Life Hacks So Stupid They Are Genius
1 Jiffy Pop Fire Alarm
This next life hack is a stroke of genius. Don’t have access to an official fire alarm? Don’t even worry about it. Just grab a package of Jiffy Pop Stovetop Popcorn and hang it on the wall in your kitchen. If a fire breaks out, the popcorn will start popping and alert you to the emergency.
If the sound of popcorn popping doesn’t get your attention, then the yummy smell certainly will. For legal purposes, we’re just going to go ahead and tell you that this is a joke. Please don’t actually replace any fire alarms with Jiffy Pop Stovetop Popcorn.
2 Pizza Warmer
Have you ever been in a situation where you want to reheat a slice of pizza but don’t have access to a microwave or an oven? Well, have no fear because we have an amazing solution. Most of these tools can be found in a typical hotel room.
You’ll just need a small wire basket, an iron, and a blow dryer. Place the basket on the counter, turn on the iron, and set it in the basket. Next, place the slice of pizza onto the iron and grab the blow dryer. Blow hot air onto the pizza and it will be warm in no time.
3 Packing Tape Cup Holder
There is nothing worse than having no place to put your drink while driving. It just takes one speed bump to send your beverage spilling all over the car. This next hack is a quick fix that you have to see to believe and it just takes a roll of packing tape.
Simply unroll a bit of the tape and stick it to the dashboard, releasing a few inches of the tape. Next, grab your beverage and jam it down into the center of the tape ring. Can you believe how simple that is? Just be careful when turning corners because the cup may swing around a bit.
4 Drill Cake Mixer
It’s so cool when there is a crossover between power tools and baking. This unexpected combo might just be a stroke of genius. There’s no need to buy a hand mixer next time you’re making a cake because you could just use a power drill to mix the batter up instead.
Just head to your toolbox and grab a drill, then stick a beater in the hole where a drill bit would normally go. This DIY hack couldn’t come at a better time because KitchenAid mixers don’t come cheap. The person in this photo proves that they are both a craftsman and a homemaker.
5 Kiddie Pool Fountain
Looking for a hilarious way to keep drink chilled at your next outdoor gathering? Why not create a kiddie pool fountain? Here are the supplies you’ll need to get started: two kiddie pools, 4 buckets, a large container, a garden hose, ice, and a ton of beverages.
Stack it all up, poke some holes in the top container, and stick a running hose into the top. Dump bags of ice and drinks into each tier. Then sit back and watch the wonderful fountain overflow. This will impress all of your friends and keep their beers nice and cold.
6 Cologne Spayer
This next life hack is for the distinguished gentleman. If you ever lose the spray nozzle to your cologne, it may seem like you should just trash the rest of the bottle. Not so fast, mister. There is a way to fix the situation without breaking the bank. You just need to grab a spray bottle.
Unscrew the nozzle and tube off of the spray bottle and screw them into the top of your favorite cologne. Good as new! This amazing life hack will save you so much cash, and the added bonus is that you’ll smell nice while not spending money. You’re welcome.
7 Mountain Dew Shower Head
Some solutions can be so simple that they’re almost hard to believe, especially when it comes to home repairs. It can be expensive to replace a broken shower head, but don’t go running to the hardware store just yet. If you have an extra plastic drink bottle laying around, it could do the trick.
The person who invented this trick obviously had a taste for Mountain Dew. Anyway, poke some holes in the bottom of the bottle with the sharp object of your choice. Place the top of the bottle onto the pipe where the showerhead should go, and wrap electrical tape around it to seal.
8 iPad Stand
It seems like everybody has an iPad or tablet these days, and there are all sorts of accessories on the market to help prop one up. Why spend your hard-earned money on an expensive tablet stand when you can find the perfect fix waiting for you in your utensil drawer?
Just head on into your kitchen and grab a fork. Bend the two inner tines, lay the fork down onto a hard surface, place the iPad down on top of the outer tines, and lean the device back onto the bent tines. This trick is so simple that it’s almost insulting.
9 Hairbrush Side Mirror
People can be so inventive when it comes to DIY projects that the next item on this list shows that necessity is the mother of invention. Some poor driver lost their side-view mirror, and rather than trust it to a repair shop, they took matters into their own hands.
Instead of replacing it with a new mirror, they used a hairbrush. Hopefully, there’s a mirror on the other side of the brush, otherwise, we’re not sure if this was a good idea after all. Either way, this person gets extra points for showing such creativity.
10 Problem Solved
This is so bonkers that it’s hard to believe somebody thought that it was a good idea. What is a person to do if the bottom of their couch falls out? You could buy a new sofa, but who wants to spend that much money on replacing it? Not these people, that’s for sure.
They literally found a way to fix the problem and it more than likely didn’t cost them a penny. They just shoved a dining room chair into the spot and now their couch is good as new. They now have one less chair in the dining room, but who’s counting?
11 Lawn Chair Wheelchair
This next item proves that when there’s a will, there’s a way. This amazing invention could come in handy for people who are immobile and don’t have extra money for an exorbitantly priced wheelchair. All it takes is a few bicycle wheels and a plastic lawn chair.
We like the addition of the cushion in the seat to make it nice and comfy. This is actually part of a project created by Don Schoendorfer of Los Angeles who creates these free lawn chair wheelchairs for those in need. That makes this DIY hack even more awesome.
12 Please Honk
Is your doorbell on the fritz? These folks found a clever way to get around the fact that their doorbell quit working. They didn’t call a handyman to come and replace it with a new one and you shouldn’t either. All you need to recreate this hack is some Post-It Notes, a marker, a bicycle horn, and some tape.
The first step is to write messages on the Post-It notes, alerting people to the fact that the “Doorbell doesn’t work” and to “Please honk”. Then you grab some tape and stick the bicycle horn on your front porch. Now your guests can announce their arrival.
13 Good Enough
If you’re in need of an outdoor lock but don’t want to take the time to run to the hardware store for supplies, this next DIY tip is just for you. There’s no need to spend your precious pennies on an actual lock because you can just take a dive into your toolbox.
Simply grab a wrench and shove it between two loop screws affixed to the gate. Then slip a padlock into the hole at the bottom of the wrench. We dare anybody to try to bust down this makeshift lock situation. Nothing is going to get through that thing.
14 Hot Dog Rake
If you enjoy grilling out or roasting wieners over an open campfire, then you will be so impressed by the next pic. We have a way for you to roast a ton of hot dogs all at one time. It uses one versatile tool that you would never think could do the job.
We’re talking about a rake. So, next time you’re having friends over for a barbecue, fetch your rake from the garden shed. Simply slide a hot dog on each prong of the rake and hold them over the flames. Whoever thought of this trick deserves a raise.
15 Solo Cup Speaker
If you enjoy streaming shows on your tablet but feel like the speaker just doesn’t do the best job of amplifying the dialogue, don’t go buy an expensive bluetooth speaker. Red SOLO cups come in handy for many things, but did you know that you can use them as a speaker?
Just cut a slit on the side and slip it over the speaker on your tablet. Be sure to cut the hole on the bottom of the cup because it will make the sound quality much better. Who knew that SOLO Cups were useful for more than just holding booze at parties?
16 Microwave Mailbox
We love a funny mailbox as much as the next person and this has got to be one of the best out there. Someone had the brilliant idea of transforming an old microwave into a mailbox. Earth-lovers will appreciate this one because it’s a great example of upcycling old appliances.
There’s a lot to be seen in the details as well, like how the carrier signal flag is actually a slotted spoon. This photo wins the award for best use of kitchen tools. We can only imagine how satisfying it must be to push the lever and watch your mailbox door pop open.
17 Coat Hanger Chip Clip
Have you ever rolled up a half-eaten bag of potato chips only to have it unravel? Then, the next time you go for a snack, the chips are totally stale from the bag opening up? If so, you’ll want to pay attention to this next hack that is so dumb, it’s smart.
The solution is probably hanging in your closet. Just fetch yourself a coat hanger with hooks and clamp them over the top of the bag. Not only will your potato chips stay fresh, but you could hang them up somewhere, so this trick is a storage saver as well. That’s a win/win.
18 Easy Trashcan
Life can get messy and trash cans can be pricy. We have a quick fix that will give you an amazing trash can in a pinch. You just need two items to pull off this DIY hack: a bar stool and a trash bag. Flip the bar stool over and attach the trash bag over the bottom of the legs.
We told you that this trick was easy. Never again will you have to hunt down a trash can when you have a bar stool in the house. We like this one because it costs next to nothing, and who wants to spend all their dough on a fancy waste basket?
19 Pizza Box Dust Pan
Looking for a home hack that can help you clean up quickly? Can’t find your dustpan for some odd reason? Don’t sweat it because we have a way for a cleaning tool to be delivered right to your front doorstep. All you have to do is call your local pizza place and have a pizza delivered.
You heard that right. After you enjoy scarfing down the pizza, don’t you dare throw away that leftover pizza box because it can double as a dust pan. This is one of those tips that’s so obvious, we have to wonder why we didn’t think of it first. It’s genius!
20 Baby Carrier
These days, it seems like baby gear is available for every parenting situation. Baby carriers have become a convenient way to wear your little one close to your chest. And the truth is that they can be a bit pricy. But we have a cheap parenting hack to help your wallet.
Don’t bother buying a pricy carrier because this smart gentleman came up with the perfect trick. You just need one item and it might just be waiting for you in the top dresser drawer. Grab a white undershirt, shove your infant under the shirt, peep their head out of the collar, and tuck it under their bum.
21 Pool Party
There is nothing better than taking a cool dip in a swimming pool on a hot day. Even a small kiddie pool in the backyard can be refreshing. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have access to a pool because we have a genius trick that can have the whole family swimming while on the go.
The only supplies you’ll need are a truck, ratcheting straps, a plastic tarp, and a garden hose. Toss the tarp into the bed of the truck, clamp it down with the straps, fill it up with water, and voilà! You got yourself a swimming pool. You can even drive around the neighborhood and make your friends jealous.
22 Pizza Cutter
Have you ever made a pizza at home, only to discover that your pizza cutter is dirty? If your sink is full of dishes and you’re just too lazy to clean the necessary utensils, have no fear because we have a simple hack that works in a jiffy. You can make your own pizza cutter with just a few items.
Grab a ruler, an aluminum can lid, and a screw. Affix the can lid to the ruler with the screw and you’ll have your very own homemade pizza cutter. Okay, it seems like constructing this tool would take longer than just cleaning the dirty one. Regardless, somebody took the time to craft one of these nifty things.
23 Broken Chair
Let’s face it, we’re not all carpenters, so when a chair breaks, it can be tricky to repair. You’ve got to give credit to whoever came up with this hilarious method of fixing this broken chair. They didn’t bother going to the hardware store to get supplies. They just went straight to the liquor cabinet.
An empty whiskey bottle was all they needed to replace the missing leg, and their dining room chair was good as new. We can’t help but wonder if the chair broke in the first place because someone drank too much whiskey! In that case, the bottle would have been the solution and the problem.
24 Coffee Pot Pasta
According to Yahoo, this life hack is a courtesy of a broke college student. Not only would this trick work in a dorm room, but it would come in handy in a hotel room as well. Have you ever craved spaghetti but didn’t have a stovetop or a pot to cook it in?
Don’t let that stop you from enjoying your favorite pasta dish because a coffee maker can work in a pinch. Fill the pot with water, put the pasta in the pot, and let the coffee maker do the rest. The water will boil and cook the pasta. Clean-up is super easy too!
25 Oven Mitt Windshield Wiper
It seems like everyone is trying to save money these days, especially when it comes to car repairs. It can be such a bummer when it’s time to replace the windshield wiper blades because they can be expensive to buy. Don’t throw money out the window because we have an easy hack.
All you need is one item and you more than likely already have it waiting in your kitchen. We’re talking about an oven mitt. Simply slip the mitt over the windshield wiper arm and watch it work its magic. It may look ridiculous, but who cares? At least you’ll be able to see out the back car window.
26 Shop Towel Dispenser
All the crafty readers out there should listen up to this next hack. If you’re into DIY and have plenty of messes to clean up in your workspace, try using a paint roller as a shop towel holder. It may not look fancy, but it’s functional and won’t break the bank.
Just fetch an empty paint roller, a roll of shop towels, and shove the tube of the towels over where a paint roller would go. Use a twist tie or bungee cord to affix the contraption to a shelf and you’ll have yourself a handy shop towel dispenser. How easy is that?
27 Razor Forks
Disposable razors may be convenient and cheap, but that means that the handle often breaks off. Don’t run out to the drugstore to replace a broken razor, though, especially if the blades are still sharp and could be reused. The solution can be found in your kitchen.
A plastic fork can replace a razor handle like a champ. Just slide the razor onto two of the fork tines. Don’t forget to clip the tines off the outside of the fork. Smear a glob of wax to adhere the razor to the fork. Who knows? Maybe razor forks will be the next big thing.
28 Toilet Grill
We can’t decide if this next hack is genius or disgusting. Impress your party guests by using a toilet as a grill. Yes, you read that right. Despite the fact that it could be a health code violation, the design really does lend itself to being a great BBQ grill.
Place charcoals in the toilet bowl, place a grill top on the rim, and fill the tank up with water to boil corn on the cob. While this may be functional, please make sure that the commode is clean before attempting this hack. Otherwise, your party guests could become quite ill.
29 Rubberband Mallet
There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a project, only to discover that you don’t have the proper tools. If you’re in need of a rubber mallet but don’t have one available in your toolbox, avoid running out to the hardware store and spending your hard-earned cash.
You only need a few items to make this trick work. Grab a hammer and some rubber bands. Stretch the rubber bands over the face and the claw of the hammer. The rubber bands will soften the blow and create a rubber mallet. How smart is that?
30 Air Conditioner
We’re not sure if this next hack is even street legal, but it was just too good to pass up. Don’t you just hate it when your car’s air conditioning is on the fritz? It can be expensive to repair, so many people opt to just go without air conditioning in the car once it breaks.
This car owner took matters into their own hands and installed an A/C window unit into the back window of their vehicle. While this is one way to keep cool while driving in your car, it probably isn’t up to code. Just don’t blame us if you get pulled over and ticketed by the police.
31 All Fixed
There are some solutions to problems that are just so simple, we can’t believe we didn’t come up with them ourselves. For example, this bench was placed on an incline and would have been slanted. So, a genius problem-solver came up with the perfect fix.
No, they didn’t add length to the legs of the bench to make it level as a normal person would. Instead, they stacked up planks of wood to make up the difference. So, next time you need to level furniture, try this hack and save time and money.
32 Shower Rod
This next DIY home trick will blow your mind because it’s just so obvious. If your shower curtain rod breaks and won’t stay affixed to the wall, don’t fret. Before you hop in the car to replace it, just grab an empty tobacco dip can. Everybody probably has one of those laying around the trailer park.
Slip the tobacco can between the shower rod and the wall and it will be better than new. While it may not win any points in the style department, it is a practical solution that shouldn’t be overlooked just because some people might consider it a bit tacky.
33 Looks Level
It’s important to have all the required tools when working in construction, especially when it comes to making sure your work is level. Most people use a level device that indicates their work is evened out or flush. So, what are you supposed to do if you can’t locate a level?
This next tip offers the perfect solution. Use a bottle filled with a bit of water. Place the bottle on whatever you want to check and if the water centers itself in the bottle, everything is level. This hack is convenient because who doesn’t have an empty bottle nearby?
34 Revive Bushes
It can be challenging to keep bushes alive in your yard. Between potential droughts and inflation, who wants to water their plants every day? If brown and dried bushes have you bummed, turn that frown upside down because we have a brilliant fix.
Rather than digging dead bushes out of your landscaping, try spray painting them green instead. A person posted these pictures on social media and wrote: “When you aren’t ready to replace your dead bushes from a snowstorm and HOA gives you a violation…you spend $4.98. Good as new.”
35 Stick Shelf
What is a person to do if part of the shelf guard breaks inside the door of their refrigerator? You could call a repairman to come, but that can be pricey. Another option would be to locate a replacement part, but who wants to do all of that research?
Here’s a novel idea and you don’t have to look any further than your backyard. Try replacing a missing shelf guard with sticks. While it may not look pretty, this DIY hack is free and works like a charm. Just be sure to check the sticks for bugs to avoid an infestation.
36 Security System
You can’t be too safe in this day and age, so it’s important to have a home security system. Sure, you could call a reputable company to come over and make sure your home is secure, but you know that those services are known for costing a pretty penny.
This next tip only requires two items: an air horn and a roll of duct tape. Simply secure the air horn on a shelf by the door with duct tape. If an intruder breaks into the door, the knob will set off the air horn, alerting you and scaring off the intruder. Problem solved!
37 Plunger Hack
Can’t afford a dashboard cell phone holder? Don’t despair because you know that we have a hack for that, too. You could waste your money on an expensive device, but why do that when you can just use two items that you already have available? All that you need is a toilet plunger and a rubber band.
Stick the plunger to your windshield, then affix your phone onto the handle with the rubber band. Just be sure to use a new plunger so that your car doesn’t get smelly. Seriously, though, how is this tip so dumb and smart at the same time?
38 Cork Button
Are there any gamers out there? If so, you will want to know about this next hack. Have you ever had a knob break off your gaming system controller? You might think that you should just throw the broken one away and buy a new one. Well, think again.
We have a solution that is quick and inexpensive. You can use a wine cork to replace the missing knob. It may look like a hillbilly fixed, but who cares? The important thing is that your controller functions and you still have cash in your pocket.
39 Party Barge
These two guys win the award for the most creative engineering. They constructed a picnic table into a functioning pontoon boat. You can build one of these yourself for about $100. While we won’t give you step-by-step instructions, a quick Google search can help you.
Let’s celebrate this amazing accomplishment. From the trolling motor on the back of the boat to the umbrella on the top, this barge was made to party on the water. Who wouldn’t want to float around the lake on a motorized picnic table? Where do we sign up? We want to party with them!
40 Taco Holder
If you are a taco lover, you’ll be excited about this next ingenious life hack. While tacos are delicious, they can be messy. It can be tricky to pick them up from your plate without spilling the contents all over your lap. Sure, you can buy a fancy taco holder.
But who wants to spend money on something as frivolous as that? All you have to do is smash an aluminum can and drape the taco over it. The taco conforms perfectly to the middle of the smashed can. Both your tummy and your wallet will appreciate this trick. Is anybody else hungry now?
