TIPS AND TRICKS
YOU ARE A THINK TANK
FROM MAKER TO MAKER
Who doesn’t appreciate a really good tip now and then? Especially the kind, as one reader put it, “that changes your life.” Whether it’s something as practical as looking good in party photos or something more creative like figuring out how to judge the amount of propane in a tank, we all rely on our friends and neighbors to tip us off to the new and the good.
If the Shoe Fits
Gina Trapani from the Lifehacker blog has a great tip from a reader: buy a clear plastic shoe organizer and use it to store your gadgets. You’ll be able to see everything at a glance, and each cable can have its own compartment. makezine.com/go/shoefits
Party Favor
I found this great lifestyle hack on Flickr, of all places: Meg Hourihan suggests using a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet to dry wineglasses when there are too many to fit on a normal dish rack. makezine.com/go/glasshack
BB Q&A
Boing Boing reader Ross points out a great way to judge how well your barbeque will go: “There is an easy way to see the level of propane in a current tank. Just warm up some water and pour it on the side of the tank. Since the gas is liquid and cool, the water’s heat will cause the tank to form condensation at the current level of the propane. I do this before any cookout so I can get propane before the guests arrive rather than the last minute dash.” makezine.com/go/propane
Don’t Say Cheese!
Terrie Miller, MAKE’s webmaster, has a couple of photography tips: “My brother-in-law relayed this great tip: when the photographer comes around taking candids at the next company party, or the waiter snaps a photo of your table at a restaurant, give him your most enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’ sign. You’ll have a better chance of looking happy and engaged in what’s happening, instead of looking awkward and embarrassed (if not actually sullen).”
She adds, “If you’re the photographer, here’s another good tip: tell your group to wave. I learned this from Derrick Story (see his blog, thedigitalstory.com/blog, for more good tips) when he took our favorite group photo at our wedding reception ... everyone was laughing and smiling, with no frozen poses in the bunch.”
Illustrations by Damien Scogin
Have a tip for MAKE readers? Send it to [email protected].