I used Latvian national holidays and some vacation days to fulfill the promise about this. Now we can spend more interesting time outside the house but not in shopping centers as usually urban families do it in Latvia. This is only fundamental start of play area and I will add some more actions during the summer. Great investment about 400EUR and 33h of work together with kid. We really enjoy building together. This is setup for kids Name Day celebration with other kids
This great idea belongs to my wife. Extremely easy way how to create outdoor blackboard for kids as pizzeria street menu. All together 10EUR + 1h work. Both sides of this menu are painted with blackboard colour.
Summer has finally arrived and these will be great attraction for kid to play and learn outside the house. My uncle has made terrace to the lake and left some materials – great materials! It took me 3h of work and 25 pieces are ready to play. Each block is masterpiece of nature over 30 to 40 years old – count the annual rings!
One of most valuable instinct for humans is balance. We will boos it up with this balance wheel. This type of things make great physical activities for kid. Hardest part was to figure out proportions and size. Project costs 30 EUR and 8h of work.
Sir – Do you want take away or on the place? On the place please! Finally spring and fresh juice for my family!
It’s not a conscious step to make intro for kid about skeleton. This is very quick idea and 15min project just for fun. This kind of toy make sense for kids different muscles and coordination. Even older kids (close to 30 years) make fun of that. Construction costs are 8 EUR
Today with kid we made this game and together planted trees. We made more than 10 different forests and even Mose came to play in our forest. In materials I spent not more 3 EUR and 1h of work
This device is more than 20 years old and it is developed in Russia (in local slang that was – Argomat). Each boy wanted them and was in those 90% who did not get them. Now I will refurbish that one and try to catch winter with kid
Making special gifts for special people. Tasty gift (quinces and chokeberrie wine) with interesting packaging (QR codes & wife’s snow balls). Still wine is not ready but it will after 3 months in bottle.
After I got lessons learned from this DIY Bunny wooden chair for baby now I will make more stable chair with more than one function. This is chair and tread in one that took me 3 EUR and 1h of work
This game is teaching the very basic of physics and allows kid feel that he can make things to fly. Simply wooden catapult with 5 bullets. Material costs around 2 EUR and 1h of work.
This project refresh will my kitchen. I have found that holding knives using magnet is great idea. Total costs 20EUR and 4h of work
When babies become older (+/- 1,5 years) parents should think about play house because they need some private space to play and house is he way what they love! This is made for inside use from wood and fabric. All materials I found and cant evaluate expenses – maybe 10EUR and 3h of work together with little
10.10.2012
10.11.2012
Three big brothers. This is my recipe. Chokeberries give this fantastic acidity and bitterness – even color looks professional. Thanks to my colleges Mrs & Mr FOX I can get apples how much I can place in my car and make miracles. In photo you can see fermentation after 2 weeks
It is really first time when I am making sparkling wine from grapes and even worse – it is special order from my mother-in-law to use her grapes and make wine for Christmas tasting. Hope I will prove my self. Wish me good luck!
September is month of preparing wines. This time it will be another experiment – quinces wine because this year was good for them and we get more than 20 kg these sour, yellow, hard fruits
My grand mother bought 3 cherry trees in autumn fair. By the w this day is perfect for planting fruit trees and something like last chance. All together takes 1 hour and lot of tricks which know my grand mother
Another inspiration get from Pintrest. This is chair for baby and its height is 20 cm. From material perspective it takes 5 Euro and 5 hours of work together with my little master.
This is for boys but I think girls also will like to play with. This panel provide for baby different objects, shapes, weights, movements and sounds. All together some 40EUR for parts and 5h working together with baby
Water makes possible to live in this world. Also it makes pavement blocks to move it makes wall to become green it makes in rainy days puddles. To fight with causes I will make drainage system to move all water from roofs one side straight in to ground not on pavement. It takes 120 EUR and 8h
All starts last year with left attic wing Expanding house I. This year was stage II and finally all is done. Some 15 m2 more space and well insulated ceilings for winter cold and summer hot times
Three years later garden site stairs need some renovation. Terrace always is expensive thing because of material used. This time it will be 100 EUR case. Question how long it can live is about how good it is leveled to not keep water on it
This was really quick, 2h! Material – under 1 EUR. There is some issues with vertical hole precision but in any case my little helped me with sanding this all stuff and we worked together all this hours
Swings for baby is making lot of fun and smiles. This is custom made for my little with extra safety. Just 10EUR in materials + 4h of work together with little (without him there should be 3h).
Some time ago it was horse but now it is eco motorcycle without engine! Drive as you swing. Complete new design in about 6 working hours and some 10 EUR for materials. Hope my real man will use it after some month when he will start to walk
I like ordering, grouping and other pedant specific features. Hope my little wildcat will inherit it from me. I have made for him 45 wooden hangers and ordained wardrobe to hang 85% of his clothes not to pound drawers or shelves. This is the way how you can see what you have and make best choice. Costs 8EUR + 6h of hard work
This is 2 EUR and 1 working hour (while little is sleeping) book shelf which combat with 2 major issues – there will be just new/interesting books and I can take out them without any problems
I have refreshed my Easter morning equipment. It means that I have made new egg holders for my family and friends. It s about 4 hours for 12 bunnies and my wife has crouched these amazing colorful not breakable eggs while little is sleeping – each egg takes 20 minutes. Materials for me takes 4EUR
Two beautiful drinks that I have made. Apple Cider and Coffee Vanilla Stout. As always I am trying to get extraordinary flavors. This time I add to my Stout vanilla pod, orange peel and 3 table spoons with coffee
Little hero think that all world is training polygon – and it is. For safety I have made fence also from bottom because little can get to third step with no problems. Only problem is in parents minds because we don’t want to see how hi is falling. So 10EUR and 2 h – fence is ready!
These two bees came out in December 2011. Both of them are extreme. I add ingredients like mint, cade tree, dry and wet hopping. If you are adding mint be patient and modest because first 4 months beer just smells and you think that there is some infection, but really beer is in maturation process
Another wooden toy from free material which I have got from “Latvijas Finieris” for free. Lets see the process how I have made it…
This is the way how you can keep motivation for baby to move around (sneak, creep). This educational toy is full of fun – something inside, rolling away, sounds, colors and if he has enough patient he can put hand inside and take out some balls
As you see, this is a version of toy for baby with goal to practice of recognizing figures. This toy is made from plywood which I get in “Latvijas Finieris” as non usable material for free.
Christmas time is over but ideas is here. This year I was made special bottles for my dark beer (STOUT with coffee, vanilla and orange) and wine which my wife found in pinterest.com.
As usual christmas come with traditional things to do. This year is special because in this year gingerbread should be made without cow milk (usually it is in form of butter). Some people has problems with common milk proteins. And this was the way how to keep traditions using vegan recipe! And yes.. suddenly I got (Mikkeller beer hop breakfast) beer with great rating. But not the rating is major! Flavor was outstanding and concentrated – this is beer bottle for 3 persons.
Some time ago there was post about project first phase. Now its time to upgrade and make higher sides. Main idea was to make convenient operation field and solve security issues. And there is some inventions which makes this baby bed unique!
Thanks to my wife idea I have made this advent wreath. Idea came from pinterest.com. As I am living near the forest this is 30min job – cut, drill, clean. Merry christmas – hou, hou, hou!
Beer is one of my favorite drinks. Ths year is special because I have tried out my self in beer making and I like it. Hope my friends like it to because right now is easy to grab some box with bear and visit couple of them. Right now I’am talking about extract beers not All grain. This is my first collection – Stout, Lager, IPA and Dark Ale
As main activity is going in second flor very essential is safety on stairs. I have made safety gate with lock. This gate becomes as activity wall. Total cost is 15 EUR.
Continue reading
September is time when apples are ready to become in juice and then in wine. In this year I have more equipment and better chance to get good wine (drinkable). To make these I spent 1 day (3 evenings). This year I have played with sugar types (sucrose, glucose, fructose) and chokeberries
Wooden box is simplest way how to hide and categorize stuff. In handcraft office stuff is a lot specially if DIY is your life style. My solution is 5 reserved style boxes. Simply as box!
Closet size is around 1m x 1m and now it is organized. As you see one of the boxes have note. Idea was to write on the boxes about content like “home wear” or something else. Using little magnets notes can be changeable. Each box has made with love
In this rainy day I get special order to create some rack for baby maintenance process (cleaning, pampering etc.). After 3 hours and using materials for 5 Eur my customer (wife) was fully satisfied becaus I jumped higher than expected
This project is from the old story “How to find more space”. Under the bed is lot of space, but tricky part is how to use it convenient! There will be some idea from my side
Before some 10 years there was lightning in the pine tree and half of the tree still was on place. What to do? Cut down to make log bench and other pieces burn in cold winters
This will be simply before/after DIY photo show. Last summer I have made simply construction and after winter I fill water tank with 1000 liters and fundaments started to sink. Also there was one more problem after opening the tap water was all over the ground. Solution – concentrate fundaments and make small terrace
This is more than 100 years old furniture. To keep my family relics and give them 2nd breath I tried to renovate two chairs and table. This is my first experience to do such emotional job because I know that 100 years before my grand, grand parents worked wary hard to get this set of furniture. Right now you can get that kind os set from IKEA for 50 EUR but that will keep shiny look only for just 3 years
Last two winters spring floods has washed away everything from the coast. This year I have made something fundamentaly stronger.
I have tried las summer to catch some of them who are playing under the lawn. This summer is the same situation. I have bought Latvian mole traps and will show how it works. Last summer result is 1:0 – my best. This summer 0:0.
Why not to put in some effort and afterwards use attic to keep some seasonal stuff and other good things like records from the study in Chaos theory. This summer I have cleaned and refreshed first part of my attic. All parts are polished and varnished
Question is – do or not to do? I chose – DO! I have made bed for my kid. It will be modular bed and right now is enough with first part. Basic idea is to make light frame, customizable, low profile healthy and cheep bed. Materials cost – 36EUR + 6h work (because of some mistakes)
It is nothing special. Simply table for changing baby diapers:)
This year our garden is getting advanced! There are lot of new things and technologies. I am little bit sick with using technology but this is my DIY playground.
Do you know what is natural Sprite? It is Maple and Birch juices! This photo is Mr.Birch!
How fast it is? Very fast production – 5 drops per second. How much it cost in shop? 2$ per liter:)
This weekend is all about nature:) I was in Riga Zoo and made some bird cages for their children. Interesting experience – materials and tools was for FREE! In this photo you can see cage for tomtit (each year you should clean this cage!), manual how to made is here. Next you will see ouzel cages..
This is real Moby Dick when he was younger – moving fast and shooting wather out of his nose. From Wiki: “Melville published Moby-Dick in 1851 during a productive time in American literature….”.
It is kind of serious rabbits – siting, thinking and planing easter activities!
Does it really helps to lull baby? I am not good singer, but star is already done! Hope this will help:
Some times it is enough if puzzle have only 4 pieces! Can you tell me what is the average kids age for this toy? I have no idea:)
Have you ever heard that soft and little rabbit can be Fast and Furious? :) Easy to make – easy to drive!
What time is it? Educational toy and coordination training.. Movements always is fun? :)
Do you think that in your river is empty? Make your own fish. This is fun for kids and shapes up coordination and patients. Same eBay magnets – 10EUR for 100 pieces.
How to add sense into wooden toys? Build in magnets and get new ideas! In eBay you can buy small but strong magnets – 10EUR for 100 pieces and glue into toy. Don`t forget that magnet has two polarities:)
This year winter bring lovely christmas feeling and danger. Snow hat on roof is like a mop – attracting moisture it become very heavy. Wen I heard that my garage is cracking I decided to remove ~ 35 cubic meter snow from my roof!
This natural phenomenon reminded me year 2008 when I was in USA to visit University at Buffalo. Light rain about 3 hours while outside temperature is -5 ℃ turns everything in ice. I was in the middle of my 26.12.2010 drive.
We had bought tent for the weddings and now we rent it – trying to get extra income. Original cardboard box is very flimsy and I can`t move or give it to clients. Idea was to made simply box using OSB material for tent metal parts. To make this I spend 15 EUR + 6 working hours.
I am tying to restore family tradition – make apple wine. I don`t have any records how my grand grand parents has made it, but I have willing to do. It is my second year when I will try to make wine.
I have some self seeded pine trees. They are small and it`s time to make choice – cut down or take care and try to learn how to cut pine crown or silhouette. To make this I spend 8 EUR + 2 working hours.
Even though my grades in physics were fairly average I had a wish to make a solar panel by searching for the cheapest components on eBay and tutorials on YouTube. If I was in US this project could cost 50% less but now it cost me 150 EUR.
This time I will show you how to make your own projector screen to watch your favorite films in garden or whatever. Construction is light, flexible and cheep. Projection screen is 2,7 hight and 1,5 m width. Cost around 8 EUR + 1 working hour.
Last winter was stress test for my renewed family house. Temperature hang -30 C around one/two weeks. During this time in second floor shower pipes had friezed 3 times. I know where is the problem – let`s fix it! Project costs 200EUR + 24 working hours.
In one of projects I should use auto complete (auto suggestion) functionality for faster data input. One of my colleges send me this link. Thanks to him I have made autocomplete field where you can chose one of 20K users!
Living near river “Mazā jugla” I have quite steep slope crossing way from home to river. All this time my grand, grand parents try to deal with simply solutions – steps made from ground. My solution is something with bigger waranty in everyday usage. Costs? Around 70 EUR + 20 working hours.
In this picture you can see hanging chilloutchair, it was on of my girlfriends dreams. So – I have serch oportunities to get it from local shop and friendly sales man answered me that it costs 200 EUR! In further I will show what I have made using just 20 EUR + 4 working hours, maybe not so glamouros, but still functionality it keeps quite good.
"Innovations came only by doing something!"
Learning by doing 
