With Covid-19 leaving so many of us confined to our homes, people are searching for things to keep them busy, or to fill critical roles in their activities that have suddenly been changed.
We’ve scoured through our archives and put together this fun list of projects that you could do to stave off boredom, create wonderful treats, and even amuse your animals.
Lets start with some games! Of course you could pull out the classics, but no family ever came out the other side of a family game of monopoly in a good mood. Sometimes building your own games and toys can be a fantastic alternative
- If you already have conductive ink (or can get your hands on some), this electronic audio game is super fun!
- Print and cut this clever little noisemaker. You tie it to the end of a string a whirl away!
- Spending a little time outside is an absoulte necessity right now, and this PVC ladder toss game is a perfect fit
- Who doesn’t love an origami jumping frog?
- This clever little projector allows you to make animated creatures with simple tools.
One thing we’re seeing people really exploring during this time is food! So many wonderful pictures of fresh baked bread and tasty desserts are floating around social media right now it is astonishing. Why not make your friends jealous with one of these clever projects?
- Extract DNA from strawberries to make the Double Helix Daiquiri!
- You may be able to make a nice Bruschetta, but you can make it even better with Cold-Oil Spherification
- It isn’t the taste, but rather the look that will get some attention with these DIY Gelatin Dots
- Did you know you can make your own healthier carbonated drinks at home using Alka-Seltzer
- For a bit of spice, no need to visit your local stores when you can ferment your own Hot Sauce
- Flex those chemistry skills to rival Starbucks, whip up a velvety smooth dairy-free latte
- If you’re one of those people who feel like you couldn’t live without Nutella in your life, don’t worry, you don’t have to. You can make a very similar spread at home!
- First off, don’t eat these. They’re DIY bath bombs. I put them in this part of the list because you make them in your kitchen! That makes sense, right? I don’t know. This shelter at home thing is making me a little bonkers. Are you still reading this? Good. I hope you’re enjoying it.
Listen, your pets don’t deserve any sympathy right now. You’re cooped up at home and they’re getting more attention than they deserve. How about 3 projects that will let you maybe step away from your furry friends for a little bit?
- String up this crazy chaotic double pendulum cat toy. I promise your cat will be very into this… for at least 15 seconds. Then it will probably want back on your lap.
- You know what? If your cat is going to be such a huge part of your life, why not make things just a bit easier on yourself and train your cat to use a toilet? That’s not weird, right?
- I don’t want to start a flame war online or anything, but you know your dog is being totally cool right now. Not pesky like your stubborn cat that thinks it rules the world. Maybe Fido deserves a diy self watering system?
It’s spring right? At least for the folks in the U.S. It is prime time to be getting those gardens in shape. You may find, like I do, that getting your hands in the soil really gets your mind off of, well, everything else.
- Keep those plants from getting thirsty with a water efficient self wicking bed.
- Compost is a fantastic way to reuse your food waste, and create great garden soil. A custom compost bin can be very helpful in achieving good results.
- Do you happen to have some small plastic containers sitting around? Maybe a little green piggie or a blue cup? If so, we have the perfect tutorial for you. You can plant herbs in them. C’mon, did you really need us to explain that to you? Plant herbs in containers, but like…. do it with cute containers instead. Groundbreaking.
- Create faux stone planters at home for some pretty impressive results. This is called Hypertufa which is a really funny word. Hypertufa. Say it with me. HY-PER-TOOF-UH. Not only do these sound funny, they’re actually pretty great planters.
- Hydroponics have been a very popular area for some home exploration for a while. Give it a try if you can get your supplies.
- A simple 2×4 planter box is a great way to separate your garden from your lawn, especially if you need to add some better soil for planting.
- When you’re planting those cucumbers that will quickly overtake your entire garden and produce more than you’ll ever eat in a lifetime, you should consider also putting in a trellis. You can help reign in the cucumber for a week or two before you give up and decide that this your life now, buried in cucumber.
Are you still here? Wow, great. I’ve got an idea. Come a little closer. LET’S DECORATE! Just imagine the crazy projects you could pull off! You could paint rugs on your floor! oooh, lets glue all the furniture to the ceiling. No? Not quite lost your mind that much yet? Well, how about you try these out and we’ll just circle back next week and see if you’re ready.
- Print and cut stencils so that you can decorate your windows! Pick a theme and go nuts. Just, you know, maybe don’t pick anything that is going to freak out people walking by to do wellness checks.
- Forget boring night lights, a fairy light filled mason jar is always a better option.
- How much time do you need to fill? Are you one of those people that really needs something to eat up some hours? Howe about tying 200,000 tiny knots to make a periodic table of the elements.
- It is called a harmonograph and it makes neat art. You can totally build this at home and you totally should.
- Make your own colorful twine by twisting fabric scraps together.
- Are you home alone? Need a friend to talk to? How about a poseable papercraft makey robot? She’s a great listener and depending on just how bonkers you’ve gone, she tells great stories too!
- Ok this last one didn’t fit anywhere else but I just felt it really needed to be in this list. You can totally add little LEDs to a broom so you can see how disgusting your floor is no matter how often you sweep. How can that dog shed so much? Do the new hairs push out the old ones or do they stagger a bit? How can the floor be constantly covered in hair, even as I sweep? It is like some kind of bizarre groundhog day trick. Non-stop-floor-fur.
Congratulations! You made it through all 30 of the projects we found! You know what, there are hundreds more available right now. Just go to our projects system and dig around. Make a list. That’s a fun little exercise that will keep you occupied for a couple hours.
ADVERTISEMENT
