Man Made DIY

ManMade reader and graphic design student Brandon Rampelt recently created an original DIY magazine for a school project. He got an A (good work, Brandon!), no doubt due in part to this great original how-to project: a Dieter Rams-inspired (with a dose of Jacob Jensen) clock stereo, made out of thrift store junk and a basic box from the craft store. Brandon was kind enough to write and and allow us to share the complete tutorial so you can whip one up yourself on the cheap. That's a lot of design (and rock!) bang for the buck.

Here's how to do… read more

No, no. That's not a protective case. And it certainly isn't CNC-milled or cut with a laser. It's a handmade wooden iPod Nano.

When Josh got a new iPod for Christmas, he couldn't just throw the old one away. So, he did what anyone would do - made it a wooden enclosure, complete with contrasting click… read more

I sorta have a problem with reading the wish lists and gift guides of my fellow design and DIY bloggers. I can't help it; I love getting a peak into the real lives or my peers, as well as the opportunity to learn about cool new stuff.

This year, I kept noticing one item pop up in lots of lists: the Enchanted Forest iPhone Dock from Anthropologie. It's a fun nature-meets-technology way to stand and display your iPod or iPhone. It's awesome, but at $100, it's a lot to pay for something that doesn't have speakers, a clock, or even a way to plug it into the wall. Of course, the fact that it's 100% wood and doesn't sport any fancy electronics means something else:

It's easy to make one at home.

If you've got a drill, some sort of saw, and a spare iPod USB cable, you can whip one up in an hour or two for absolutely free! I'm pretty sure this is the world's best Christmas gift for iPhone owners, especially cause it's handmade! I'm giving mine to my sweetheart (she's been banned from ManMade and all its networks until… read more

Ah, the twenty-first century, and its provision to take weeks of music with you stored on a single device. Yet, in order to play these lovely contraptions for an audience, you music employ a speaker system, which are often shiny black plastic and simple won't do for a vintage-inspired decor.

So, what's a antique or retro enthusiast to do? Why, build a custom iPod speaker system within a vintage radio housing, of course.

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Apple's iTunes allows you to purchase audiobooks formatted specifically for your iPod, allowing you to enjoy some literature on the go. But simply importing an audiobook from CDs or an mp3 leaves you with hundreds of poorly labeled, two-minute tracks that make it very difficult to pick up where you last listened.

But, with a little knowhow, you can create your own audiobooks from CDs (ones you may already own, or have borrowed from the library or a friend) or mp3 files and take advantage of bookmarking, avoidance on shuffle mode, and clear chapter organization, and the special "Book" category in your library.

I. Importing from… read more