how-to

How to Slice Garlic, Prison-Style with Poem

We love this clip from Martin Scorcese’s brilliant film Goodfellas for teaching us a way to do something we’ve done thousands of time — slice garlic — to make a little go a long way. As well as for reminding us of garlic’s bigger meaning….

Artful Lessons in Styrofoam from Lino Schenal and Max Lamb

In the 1970’s mysterious Italian designer Lino Schenal clad his house in sculpted styrofoam, from walls to simple, stylish furniture. Fifty years later we looked to Max Lamb to reveal the secrets of the ubiquitous material for making artful, practical creations.

How to Keep Cooler and Use Less AC

This simple lesson we learned from an expert in ventilation helped us cool down the fierce summers in our hot top floor apartment, and lessened our air conditioner use and costs. Some days we even glimpse the feeling that illustrator Monica Ramos evokes in so many of her artworks…

A Password Strategy That Employs Poetry and Prose

The chart of data sourced from HowSecureIsMyPassword.net shows just how quickly a hacker can brute-force various kinds of passwords, especially the weak grandkid’s-names-type that many people think up. Then there’s THIS solution for making unhackable, easy-to-remember passwords.

Banksy: How to ‘Create Escape’

We’re inspired in so many ways by graffiti artist Banksy’s brilliant tutorial done to the words of Bob Ross, TV painting instructor and host of the iconic Joy of Painting show from 1983 to 1994. Along with revelatory technique is a philosophy for navigating life…

The Cosmic Meaning of Polka Dots and How to DIY Them (Yayoi Kusama)

We love the green polka dots in this down-at-heels kitchen, a perfect way to jazz up a wall. It got us thinking about their cosmic meaning and how to make them without laboriously holding up stencils.

A Bed Surrounded by Flowers Makes a Dreamy Respite

When we stumbled on thisimage by photographer Jill Burrow, we thought, ‘Ah yes. We’d love to sleep surrounded by flowers, especially now, after months of guarded and circumscribed living.’ Looking closely, we found permission to do it…

Magic Trick: Divine Ice Cream Made In a Plastic Bag

At a dinner party New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield attended last summer, one of the hosts served ice cream that had the mind-blowing effect of a magic trick. Here’s how, with a recipe.

How to Hang a Hammock Anywhere

When we passed a woman lazily lounging in a hammock strung between two trees in our local park, we wondered why we don’t see more people taking advantage of the many hammock opportunities that are available. IF you know how…

Easy-to-Make DIY Clear Face Shield

Tokujin Yoshioka created a simple, easy-to-make face shield held in place with ordinary eyewear. It gives an added measure of protection against Covid-19.

DIY Hand and Object Sanitizers to Combat Nasty Viruses UPDATE

When we found hand sanitizers sold out everywhere, we did some research to find ways to achieve what commercial hand-sanitizers would, along with a few other strategies for killing that nasty coronavirus.

What a Noted Virologist Is Advising Family and Friends About Coronavirus

When a friend forwarded an email from a “noted virologist” with the Subject line, “What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic”, we checked it out. Dr. Robb MD FACP did indeed write the excellent advice below. It’s well worth taking to heart.