Pixelated Push Pin Portraits

Artist Eric Daigh uses red, black, yellow, and blue push pins to create photo-realistic art portraits. His work really takes advantage of the "realistic far away/geometric up close" phenonomenon that happens with "pixelated" art. I love the variations in distortion that are visible in the above photo.

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How To: Make a Magnetic Map Memo Board

I'm just gonna say it: If you can, at least, safely and accurately wield a pair of scissors, it's simply unacceptable to have a plain, straight from the store memo board: either cork, magnetic, or dry erase. There are so many easy ways to make it interesting: make it woodgrain, turn it into bold graphic shape, build a handprinted inspiration board from scratch for way less than the office supply store, or create a double duty DIY dry erase board.

Or, take a cue from Michael, and go straight up vintage map-y.  

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How to Make an X-Wing Fighter from Office Supplies

A Day-At-The-Office Choose Your Own Adventure

You're at work. Sitting there, staring out the window. Then, check the clock, back at the window. Pretend to write an email. Clock, window, then get up to use the restroom. Then, you play around in your office supply drawer, and say to yourself "Boy, I should clean that."

Do you:

A) Go back to staring out the window. At least you have one...

B) Work

C) Actually clean and organize your drawer

D) Use the stuff in said drawer to make an office supply x-wing fighter  

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Infographic of the Day: Sitting is Killing You

Here at ManMade, we're big proponents of not sitting all day during work hours. Especially as bloggers and editors, where we're more naturally inclined to...sit all day during work hours.

We've covered the dangers before, even offering this easy solution to create a standing workspace.

But in case you're not quite convinced, take a look at this infographic:

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In Case You Haven't Heard, Sitting Is, Like, Really, Really Bad for You

Of course, exercise is good for you. Movement is best. Being sedentary all day is, of course, the opposite. Duh, right?

But it's not just non-activity that's harmful. The actual position of sitting, like in a chair, is, basically, the worse thing you can do to your body. Even if you engage in regular exercise, even daily, it might not be enough to counteract the damage from resting on your rump all the livelong day.  

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How To: Make Samurai Sword Push Pins!

Using a push pin is sort of a visceral experience - the tack is sharp, and the corkboard is just resistant enough to get a satisfying squish as you impale your document to the wall.

Really...just try it.

So I say, embrace it, and whip up some push pins that resemble something using for serious sticking. You know, like a samurai sword.  

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Hilarious Passive-Aggressive Office Notes

You've no doubt seen a few of these office flyer and note convos floating around the internet...the Comic Sans/lemonade one is particularly widespread. But this master collection is definitely worth a look.

Boy, I've never been so thankful that I work from home. Now, I just gotta stop leaving notes to myself to quit taking bites outta the pizza.

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The Ugliest Home Offices in the U.S.

UglyHousePhotos.com finds and curates terrible pictures of homes from real estate listings around the Phoeniz, Arizona metropolitan area. This means these are actual houses, and folks are actually trying to sell these places.

Yesterday, they published a killer roundup of some seriously awful home offices.

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How to: Make Mini Office Supply Book Covers for Matchbooks (Free Download)

I'll admit it; I have a particular penchant for miniatures. Not small things, but tiny versions of normal-sized stuff. Generally, I like things that play with scale, I like the "how do they do that?" aspect, and, c'mon, mini things are adorable!

So, I love these super cool tiny books, which made from matchbooks and actually serve as office supply storage, are a quick DIY project who's reward just keeps on giving. Put these on your desk, and there's no way you won't be inspired.

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Behind-the-Scenes: The ManMade Office Gets a Makeover

Six months ago, I left my then-current career to pursue creative work full-time. In doing so, I realized I probably needed an actual space beyond my couch to stay organized, and keep track of various projects, etc. So, for the last few months, I gave the spare bedroom in my house a 100% overhaul to become a functional craft studio and office.

Like a tour? Of course! Welcome.  

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How to: Make the 5-Second DIY Standing Desk

It's Workspace month on Curbly.com, so I've been doing tons of research into home offices studios, and all the desks, desks, desk, desks!

And I've learned something: sitting at a desk is really bad for you. It's bad for your health, bad for your posture, bad for your emotional wellness, bad for your muscles, and bad for your bones.

Rather, it is more ideal to be lying down flat (which brings along other implications), or preferably, standing up. As a person who makes his living online, I knew I needed to start changing my habits now if I didn't want them to affect me in the long run.

Thankfully, I came up with a no-cost solution that allows me to maintain a traditional desk with standing options. And by no-cost, I mean free. And healthy. Whatup.   

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How To: Make a Woodgrain Magnetic Tool Holder

Whether they're your fancy German chef's knives, your perfectly honed chisels, that Xacto blade you wield so well, or your razor-sharp, never-touch-paper fabric scissors, the DIY lifestyle most always entails sharp cutting tools. And the best way to protect these tools, keep their edges straight and nick-free, and store them safely?

A magnetic block. Which are, thankfully, quite inexpensive at a spot such as IKEA, but they're looks are a bit cold, and the metal surface can actually scratch your tools.

So, we're gonna give one a quick faux bois makeover.   

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How to: Build a Mini Catapult from Office Supplies

Quick! Your co-workers are approaching with hand constructed miniature bamboo firing crossbows that shoot bamboo skewers. What do you do?

Why, duck behind your desk and quickly assemble this catapult, of course.

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Make a DIY Colored Pencil Shelf

I've always enjoy the ambitious experiments of designer Dominic Wilcox, who, lately, has taken on a thirty-day speed creating challenge that has resulted in some fun projects: thread-wrapped grapes, onion ring fabric, and inflatable socks. 

But I'm particularly loving the practicality (?!) of this colored pencil shelf. Dominic says, "I made a shelf from coloured pencils by glueing them together. I was suprised at how strong it was using two layers of pencils....The shelf brackets are made by cutting a single pencil case into two parts and glueing together. The sliding doors hide the screws." 

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How To: High-End Floating Desk and Built-In Office on the Cheap

Gene created this very high-end looking built in home office...from IKEA pieces. The Brooklyn-based creative director and passionate collector used BESTA cabinet and NUMERÄR countertops to make this very mod home office for not a ton of money.

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Bookshelf Porn - Don't Drool on the Pages

For those nerds, like me, who are infinitely inspired by photos of bookshelves.

Really, really, cool bookshelves.  

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How To: Make a Retro-Inspired, 8-bit Cork Board

We're so over drab bulletin boards and memo keepers. There are simply too many cool DIY options that a simple natural cork in a blonde wood frame simply won't do anymore - try  this for a double duty dry erase board, or this for the standard cork and pushpin combo.

Or, perhaps you'd like a bit of a narrative in your reminder and inspiration substrate. If so, we recommend this Pac-Man cork board project by Dominator 24. He used the free, open source photo software GIMP to create the templates, then transferred the image onto cork tiles, and cut them out with scissors.

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How To: Fold Origami Post-It Boxes

Bored at work with access to the office supply closet?

Well, then, you, my friend, need to grab a few sticky notes and whip up some of these Post-It note origami boxes. Perfect for storing staples, paper clips, thumbtacks, or just looking adorable there on your desktop.

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DIY Customized Concrete Bookends

Last week was my birthday, and I vowed to do three things at twenty-eight - learn to make great Thai food at home, become at least moderately proficient in Adobe Illustrator, and learn to make stuff from concrete.

I've been meaning to, and I've played a bit with it for outside stuff, but I just haven't found a great way to apply it to something small-scale.

But, having seen these cool DIY concrete bookends, I think I've found my project.

First, they're bookends, and who doesn't need more of those. Second, they use tiny found objects as reliefs or ornaments. The article's author, Benita, opted for a serif-y, Roman B, but I'm thinking some

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How To: Build a Desktop Zen Garden

When I need a break from work, I tend to go for today's crossword puzzle, but I certainly appreciate the daydream-inducing liltiness of keeping a mini zen garden on one's desk.

Instructable author Obbitz has created one of the finest DIY zen garden options that'll inspire you to keep your desk clear. It's created from scrap wood and a bit of glue, and filled with ordinary sand and pebbles.    

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