How to Build the Easy No-Mess-Picker-Upper

I have 4 dogs and while I love them all, they tend to make a mess whenever and wherever they go to the restroom. I faced this problem especially when walking my dog in my gated community where she would tend to have bowel movements on my neighbor's lawn. I felt bad, they felt grossed out and its an all-around unpleasant situation even after I pick up the defecation. My family and I hated this and thought there has to be some way, some tool that would allow the poo to never even touch the ground, or get in the grass. A tool where it would touch the bag it was held in, and only that bag. So I came up with the No-Mess-Picker-Upper, a simple gadget made of an old broom, small Tupperware and some cardboard, that can keep your pet's poo from ever even touching the ground.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Odds are you're like practically everybody and have at least one broom, rake, shovel or Swiffer that hasn't been used in years and has thus become practically obsolete. Well this is it's time to shine, bring it out and either twist, tug, pull or even cut the broomstick out from its head piece so you are left with a pole. After that take a cheap, shallow tupperware container, a roll of heavy duty duct tape, a hot glue gun, a couple square feet of cardboard, an xacto knife (or any sharp cutting utensil of your choice) and spray paint (optional).

Step 2: Draw and Cut an Outline of Your Tupperware's Bottom

With a piece of cardboard large enough for the bottom of your Tupperware, outline with a pen or pencil the bottom of the container. Then, using your cutting utensil (xacto knife) cut out this shape from the cardboard.

Step 3: Smooth the Cardboard Cutout's Edges and Attach It to the Bottom of the Tupperware

Cut the duct tape into small chunks and wrap them around the edge of the cardboard cutout till it's smooth. It will not be perfectly flat on the surface of the cutout but that's okay. After you have done this, plug in your hot glue gun and glue your cardboard cutout to the bottom of the Tupperware.

Step 4: Make the Connecting Piece

Using another piece of cardboard around one square foot, take a ruler and draw a three inch line at the top center of the board. Find the center of that line and two inches below that center, draw a dot that will be the center of an one inch line. Connect these end points of these two lines to each other making an upside down isosceles trapezoid. Draw two straight lines from the end points of the bottom line of the trapezoid, make it around a foot tall. After you have made this shape, cut it out from the cardboard.

Step 5: Attach Connector to Tupperware

Hot glue the triangular end of the cardboard connector to the bottom of the Tupperware, leaving the neck of the connector completely off of the bottom. Secure the connector the the Tupperware and apply duct tape generously.

Step 6: Attach the Pole to the Tupperware

Place an end of your pole onto the neck of the connector near, but not too close, to the Tupperware so as not to have a fixed angle for Picker-Upper. Mark where you put the pole and fold the cardboard at this line. After, place the flat on the cardboard neck, with the end of the pole at your marker. Then you again use an ample amount of duct tape to secure the pole to the cardboard connector. I would also advise you to duct tape the outside of your Tupperware and the remaining bare piece of cardboard between the pole and the Tupperware to better insulate the cardboard.

Step 7: Grab a Bag and Take It for a Spin

The last step is to take a bag and place it securely within the Tupperware, deep enough so it will not fall out. As a side note, you can also spray paint your Picker-Upper to simply make it a tad bit prettier. You are now ready to easily and efficiently clean up your dogs feces where they may go!