My university had its Computer Science department in the School of Engineering. Not all schools are set up like this. Thus I am a computer scientist that can proudly proclaim to the world that I am also an engineer.
Friends and family have always said I’m good at coming up with solutions on the fly, using objects in my environment and finding alternative uses for them. Here are a few to share, to open source some of my zany creations.
Watch a Show or Movie on Your Ceiling
My boyfriend and I rented a movie and wanted to watch it from the comfort of our bed. Our apartment at the time did not have available open walls so I decided that projecting on to our ceiling would work best. Although we got the ceiling projection to work, we couldn’t take the movie seriously when one of the main characters sounded exactly like one of our co-workers from work.
The How To:
Loosen the belts as large as they get, then wrap them around the container (parallel to the short side). Connect the buckles on the outer side of the tupperware container. Then place the projector on the belts, hanging inside the tupperware container like a hammock. Plug in, adjust the picture and enjoy.
Last Minute Large Object holder
I made a great prank present for my brother where I proceeded to wrap 11 consecutive boxes and place them inside each other like Russian nesting dolls. The largest box was 18.5” by 16.5” by 18”. I needed a way to carry this to the Amtrak station for when I would next see my family and I made a strap for it using just a yoga mat sling and a small bungee cord.
The How To:
Place the yoga mat sling on top of your object and then turn it upside down (With the yoga sling underneath, the loops on the sides). Put the bungee cord hooks through the loops, one per hoop. Turn right side up and use the yoga strap as your handle. Works best with large, light objects.
Keep Your Water Bottles Cold
My partner and I travelled to Las Vegas for the first time and we knew it would be hot and dry. When we went adventuring, I had only thought to bring a plastic water bottle and not any kind of travel sized thermos. We didn’t want our icy cold water bottle to warm while walking around outside nor did we want the bottle to sweat all over our draw string bag. That’s when my inner engineer made a makeshift insulator out of a face cloth and a hair tie (left over from the days when my hair was long enough to need one). If you have hair that is too short for a hair tie you can always substitute a rubber band, or ask someone if they have either if you have neither.
The How To:
Wrap the face cloth around the water bottle and keep it in place using the hair tie or rubber band.