Design & DIY 6 creative ways to measure things in a pinch By Allan Britnell Published: September 3, 2021 Updated: March 26, 2024 share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Copy Link Cancel View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photo by Pepijn van Bakel/Shutterstock 1. Red Solo cup The ubiquitous red Solo cup is more than a shatter-proof drink receptacle. The indents along the sides indicate common beverage measurements—the lowest groove is a 1 oz shot, the next for a 5 oz pour of wine, and the third indicating a 12 oz beer. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photo by Igisheva Maria/Shutterstock 2. Women's shoes A woman’s size 9 shoe is 25.1 cm long. So, with two pairs lined up nose to heel, you can measure out 1 metre almost exactly. If you have a basketball player in the family, a men’s size 14 is 30.2 cm, which is just under one foot long. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photo by CarpathianPrince/Shutterstock 3. Dollar bills Canadian currency is precisely 2 3/4-by-6 inches (or 7-by-15 cm). So, if you line up a fiver and a twenty side by side, you’ve got a foot-long measurement. And now that our currency is plasticized, you don’t have to worry about tattered edges bringing your measures up short. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photo by Teerasak Ladnongkhun/Shutterstock 4. Credit cards A standard credit card is approximately 2-by-3½ inches. Stacking five of them on top of each other adds up to 10 inches. Four lined up in a row will be 14 inches wide. Use a fifth laid perpendicular, and subtract that amount to get an even foot. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photo by Gorvik/Shutterstock 5. A sheet of paper A standard sheet of letterhead paper is 8½-by-11 inches. If you make a T with two sheets, you’re just shy of 20 inches. Legal size paper is 8½-by-14 inches. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photo by Olga Dubravina/Shutterstock 6. Ice cube tray A standard ice cube tray holds about two tablespoons or one fluid ounce in each slot. Freeze leftover pasta sauce, stock, or other liquids, and you’ll know how many cubes to use with your next recipe. View in Fullscreen Related galleries A well-designed cottage deck can help you spend more time outside. Here are three we love 5 CL-approved DIY tricks to simplify life at the cottage Bestselling author Bryn Turnbull’s family cottage used to be covered in frog tchotchkes. Now, it’s a Georgian Bay gem 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 creative ways to measure things in a pinch Measure twice, cut once is a common mantra in both DIY and professional circles. But what if you don’t happen to have the right measuring tool at hand? Luckily, you likely have a few items lying around your cottage that can make do in a pinch. (Bonus tip: a “pinch” of salt is generally recognized as 1/16th of a teaspoon.) Related Story 5 things to think about before building a storage shed