| Copyright © 2007-2008 by Zack Smith, All rights reserved. There are tons of things that you can make for yourself easily and quickly. On this page I am trying to call your attention to this fact, to shake you out of the sleep that advertisers have induced. I believe that most people have become enslaved to manufacturers and to their agenda. People have been emasculated by the capitalist and the retailer -- made to think everything must be bought and that buying will solve problems. Most people can't repair or modify what they own, let alone build something useful. All that most people can do, it seems, it prepare food. But that is just ritualized consumption. It's the slave adoring her chains. Most people have been stripped of that potent can-do energy that generations possessed before mass marketing was invented. Before mass psychological manipulation by PR firms became commonplace, people were resourceful. This page is a list of things that you can make for yourself that I know of to help you in reviving what we might call "your inner McGyver" to become more self-actualized and more independent. The ListA wallet  I made my current wallet by simple experimentation. The wallet I currently use is the second one I've made, I've used it for 6 years, and because I used thick leather it will surely last another 6 years or more. My first wallet I used for 2 years before I decided it was too small but it would have lasted much longer. Materials
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CrepesCrepes are a basic healthy food invented in the Brittany region of France that provide needed carbs, protein and fats and which are a useful container for other foods. They're made with flour, eggs and milk and preparation takes maybe 15 minutes.Check out my explanation of how to make crepes here. Work table   Recently I had some extra wood from a project and I decided to convert it into a work table, rather than go out and buy some hulking particle-board junker of a table. Using real pine wood (and no plywood) I built a simple but very useful table that is 3 feet by 6 feet and is an ideal 28 inches high. Materials
ProcedureI build this table in situ, namely in my bedroom. Without my removing the legs it will be too large to get through the table out. Removing the legs however is easy.First connect the long boards to the lateral 2x4's by placing the 2x4's down and putting the long board on top of them, then getting the angles to be perfect (90 degrees). You can put the lateral 2x4's at the extreme ends, or not, as you prefer. I did not. Second, put the 2 foot long 2x4 in the middle and connect that to the long boards. At this point the surface of the table is built and stable. Third, prepare to connect all four legs. Connect the legs to the lateral 2x4s first to ensure the angles are perfect 90 degrees. Then turn over the table onto the legs, preferably against a wall, and drill in screws from the top of the table into the legs. Each leg is now stabilized by 2 screws. Fourth, put the rear and front stabilizing boards on, screwing them into the legs, the top of the table and the lateral 2x4s. The table should now be done and fairly strong. Use thicker wood and thick screws to make it stronger. Additionally you have add lower stabilizing pieces to really make it strong. Clothing hanging systemLacking a closet, I decided to create a wooden structure to hang clothing. It rests against a wall and works just fine. It started out being very simple but as time passed I saw more and more improvements that I could make.Early version  
Final version 
Materials for Early versionGiven 3 pieces of 6 foot long, 1.5 inch wide, 3/4 inch thick wood, I made this simple, effective structure that rests against a wall to hang your clothing from hangers. Each piece of wood is about $1.20 new. I used 24 screws, all 1.5 inches long. I estimate the total cost for the final version including wood and screws was $15.ProcedureAs you can see from the Early version photos, it began as just a few pieces of wood; its stability relied actually on the wall itself.Later I decided to add more stabilizing pieces because the wood I used was fairly thin, and I found that I was hanging more and more stuff on it. For the final stabilizing pieces that I situated at 45-degree angles, I did use a mitre box to get the angles just right. Early on I didn't bother. A key point is that you must make the joints strong by using two screws for each. Also, if you don't have a T-square (I didn't have one), just use a standard piece of paper. Weightlifting benchWith only a few pieces of wood and some deck screws, you can make a basic bench for using free weights.
MaterialsI had some extra wood lying around, actually some of it I had bought out of the Extras bin at a hardware store for cheap. I also needed a weight bench, so rather than spending a large amount of money I decided to make one myself.You'll need:
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Sit-up benchSit-ups are ideally done on an incline bench so that the abs work a little. Rather than spend a bunch of money on a metal-based bench, I simply made my own.
MaterialsSeeking to make a stable bench, I opted for using 2x8 planks, which are actually 7.25" wide by 1.5" thick. I bought an 8-footer and got it cut into two 4' pieces at the store for free.
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Candles One of the simplest things you can make is a candle. Materials
ProcedurePut the pound of bee's wax in the cheapo frying pan. This pan will only be used for melting wax and as a large candle. Put the pan on your stove and switch it to the lowest setting -- usually "Warm" for electrics or just a trickle of flame for gas based. Wait an hour or two for the wax to melt. This will result in the wonderful scent of bee's wax filling your kitchen. When it's all melted, you can either pour the hot wax into glass containers or you can do as I do, use the cheapo frying pan itself as the candle container.To make wicks, first cut pieces of wicking as long as you need for your container. While the wax is still a liquid, add a couple coatings of beeswax to them just dipping them in and letting them dry. Whichever container you use, put it in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes, until there is a thin hard layer on top of the wax. After that time, poke the wicks through that thin layer and let the candle(s) sit in the fridge until solid. Book holder/standAfter seeing people in cafes with metal bookstands conveniently not straining their backs while reading, I decided to make my own stand for home use. I could have made a portable one but chose not to, for now.
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