6 Totally Necessary Christmas Hacks

Christmas problems: dontchya hayte it when yours wrapping papers get unwrap like that? I know I do. Thankfully enough, we've got geniuses like YouTube's CrazyRussianHacker, otherwise known as Taras Kulakov, to provide us a few holiday tips and tricks to combat the frustration that can overshadow the spirit of the season.

Kulakov's channel is jam-packed with crazy yet informative videos, featuring experiments and detailed hacks on everything from what happens when you boil coke (the soda) to how to open a can without a can opener (a zombie survival tip, of course.) He's one resourceful guy; he'd have my bet in an apocalypse.

The YouTuber, whose channel presently has more than 3 million subscribers, ran a campaign on Kickstarter in summer '13 with hopes of raising $100,000 for a cutting-edge slow-motion camera that could enhance the detail of his life hack videos Mythbusters-style. Unfortunately, the campaign never came close to its goal, but Kulakov doesn't seem to be too fazed; he makes his living entirely off YouTube.

I'm honestly just impressed he even has enough experience with wrapping paper to understand the advanced mechanics of the stuff. I can barely cut a square. In this video, you'll learn how to protect your expensive ornaments, get a crash course on Christmas light detangling (shudder shudder), and learn how to craft what looks like an overly-expensive gift box out of household debris you'd typically just recycle.

He also demonstrates how to make instant snow (product purchase very necessary.) Here in California, the sight of snow is sort of like coming across white gold, or a cronut. Or rain. It's just that rare and exciting. So the fact that he can grow it out of a cup, well, that's somewhat miraculous. Take a look.

Images: YouTube/CrazyRussianHacker (2)