Even after all the technical progress we’ve made as a species, people are still as inventive and creative as they’ve ever been. After all, although our needs change along with the tools we have, they never completely go away. And necessity is the mother of invention, right?
As they did in years past, inventions take on all sorts of sizes and forms. And while some make us wonder where they’ve been all our lives, others simply make us wonder what the point of them are.
RELATED STORIES
And today, we’re going to see a lot of the ways people made their mark on the world on full display.
As restaurants reopen, some are finding clever ways to keep their staff safe.
Whether this odd instrument was actually designed for this purpose or simply came in handy, what we’re seeing here is a very long decanter that the waiter tilts into their customer’s glass.
This person’s painting technique is apparently heavy-handed enough to snap this paintbrush in two, but that didn’t slow them down for long.
As we can see here, they were able to get it operational again using a wood screw and a zip tie.
Although it makes sense to move important works of art when a city is threatened by war, that isn’t always so easy.
Although we can’t see it here, this is the gallery where Michelangelo’s David stands.
When World War II broke out, the statue was encased in this brick dome to shield it from any shrapnel that would fly around if the area was bombed.
It certainly looks cool, but that’s not the only reason why someone would panel their house’s exterior with mirrors.
As the sun shines down in a desert environment like this, everything gets unbearably hot very quickly.
As The Guardian reported , mirrors like the ones we see here can reflect that light and help the house stay cool.
When the uploader’s monitor got a little crooked, they used tape to set it right, but not in the way you might expect.
Instead, they had the clever idea to balance a Scotch tape dispenser on a roll of electrical tape to hold it up a little bit.
I wouldn’t have expected that to work either, but here we are.
I want to make it clear that I wouldn’t recommend doing this, but I’m still impressed that someone managed to at all.
In case it’s not clear, this person was able to build a working PC inside of a cardboard box.
It’s hardly a sturdy casing and might turn out to be a fire hazard, but we can now say that somebody did it.
If you’re going to combine cardboard and computing, this seems like a much safer and more practical way to do it.
Not only does this box make it easier to see the screen when the sun is shining, but it apparently keeps the laptop cool as well.
Somebody put some massive glass panes over this brick wall to make it look like there’s a window here.
I have absolutely no idea why they did this, but it’s an interesting reminder that innovation doesn’t always suggest something that moves us all forward.
Although it’s satisfying to be the first to do something, we can sometimes find that there’s a reason why nobody else has done it before us.
I guess when people board up a closed business, it’s really more about sending a message than fortifying a fortress.
It still makes it abundantly clear that you’re not going to get whatever you wanted from this place and doesn’t require anyone to go out and get a bunch of boards.
And besides, those who really want to get in there for whatever reason will find a way even if there are boards up here.
A group of friends in Germany couldn’t find a big enough table to play beer pong, so they improvised.
As we can see here, a laundry rack works just as well. And considering that you’re either hitting the cup or hitting the floor, it probably makes the game more challenging, too.
Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that can seem like the most clever ideas.
Here we have a sock design with tigers on it that become house cats when the socks are turned inside out.
There will be no mistaking them for right-side-out socks even in the most frantic of mornings.
I’m not sure sure that a hamster wheel you could get from a store would be put together as well as this one.
Not only did this person add some cork for grip, but they’ve actually found a use for a fidget spinner now that nobody wants them anymore.
The uploader’s neighbor built this basketball hoop for his grandkids out of a board and a bucket.
And that seems strangely appropriate considering that the game used to be played with peach baskets when it was invented.
And considering what a tight fit this appears to be, I can only imagine those grandchildren would consider a regular hoop easy mode after training on this.
When this person broke their pinky finger, they were able to hold it in place using only office stationary.
This seems like a white-collar version of what adventurers have done to survive in the wilderness, but it turns out that paper clips and Velcro bands can do the job as well.
The uploader’s dad apparently lost the center cap (right) on his tire rim.
So instead, he simply took the lid off a mason jar and it seemed to fit perfectly. He also said this a temporary solution, but a lot of permanent solutions tend to start that way.
This sphere has one photo printed across the entire thing.
By that, I don’t mean that this house appears on it more than once. Instead, I mean that somebody took a 360-degree photo of a neighborhood and printed the entire thing across the ball.
Now, that’s cool.
This above ground pool was the result of one big DIY project.
And the craziest part is that the main ingredient was the kind of wooden pallet that you’ve likely seen in hundreds of other crafty creations.
Pics like these have me wondering whether there are more uses for those things than for duct tape.
Some tequila bottles will come with little hats on the lid and it turns out they actually serve a practical purpose.
As we can see here, they’re a handy way to salt the rim of a shot glass. They can also be used to squeeze limes.
We are obviously seeing the result of someone being incredibly fed up that people keep destroying their mailbox.
So not only have they constructed a much sturdier pole, but they’ve encased the mail slot itself in concrete and it looks like it’s already working as intended.
Nice try, pranksters.
Making creative use of mirrors.
This person made their bathroom mirrors into giant sunglasses and fitted them on a nice face. I feel like face selection matters a lot here. It could go from cool and kind to judgy in one raise of an eyebrow. In this instance, it really pulls the whole room together.
For perfect portions every time.
This brand of pasta sauce has measurements on the side, which is a great way to promote recycling and reuse!
This car covered in pennies was spotted.
I love the one stripe of red and the Lincolns on the hubcaps. This person really showed their…uniqueness in their choices.
Using a baby monitor to watch the smoker’s temperature.
It seems that every baby monitor hack I’ve ever seen is all about watching everything that isn’t a baby. Cheaper than a full camera, I guess.
This restaurant has a beach flooring.
It looks like the water washing up on sand! As cute as it is, I would absolutely have a brief panic moment where I thought the place was flooding.
I never said I was bright.
This person would always just use whatever tool was nearest as a hammer instead of finding a hammer.
So her husband welded together this little contraption for her birthday! Something tells me this might make some projects a little awkward, but it’s the thought that counts.
If your mirror breaks, why not fix it up with something special?
Like a skeleton hand made out of screws and scrap? I kind of dig it, but then again I love anything tacky, so that affects my judgment.
This restaurant included a fork that, when the middle part is popped out, turns into chopsticks!
This is my dream product. I love eating with chopsticks but don’t have my own and don’t always get some when I order in. This way I get a variety and only one single-use utensil instead of two.
This music store turned an old high-hat pedal into a hand sanitizer dispenser.
Hands-free, clever, thematic, and memorable! These guys know what’s up. I’d get a bit of sanitizer from them any day.
AC in your car busted? Not to fear! Here’s a solution.
All you need to get through life is some pipe and a dream. Really though, I’d love to see how this actually compares to just…having your windows open.
My favorite kind of art tends to be extreme to grab my attention while making me ask myself a lot of questions and this certainly fits the bill.
While statues that also double as fountains aren’t anything new, this is absolutely the first time that I’ve seen one take the form of a guy shooting water jets out of his eyes at a bronze sheep.
And although I don’t know you, I’m pretty sure we’re asking a lot of the same questions right now.
After getting this dog’s injury casted up, his owner had to make a cone of shame out of beer boxes, and strapped a tennis ball to the end of the cast for better balance/grip.
A two for one here, the tennis ball balance is actually pretty genius. The cone is a little janky but hey, work with what you got.
This hot tub transportation rig.
Surely the cost of delivery was not so much that this genuinely seemed like a better idea. With no straps either, I hope it wasn’t windy out.
