DIY Projects Featuring Sugru

Back when Pete bought (close to) a thousand packets of the ever-handy and cool product Sugru, we figured that we’d have a while (maybe years) to use it all, but within the last month or so, we realized that the stuff does expire, becoming less malleable and more likely to crack (like drying playdoh). I used it to create little feet on the table centerpiece that I wrote about right here, but in addition to that, we’ve really ramped up our efforts to use it all before the end of the year (when allegedly, it expires).

Here are some of the quick hacks we can report on:

Sunglasses hacks: There isn’t enough wiggle room in Pete’s motorcycle helmet to accommodate a pair of sunglasses (the arms end up digging into the backs of his ears, ouch) so he decided to shorten the length of the arms so that they were just long enough to grip the side of his head, but not be painful. He actually melted the ends of the arms off with a small torch (fun) and then used the soft, silicone Sugru to make cushioned end pieces that would form perfectly to his temples. Once dried, they’re actually a little grippy, so they never slip off. Dad hacked his sunglasses too, replacing the broken-away plastic wraps (there was just a thin wire exposed) with a light coat of Sugru to help get him through the summer.

I also hacked my own sunglasses by using Sugru at the hinge of each arm to prevent the arms from swinging open wider than my own head. Worked like a charm!

Created decor for our home: Modeled after a design sold by Anthropologie, I used Sugru to balance a starfish atop a porcelain container as a decorative accent for our home. See the full tutorial here.

Magnet hacks: Well, I couldn’t always use the entire packet of Sugru on a hack, so I began using the leftovers to decorate my own plain magnets – here’s one where I molded bits of Sugru to a magnet and then hand-coated with little silver beads.

Wall Protector: We used dots of Sugru on the hinge between our drywall and TV mount to prevent the mount from slamming into the wall every time it was pushed flush. See the before and after in this post.

Dog crate hack: The dog gate has to fit in my Jeep very snuggily in order not to shift around en-transit. Since it was wedged in there tightly, I noticed that the edges of the gate were wearing against the roof of my car, actually beginning to tear the fabric. The quick and obvious fix was to cover up the exposed metal area to prevent additional wear, so we decided to give the Sugru a shot – the orange pieces molded and solidified perfectly to the gate, and prevent wear and tear – plus, it’s grippy, so it does help to keep the gate in place too!

iPhone Cord hack: We sure love our iPhones, but the cords aren’t made to last – I noticed that the plastic coating on my cord was starting to crack apart, exposing the wires, so I coated the affected with Sugru to weld it back together. No exposed wires, and a reinforced connection should help it last awhile longer than it might have otherwise. (Editor’s Update 2018: We’ve done this to every single phone and computer cord we’ve owned since discovering this trick. PERFECTION.)

Added feet to a scratchy container: Perfect little container, but damaged with imperfect feet. I added Sugru feet to this metal box, and upgraded it into a container that I still use today.

*I have no affiliation with Sugru or FormFormForm, I just really love the product and think it’s revolutionary in the space. Try it for yourself, and browse other people’s cool hacks on sugru.com.