a better solution can be found.
TV on a hanger
Wall-mounted TVs require a wall mount along with a lot of complicated drilling and measuring work.
Hanger-mounted tablets, on the other hand, literally require a coat hanger and somewhere to hang it from.
Propping up wheels to turn trailer into a ramp
If you have a flat trailer but no ramp, it's possible to turn it into a ramp if you can get the angles right.
This doesn't look like the safest solution, exactly, but with some careful maneuvering they've managed to get the car onto the trailer.
Old boat turned into deck
Most people don't have an old catamaran-style boat lying around, but for those that do, this is worth trying out.
It wouldn't have been easy to get the boat into position, but once it was placed there, the job was pretty much complete.
Precise trampoline calibration using caulking gun
Do you care about having a trampoline with perfect tension and torsion? Probably not, but if you do, grab a caulking gun.
This guy has used a preset measurement to compare to every trampoline spring, ensuring a perfect fit.
