“Gave An OSHA Inspector A Stroke”: 50 Times People Fixed Their Problems In The Most “Genius” Ways (New Pics)

You might laugh at some of these inventions. And we'll admit – they're called "Redneck engineering" for a reason. But you can't deny that, nowadays, making something with your hands is becoming a lost art. DIY projects like these actually have more meaning than meets the eye.

As the editor-in-chief of the do-it-yourself magazine, Make, Mark Frauenfelder notes, these types of "engineers" have the courage to screw up. "DIYers not only accept the inevitability of mistakes, they welcome them, because they know that mistakes are a source of inspiration and the most effective way to learn."

Who hasn't tried to construct something as a kid? Some children go crazy with Legos, while others do simpler DIY projects like jewelry. In Ireland, for example, 68% of parents of fourth-graders said their kids had played with building blocks before even starting elementary school. While that's different from real DIY or construction work, it's still a good introduction to making something with your hands, even for a preschooler.

You might say that preschoolers are too young to build things and use tools, but researchers have proven the opposite. A 2018 study involving children from three to seven years old found that even young children of that age can build the simplest tools to problem-solve.

In the experiment, 49 of the 57 children were able to retrieve a basket from a long tube by using a pipe cleaner as a hook. The researchers concluded that "learning environments supporting tool exploration and invention and conveying ownership over materials may encourage successful tool innovation at earlier ages."

Other parents go further and want their kids to be able to DIY stuff around the house from an early age. According to The Georgia Sun, 72% of parents start teaching their kids basic DIY skills like plumbing, painting, and appliance repair around the age of seven. The main reason is that today's parents worry their kids won't be as self-sufficient as previous generations. 35% also blame schools, saying that they offer no practical skills classes.

Young people themselves admit that they're doing less and less DIY projects. A British survey conducted last year has shown that 58% of Brits aged 24 and under believe their generation is losing the skill of DIY. Many young people are relying on their parents to help with home improvement projects, with two in five admitting they currently have two DIY jobs that are waiting for their turn for their parents to complete.

The younger generation gets a bad rap as it is, but they themselves admit that parents help them with things like wallpapering a room, putting up shelves, and fixing leaky faucets. According to the survey, by the time they reach 30, many Brits also don't know how to build flat-pack furniture, unblock a sink, bleed a radiator, put up wallpaper, and put up a garden fence.

DIY is good for our brains and our physical bodies. What's more, recent research shows that it can even lower the risk of developing dementia. Scientists in China have found that physical activity, including household chores, is associated with a lower risk of dementia. A 2011 study also showed that DIY projects like crafting can help reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).