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A window blind rainstick

Youve probably heard me say before, "Im not green, Im just a cheapskate". While people often find that quip amusing, it is meaningful to me. I try to use every part of the buffalo that I can. Repurposing wood is both practical and frugal.

Many people give new life to old wood pallets. I like to scour Craigslist for free stuff — old desks, shelves, chairs, whatever — that I can take apart and salvage their once-beautiful woods. A little sanding, a few passes through a planer, and even the most horrific-looking wood is as good as new. Not only is lumber (and paper, I might add) a renewable resource, but it recycles well. Its what woodworkers have always known and practiced without having to announce it on bumperstickers or eat tofu.

I was delighted to see that Philippe Chretien came up with the clever idea to reuse some old window blinds and make his own rainstick!  I love how long the rain sound lasts in his version. Also, Phillipe has posted detailed instructions on Instructables.com. Rock on Philippe: a true Mortal woodworker.




If youve made some cool new stuff out of old stuff, lets see it! If you havent signed onto the Mere Mortals Facebook page yet, head on over. I recently figured out how to let users upload their own project photos. (Yeah, Im a little slow on the learning curve.) There are already a whole bunch of pictures and great ideas. Show us what youve got!