Instructions for a Homemade Grass Aerator

Measure the width and length of the head of a garden rake with flat, metal prongs. Cut a piece of 2-inch-thick hardwood to these measurements, plus 2 inches. If the head of the rake is 4 inches by 18 inches, for instance, the wood block should be 6 inches by 20 inches.

Center the rake head on top of the wood block, and mark the location of the third tine in from each side, as well as a tine in the center between these two. Drill a guide hole at each mark with a 1/4-inch drill bit.

Using a ruler as a straight edge, draw diagonal lines 1 1/2 inches apart. Draw diagonal lines in the opposite direction as well, forming a diamond. Adjust the distance between the lines, if necessary, to make sure the guide holes you drilled are not at an intersection. Drill a 1/4-inch guide hole at each intersection.

Balance the wood on two pieces of 2-inch wood, and hammer a 4-inch-long nail through each guide hole until the head is flat with the top of the wood. Two inches of the nail will extend beyond the wood.

Screw an eye bolt through each of the first three guide holes you drilled. The eye bolts should all open to the long sides of the board. To use the aerator, slip the tines of the rake through the eye bolts. Place the nails on the grass, and step on the top of the rake to press the nails into the soil. Pull up on the rake handle to remove the aerator and move it to a new location.