Bungee Cords, Duct Tape and Dowels!
Who doesn’t have four or five bungee cords and a roll of duct tape somewhere in the house or garage? After reading this post on how to use those materials you’ll want to find yours now and put these unexpected uses and hacks to work to make your life easier, more organized and more efficient.
Bungee This!
Of course there are the expected uses for bungee cords like using two to wind-proof an outdoor tablecloth or grill cover, or using them to secure items that shift in the back of a moving SUV. But, as the Family Handyman will tell you, bungee cords work like magic to help with all kinds of household situations.
Bungee cords are great for organizing tools by affixing them in intervals to a length of wood in your garage. Or you can create a paper towel holder in your trunk with a single bungee, or, use a few bungees to corral basketballs, footballs and soccer balls between studs in an unfinished space.
Then there are the 25 genius bungee cord hacks Good Housekeeping rounded up that will make your life. Like the one from Blogger Holly at Life as a Thrifter who created a short-term baby gate with bungees and a length of fabric. Or Syncopated Mama’s genius solution to baby-proofing drawers with a few well-placed bungee cords. Tonia at The Gunny Sack uses bungees for her littles’ laces and The Hypertufa Gardener uses short bungees to ponytail her long garden grasses to cut them back for winter.
And finally, instead of buying a pricey resistance band for exercise, grab a bungee. You’ll want to fashion a small handle from a width of wooden dowel, but bungees can give you an effective workout by adding resistance to weight-training routines. Like magic!
Duct Tape That!
Duct tape was invented in 1942 during WWII to keep moisture out of ammunition cases. Because it was waterproof, people referred to it as “duck tape” since the birds’ outer feathers are waterproof, too! Military personnel quickly found that the tape was versatile enough to fix their guns, jeeps, aircraft and more. After the war, the booming housing industry used it to connect heating and air conditioning duct work.
Nowadays, some people hang their Christmas lights with duct tape, prevent callouses on their feet with the sticky stuff and use it to temporarily repair a tear in a window screen.
But you can also mend a broken tree branch with duct tape, design superhero boots for Halloween, and make a kayak entirely out of duct tape (Mythbusters did it for an episode of the show and it is possible, as long as the seals are water tight!)
It Takes a Dowel
As it turns out, dowels can provide magical answers to a number of household questions. For example, how do you organize your dishes? Queen Bee of the Honey Dos uses dowels in her drawers – her kitchen drawers – to stack and sort her good dishes. On her blog she showcases 17 more uses for dowels from hanging ties and scarfs in the bedroom closet, to creating a wine rack, wall art, brilliant laundry helps and craft room organizers.
Penny Carnival offers a tutorial on a hanging book rack – all you need is a bit of fabric and two dowels, and Mile 73 made an easy (and inexpensive) homemade baby gym with plastic baby toys, five dowels and a few PVC joints.
Magical Crystal Valley
Life is magical in the amazing master-planned community of Crystal Valley, where nature meets convenience and neighbors become fast friends. Take a drive to this Castle Rock community and tour the nine models from D.R. Horton, Kauffman Homes and Richmond American Homes. The new homes here are priced from the $300s and available in ranch and two-story designs.
