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I omit the most common photo display method— framing.

—Fasten (use 3 long thin nails) a 1/4 x 1.5-3 inch x up to 8-foot piece of wood (lattice or molding) horizontally to the wall and clip, tack or tape the photos onto it, for a horizontal mass display.

—Lean a 3/4 x 2.5-3 inch x up to 8-foot piece of wood against the wall, fasten the top end to the wall with a long thin nail, and pin or tack the photos onto it, for a vertical mass display.

—Mount photos onto foam core art board using low-tack tape, face it with clear plastic (from a plastics shop), and hang it on the wall using thin nails or 2-sided foam tape on back

—Use plastic box frames, available at AC Moores or other hobby shops, for a frameless look.

—Pin your photos to a cheap umbrella, saw off the handle, then hang the umbrella on the wall from its edge.

—Make a simple easel from “1×2” (3/4×1.5) and a few bolts, mount your photos onto a piece of foam core art board and stand it up on the easel.

—Cut foam core art board to fit the inset area of cabinet doors, then mount your photos on it (a plastic covering is recommended).

—Roll a large photo copy into a cylinder and slip it into a glass column vase for display. If you still want to use it as a vase, insert a plastic jar with the water in it.

—Paint an old wooden ladder, lean it against the wall, and stand your (framed) photos on the steps.

—Place your photos under a clear plastic (from a plastics shop) piece the size of your coffee table or desk.

See our other posts about Printing Your Photos 8.5 x 11 at Home, and Making Yourself an Icon image container, which are also on our website with other ideas.

Tags: design, interior, photos, display

Stash your small everyday valuables in a container that will stand out from the crowd in the workday morning and display your favorite photos.

Clean out a large steel fruit juice can, or a shorter can. Cut out the top with a can opener. Do not use a zip-top can as they leave a dangerous sharp edge. Measure the height and circumference of the can (use a tape measure, or a strip of paper that you can mark, then measure with a ruler. Determine the number of prints you will need to cover the circumference of the can. You may need to tape two prints together (on the back) if the can is over 3-inches diameter and/or taller than 8.5 inches.

Design your own image. Scan something from a magazine. For tips on finding and printing pictures, see Finding and Printing Photos.

Make an inkjet print of a favorite vivid photo or design on 8.5 x 11 inch glossy inkjet photo paper (from Staples, Office Depot). Let it dry. Cut the image print to fit the can height and circumference. You can first protect and enhance the image print with clear adhesive page laminate (Staples, Office Depot, etc.). Roll the image around the can and tape it on using 2-sided carpet tape underneath, or clear office tape on the vertical seam in the back.

As a top, you can use a mailing tube cap or on old lid from a cookie tin covered with another print cutout. The cut off bottom of a 2-liter plastic soda bottle (inverted) or other plastic bottle also can make an interesting top. Tape the edge to dull the sharp edge.

You can also make a similar item by rolling up and inserting the image into a 3-inch diameter glass column vase.

The Icon shown in the picture is made from 4-inch diameter thin-wall plastic drainage pipe sold at Lowes or Home Depot in 10 foot lengths, and 4-inch mailing tube caps. It’s the same principle.

We have more tips, uses and ideas for your photo prints at DoDesignDIY.com/DIY/index.html. Come and visit.

The effectiveness of Solar and related energy-saving methods will depend on your local climate, the size and layout of your home and garden, and the season of the year.

The following methods generally give the most bang for the buck and (most of them) are amenable to DIY installation.

1. Solar pool water heating.
Download “Solar Water Heaters for Swimming Pools” (PDF) from this page.
DIY version: A long hose or flexible plastic water pipe (from Home stores), connected to your pool pump, and spread out on the sunniest part of your lawn or roof can heat your pool and save you money in the summer. A pool cover can conserve that heat overnight.

2. Rooftop solar hot water heating.
Download “Solar Water Heaters” (PDF) from this page.
DIY version: A long hose or flexible plastic water pipe (from Home stores), connected into your hot water heater feed pipe, and spread out on the sunniest part of your roof can heat or preheat your water. An insulated water heater tank cover can conserve the heat gained during the day. In many climates, this would only be effective in areas with milder winters.

3. Ground-coupled heat pumps
Download “Ground-coupled Heat Pumps” (PDF) from this page.
This can save you money all year, for heating and cooling, and is relatively expensive, but can save you more money than solar electric panels, particularly if you install the ground-coupled version. If your house is in need of a new heater or A/C, you would be able to install a smaller heater and A/C with a heat exchanger.
DIY version: Very limited DIY.

4. Added (super-)insulation
If you are planning to renovate your house, consider adding as much insulation as possible. In some cooler (or all) rooms, if you can spare the slight space lost, instead of replacing the wallboard, consider surfacing the entire (exterior) inner walls with 2+ inch thick high density polystyrene foam panels (construction adhesive them to the old wall surface) over thin foil reflective insulation, then adhere plasterboard or other wall facing to the foam. This would require relocating (or installing new) electrical work and adjusting the baseboards, window and door frames for the added thickness. Advantages: You do not have to remove the old wallboard and this can eliminate air leaks.
Also add insulation to your attic.
DIY version: All or much of this can be DIY (subject to your local building codes).

5. Add a Greenhouse room to your south facing wall
Download “Fact Sheet- Passive Solar Design for the Home” (PDF) from this page.
This can be costly, but the space and effect is much more satisfying than the other alternatives, and much more useful than an outside deck. For maximum effectiveness, use a thick concrete underfloor over insulation (absorbs heat in the day, releases it at night), and design the roof so that it shades the windows from the high summer sun. Consider an insulated window shade or panel system for use during the worst part of winter.
DIY version: Much of this can be DIY installation of a prefab greenhouse (subject to your local building codes).

6. Solar Electric Roof Panels
Download “Fact Sheet- Introduction to PV Systems” (PDF) from this page.
I include this because it is very popular now. Depending on your location, however, the costs of the panels and accompanying equipment are high, and the payback may take up to ten years. After checking climate (sunny days) records for your area, consider trying out a small system and adding to it over time, as the systems will slowly become less expensive.

7. Save money on food costs
Take a look at the “Garden Machine” plans HERE, and download the PDF instructions. This is Solar Power at its tastiest and entirely a DIY project.

Nowadays, we’re almost all wishing for an electric car or a magic carpet. Stop wishing and start doing. For the basics, here’s an excellent intro to the possibilities from TreeHugger.com. Use a kit, hire a high school grease monkey, or take it to a conversion shop. Next, do a Google on ‘Convert auto to electric’ for more info. The results may not look like the pic below, but it will definitely put a smile on your face.

Have the technical skills? Tools? Space? Buy used compact cars, convert and sell them locally as low-cost utility cars. You’ll have to check first on Red Tape and Regulations, but this could be the small business you need or want. The demand is high!

Make your own low-cost 11×14 inch Backlit Picture Frame that displays your photos and pictures as vividly as your computer monitor can. 8.5 x 11 Inkjet paper photo prints done on your computer printer slip in easily without tools. This is an effective backlit image frame that can hang or stand on a table, in either orientation. Hard-to-find print media is NOT required, and it costs about $30 in parts.

Get more info and access the Acrobat PDF illustrated instructions HERE, or buy it, ready-to-use, at our Store.

This is a DIY solar site with a wealth of projects and information, from Mother Earth News, which has been well known since the Flower-Power Generation. If you’re interested in turning green, check this out for a marvelous education and great projects.

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/frugal.htm

Are you hoping to turn Green? Do you want some real information about going solar, harnessing the wind, building green? Blow on over to http://www.homepower.com/, become a member, sign up for the online edition, or subscribe to the hardcopy edition and access practical information and help in Greening American homes. Or just check out their Resources/Links for an extensive list of very relevant links.

I have used both Macs and PCs for the last 20 years or so.

My first Mac tower (OS 9.x) lasted more than 15 years and I’m still considering having it repaired. Though I did graphics and Web design at Cornell University on faster new Macs, I rarely thought my old home Mac was too slow, or not powerful and flexible enough. In all that time, I never once HAD TO defrag my disk (at home or work), though I did have to reinstall OS 9 about three times due to system crashes, maybe ’cause I did not defrag(?). But I lost no doc or image files.

My current Mac is a 3 year old PPC Mini that cost about $550. I use my old CRT, scanner, and printer, and am on a rural dial-up connection.

I use my PC (Win2000) ONLY when I must, which is becoming very rare. It will no longer go online, because (I think) it was bombed with an online virus.

Why I adore my Mac OS X Mini (10.4.11 Tiger):

* Just out of the box, I was using it within about an hour or less. I am on it about 2-4 hours most days. It immediately recognized my old peripherals.
* It is stable, stable, and stable.
* I am able to use my old OS 9 software (on the new Macs, you cannot, but you can run Windows— for a price).
* iPhoto (which comes with the computer) is a superb photo and image visual database, easy to use and capable enough that, with 10,000 images in it so far, lets me find any photo I need quickly, and any category of photos I want (Keywords and Smart Folders). Drag and drop and I’ve got the pic.
* The same can be said for iTunes, AppleWorks (like MS Office, but simpler, and recently improved and renamed), Airport, Firewire, and a host of other applications and capabilities that come with the Mac, some of which I use only once in a while— but it’s great to have them. I find the Email app and Safari browser are excellent, altho a few websites (e.g., bill-pay sites) do not reliably support it, so I use Firefox for them.
* There are many free or low-cost (innovative and intuitive) shareware applications on the Web (Iusethis.com, VersionTracker.com, Apple.com) that give me many added options and capabilities. The great news is that you download the software file, plunk the .app file into your Applications folder, and you’re ready to roll. The only big$ app I have bought for it is Photoshop (and may buy DreamWeaver).
* I am easily able to transfer files to/from my PC using a flash drive or an Ethernet connection, and have rarely had trouble opening any transferred file on either of them, except .wmf image files.
A Mac-friend of mine shares his DSL connection with a PC laptop and with his iMac thru a low-cost router and the wireless Airport.
* It gives me a few prompts and messages I don’t really need, but nowhere like the PC does. If I were still ambitious, I have the option of turning those few Mac prompts off.
* When an application goes bonkers, I can Force Quit it and continue on my merry way.
* I am constantly discovering new capabilities of OS X and the Mini.

* and finally, I find that the PC is mechanistic and robotic in screen appearance, and wants a lot of attention. Perhaps the PC is great for engineers, but the Mac feels visually rich and built for a poet.

The downside:
* The older Mini’s do have a problem with low-voltage feed to a CRT, which makes the screen darker and off-color. When the temperature of my mini hits 86 degrees, that corrects itself.
* Older scanners built for OS9 may not run on Mac OSX reliably, if at all.
* For backups, many add-on hard disks will work, but for rebooting a Mac from a hard disk you need a Firewire drive that is certified OS X compatible.
* I would not recommend the Mini for a professional Web or Graphics designer (I changed careers), but for general use, it’s tops. I WOULD always recommend a Mac, however.