We're huge fans of repurposing here at Lifehacker—squeezing extra and usually clever uses out of every day objects. Here's a look back at out some of the most popular repurposing posts from 2009.
Rain Gutters as Cable Management Tools
We're all about creative cable management here at Lifehacker, so we were instantly drawn to reader Seandavid010's rain-gutter cable management setup. Granted, you can find other cord-wrangling solutions, like the one Adam used when he made his cordless workspace, but the rain gutter approach yields impressive results. Sean was nice enough to send in his entire step-by-step, check out the full post to see it.
$5 IKEA Coat Hanger Offers Solid Cable Management
Weblog BitsOfMyMind shares a very simple idea that turns an inexpensive coat-hanger rack into a simple and streamlined cord management solution.
Back when Adam detailed how to go cordless in your workspace, he championed a $10 cable management add-on from IKEA. Many readers wrote in and said they couldn't find the IKEA wire-manager he used, so this clever hack is a welcome addition to our cable-wrangling bag of tricks.
Open a Bottle of Wine with Your Shoe
Got a bottle of wine on hand but no corkscrew to get it open? You can argue all you want about whether or not the guy in this video really needs more wine, but you can't argue with the results.
Make Cookies in 90 Seconds with Your Waffle Iron
Baking cookies in your oven is fine and all, but if you want to turn out some tasty cookies in a very short time, consider turning to your trusty waffle iron. Turns out you're only 90 seconds away from crispy, chewy, cookie-goodness.
Create a Cat Haven from Ikea Shelves
The climbing trees at pet stores are ridiculously expensive and take up tons of floor space. Help your kitty jump to a royal view, Super-Mario-style, without cluttering your floor or wasting money.
Remove Splinters Using a Banana Peel
Bananas are a good source of potassium, but turns out the peels can do more than just store the fruit. Apartment Therapy outlines seven ways to put used peels to work, including removal of those inconvenient splinters. Photo by keepon.
Get More From Cheap Vodka Than a Hangover
Sooth headaches? Clean razors? Kill bees? Vodka is handy for all sorts of uses besides the traditional one. The clear and high-proof alcohol can be used for all manner of tricks. Photo by Carsten Lorentzen.
Coke Can Clean Your Toilet in a Pinch
When your toilet's got rings and lime scale stains and you've got no cleaning gear on hand, grab a can of Coke out of the fridge.
Turn IKEA Cabinets Into a Cordless Desktop Stand
The new iMacs, and similar all-in-one LCD desktop systems, make for a mostly cordless computing experience. Using two pieces of IKEA furniture meant for laptops and modems, you can hide the remaining wires and up the elegance.
Disposable Mugger's Wallet Gets You Off Scott Free or Gets You Beat Up
A mugger's wallet is a disposable second wallet that you're more than happy to give away to a mugger. It contains a few bucks, a non-essential ID, but not much else that would endanger your identity.
DIY Car Dash Camera Mount
Ever wished you had some high-speed chase footage after you finished tearing down the freeway after crooks? Of course you have! You need a quick, cheap DIY camera mount.
Remove Stubborn Batteries and Other Cool Magnet Tricks
As if the sheer magnetism aspect of magnets wasn't magical enough, weblog Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories points out 17 very cool tricks that put your magnets to great use. For starters, a strong magnet can be the perfect tool to remove batteries from the grips of a stubborn spring.
Use Vicks VapoRub To Cure Toenail Fungus
We've heard that Vicks VapoRub can cure toenail fungus before (it's also helpful when you've got a cold!), but the New York Times recently put it to the test. The results: The thyme in VapoRub can in fact do the job.
Repair a Broken Ethernet Plug with Zip Ties
We've all been there at some point: You've got a perfectly functional Ethernet cord that somewhere along the line had its tab broken off. Don't buy a new one or re-terminate the cord. Fix it with zip ties.
Open Beer Bottles with Bic Lighters
If you lack for a piece of paper, a ring, or just don't want to risk bursting another bottle, Wired explains the time-honored tradition of popping the top with a Bic-type lighter.
Outlet-Hanging Charge Station For Your Small Gadgets
If a full-sized charging station is overkill for your single cellphone or iPod, try this smaller gadget cradle that mounts neatly on a wall outlet. Craft blog Zakka Life put together a simple tutorial for making a cradle that's perfect for single, regularly-charged items—the kinds of things you dump out of your pockets upon returning home.
Best Repurposing Trick of 2009?(answers)
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