How to Dress a Shop Wound

Accidentally slice your hand open while working on an instructables project? No worries, here's an other instructable to patch you back up.

This is an account of my road to recovery after cutting myself while working on my victorian lamp instructable.

Photographs by Kiki Brown

Step 1: Start by Working on an Instructables Project

Believe it or not, the exacto knife isn't how I injured myself.

Step 2: Severely Cut Yourself

My method of choice was somehow drilling into my thumb from 8 inches away.

Step 3: Be Slightly Frightened

Being surprised after injuring one's self is a normal reaction. Just don't lose it too much.

Step 4: Apply Pressure

Hold a bandage against the wound and apply pressure until the bleeding stops.

Step 5: Find the First Aid Kit

Find the meager supply of first aid that has been pillaged over the years by other college students.

Step 6: Clean the Wound

Find a friend that doesn't mind inflicting even more pain on you to pour hydrogen peroxide on the wound.

Step 7: Call the Hospital

See how long the wait at the emergency room is.

Mine would have been four hours, so I decided to tough it out on my own.

Step 8: For the Next Part You Will Need:

Neosporin
Advil
Butterfly bandages
Large bandages
Gauze

and a massive gash.

Step 9: Apply the Butterfly Bandages

Pull the wound closed with as many butterfly stitches as needed.

Step 10: Disinfect

To stave off infection, apply a generous amount of neosporin.

Step 11: Wrap It Up

Wrap gauze around the wound.

Step 12: Hold Gauze on With Tape

Wrap the stretchy tape around the gauze to keep it in place.

Step 13: Take Painkillers, Cus It's Gonna Hurt

In a few minutes the throbbing may set in, and then you will have wished that you would have taken painkillers fifteen minutes sooner.

Step 14: Verbally Abuse the Instrument of Your Demise

Celebrate being in one piece again by getting mad at the thing that put you in this situation in the first place.