DIY Birdhouse

Most of my DIY projects are borne of necessity, but this one was pure indulgence. I love the case study birdhouses at modernbirdhouses.com, so I took inspiration from the Neutra one. Made from cedar, it's naturally weather resistant. I used simple butt joinery of four equal sides with an open top and closed bottom. The roof is an Ikea cutting board, cut for an overlap and hinged in back. This allows for an annual cleaning of the nest.

Like most of my projects, I made a mistake. The flaw: steel nails that have rusted and discolored the wood grain.

But the tenants don't seem to mind.

Wild Strawberries

I have wild strawberries growing in my back yard. They're quite small, about the size of a pea, but are perfect with cereal.

Italian Police Car

I'd be willing to get caught speeding just to get a better glimpse of this car. Police in Italy cruise the motorways with a donated Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

More at www.motorauthority.com

Lack Shelf Fireplace

I've always wanted a fireplace in my home. For months I searched for a wall-mount unit, but never settled on a place to put it. So instead of adding another item to the wall, I modifed something that was already there.

I bought a $100 stainless steel firebox on the eBay. It's designed for use with gelfuel, ethanol, or isopropyl alcohol and doesn't require venting. So I embedded the firebox into my existing Ikea Lack shelf.

Lack shelf and firebox

Outline of firebox traced onto blue tape

Hole cut in shelf - no turning back

It fits!

Not bad

Fire is good

The flames jump up to 18" or so, making it quite dramatic. The shelf gets hot on the underside after burning for a while, so I snuff it out after 20-30 minutes. To provide a degree of fireproofing, I chipped away all the dried glue inside the shelf and lined the interior cavity with aluminum foil.