Kintaro Yazawa is a woodworker in Japan. The furniture he builds is both functional and beautiful, but it’s the detail he puts into his joinery that makes his furniture a work of art.

Visit Kintaro’s website to see some of his work.

Ready? Here we go.

• Step 1: Take a nail, turn it upside down
• Step 2: Tap the nail’s pointy end with your hammer

That’s it… Exciting, hey?  You might, however, be pretty surprised at the difference that little trick makes.

Why does it work so well?  With the slightly flattened end, the nail tears through the wood’s fibers rather then forcing them apart.

You can flatten each nail as you use them or, if you have kids, give them a whole box and a little hammer — hours of endless fun. Really.