Category — Projects & DIY

“Stumbled across this idea by accident this week when my four year-old wanted to help with the cooking. She’s kind of a wild stirrer and flour has a tendency to end up all over so I was feeling resistant to having her help. The dishwasher happened to be open and I got the idea to just set the bowl on top of the open dishwasher door. It was just the right height for her to help add ingredients and stir, and the pile of flour and sugar that usually ends up on the counter ended up on the dishwasher instead, making clean up as easy as closing the door It was definitely one of those ‘how did it take me so long to think of this?!’ sort of moments.”

It’s worth reading the conversation following this ParentHack tip for the ‘over-protective parent’ argument that ensues (’it’s unhygienic’, ‘the door will break’, ‘toxic detergent’ etc). Here’s my favourite quote:

“Nothing wrong with the dishwasher. If you’re concerned about the hygiene of a clean dishwasher door, you should be concerned about the clean dishes that come out of it. If your dishwasher isn’t cleaning all the detergent out of the cup, you are either loading it wrong or it’s time for a repair or a new dishwasher. And if there’s detergent residue on the door, simply don’t allow your child to lick the spilled flour off the door and wash their hands when they are done.”

Dishwasher door as self-cleaning toddler workspace (via Boing Boing)

Le Knockout is a range of jewellery by Kim Kovel: necklaces, earrings and the amazingly titled “charms of youth.” Why? Because each ‘charm’ is actually one of your childrens’ milk teeth, gilded so they don’t rot around your neck, presumably.

Prices start at around $300.

Recycle your baby’s teeth into jewelry with ‘Le Knockout’ by Kim Kovel (via Inhabitots)

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BadParent: dismembered Barbie doll body parts as jewelry

Created by artist Margaux Lange who evidently takes enormous pleasure (and a living) from cutting up Barbie and her boyfriend Ken to make necklaces, brooches and bracelets for very, very sick individuals. This one looks a bit like my old Ski Ken (sob)…

Artist Dismembers Barbie, Turns Body Parts Into Disturbing Jewelry (via ecouterre)

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Maisie Maud Broadhead’s Cable Drawings – A series of installations created with wire flex and cable fixings – is a splendid way to deal with excess cable-age. Although you’d have to have rather a lot of excess to pull off anything resembling the masterpiece above… or an extension cord. Which would kind of defeat the object.

Turning unsightly cables into design (via Make)

Having recently endured a mouse infestation in my own house, Tom Parker’s cheeseboard/mousetrap combo (and the ‘let the bastards on to your worktop just long enough to smell the cheese and die’ philosophy that comes with it) appeals to my state of mind greatly. The only problem is that mice aren’t actually all that fussed about cheese – they much prefer peanut butter and chocolate. Fact.

Combo mousetrap and cheese cutting board (via Boing Boing)

You know that painting ‘moment’ you get when taking a break, possibly between coats, when you’re forced to leave your paintbrush precariously balanced on the rim of the can causing a slow-but-fatal stream of paint to ooze its oil-based way onto and through the old piece of rag you wrongly assumed would protect the carpet in such situations? Of course you do. Good news, then: the Hanging Brush concept designed by Bang Jun Mo & You In Sik has arrived to save the lives of weekend decorators, one carpet at a time.

Hang On The Rim (via Yanko Design)

Obviously someone, somewhere has a need for this torture device doll eyeball removal tool but enough already with the graphic imagery. Yeesh…

Easy out! Best reborn eyeball-removing tool i’ve found (via Boing Boing)

On one hand, these designer cardboard dividers are the epitome of recycled playtime chic. On the other hand, they cost $88 (or $110 for non Museum Of Contemporary Art members), which kind of defeats the object.

Enzo Mari’s Cardboard Divider Offers Plenty of Scope for Imaginative Play (via Inhabitots)

When dismantled, the pieces of Eric Ku’s Flatpack Chair spell out the word CHAIR. Fun! Just to confirm, it definitely does not spell out the word COMFORT.

Fabulous Flatpack Furniture (via Inhabitat)

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Thomas De Bruin has made an alphabet display from sections of Google Earth’s satelite photography. There’s an upper case (as above) and lower case version plus a set of numbers and punctuation – all taken using only Google Earth images of the Netherlands.

Satellite photography alphabet (via Boing Boing)