What do you do with an old copier? You scavenge metal rods from it and turn ‘em into sweet drawing pencils, of course! The ones pictured above were made by one Bradley Lewis for a co-worker. Check out his site (link below) for numerous photos of the process.

By the way, we stumbled across this on our friend Mister Jalopy’s new site project Dinosaurs and Robots. As usual, he brings an entertaining mix of art, DIY, and the unusual. Give it a look if you get a chance, and don’t forget to weigh in on his mystery tools!

Drawing Pencils From Steel Copier Rods [NonEntity Artwork] [via]

A reader sent us a link to this Unclutterer post about Pottery Barn’s solution for kids that need a little help reaching the sink. While I’m not sure that I’d shell out for the Pottery Barn version, this looks like a first-class idea for a home project — especially if you’ve been thinking about updating that vanity cabinet anyway.

(Thanks, Jet!)

Pottery Barn’s Hide-Away Step Stool [Unclutterer]

Looking for some holiday project inspiration? Check out TM reader and photo pool member Schnaars’ home-made piano bench. From Flickr comments: “A few months ago, we inherited a piano. Unfortunately, it dodn’t come with a bench. Last weekend, I finally finished it.”

It looks great –a nice match for the piano. And congrats on making the piano usable for you and your family. My family had one when I was a kid, and it was a great influence on me.

For taking the time to share — and because we love that he took the time to build a nice, matching wood bench for his family — we’ll send Schnaars a pair of work gloves.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

You’re probably thinking, “I’m a Toolmonger. You don’t need to tell me how to hang a picture.” You’re probably right, but I can offer two great counter arguments: first, I’d bet a quarter you’ve got some pictures laying around the house somewhere waiting to hang. Hang them today. Get it done.

And second, there’s more to hanging pictures properly than most people suspect. So if you’re interested, you can check out the how-to from Tutorials.com linked below. From using the right wire to applying spacers — and choosing a pleasing layout on the wall — it’ll help you get the results you desire.

(Thanks, one2c900d, for the great cc-licensed photo.)

Learn To Hang A Picture [Tutorials.com]

Every kid knows that the best toy is one made lovingly by a parent. Why not spend some of your shop time this weekend making a special toy for your kids? Check out the link below for some excellent instructions on how to make your very own kaleidoscope.

According to the author, the kaleidoscope was invented in 1816 by Sir David Brewster. If Sir David can build one two centuries ago, you — with all your high-tech tools and know-how — can probably throw one together today, right?

(Thanks, fdecomite, for the great cc-licensed photo.)

Weekend Project: Kaleidoscope Making [Queens University Math@Home]

Home theaters can be as simple as hooking up a few components or as complex as building a new addition on the house. But one thing’s a given: if you’re still watching a tiny screen and listening through two speakers, you’re missing out. HomeTime.com offers a pretty basic introduction to the technology options out there, and if you add a little creative Toolmongering to the information they provide, you can pretty easily upgrade your football-watching and movie-renting experience without too much pain.

And don’t forget to check out the Toolmonger photo pool for some great pictures of reader’s projects along these lines. There’s a great set in there of a plasma TV install — look ma, no wires!

DIY Home Theater [HomeTime.com]

Getting off your ass doesn’t mean you have to build something. If you’re still too work-week weary to pick up a hammer, just do a little research to find your local mill and hop in the truck for a visit. Though most people have no idea they exist anymore, mills are a great direct source for trim, moulding, and rare lumber. For example, we recently discoved a mill near the Toolmonger offices that sells mesquite. Great stuff!

(Thanks, Egan Snow, for the great cc-licensed photo.)

There’s nothing wrong with ripping out the whole bathroom and re-designing it. But if you’re on a lesser budget — of both time and cash — the folks over at NewHomeOwnerGuide.com assembled a handy set of tips on how to personalize and fix-up your bathroom for under $100. Besides the scratch, they say you’ll need “a basic knowledge of painting, wallpapering, and light woodworking.”

(Thanks, daxiang stef, for the great cc-licensed photo.)

No problem, right?

Bathroom Makeover [NewHomeOwnerGuide.com]

Why buy one of those crappy plastic McForts when you could easily build an awesome playhouse for your kids on your own? This article over on FamilyFun.com offers some ideas on how to build a simple and inexpensive playhouse in an afternoon, but you certainly don’t have to limit yourself to their ideas. If you’ve got the whole weekend to work on it, why not build ‘em a fully-enclosed building complete with furniture and bookcases?

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If you’ve been bemoaning your back yard’s lack of entertainment accoutrements, why not build yourself a sweet deck? It’s not nearly as hard as decking companies would like you to think, though we won’t kid you — it’s not a one-afternoon project. And planning before you start will not only save you a lot of time — it’ll assure you complete the project.

If you think you might be up to the task, check out this interesting how-to and summary of new innovations from DoItYourself.com. It’ll get you pointed in the right direction and help answer some of your questions.

(Thanks, Rob Lee, for the great cc-licensed photo. And that’s a sweet deck!)

How To Build A Deck [DoItYourself.com]

Here’s another fun reason to get off your ass and head to the shop this weekend: make your very own Spartan armor with paper, resin, and fiberglass. Dr. Professor Jake Biggs posted a very thorough how-to over on Instructables, and claims you can duplicate his process to make an entire set of armor for around $150.

Sure, Halloween’s over. But you could always throw it in the closet for next year, right?

Using Paper, Resin, And Fiberglass To Be The Master Chief [Instructables]

Looking for a less practical (but more fun) weekend project? Makezine’s Bre Pettis put together a great video that shows you how to build your own T-shirt cannon for about $75. He also includes a PDF with plans and supply lists. You now have no excuses whatsoever to get in the way of shooting T-shirts.

T-Shirt Cannon — Weekend Projects PDFcast [Make]

If you’re like me, you’ve probably let the windows on your house get pretty nasty. Why not get out and make ‘em sparkle? I found a short list of the right equipment for the job — and how to use it — over at CleanersRegister.com. And if you’re too lazy to clean your own windows, you can always just plug your zip code into the header above the list linked below, and CleanersRegister will help you find someone to do it for you.

Either way — project done!

(Thanks, BobMacInnes, for the great cc-licensed photo.)

Window Cleaning [CleanersRegister.com]

If you’re planning on helping your son (or friend’s son, etc.) build a Pinewood Derby car for competition this year, you have two choices:

1. You can build yet another wedge-shaped car that’s as heavy as possible.
2. You can pick up this book, read it, and build a car that’ll not only go like hell, but’ll also look so sweet that everyone (whose asses your car smokes) will claim you cheated afterwards.

Guess which one I’d choose? Read on past the jump for a detailed review of this must-have book.

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I’d like to offer a special thanks to TM reader and photo pool member Rembreto who posted this picture of a beautiful cherry baby crib he built for his newborn son. Projects like this really define the term “labor of love,” and become instant heirlooms.

I hope seeing projects like this in the photo pool is as inspiring to you as it is to me and the rest of us here in the Toolmonger offices.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and photo pool member JDWires is no stranger to Toolmonger — or to winning gloves. But we’re going to send him another pair because he took the time to post this great pic of his latest project: a nice wood table for a relative.

As you can see, it’s a nice, simple design. We partlcularly love the fact that he included a drawer — and we love the router work down the legs.

There are lots more pictures of this particular design in the pool, so don’t be shy — check it out if you’ve been thinking about trying something similar. We’re sure JDWires would be willing to give you a few tips as well.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]

TM reader and photo pool member mysanitysrequiem posted this photo of a slick picnic set he made for his wife. It’s particularly nice because it converts into a small table for on-site dining. Also upping the cool factor: it’s made almost completely from recycled materials. The wood came from an old pallet and the hinges are made from an old belt. Only the nails are new.

Hopefully a free pair of work gloves will keep your hands nice and soft for picnicing!

Check out the photo pool for addition pictures of the set in different configurations as well as more information on its construction.

Toolmonger’s Photo Pool [Flickr]