Some materials were just made for DIY miracles. Binder clips are one example. Another is Sugru, the moldable silicone that can fix or improve just about anything. Here are 10 awesome ways you can put it Sugru to work in your projects.
10. Refill Travel Toothpaste Bottles
If you’re heading on a trip and need a plane-sized bottle of toothpaste—but your travel supply is running dangerously low—you can refill those travel sized bottles with just a little bit of Sugru. If you’re very careful, you could do this without Sugru, of course, but if your hand just isn’t steady enough, the Sugru will ensure your toothpate ends up in the bottle and not all over the floor.
9. Revive Old Appliances
If you have an old stove, stereo receiver, or other appliance that’s wearing off its engraved lettering, this trick is pretty awesome: just rub some Sugru into the letter indentations, wipe off the excess, and you’ve got yourself a much newer-looking device. It won’t work with every appliance, unfortunately—the lettering needs to be somewhat engraved for this to work, not just painted on—but it’s a really clever tip for the appliances it does work with.
8. Get a Grip
Got a rusty old faucet that’s tough to twist? Some arthritis medication that’s ironically hard to open? Slap a little Sugru on there to get a better grip. Just about anything you need to exert force on, Sugru can make a bit better. Bonus tip: Next time you get those pills, you can actually ask for them with an easy-open top at the pharmacy, too.
7. Protect Your Gadgets
Some of us are just plain gravity challenged. If you have a bit of Sugru lying around, you can protect nearly any gadget with it. Stick some on the corners of your iPhone to create small bumpers. Throw some on the bottom of your laptop if the little rubber feet have worn off. You can even put it on your camera—you know, if you want your camera to look like a clown—to protect it from drops.
6. Get Your Game On
Awhile back, we asked you guys what your favorite Sugru-related projects were, and we got some good tips in return. But none were quite as involved or awesome as Aaron Schmersal’s custom game pad for his phone. It’s essentially a custom version of the Game Gripper, except you can use whatever button placement (and color) you want.
5. Mount Your Gadgets Anywhere
Why buy a dashboard mount for your MP3 player when you can build one that fits perfectly with just a few pieces of Sugru? The beauty of this is that it works with any device, not just iDevices—which is unfortunately most of the mounts out there. If you have a lesser-known Android phone or another less popular device, you’re always guaranteed a good fit with DIY.
4. Solve USB Port Woes
If you have an iMac with hard-to-reach USB ports in the back, plugging things in can get annoying. Similarly, if you have a laptop that you use as a desktop, plugging in each cable individually every single time can get tedious. Luckily, you can solve both of these problems with Sugru. For the desktop, just throw a few extension cords into an easier-to-reach spot with Sugru (the video above uses the side, but you could make it a lot less ugly by hiding them just out of sight on the back). For the laptop, you can put your important cables together with a custom “docking station.” Again, it looks ugly, but with the right tweaks—like maybe some aluminum casing—it could be a dream come true.
3. Repair Anything
Here’s where Sugru really starts to shine: DIY repairs. For example, if you have a laptop power cable that’s starting to fray and expose its insides, a bit of Sugru is all you need to patch it up. The same logic goes for broken earbuds, leaky hoses, torn shoes, and more. Heck, you can even fix broken buttons on your phone if you know what you’re doing.
2. Hang On to Everything
Some little things are just asking to get lost in the daily hustle and bustle of life. Like that little adapter for your laptop power cable, or even your keys. With a bit of Sugru—and some helper material, like LEGO—you can hang just about anything anywhere, or at least keep some of that stuff together so you don’t lose it when you go out.
1. Make Your Own “Oogoo”
Sugru is awesome, but it does have one downside: if you start to use a lot of it, it can get a little expensive. Luckily, you don’t actually have to buy Sugru to make any of these hacks work. You can make your own Oogoo, a Sugru-like substance, at home with some simple household ingredients. Then hack away to your heart’s desire.
via Lifehacker Top 10 DIY Miracles You Can Accomplish with Sugru
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