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New products

By Spike Carlsen

From The Family Handyman

Wallpaper with a sense of humor

There may be 782,436 different patterns of wallpaper in the world—but none with more personality than this new “Happy Home” line of papers and borders from Seabrook. Created by artist Sally Huss, the designs feature clotheslines, coffee cups, birdhouses, underwater scenes, rows of houses and other funky patterns. I especially like the border that includes line after line of good-cheer quotes. This wallpaper is available at paint and wallpaper specialty stores. A typical roll, covering 28 sq. ft., costs about $25.99. Borders cost $25.99 per 15-ft. roll. Matching fabrics are available too. Call Seabrook to find a dealer near you.

Seabrook, 1325 Farmville Rd., Memphis, TN 38122, (800) 238-9152. www.seabrookwallcoverings.com

Doodad organizer

From the people who brought you the Bucket Boss for storing big stuff in 5-gallon buckets comes the Coffee Can Organizer for stashing small doodads in (you guessed it) coffee cans. The trays come in sets of three, in two different sizes: 5-3/4 in. diameter trays for large coffee cans and 4-3/4 in. diameter trays for medium coffee cans. Great for sorting and storing screws, nails, washers, wall anchors, bolts, wire connectors, beads, spices, marbles—well, you get the idea.

Make sure to flatten that sharp ridge around the inside of the rim.

A set of three for medium cans (No. 15061) costs $8.99; large (No. 15062) is $9.99 (plus shipping).

Duluth Trading Co., 8300 Highland Dr., Wausau, WI 54401; (800) 505-8888. www.duluthtrading.com

Fast, sturdy gate brackets

Good fences make good neighbors—and good gate hardware makes it easy for them to come visit. The SturdyGate package consists of four welded steel, triangular corner brackets, two with hinges welded directly to them. To build a gate, cut four 2x4s the appropriate length, screw them to the brackets, add your pickets, then screw the hinges of the completed gate to the fence support post. They’d be plenty handy for building sag-proof doors for storage sheds and outbuildings too. SturdyGate is available at some home centers or for $37.50 plus $7.50 shipping from the company below.

Modern Farm Mercantile, P.O. Box 1420, Cody, WY 82414; (800) 443-4934; www.modfarm.com

Go stir crazy

Painting is tedious enough without spending an extra 20 minutes stirring, then cleaning up the spills and drips on the floor around you. Simplify life with the Stir-N-Pour. You simply snap the stirring cap over the rim of a gallon paint can and crank the handle. You can use the built-in spout to pour paint into a tray or bucket, and the airtight lid helps keep paint fresh. It’s especially good for paint or stain that’s been sitting around a long time and needs some serious stirring. Stir-N-Pour (No. 1170T) is available from the company below for $9.75 plus shipping.

Sporty’s Tool Shop, Clermont

One hardworking crocodile

For anyone who’s struggled to secure a tarp over a boat, log pile, trailer or half-shingled roof, here’s an ingenious helper—the Crocodile Clip. Place the edge of a tarp between the two jaws, slide the locking mechanism until the jaws have a solid bite, then attach a Bungee cord or rope. You can use it to keep bags securely closed, hold rain flaps over tents and do other gripping tasks. About $1.59 each at hardware stores, home centers and paint stores.

Homax Products Inc., P.O. Box 5643, Bellingham, WA 98227; (800) 729-9029. www.homaxproducts.com

Big hook, big helper

Climbing a ladder with a circular saw, nail gun or cordless drill in one hand can be clumsy and dangerous—but what’s the alternative? Check out the ingeniously simple Monster Hook from Prazi. You slip the small backside hook over your belt or tool belt, then load the big hook up with the tool of your choice. The hook can be adjusted to accommodate left-or right-handed users and it swings to keep it more or less vertical. The big plastic nub on the end keeps tools from slipping off (and snagging unsuspecting bystanders). You can even bend the slightly pliable hook to conform to the size and shape of the tool. Good for carrying paint cans, extension cords and your lunchbox, too.

The Monster Hook is available for about $10.95 at hardware stores.

Prazi U.S.A., P.O. Box 1165, Plymouth, MA 02362; (800) 262-0211. www.praziusa.com

Labeler for neat freaks

If you got D’s in penmanship but still like all your stuff labeled neat as a pin, check out the Heavy Duty Labeler by Stanley and Brother International Electronics. It’s basically a handheld typewriter that creates adhesive labels you can apply to parts bins, circuit breaker panels and file folders. Letters, numbers and words are displayed on an LCD screen as you type them in, then you hit the PRINT button and use the tapecut lever to release the label. Here are some of the cool features:

• Tapes are available in 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-in. widths with clear, white or colored backings.

• You can create five different size letters in bold, italic, outlined and other styles.

• You can print words vertically, mirrored and framed.

• It’ll create cool little “no smoking,” “handicap accessible” and “skull and crossbones” symbols.

Beware! There’s no spell-check feature. The heavy-duty model shown costs $69; the standard model is $49. An AC adapter ($25) is available for those into serious labeling. Extra tapes cost $17 to $23 each.

Brother International Electronics, (901) 379-1010. www.brother.com

Art Direction • JANIS McKAY BABCOCK

Photography • MIKE KRIVIT, SEABROOK WALLCOVERINGS & HOMAX PRODUCTS

From The Family Handyman - March 2001