Extra-Long Tablecloth Instantly Turns Any Table Into a Fort [Design]

Jul 14, 2012 2:30 PM  

With a child-size dose of imagination anything can become a fort or a playhouse. But this custom tablecloth available from Etsy seller CoolSpacesForKids makes it incredibly easy to convert your dining room table into a miniature mansion, mission control, or Fort Knox.

It not only means you don't have to strip the beds to find enough sheets to cover the table, but you can also probably get away with eating a meal on it while your kids hang out inside. It's available in both stereotypical boy and girl colors for $85, and as a word of advice: you might want to remove that elaborate centerpiece before your kids move in. As I recall, forts and play houses are prone to frequent earthquakes.

[Etsy via The Fancy]

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The Clever Cutouts On These Serving Trays Promise To Make Cafeteria Dining Less Terrible [Design]

Jul 7, 2012 5:00 PM  

Whether it's at school, the hospital, or even at work, cafeteria dining is never really enjoyable. And it's not just the food, eating off a tray with a raised lip around the perimeter is awkward at best.

So why has it taken until now to come up with a solution as elegant as Zoocreative's Delica trays that feature a groove on either side where diners can comfortably rest their arms during a meal? Admittedly, the tray won't contain spills as easily as the traditional design, but it still allows you to easily carry multiple plates and glasses from the checkout to your table. We'd be tempted to encourage every fast food restaurant on the planet to adopt these, were it not for the Delica tray's ridiculous $79 price tag. Time to break out the scroll saw.

[Generate via Holycool]

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This Analog Clock Has the Correct Time for 24 Different Time Zones Around the World [Design]

Jul 8, 2012 12:00 PM  

Over at Instructables, SelkeyMoonbeam has figured out a clever way to make one analog clock tell the time of 24 different time zones. All you have to do is turn the clock's base to the city (or time zone) you're in, and the clock will show the right time.

It doesn't include the minute hand because the time would be off every time you rotate it but it does give you the correct hour for time zones all across the world. Think of it more like a gauge than an atomic clock, I guess. Here's how SelkeyMoonbeam, the maker of the clock, explains it:

It's not really that useful if you're a world traveler- you have to take the minute hand off or it's wrong every time you turn it. But the hours are right, so it's good for if you're doing international business, or have friends overseas that you want to contact. Actually, I was considering making a version that left off the cities and simply displayed the names of my wide-spread family members so that we'd have an easier time discussing when to Skype call.

The instructions on how to build one yourself are over at Instructables. [Instructables]

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