Clever handy hints under $5

Clever handy hints under $5
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Everyone enjoys a good bargain, especially when it can save you time and trouble for several home improvement projects. So check out these clever and cheap handy hints that cost less than $5 to reproduce.

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What to do when your glue caps keep getting stuck

What to do when your glue caps keep getting stuck
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Caps on certain adhesives/glues, like rubber cement and super glue, have a habit of getting stuck or glued on no matter how hard you try and keep them clean. Learn this simple hack to solve this annoying issue.

Peel-and-stick vinyl work surface

Peel-and-stick vinyl work surface
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Make almost any work surface in your shop much easier to clean by adding some peel-and-stick vinyl tiles. The smooth, liquid-resistant tiles are available at most home centres, and they’re easy to apply because the adhesive is ready to go!

Taller table hack

Taller table hack
FAMILY HANDYMAN

If you use a standard banquet table for your workbench, you’ll love this hint! We created stilts for our table using 30mm PVC pipe, raising the surface of our workbench to a more comfortable height!

Here are 8 storage solutions using PVC piping.

DIY car mats

DIY car mats
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Here’s an easy automotive hack: buy carpet squares from Home Depot (they’re always under $2) and use them as car mats in your back seats. Another option is to use carpet scraps to make these DIY car mats.

Check out these cleaning secrets only car detailers know.

DIY ice pack hack

DIY ice pack hack
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Make your own DIY ice pack! All you need to do is take a standard kitchen sponge, soak it in water, put it inside a ziploc bag, and freeze it. Freeze the sponge overnight and the next morning, you will have an ice pack. The handy thing is that when the ice starts to melt, the sponge soaks up the water so it doesn’t leak everywhere.

The miracle of a walnut

The miracle of a walnut
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Furniture gets beat up over time, but you don’t have to live with the unsightly scratches. In fact, you can remove years of damage with a simple snack food: walnuts, rubbed over the scratch.

Learn these 10 tips for wood floor scratch repair.

Ladder hack: magnet extra hand

Ladder hack: magnet extra hand
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Attach a round base magnet to the top of your ladder for an extra hand that can hold nuts, bolts, screws, etc, for you while you work. Round base magnets have a premade hole in the centre, so all you need to do is drill a hole in the top of your ladder and secure the magnet with a bolt and nut.

Learn about ladder safety.

Use coins for toilet shims

Use coins for toilet shims
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Did you know that coins can be used to shim a toilet? Just slip coins under a toilet to level it; then add caulk along the floor to hide the coin shims.

Learn about smart sealing: here are 3 steps to mastering your caulking gun.

Cutting PVC with string

Cutting PVC with string
FAMILY HANDYMAN

If I need to cut a piece of PVC that’s impossible to reach with a saw, I cut a small notch into the pipe with a utility knife and cut the pipe by pulling a string back and forth in the notch. It’s not as fast or accurate as a saw – this pipe took about 5 minutes to cut through – but it’s a good trick in a tight spot.