Awesome Living

This palm-sized, waterproof tool uses a ferrocerium rod and striker tool to produce plentiful sparks and get your fire started in seconds. CNC-machined from 6061 anodized aluminum, its 1/4″ rod will last up to 3000 strikes. Available in gunmetal and black finishes.

This outdoor drink cooler is a fun and functional addition to your patio or deck. It holds up to 68 quarts in its stainless steel insulated ice chest and its lid doubles as a compact foosball table. It also has a bottle opener with a catch tray, a lower storage shelf, and casters for easy moving.

You could cover your walls with paint or wallpaper, or you could do something a bit more special like woodworker Paul Jackman did. He used an X-CARVE Pro CNC machine to make 800 plywood hexagons, cut them to varying heights, colored them with Minwax stains, then glued them to his wall in an abstract pattern.

Just BioFiber makes sustainable building materials from hemp plants, lime, and a biocomposite frame. The bricks stack like giant LEGO blocks up to 30 feet high, are as strong as concrete, and are self-insulating. Exploring Alternatives met with BioFiber President Terry Radford for a look at this innovative construction material.

PVC is quite the versatile material. It can be used for plumbing, building support structures, or even storage units. In this clip, SensiblePrepper shows us 17 different ways you can use various sizes of PVC pipe and fittings to help you survive when things go south. His ideas include weapons, tools, storage vessels and a makeshift canteen.

Puebco’s library of weathered and tattered books look completely realistic, but they’re actually secret storage boxes. To make their contents even less appealing to would-be thieves, they come in such fascinating titles as “3208 Industrial Engine Parts Book” and “Rapid Identification (Spot Testing) of Some Metals and Alloys.”

Kitchen electrics and drinkware maker Zojirushi teamed up with video game maker Bandai Namco to create a duo of stainless steel mugs to celebrate PAC-MAN. Available in black or silver, the limited-edition mugs keep drinks hot or cold for hours, and have a locking flip-open lid for sipping. Pre-orders start on 12.20.2021.

This durable pocket tool is made from titanium alloy. It’s big enough to get the job done, but small enough to carry on your keychain. It packs in a pry bar, bottle opener, hex driver, wrenches, and a seatbelt cutter, and is sized for a confident grip. Choose from silver or blue finishes.

This cordless rechargeable vacuum cleans up messes in tight spaces. It has a high-speed motor for powerful suction and comes with a brush and extension accessories. An LED light helps illuminate whatever you’re cleaning. Save an extra 20% in The Awesomer Shop through 12.16.21 with code GREEN20.

Portland-based Honey & Ivy Studio makes these casual but modern accent lights that have a faceted shape reminiscent of a gemstone. They’re 3D printed from high-quality PLA and come in four colors. Also shown is the matching Mishi faceted vase.

Board Game Tables is known for its custom gaming tables. The Jasper is a more affordable table with a 3′ x 5′ playing area that seats six, while the Jasper Long seats eight. It includes a neoprene play surface and a deep edge to keep game pieces from falling off. Options include a dining table topper, snack shelves, and drink holders.

This single-purpose kitchen appliance comes from the same guys who gave us the cars & trucks waffle maker. Its unique design lets you make delicious stuffed pancakes by layering on a filling of choice, then pouring more pancake batter into its top opening while it cooks.

YouTuber Jet Bent-Lee’s dad is Iron Chef competitor Susur Lee. Every now and then, Jet buys his dad an everyday food item and asks him to improve upon it. In this video, the elder Lee takes two loaded Dominos pizzas and turns them into a gourmet meal.

It’s not too late to put some more gifts for gearheads under the tree. Our pals at Everyday Carry selected 25 of their favorite gift items from tools for outdoor living to lifesaving survival items to gifts for gadget lovers. Among our favorites are the iFixit Moray tool kit and the Manhattan Portage Atlas Sling V2.

This individual glass decanter set is a great gift for whiskey lovers. Its inner chamber holds a brown spirit of choice, while the outer chamber holds water. Pour the whiskey from one side, then a couple of drops of water from the other to release the full depth of its flavors. Comes with a wood tray and a glass funnel.

This portable tool kit is great for quick assembly and disassembly tasks. It comes with a brass hex bit driver with a knurled grip, a ball-bearing spinner, and a magnetic hex socket. Packed inside its leather tool roll are 13 bits, including Torx, Phillips, and flat blade drivers. The driver is available by itself for about $20.

NexTool’s perfectly sized, value-priced flashlight kicks out up to 2,000 lumens of brightness, visible from up to 380 meters (~1246 feet) away. It’s got an IPX7 waterproof aluminum body and a 5000mAh rechargeable battery that’s charged via a USB-C port.

Most game room tables look cheap and tacky. But West Elm’s stylish air hockey table looks like a real piece of furniture thanks to its simulated woodgrain finish and mid-century modern design. They also sell a matching foosball table. We wish they were made from hardwood though.

Notebook maker Lochby teamed up with the Karas Pen Company to machine this substantial aluminum pen. It features an anodized matte black exterior, knurling and rings for grip, a stainless steel mechanism, and a sturdy clip. It comes with a Schmidt P8126 rollerball refill, and accepts standard Parker-style refills.

Luycho’s unique cups and saucers produce an animated image when turned. The trick is the series of lines on their saucers which reflect onto gold mirrored strips, creating the illusion of movement on porcelain mugs. They come in horse, bird, and cat designs with either a porcelain or wood saucer.

Woby Design shows off another unique build he made from recycled skateboard decks. By arranging the wood pieces in order of color, he was able to create a sweet rainbow design across its seat and up its legs. The build starts around the 4:30 mark in the video.

Stuart Gardiner Design makes a variety of informative kitchen towels, including this duo which help you decide what wine to pair with dinner. Simply pick the red or white wine towel, select your foods, and the grid will tell you what wine styles work and what won’t. They also make a beer pairing towel.

Toronto artist ByCookieCrafts makes precision-cut geometric wall art out of wood. Among their selection of shapes are these 7-piece sets which look like RPG dice. They come in sizes from 2″ to 10″ tall, in black-stained maple, natural maple, walnut, or mahogany. We also like their Pokémon and playing card suit designs.