Manifesto of Nonsense

A Manifesto for Sensible Lids

2026-07-08 · 4 min

An over-formal declaration for departments, ministries, plaques and bins who know when they are full.

Start with this tiny plan

  1. Pick one surface you control: a window, bin, porch, plant pot, doormat-adjacent sign or garden patch.
  2. Write one large line people can understand in three seconds.
  3. Add one silly official-looking label, then make the unofficial joke obvious.
  4. Use removable materials and photograph it without private details.
1

We recognise the lid as a symbol of restraint. It keeps things contained. It knows when to close. It is, in short, the constitutional principle most modern politics has misplaced behind the shed.

2

Therefore the Ministry of Sensible Lids, the Office for Intergalactic Refuse, the Clacton Bureau of Mild Nonsense, the Local Democracy Containment Facility and the Office of the Shadow Binister may exist as jokes on cardboard, provided nobody mistakes them for real authorities.

3

The manifesto encourages low-budget glory: felt-tip placards, cereal-box robot candidates, paper bunting, recycling-box podiums, certificates stamped by nobody important and slogan riffs inspired by official merch themes like Up With Ceefax, Bindependence Day and fighting extortionate croissants.

4

Our demand is modest: more windows, more bins, more harmless laughter, fewer forbidden stickers, and a universal right for curtains to take a position.

What this could look like

  • Nervous beginner: one A4 window sign saying “This window has been democratically upgraded.”
  • Bin owner with 20 minutes: one speech bubble and a shoebox lectern for a wheelie-bin briefing.
  • Garden person: one plant pot, one foil moon, one tiny sign marked “Front Garden Lunar Authority.”

Copy-paste phrases

  • “Officially unofficial.”
  • “Temporary Ministry of Bins.”
  • “This window has been democratically upgraded.”
  • “Local area now 14% more constitutional.”
  • “Please form an orderly queue for nonsense.”
  • “A small but important victory for cardboard.”

Do this

  • Start tiny.
  • Use cardboard, paper, foil, string, tape and pens.
  • Keep it obviously unofficial, independent and unaffiliated.
  • Ask permission for shared, rented or business spaces.
  • Remove it before it becomes mess.

Don’t do this

  • Do not stick things to public property.
  • Do not block pavements, roads, doors, safety notices or bin collections.
  • Do not impersonate officials, councils or Count Binface.
  • Do not show private details in photos.
  • Do not buy special kit unless you already wanted to.

Useful next clicks

If you are unsure about boundaries, start with the Tiny Rulebook or read the guide. If you want to make something immediately, try one of the related ideas below.

Related ideas you can actually make

Handmade Displays

The Low-Budget Binfication Kit

Cardboard, felt tip, tin foil and confidence: the noblest instruments of ridiculous civic expression.

Difficulty
Easy
Cost
£0
Time
30 minutes

Tiny rule goblin says: Use removable materials and avoid damage, mess or anything that looks like an official notice.

Read idea →
Handmade Displays

The Binface Blue Plaque

Make a fake heritage-style plaque commemorating a historic moment that absolutely did not need commemorating.

Difficulty
Easy
Cost
£0
Time
20 minutes

Tiny rule goblin says: Do not imitate official heritage bodies too closely; make the parody obvious and place it only with permission.

Read idea →