Private First Class Rupert Valero took his toy-making hobby with him -all the way to Afghanistan! Valero is near the end of his year-long deployment, and took time for an interview with blogger Newton Gimmick, in which he talked about making toys out of recycled materials for the local kids, among other things.
I love to create and inspire. Plus, I love kids. So the hobbyist in me started making highly durable and colorful toys for local kids whenever we roll out the FOB. Toys are universal. They bring out happiness and joy on so many levels. Kids here have nothing but rocks and bad habits. I paint on hearts the toys I make for them to associate that with the heart patches sewn on 101st airborne units’ helmets. So when kids who get these toys see the same hearts on US Soldiers, it will click in him ‘these are friends.’
Read the rest at Infinite Hollywood. Link -via Metafilter
See more of Valero’s works in his Flickr stream. Link

Recycled Bike Chain Bottle Opener – $9.95
Back in 1991, Graham Bergh got a flat tire while biking to work. Rather than throwing it away, he decided to use the inner tube as a cradle for his stereo speakers. That gave him the idea of creating a company that specializes in recycling bicycle parts into neat gadgets, like the recycled bike chain bottle opener above.
Take a look at more of what Graham’s company Resource Revival, makes over at the NeatoShop: Link
Back in stock at the NeatoShop and just in time for Mother’s Day (Delivery by May 8th to USA destinations, shipping via Priority Mail if you order today): here’s the Recycled Keyboard Purse and Clutch.
Perfect for geeky moms! More Mother’s Day Gift Ideas over at the NeatoShop.

Recycled Keyboard Clutch – $37.95 at the NeatoShop | More Apparel & Accessories
Who says you can’t be geeky, eco-conscious and fashionably stylish at the same time? This Recycled Keyboard Clutch may just be that special geeky girl’s "type" of handbag.
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Is your loved one a self-righteous guy? Here's the perfect gift for him: BottleHood's Sublimely Self-Righteous Tumbler, made from Stone Brewery Co.'s limited run beer bottles: Link
Now, if he's a self-righteous and arrogant bastard, we've got that covered too!
Check out more BottleHood beer bottle tumblers from the NeatoShop: Link
I made these plastic milk bottle lights by embedding LEDs in the caps, hanging them from a bent section of pipe and hooking them up to an Arduino microcontroller.
Not happy with an on-off switch, I thought they might look mesmerising with a rotary control knob turning them on in sequence. It works! They make great low lighting to wind down for sleep, and they’re great to hang in the hall for parties too.
There are complete build instructions on Instructables.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Nachimir.

