As our lives become increasingly digital, more and more people are seeking to create tangible things with their hands. It's no wonder that LEGO, gardening and tool purchases are all on the rise.

We'll probably start to see more objects like this String Ring, a creative way to turn digital images into handcrafted art.

It was invented by an Atlanta-based group of creatives called Heartistry. "Our journey started when we first discovered this art form and spent a full day building a makeshift loom with wood and nails. It was beautiful, but also stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. We knew there had to be a better way to let people enjoy the creativity of stringing without the hassle of building their own ring.

"After dozens of prototypes, we developed unique pin shapes that let your mind flow through the loom twice as quickly as with nails."

The way it works is, you upload a photo to their website. Their software then generates a string-by-number sequence, which it announces (audibly) through your phone; you can dial in the pace at which the sequence is announced.

Then it's a matter of connecting the dots, so to speak.

The process, they say, is meditative and soothing.

The $54 String Ring kits have been successfully Kickstarted, with 28 days left to pledge at press time. Units are slated to ship this December.

Let's be honest: when travelling, nobody is looking forward to the time at the gate, waiting to board. Airports also rarely tell a story unique to the place they're at, often being purely pragmatic, frequently pretty soulless spaces, sometimes not even offering a decent place to sit for everyone.

We were expecting just that for a 4-hour layover in Paris on a trip from South America to Germany, and even considered rushing into Paris or paying for a lounge. A delay and Charles de Gaulle's vast and confusing layout had us head to the gate at Terminal 2G straight away, and we were pleasantly surprised with possibly one of the most thoughtfully designed airport spaces we've ever encountered.

The airport

Charles de Gaulle itself is a bit of a user experience nightmare: signage isn't exactly clear, and you sometimes have to take long bus rides from one sub-terminal to the next. However, upon entering the – from the outside rather drab – Terminal 2G, you find yourself in a delightful ode to Parisian design history and flair.

A grand entrance with terazzo floors. Photo by Anki Delfmann

Frescos by Studio CHZON. Photo by Anki Delfmann

The escalator and stairs to the gates are the first sign of a waiting area that differs from the norm: custom floors, handrails, frescos and lamps lead the traveler upstairs into a space celebrating quintessentially French 20th century furniture and decorative arts.

Celebrating Parisian Monuments. Photo by Anki Delfmann

Recharging

Spaces to recharge. Photo by Anki Delfmann

The 1,300 sqm area designed by studio CHZON combines solutions for every traveler's most urgent functional needs (sitting, lounging or lying down comfortably, charging your devices) with the emotional benefits of feeling like you're still in Paris, enjoying carefully designed spaces inspired by the 1960s and 1970s, and thus extending your experience of place up until you board your flight.

Celebrating Paris

Celebrating Parisian Monuments. Photo by Anki Delfmann

The centerpiece of the space is a monumental white sculpture by Jean-Marie and Marthe Simonnet made of glass-resin composites, resembling a bench under trees. An arch structure of the same material is a nod to the monuments of Paris, and a fountain surrounded by the unmistakable green metal chairs of the Jardin du Luxembourg completes the landmarks in the waiting area.

Celebrating Parisian Monuments. Photo by Anki Delfmann

Celebrating Parisian Monuments. Photo by Anki Delfmann

Waiting

Surrounding these, lingerers can choose from various arrangements of sofas and chairs, covered in leather or bespoke textile featuring an airplane pattern, and reclining seats – designed by the Italian architect and furniture designer Osvaldo Borsani.

Seating by Osvaldo Borsani. Photo by Anki Delfmann

Seating by Osvaldo Borsani. Photo by Anki Delfmann

Seating by Osvaldo Borsani. Photo by Anki Delfmann

Playing

Solid wood tables add an element of play with inlay work that creates boards for chess, checkers, and other popular games to pass the waiting time.

Photo by Anki Delfmann

Custom-designed lamps and recycling bins made from airplane trolleys complete this experience, which unexpectedly turns often dead space and time into something unique, interesting and entertaining.

Photo by Anki Delfmann

Photo by Anki Delfmann

See a video of the experience

Watch the Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2G Design Postcard to get a more immersive feeling of the space.

As a dog owner, I'm lucky I live in the country. Any excess energy my dogs have is burned off running around outside. Dogs in urban or suburban areas aren't so lucky, and a $4 billion dog toy market has emerged to create diversions for cooped-up pooches.

This Frank the Dogtopus, designed by dog owner Ian Stack, is a smart design for a dog toy. Being made out of recycled fire hoses, it's virtually indestructible. Each of its tentacles have three "treat pockets" made out of natural rubber.

You load the thing up with treats, then tie the tentacles into knots.

This creates a compelling "puzzle" for dogs who can smell the treats, but can only get at them by gnawing and tugging to undo the arms. Stack reckons this can tie a dog up for over half an hour.

Some dog owners might be uncomfortable with this fact, but the gnawing and tugging motions required to undo the thing simulate what it's like to rip a small animal apart. Dogs, being descended from wolves, find these activities compelling. And it's a lot more acceptable, in a modern household, for your dog to run around with an opened Dogtopus rather than say, an eviscerated groundhog. (I've seen it firsthand; it's pretty gross.)

Frank the Dogtopus is doing gangbusters on Kickstarter, where Stack was seeking a mere $3,000. At press time it was up to nearly $125K, with 29 days left to pledge. Prices start at $50, and the units are slated to ship in December.