The 55 people on this list are experts at coming up with creative solutions to common problems. Their ingenuity will both wow and amaze you.
For example, the man who used toilet paper as blinds for his windows. He had a privacy problem and he solved it in an epic fashion. However, that’s just one of the fascinating photos and stories we’ve gathered to share with you today.
Some of the techniques and strategies used to solve problems are borderline genius. Others are simply silly, in a good way. Just have a look for yourself and you’ll see what we mean. Which one of these inventive ideas is your favorite?
Source:
userbelowisamonster
1. Smart Landscaping
Every time that it rained, the gutter of this house flooded the yard with water. It made quite a mess. However, the homeowners found a beautiful way of redirecting the water to the street. They built a little river.
Source:
iBleeedorange
2. Open Doors
This airport toilet door was broken and wouldn’t stay shut. In order to use it, the man had to figure out a new way of keeping it closed. His jacket really came in handy that day.
Source:
TheTrittRedditer
3. Eclipse Glasses
In order to watch an eclipse of the sun, you need to have special glasses. Otherwise, the sun rays will damage your eyes. However, this guy figured he would make his own device with the pairs of sunglasses he already had. We’re not sure if his technique was scientifically sound, but apparently, it worked out okay.
Source:
gnuman1979
4. Riding Lawnmower
It’s much easier to mow the grass with a lawnmower you can ride on instead of using the push ones. Brand new lawnmowers can get very expensive though. Luckily, it’s possible to make your own by repurposing old-fashioned technology.
Source:
ecgames3
5. Costume Ideas
“My orthodontist told me I’d have my braces on for Halloween. I thought I might as well take advantage of it,” the woman explained. She came up with quite the costume. She dressed up as Darla from the movie Finding Nemo.
Source:
desternee
6. Remote Instructions
Elderly individuals often have a difficult time using new electronic devices. Even getting the TV remote to work properly can pose a challenge for many people. However, this inventive son decided to solve the problem for his mother by covering up the majority of the buttons on the remote and clearly labeling the most important ones.
Source:
GreasedLlama
7. Trash Bag Covers
Here’s a tip for people who are moving homes: use trash bags to cover your clothes. It makes transporting them to the new destination super easy. The bags keep the clothes bundled together and prevents them from falling off of the hangers or getting dirty.
Source:
A_A_Ron_Rodgers
8. Candle Cooking
Tealight candles are typically used for accent lighting. When placed in a mason jar or other decorative vase, they create an amazing ambiance. However, if you have a bunch of them, they can also be used to boil water or cook food.
Source:
VikGoldFish
9. Homemade Tree
If you aren’t able to find a Christmas tree in time for the holiday season, don’t worry too much. There are other options. For example, you can build a wall tree in the corner of your home using nothing more than Christmas lights.
Source:
noslowsongs
10. Playing Outdoors
This kid’s mom told him he had to go outside to play. She was sick of him staying inside all day playing video games. It’s clear that he took her advice very seriously.
Source:
redditoraMexa
11. Tattoo Coverup
Fixing a bad tattoo can be a big challenge. However, this tattoo artist did an excellent job. Instead of covering up the original ink, he actually incorporated it into the new design.
Source:
Donnol
12. Soda Refill
Burger King was having a special where you could get a free drink if you brought your own cup. This kid took full advantage of it. He filled up two giant jugs with soda and continued on his way!
Source:
Foxeh66
13. Colored Note Card
The teacher allowed the student to bring one handwritten notecard with her to the exam. The student utilized the space as much as possible. She used red and blue filters to double the number of notes that she could fit on the card.
Source:
rocotaco42
14. Cigarette Cleanup
This creative design encourages people to dispose of their cigarette butts properly. It asks them for their opinion on which space exploration franchise they like more. Fans feel compelled to cast their vote.
Source:
NeilBeale
15. Festive Decorations
Instead of buying different decorations for multiple holidays, this person simply repurposed the same one. They took their Halloween butler and made him into a Christmas Santa Claus. The end result was hilariously awesome.
Source:
Jesses72390
16. Multipurpose Hat
The hole in the back of the hat normally isn’t utilized. It’s just wasted space. However, this man found a great purpose for it. He uses it to hold his electronic devices.
Source:
foxter
17. Pixar Pup
The dog’s health condition turned out to have some unexpected consequences. It caused him to become Internet famous. The owners took a bad problem and turned it into an opportunity to have some fun.
Source:
DeviousBSTRD
18. Furry Phone Stand
Not only are cats great companions, but they also make great phone holders. They are always trying to jump up on the bed and hang out with people, so we might as well put them to good use, right? The cats don’t mind one bit.
Source:
NutNougatCream
19. Magnet Man
Paper clips have the bad habit of ending up everywhere. They can easily create a lot of clutter in a drawer. However, this guy found a simple solution to the problem. He used his magnetic action figure, Magneto, to gather them up.
Source:
Humvee13
20. Carpet Magic
Tying a weight on top of a carpet cleaner is an easy way to improve its performance. It will make the cleaner more effective at pulling up all of the dirt and stains. If you add enough weight, it can even double as a workout.
Source:
gbullet
21. Mirror Repair
When you’re on the go and need to fix a broken car mirror in a pinch, you can use a handheld mirror. Just tape it to your car. It’s a great temporary fix.
Source:
techvault
22. Useful Wreckage
Losing a car to the ocean sounds devastating. However, it’s not a total loss. The car might not be drivable anymore, but at least it still serves a purpose. It’s now the best sunbathing spot on the beach.
Source:
Brainstein
23. Reflective Jacket
This jacket incorporated reflective print to make it easier for cars to see it at night. The effect becomes very apparent when you take a photo of the jacket with the flash on. In the presence of shining light, the jacket totally changes appearance.
Source:
thebatmunk
24. Dinner Is Served
Just because there aren’t any clean dishes around doesn’t mean you have to starve. You simply have to use alternative strategies. For example, you can eat spaghetti out of a flower vase instead of off a plate.
Source:
hypnozooid
25. New Shoe Style
When high-top sneakers went out of fashion, this man wasn’t about to just throw his old shoes away. He cut the tops off of the shoes and kept on wearing them. They still have a lot of years of use left in them.
Source:
mynammaactuallyjeff
26. Handsome Pills
“My dog Philby has to take allergy meds every day but he doesn’t need to know that,” the woman jokes. She is a great owner. She is always looking out for the pup and his happiness. She wouldn’t want him to think that there was something wrong with him.
Source:
nanglish
27. Trailing Suitcase
Sometimes, being lazy causes people to come up with brilliant ideas. This man tied his suitcase onto the backpack straps so it would effortlessly roll behind him. It was a hands-free solution.
Source:
willclarke99
28. Unlocking Carts
When shopping at Aldi’s, you have to put a quarter in the cart handle to unlock it. However, this person discovered a different trick that works just as good. They used a car key!
Source:
l300l30
29. Hanging Towel
It’s pretty common to see towels folded up into swans. However, this hotel folds them into monkeys and hangs them from the ceiling. It’s so much cooler than just setting them on a shelf.
Source:
NotaWonderWoman
30. Cat Gamer
This game normally has a four-player minimum. They only had three people in the home though. Luckily, they were able to recruit someone else to join in on the fun.
Source:
fenix547
31. Organized Trash
Here we have a very inventive way of reducing total trash volume. The cafe implores its customers to stack their cups when throwing them away. Plus, there is even a special spot in the middle to dump liquids.
Source:
laxanh
32. Advanced Techniques
This guy is always two steps ahead of everyone. He’s already living in the future. As you can see, he has figured out that his power cord doubles as a phone stand.
Source:
eviieeO
33. Fork Razors
Razor heads can be attached to forks. All it takes is a little bit of hot glue and you are ready to shave. A lack of handles is no longer an obstacle to trimming up that excess hair.
Source:
arthurdentstowels
34. Light Thief
“My friend wasn’t able to reach the higher roofline, so he decided the Grinch needed to ‘steal’ the lights,” the woman explained. No dangerous roof-top climbing was required. Yet, the holiday lighting design turned out excellent.
Source:
genskeeper
35. Tree Topper
Stars aren’t the only things that can go on the top of Christmas trees. Tree toppers come in all shapes and sizes. This goofy one was chosen by the kids in the family.
Source:
RainHaven
36. Cool Transformation
A bad tattoo doesn’t have to be a permanent blemish on your skin. With a little creativity, most tattoos can be completely transformed. You just need to find a really talented artist to work with.
Source:
HerpDerpMcGurk
37. Phone Support
We’ve all run into this problem before — the only power outlet is up in the middle of the wall and there is no table around. Luckily, there is a way to solve the issue. You can use the cord itself to support the device.
Source:
9GAG
38. Tree Person
It was too much work to set up the whole Christmas tree so this family only set up half of the tree. They gave it a little face and called it a day. The silly tree had everyone cracking up with laughter.
Source:
Miner8012
39. Missing Hose
The water tap was too short to reach the container. Most people use garden hoses to solve problems such as this. However, with some careful aiming, hoses aren’t even necessary.
Source:
Morpegom
40. Computer Replacement
This man’s laptop broke at a really inconvenient time. Luckily, he figured out that he could use a phone and keyboard to replace it temporarily. The screen was pretty tiny, but it did work!
Source:
sloth_on_meth
41. Rain Shelter
The only open seating at the bar was outdoors and it was raining at the time. However, there was drinking to do. A little rain wasn’t going to stop the thirsty men from imbibing.
Source:
viniciusvmt1998
42. Motorcycle Camping
These two individuals took their motorcycles out on a camping trip. Unfortunately, they forget the tent pegs for the tent at home. With some quick thinking, they were able to improvise and make it work.
Source:
Cronin13
43. Dog Balcony
Dogs love looking out of the window. It keeps them distracted and happy while they are home alone. This lucky dog even has his own private balcony he can use during the day. His inventive owners built it especially for him.
Source:
klepevg
44. Bottle Shower Head
“The shower head in my hostel broke so I fixed it with a bottle and duct tape. Glad to see my engineering degree came to use,” joked the man. It’s wasn’t a perfect fix, but it definitely got the job done.
Source:
andocamando
45. Nap Time
The tiny bench wasn’t quite as big as a normal bed. However, it was more than sufficient for the man to be able to get some rest. Although, he did have to use a wooden board to prop his belly up.
Source:
9GAG
46. Summer Heat
There was a heatwave outside and no swimming pool or lake in sight. However, that didn’t prevent this guy from finding a way to cool off. There was a barrel around and a hose. That was all that was needed.
Source:
soupbubble
47. DIY Air Conditioning
Here we have a brilliant solution to cooling off a car. Instead of getting the car’s air conditioning fixed, the driver installed a full-sized air conditioning window unit instead. It required a rooftop generator to power it.
Source:
Tetsou88
48. Cool Computer
Similarly, this computer fan broke and began overheating. According to the owner, it wasn’t necessary to get it fixed immediately either. There are much cheaper solutions that are just as effective.
Source:
Imgur
49. Team Effort
Teamwork is always a good strategy. It’s something that these dogs understand very well. By working together, they are able to overcome any problem that stands in their way.
Source:
FoxVsDragon
50. Snapped Stem
Wine glass stems are really easy to break. They are so fragile. However, there is a simple fix — just add a small cup underneath to prop the broken glass up (or drink wine out of the cup instead).
Source:
Imgur
51. Fixed Seat
Notebooks can be used as seatbacks. That’s what this man discovered. The notebook saved his back muscles from getting strained while he was working in the lab.
Source:
Imgur
52. Mobile Pool
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone convert the bed of a truck into a swimming pool and it won’t be the last. There’s almost nothing that can go wrong. It’s a full-proof swimming system.
Source:
Imgur
53. Sad To Happy
“My cereal was sad, so I fixed it. We do have the power to create happiness!” joked the woman. She turned a sad breakfast into a very joyful one. All it took was a little maneuvering of the Cheerios.
Source:
fishCodeHuntress
54. Funny Doorstop
Plungers make great doorstops. Not only do they stop the door from hitting the wall, but they can also hold it in place too. The suction-style design is perfect for the job.
Source:
Imgur
55. Organization Skills
There were wires scattered everywhere in this room. It was a total disaster. However, what one person saw as an insurmountable problem, another saw as an opportunity to get creative.
Source:
tibbymat
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