But summer 2022 has been record-breakingly hot so far, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you’re willing to put your DIY skills to use. So, here are some projects to help you enjoy the heat:
1. Transform a Cool Box Into a 12V Air Conditioner
People use cool boxes to keep their contents chilled, but you can also hack one to keep your car or even your room at a decent temperature.
This DIY project’s creator describes this unit as a “$10 solution to a $500 solution to a $25,000 problem” and requires only a cool box, a heater core, fans, a bilge pump, ice, and some other inexpensive materials. Of course, you will also need screwdrivers, cutting tools, a drill, and some competency in using them.
As noted in the Instructables guide, you can modify the project to suit your own needs—using dry ice, for instance, or running cold water through the heater core.
2. A PVC Outdoor Shower
Playing with water in the summer heat is one of the delights of childhood. Ideally, you can head to a beach, stream, river, or swimming pool. But if you don’t have any such places nearby, you can rig up some cheap lengths of PVC pipe and some connectors to create an outdoor shower for kids to run through and have fun in.
You can deploy the DIY shower in your own backyard or on the street, and the total cost will be only a few dollars. Charmingly named “KidWash” by its creator, this device is easy to construct and only requires hand tools, including a drill, a hacksaw, and all-purpose adhesive.
The Instructables guide suggests making several of these cheap outdoor showers and chaining them with other water toys to create an all-purpose water extravaganza!
3. Build an Electric Fan From Random Spare Parts
While electric fans don’t provide the luxurious cooling benefit of an AC unit, they at least keep the air moving and help sweat to evaporate from your skin. Electric fans are easy to use, and you can conveniently move them around the house.
Sure, you can buy a cheap electric fan from a dollar store. If you’re feeling particularly well-off, you can splash hundreds on an electric fan that’s as much furniture as it is functional. But there’s nothing quite as satisfying as engineering a solution to your overheating problem using bits and pieces you have lying around the house.
This Instructable uses an electric motor from an old typewriter, four diodes, and some tubing to create a glorious electropunk air shifter.
4. Cool Your Car With an Arduino-Powered Car Sunshade
The sun rises early in the summer months, and by the time you climb into your car for the daily commute, the interior can already be baking hot. Your lungs sear as you breathe super-heated air, and you curse as your hands are scorched on the steering wheel.
Of course, a simple solution to this problem would be to use a car sunshade to keep the sun’s rays away from the vehicle’s interior. But that requires some forethought and routine, and who can be bothered manually fitting and adjusting a bulky piece of cardboard at the end of a long day?
This Instructable solves a problem that millions never knew they had. Using an Arduino, an array of temperature and light sensors, motors, sprockets, and LEDs, you can easily create a sunshade that can raise and lower automatically according to the conditions outside—ensuring a lovely, cool interior for your drive to the beach
5. Relax in a Paracord Hammock
Nothing beats relaxing in the yard with a cool drink during the summer—well, except relaxing in a hammock in the yard with a cool drink. Hammocks are at a premium this season and can be hard to get hold of, but you can create your own from scratch using this Instructable.
While making a paracord hammock certainly sounds simple, the process is more involved than you may think, and you will first need to build a hammock loom and a netting needle. You’ll also learn how to load the netting needle, make rope, weave a clew, and much more.
If you’re looking for an activity to keep you busy until the cool of autumn arrives, this is the one.
6. Clamshell Sunshade for Shade in the Backyard
A portable sunshade is an excellent accessory for having fun in the summer heat without running the risk of burning your skin or permanently damaging it with harmful ultraviolet rays.
This impressively engineered clamshell sunshade on Instructables is inexpensive and can be taken apart and put away when not in use. The design uses heavy wooden end pieces and 10-foot sections of 1/2 inch thick PVC water pipe, meaning that it’s sturdy enough not to blow away and light enough to be moved around the garden or the beach as the sun changes position.
7. A DIY Fridge Will Keep Your Drinks Ice-Cold
Most Americans would agree that there’s nothing worse than warm beer on a hot summer’s day (citizens of other nations may disagree). If your fridge and freezer are already stuffed with burgers, sausages, and other barbecue food, you may have to settle for unchilled beverages.
Or you can build your own fridge. Using a Polystyrene packing box as a starting point, this Instructable will teach you to add the necessary components to keep your brews at the perfect temperature for summer enjoyment. And if you need inspiration for beverages to keep in your fridge, try one of these cocktail apps for Android.
Use These DIY Projects to Enjoy the Perfect Summer!
We’ve listed some awesome projects that can help you enjoy summer without worrying about the heat, whether it’s staying cool in your car, keeping the kids entertained, or staying safe from the sun’s dangerous rays. Summer only comes around once a year, so it’s important to make the most of it while you can!
