Man Made DIY

The advent of digital cameras and animation software has put stop-motion in the hands of the masses, and we couldn't be more thankful. Folks will keep on making great stop-motion, and we'll keep watching them.

This Super Mario Brothers recreation was made for bunkasai, the Japanese cultural festival held at most schools to display the students' achievements. By the looks of this thing, this school has plenty to be proud of...     … read more

ManMade reader Jordan sent in this great how-to from the music website The Needle and the Groove. Frustrated by the ubiquity of poster images and the high pricepoints of original artwork, the two bloggers/friends got creative. " I’ve always been ridiculously frustrated trying to find posters for my dorm room – everyone has the same posters (sorry, but John Belushi is a bit played out) and none of the posters really depict artists I want to hang on my wall.  So when preparing for Duke a couple of years ago, I hit eBay (the greatest site of all time) to find some posters of Outkast, Talib, and Dizzee Rascal.  I managed to find some sweet… read more

Two wheels are always supreme, even for sitting!

Michigan-based Bike Furniture Design creates tables, chairs, barstools, and other furniture and accessories from... you guessed it: recycled bike parts.

"Bike Furniture Design is a design and manufacturing studio specializing in contemporary, modern furniture made primarily from recycled steel and aluminum bicycle rims, handlebars, and frames.

Working within the vernacular of classic modern furniture design, BFD founder Andy Gregg has continued to refine this comfortable and durable furniture since 1990. Some designs, in addition to utilizing the bicycle, also utilize components fr… read more

A ManMade man is a resourceful man, and while we don't buy into the lone-ranger-ish, solely self-reliant masculine stereotypes, we do believe that classic skills always belong in one's repertoire.

One such skill is tying effiecient knots, those that effectively and safely attach one thing to another, hold it still while you want it there, and then are easily released when you don't.

The quick-tie bowline knot seems to be a perfect one to learn.

"The bowline (pronounced "boh-lin", and pictured at top) is a knot that's used to form a fixed loop on the end of a rope. In sailing, it's commonly used to attach a line to the head of a sail, or … read more

When I need a break from work, I tend to go for today's crossword puzzle, but I certainly appreciate the daydream-inducing liltiness of keeping a mini zen garden on one's desk.

Instructable author Obbitz has created one of the finest DIY zen garden options that'll inspire you to keep your desk clear. It's created from scrap wood and a bit of glue, and filled with ordinary sand and pebbles.     … read more

Belgian artist and graffiti writer ROA has taken a unique approach to street art: add some naturalism to stark urban settings. His work has an incredible anatomical accuracy, with just a splash of stylization to create his captivating animals.

See more of ROA's work at Damn Cool Pics

As more turn to bicycling for more than just recreation, city and regional planners are rethinking roadways to accomodate all those using bikes to get to work, shopping, and to each other.

The best cycling cities (see here for Bicycle mag's top fifty list - my city came in at #34, but the ManMade/Curbly HQ in Minneapolis/St. Paul scored #1) have already been implementing lots of choice options. AOL's Rented Spaces has assembled a cool list of innovative tactics, including bike lane and sharing programs, and my favorite, the bike box, cycle triggerable traffic light programs already established in Portland.

Bike-Friendly Cities' Innova… read more

The three things I love most about summer are, in order: 1) That it stays light outside until nearly 10 p.m., 2) Permission and reason to grill outside until nearly 10 p.m., and 3) the fresh local food that I grill outside until nearly 10 p.m. Okay, so perhaps my summer evenings tend to look mostly the same...but of course they do! All that fresh local produce deserves its time in the sun (boo...), and where I live, the two superstars are local sweet corn and crazy awesome tomatoes.

So, you might imagine I end up with tomato sandwiches and grilled cobs at least three nights a week. And most often, my tomato sandwiches are the standard BLT  - why improve on a classic? But last night, I tried this  vegetarian tomato sandwich from Country Living, and i gotta say... it's totally a keeper. Made with beefsteak tomatoes, rustic bread, smoked bleu cheese, and rosemary mayo, it gets it right on all accounts.… read more

Pop quiz - do you know your standard street hand signals? They're quite easy. Left arm up for right turn, left arm straight out for left turn, and down for a stop.

And important as they are (and essential! Please use them! It's the law.), I can't help but get super excited about the next stage of signaling technology - namely, actual lights!    … read more

Here at ManMade, we're always on the lookout for craft and home décor projects that’ll work from a masculine perspective, but to be honest, the stuff that gets us the MOST excited are gender-neutral projects – you know, those that can be customized to suit any taste, and are accessible to anyone.

So, with that in mind, here’s an easy way to whip up a hand-printed mouse pad that avoids all the effort and special equipment of silkscreening, thus fitting another of my favorite crafting categories – quick and easy. If you’re not in need of a mouse pad, no worries – this technique can be translated to all sorts of media, empowering you to put anything you can write, draw, or type onto any surface you please.… read more