About How To Make Everything: 2008

Thursday, August 7, 2008

How to Make Ginger Tea or Tisane

Ginger is a calming and soothing flavour with a touch of a bite to it that helps to keep you alert and calm. Ginger is commonly used to help an upset stomach, motion or travel sickness or general low-grade fevers. It is also excellent for nausea and for warming you up when you feel cold. Ginger is reputed to help ward off colds or improve your recovery time. Other benefits of ginger include:

digestive aid
circulation booster
flatulence, colic or indigestion relief
blood sugar reduction
increases perspiration
soothes menstrual pain
helps reduce sinusitis and throat soreness

Tea is the most gentle form of consuming ginger.

Steps

Wash the ginger.
Peel the ginger and slice it thinly, in small pieces.
Boil the water.
There are three ways to perform the next step - the method will depend on your preference:
- Pour the boiled water into a teapot that you have already placed the freshly sliced ginger into. Put the lid on the teapot to stop the pot cooling down too quickly and to keep the aromatic ingredients in the tea. Steep for 10 - 15 minutes.
- If you boil the water in a saucepan rather than in a kettle, you can add the ginger to the saucepan and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes before pouring after simmering.
- Use a teaball to hold the sliced ginger and steep in a cup for 15 minutes. Make sure to use a saucer to cover the top of the cup to prevent the aromatic elements from escaping.
Strain the tea after steeping or boiling and serve. Add sweeteners or flavour if desired.
Drink hot, at room temperature or cold - as preferred.

How to Make Ginger Ale

Even though you can look at the shelves in any supermarket and find various brands of ginger ale, making your own is not only educational, but creates an entirely different taste of a refreshing and healthful drink. Here's how to make a 2L bottle of fresh ginger ale straight from the ginger.

Steps

Add 1 cup of sugar to the bottle through the dry funnel. Leave the funnel in place until all the steps are complete and you are ready to cap the bottle.
Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of fresh granular active baker's yeast. Use Fleischmann's or any brand that you might buy in the health food store.
Add the yeast through the funnel into the bottle. Shake it to disperse the yeast grains into the sugar granules.
Grate the ginger root on a fine "cutting" grater to produce 1 1/2 Tablespoon of grated root. See the Tips below for more information on using the right grater.
Place grated ginger in the cup measure.
Juice a whole lemon. Lemon is optional, giving a little tartness to the ginger ale. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.
Add the juice of a whole lemon to the grated ginger.
Stir the lemon juice and grated ginger to form a slurry.
Add the slurry of lemon juice and grated ginger to the bottle. (It may stick in the funnel. Don't worry, the next step will wash it into the bottle.)
Rinse the containers that held the lemon juice and grated ginger with fresh clean water. Do not dump the water just yet.
Add the rinsing water to the bottle.
Cap and shake the bottle.
Reopen and fill the bottle to the neck with fresh, cool, clean water, leaving about an inch of head space, then securely screw the cap down to seal. Invert the bottle repeatedly to thoroughly dissolve sugar. Also check the bottom of the bottle because the suger tends to stick in little pockets there. (The ginger root will not dissolve, of course.)
Place the ginger ale in a warm location for 24 to 48 hours. See the Warnings below.
Test to see if carbonation is complete by squeezing the bottle forcefully with your thumb. If it dents in as in the picture, it is not ready.
Once the bottle feels hard to a forceful squeeze, usually only 24-48 hours, place in the refrigerator. Before opening, refrigerate at least overnight to thoroughly chill. Crack the lid off the thoroughly chilled ginger ale just a little to release the pressure slowly. You do not want a ginger ale fountain!

resource : http://www.wikihow.com

How to Make Perfume

Can't find the perfect perfume? Try making it! Here are simple instructions to get you started exploring the world of making your own perfume.

How To Make Perfume
Whether it’s for personal or family purposes, marketing
purposes or intended as a gift for some friends or family,
perfume making is in fact an easy task that you can do by
yourself or with others. Creating something personal, of good
taste and really useful such as perfume is a truly great thing,
not only because it teaches you a couple of new things, but also because it’s bound to boost your confidence, not to mention maybe the most important aspect… having fun.

If you try to google your way to some perfume making knowledge, you’ll notice you have a lot to choose from, just because there are plenty of ways and different recipes to try. The most important thing is for you to know what you’d like to obtain:

1. What type of perfume would you like to make? (eau de
cologne, perfume concentrates, maybe even after-shaves or
whatever crosses your mind)

2. What would you like the perfume to smell like? (soft /
strong smell, sweet / manly odor / unisex, long lasting or not,
and so on and so forth)

Depending on your answers to the previous questions, you should
make out a list of ingredients. When compiling this list, you should have in mind the characteristics of the ingredients
you’d like to add to your recipe. If you’ve already got a recipe to follow, that means you won’t bother experimenting and
giving much thought to the ingredients you should add, maybe slightly adjust the quantities to obtain a more personalized
perfume, but if you haven’t got your ingredients list yet, here are a couple of things you should know.

The first rule of perfume making is that you should experiment as much as you can. It’s a fact that some of the greatest
perfumes were created because somebody said something like… “and what if I put these two together?”. Perfume making an art
and that’s why imagination and a great sense of smell can overcome a lack of experience or knowledge.

The second most important thing is that there are 3 key ingredients to a perfume recipe: essential oils (extracts from
various plants, organic or non-organic, that combined, give you the smell of your perfume), pure grain alcohol and water.

Another thing you should know about oils, plant extracts is that there are 3 different types of oils which will ultimately
influence the smell of your perfume in time. The base notes will be the scent that will stay the longest on your skin and
that is why it is usually added first in the mixture. The middle notes will also influence the smell of the perfume for a
pretty long time, although not as long as the base notes, while the top notes will give the perfume its specific scent when
just applied. The top notes will be added to the mixture after the middle notes and may be followed by some other substance to
bridge the scents.

It is very important that you mix the extracts in the given order and that you use a sufficient quantity of each type,
usually the same for all three.

Last, but not least, here’s a list of the most easily found oils that may lead you to your dream perfume:

1. Base notes – sandal wood, vanilla, cinnamon, mosses, lichens, ferns;

2. Middle notes – lemongrass, geranium, neroli, ylang-ylang;

3. Top notes – orchid, rose, bergamot, lavender, lemon, lime.

One more thought to take into consideration above all… have fun!

How to Make Your Own Lip Gloss

You can learn how to make Cranberry lip gloss with vitamin E oil or Fruity lip gloss made with Kool-Aid. Start here and let your imagination lead you to a lip gloss you'll love.

Make Cranberry Lip Gloss
1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
10 fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon honey
1 drop of vitamin E oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for a couple of minutes or until the mixture just begins to boil.
(Bowl may also be heated in a pan of water on a stovetop).
Stir well and gently crush the berries.
Cool mixture for five minutes and then strain through a fine sieve to remove all the fruit pieces. Stir again and set aside to cool completely.
When cool, transfer into a small portable plastic container or tin.

Honey Balm Lip Gloss
3 oz. Almond Oil
2 Teaspoons Honey
1/2 oz. Beeswax or Beeswax Pellets
1 Vitamin E Capsule (as a preservative)
1-4 Drops Essential Oil

Aloe Vera Lip Gloss
1 tsp aloe vera gel
1/2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp petroleum jelly

Mix the ingredients in a glass bowl, and microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.
Pour into container.

Fruity Lip Gloss --Made with Kool-Aid!

2 tbsp. solid shortening
1 tbsp. fruit-flavored powdered drink mix (Kool-Aid)
35 mm plastic film container

Mix shortening and drink mix together in a small microwave-safe container until smooth.
Place container in the microwave on high for 30 seconds until mixture becomes a liquid.
Pour the mixture into a plastic film container or any other type of small airtight container.
Place the fruity lip gloss mixture in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm.

How to Make Your Own Milk Bath

OLD-FASHIONED MILK BATH

1 cup of Epsom salts

A few drops of Food coloring

A few drops of any Essential oil

A few tablespoons of powdered milk

DIRECTIONS:

Again, mix the same as for Bath Salts, just add the powdered milk last, making sure you don’t add too much powdered milk or the mixture will end up smelling like baby formula. Peach or strawberry oils work well for milk baths, but try other oils to see what pleases you the most.

FOR PACKAGING: Select the same kind of container or jar as for the bath grains. Add a few tablespoons to the tub for a glorious, skin- softening soak.

When you’ve finished experimenting with all these products, not only will you find you’ve created some lovely gifts for the holidays, you’ll also notice your whole house smells wonderful! And, if you’re lucky enough to have a bathroom with an old clawfoot tub like grandma used to have, you can even travel back in time with an old-fashioned soak yourself.

How to Make Your Own Bath Grains

BATH GRAINS

1 cup Epsom Salts
A few drops of food coloring
A few drops of any essential oil
One to two tablespoons of baking soda

DIRECTIONS:

Mix everything the same as you did for the bath salts, adding the baking soda last.

Bath Grains have a much finer texture than plain Bath Salts, but the mixture will harden if not used right away. Again, use two to three tablespoons per bath.

FOR PACKAGING: Use a wide-mouthed jar or any container you can scoop into, or tap against the side of the tub, to loosen the grains.

How to Make Your Own Bath Salts

BATH SALTS

1 cup Epsom salts (available at drug stores)
A few drops of Food coloring (use the kind in plastic bottles so you can squeeze out a few drops at a time)
A few drops of Essential oil (found in crafts stores; sometimes called potpourri oil)
Ceramic bowl (not plastic, since it will absorb the scent of the essential oil)
A Large Spoon
Pipette or eye dropper (found in drug stores)

DIRECTIONS:

Pour one cup of salts into the ceramic bowl.
Add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture.
Stir well until blended.
Use the pipette or eye dropper to add several drops of your favorite essential oil.
Stir to blend.

FOR PACKAGING:

Pour the salts into a jar and tie on a bow and you’ve got a lovely gift for a favorite teacher, a good friend, or even for your mother or grandmother.

Attach a small card which reads: “Bath Salts - add one to two tablespoons to water as tub fills for a relaxing soak.”

Learn How to make your own Beauty Products with These Recipes & Tips

Beauty products do not need to cost a fortune. You can make them from home. These tips and recipes will help you get started making your own beauty products today.

Expensive commercial beauty treatments are nice, but there are alternative treatments that are just as effective. The alternate treatments are plentiful, but not all of them are inexpensive. Some of these homemade beauty tips originated in past years before commercial beauty treatments became available. The following homemade beauty tips have been used over hundreds of years and are known to be very effective:

Wet your face with warm water and massage in one tbs. of honey, concentrating on any trouble spots. Honey is antibacterial and will have a very positive effect on your skin. Rinse very well with warm water.

Once a week beauty treatment: Wet your face with warm water and apply one tablespoon of plain yogurt. Leave the yogurt on your skin for one minute and rinse well with warm water. Yogurt contains lactic acid, which helps dissolve dead skin cells.

Use your daily facial cleanser as a bi-weekly exfolient. Pour a small amount on a washcloth and gently massage your face, taking care not to rub too vigorously. If you do not use a daily facial cleanser, you can substitute oatmeal, baking soda, or cornmeal.

A mixture of olive oil, vinegar, and water will work wonders as a night cream. Use a half-cup olive oil and a quarter cup of water and vinegar. Wet your face before applying and leave the mixture on all night. Your skin will be smooth and soft when you wash the mixture off in the morning.

Use olive oil on damp skin and massage with sugar. This is a wonderful homemade beauty treatment that will leave your skin with a fresh glow.

For homemade toner, mix equal parts water and vinegar mixed with a few crushed aspirin. The results will be far better than you can achieve with a commercially prepared toner.

If you have problems with acne, use a clean cloth and water to wash your face every day. You should see clearer skin within a couple of weeks and your skin will remain clear if you continue this practice.

Applying lemon juice to freckles and age spots will help fade the spots.

For a hand scrub, rub your hands with olive oil and scrub with sugar. Rinse with warm water. You will have beautiful, soft hands if you use this method regularly.

Add olive oil or any kind of light oil to melted beeswax and apply to feet and hands. This is by far the best way of softening your feet, even better than commercial products.

How to Make a Microwavable Heating Pad

This project is quite simple. Instead of wheat for your homemade heating pad, you may even try rice.
How To Make A Wheat Heating Pad
Ingredients for this project:

Any thick material (this project calls for 18",but you can make the heating pad any size you want)
sewing machine or needle and thread
Flax seed or wheat
Essential oil (optional)

We have all seen those microwave heating pads selling in the stores for big bucks, and I always thought "Boy I wish I knew how to make one" They look so easy to make.

It's pretty easy to make a wheat bag heating pad - all you need is some strong material like cotton, canvas or tartan, as long as there's no give in it, so it doesn't stretch! Keep in mind, it needs to be pretty thick so when the wheat is heated (and it gets pretty hot) that you don't burn yourself.

Once you pick your material, cut a square about 18" each side and fold it in half so it's inside out. It will be oblong shape. Stitch down one short side and the long side. A sewing machine works best as you need short stitches close together, so the wheat doesn't come out. If you stitch by hand go over it again to make sure the stitches are tight. Next, turn it the right way in so the seam is on the inside. You will need to buy some Flax seed or Wheat. They need to be the whole kernel. Fill the bag about 1/2 way, then stitch the one side that is left, sealing it tight.

If you are handy with sewing, and don't mind a little extra work, you might want to divide the bag into sections. Maybe in 4- put in 1/4 of your seeds then stitch the bag 1/4 of the way up, drop in another 1/4 of the seeds and stitch those in, repeating for the rest, so you will have 4 compartments full of seeds, instead of one big one. Then you will have seeds fairly distributed throughout your hand made heating pad! This isn't necessary- but a great tip.

At this point, if you desire, you can use essential oils to sprinkle on the material for aromatherapy.

You will need to microwave it for about 2 minutes.

* Please note all microwaves are different, so please "test" it a few times for more or less time to see what works for you. Please use caution when first using it - as it might come out of the microwave very hot. It stays warm for a couple of hours. You can also put these in the fridge/freezer if the cold is better for you.

If you want, you can make these any shape you like. For example, a horseshoe for your neck or a heart for a child to hold when going to sleep etc. You can make these as big or as small as you desire. Just remember that you are going to need as many seeds as it takes to fill 1/2 the bag. Usually about 1lb is enough for the 18" bags.

These heating pads make great gifts for yourself or for others. They can be reused time and time again.

Good Luck making yours!

How to Make an Embroidery Pattern

For those who aren't terribly artistic, and can't find quite the embroidery pattern they want, the idea of making their own can also make them cringe. But all you need is the ideas, the image that you want to reproduce, some white tissue giftwrap, and a transfer pencil.

Let's say you want to embroider panels for a baby quilt, and you have a children's coloring book with figures that you'd like to copy. Tear out the page, and cut a piece of the white tissue that is slightly larger. Lay the picture face down on the tissue and tape them together. Now turn the picture/tissue over, and you'll be able to see the lines of the image through the tissue. Trace over them with the transfer pencil, then remove the tape.

Take the tissue paper design and lay it face down on your fabric. Use a dry iron set on low, pressed to the paper for a few seconds, then lifted and pressed on another area of the tissue. Try not to "rub" it back and forth as that can smear the transfer. You might like to try the technique on a piece of odd cloth to be sure of your technique, first.

Now you can just embroider along the lines, which will be pretty much covered by the thread. If not, all you need do is wash the square after, or wait until the entire quilt top is done, and then wash the whole thing to remove any obvious pencil marks.

How to Make Gel Candles

These scented gel candles are easy to make. With only a few ingredients and 11 easy steps, you'll be making your own gel candles before you know it.
How To Make Gel Candles - 11 Easy Steps

Do you love burning beautiful, scented candles? And do you know that you can easily make them yourself? It is exciting and not at all difficult. Here are 12 easy steps to creating unique candles that you can burn at home, give as gifts, or even sell.

Materials for gel candle making

You will need:

- gel
- zinc wicks (cotton wicks can’t be used for gel candles because they absorb too much gel)
- essential oil for fragrance
- liquid color dye
- embeds (optional)

All these materials can be obtained online from candle making suppliers. It is important to use essential oils and colors specially made for gel candles; fragrance oils you can buy in a cosmetic shop are not suitable. Also, you can buy a gel candle making kit. Getting a kit is the best solution for a beginner, because it will include everything you need to make your first few candles.

And of course you will need a container. The best container for a gel candle is glass, so people can see the embeds you put inside the candle, but any non-flammable container would do. You can use any glass, wine glass, or even a small wide vase, but your container should be at least 2 inches in diameter. Garage sales and second hand stores are gold mines, when it comes to candle containers.

For embeds you can use anything non-flammable - colored aquarium gravel, marbles, glitter, sand, sea shells, pebbles, crystals, polished stones, artificial jewels or pearls.

Steps to making a gel candle

1. Place a little bit of hot glue in the center of the container bottom. Stick the wick in it and let the glue set.

2. Cut the gel into small pieces so it melts faster and more evenly. Melt it in a stainless steel pot over a medium heat.

3. The trickiest part is the temperature - you should get it to exactly 200°F, because overheated gel looses its clarity. For that, you will need a suitable thermometer.

4. Maintain the temperature at 200°; all the gel should melt and become smooth, like syrup.

5. Add color dye to the melted gel, a little bit at a time, until you get the desired color - remember, you can always add more dye to make the color stronger, but you can’t take dye away. For a candle with embedded objects, you should use only a little color, so the objects remain visible

6. Add the fragrance - 1/3 teaspoon for each glass of melted gel will give it a nice scent. For a stronger scent, add a bit more fragrance.

7. Heat the container in the oven or microwave to about 150-160°F. This will help to reduce the appearance of bubbles

8. If you want to use embeds, dip them in hot gel first and then arrange them in the container as you like. It is better to keep the objects closer to the sides of the container - they will be easier to see, this way.

9. Now it is time to pour your gel into the container. Place your container on a level surface and pour the gel slowly and carefully down the side. If it is your first time, you will probably get a few bubbles; to avoid that, the gel should be still very hot.

10. Pull the wick up. Roll it on a pencil to keep it straight.

11. Let the candle cool. Trim the wick and you are done! You have a beautiful, unique gel candle, made by yourself.

How to Make Canning Jar Candles

You don't even need to melt wax to make these canning jar candles. They are quite easy for little ones to learn how to make.

Canning Jar Candles

Canning jar candles are very easy to make, make great gifts, and are only limited by your imagination!

To start all you need are some narrow-mouth canning jars, wire ribbon, potpourri, votive candles, small glass votive candle holders, and craft glue or a hot glue gun.

If you don't have any old canning jars, you can find some very inexpensively at thrift stores and yard sales. Wire ribbon can be a little expensive. Look for it at yard sales and at craft store clearance sales. The after-Christmas sales a great time to stock up. One roll of ribbon will make several canning jar candles. Potpourri you can make yourself or buy on sale. Votive candles are inexpensive at stores like Target or Walmart, and you can also find glass votive candle holders very inexpensively at Walmart. You want one that will set in the rim of the canning jar.

You can fill the canning jar with whatever you wish. Potpourri is one of the easiest fillers. I bought a nice autumn-scented potpourri and added some orange slices I'd dried in my food dehydrator. You can also add dried cranberries, apple slices, or cinnamon sticks.

After you fill the jar, you set the candle holder inside the mouth of the jar. The top of the candle holder should be even with the top of the jar. You might have a little trial and error before you find just the right candle holder. Place the candle in the holder and then use the ribbon to tie a big bow around the neck of the jar. That's it! (You might want to use a little craft glue or your glue gun to tack the ribbon in place).

You can glue some dried fruit, flowers, or other decorations on the bow for a more decorative look. You can also put other things in the jar besides potpourri. I've seen one half filled with white sugar with a short white taper candle set down in the sugar. Very pretty! And that one doesn't require the candle holder.

At Christmas you can purchase small ornaments and place them in the jar instead of the potpourri. Any small figurine would do--in the spring you could use little bunnies.

Maybe fill a jar with marbles or layers of colored sand. Even pennies! Use your imagination. These candles make great gifts and are also fun to make for yourself. If you get tired of one just empty it out and start again!

How to Make Soy Candles

Many people who enjoy exercising their creativity by making candles, are discovering the joys of making them from soy wax instead of the traditional paraffin. The key attraction is that soy wax can be cleaned up with plain soap and water, with no scraping off the upper half of your double boiler. In fact, all your utensils can be safely run through a cycle in the dishwasher when you're done.

Soy candles can be made in the same metal molds or milk cartons as paraffin candles, but because they do clean up so easily, they are often made in Mason jars, which can be covered to intensify any scent you've added, or to keep the dust off the top. To add to the candle's country air, you can cover the top with a gingham circle cut with pinking shears, and tuck some dried flowers into the ribbon or wool you tied the cloth "cap" onto the jar with.

Melt your soy block after cutting it in chunks, or using the flakes, which are easier to handle. If you choose to scent the candle, a good rule of thumb is to add .5-1.0 ounces of essential oils for every pound of wax. Make sure to anchor your wick in the mold or jar first, by putting a dab of melted way on the tab, and sticking it in the center of the bottom. It should be cut 2" longer than the depth of the mold, to allow for trimming after.

Soy wax is just as easy to decorate as paraffin, so when it is starting to cool, feel free to insert sea shells, dried flowers, colored crystals or whatever takes your fancy.

How to Make Candles

Candle making can be a fun hobby, and one the children can participate in, with appropriate adult supervision. You can go as high tech as getting all your supplies at a craft store, or making do with what you have at home.

First, you'll choose a mold. This can be a metal one from the store, or a milk carton, cut to whatever height you want. For children, a shorter candle is best to start with, and easier for them to insert things like shells into the partly cooled wax.

Spray the inside of your mold or carton with silicone, or give it a light wipe with vegetable oil. Cut a wick that is 2-3" longer than the mold, attach a tab, and stick the tab in the center of the mold's bottom, with a bit of melted wax. Lay a piece of doweling or a chopstick across the top of the mold and wind or tape the remaining wick around that. Make sure it is straight and centered.

Wax is flammable at high temperatures, and while you can successfully melt it and make candles without a candy thermometer, using one will show you the optimum temperatures for pouring, which is the melting point of 130-150F, although metal molds can withstand the higher temperatures of 180-200F.

To figure out how much wax you'll need, pour water into the mold, mark the desired level with a pen, empty the mold and dry it thoroughly.

Break the wax into chunks, or pare it off and it will melt faster. Either melt your wax in the top of a double boiler pan, or make your own, by melting the wax in a coffee can placed inside a pot of water that is half full. When using a can, it will have a tendency to float on the water. Make sure the pot is not so shallow that the can tips over and falls out, spilling hot wax. Keep baking soda on hand for fire prevention.

Tip your mold a bit, so that you can pour wax down the inside, and fill to within an inch of your desired level. Keep wax hot enough to stay melted, and watch as the mold cools, since most wax will sink in towards the center, and need topping up.

Candles can be colored with commercial dyes, or crayons. Scenting is as simple as a few drops of essential oils, or vanilla.

How to Make Roman Blinds

If you can sew, then making your own Roman Blinds is really quite a simple job. First, you'll need fabric for the main blind, and a liner. Measure your window width, and allow an inch to either side for seams. A good way to estimate the length, is to measure the window vertically, then add 20%. So if it was 50" high, your fabric should be 60", plus an inch for the top and bottom seams.

Find a piece of cardboard and draw a scallop border, then cut it out. It's much simpler to trace around this for your bottom edge, than to draw it freehand on the fabric. Pin your fabric and liner together, with the good sides facing in. Then trace your scallops, and cut around them. Sew the bottom scalloped edge, the sides, and the top, leaving a 6-8" opening on the top edge, for turning the fabric right side out.

How many flaps you want on your blinds is up to you. But with printed fabric, if you insert too many, and it is scrunched up when the blinds are up, then you lose the beauty of the print. In general, you should go down each side, measuring every 4-6inches, marking it, then marking 1" below that for the flap. Fold the flaps up and sew them in. (You may wish to sew a "pocket" right above the scallop to insert a flat piece of dowelling to keep the shade hanging straight, when down, just like the old pull-up vinyl blinds did.)

Depending on the width of your shade, mark along each flap, every 5-7", for placing your cords. Cut as many cords as there are marks on one flap, and make them double the height plus one window width. Sew the cords in, making sure you knot them at the bottom to prevent slipping through, and run them up to the top.

Cut a length of hook and loop (Velcro style) tape, and sew one half along the liner side at the top of the blind. Use a small wooden mounting, perhaps 1x1" cut to the width of the window, to staple the other half of the tape to. Fasten eye screws along the mounting, at the same distance apart as the cords in the shade. Attach the wood to the top of the window frame with screws.

Run the cords of the shade through the screw hooks, then gather them together and tie the ends.

How to Make Window Cleaner

If you don't care for the often scented, and even more often expensive window cleaners on the market, there's no reason at all that you can't make your own cleaner at home!

It's as simple as mixing 1/2 cup each of ammonia, water and rubbing alcohol. That's it! Mix and put in a spray bottle, and you're ready to go. Spritz your window and wipe it down with a lint free cloth. The solution is also good for car windshields, mirrors, counter tops and other surfaces.

However, you should be aware that ammonia has been known to damage painted and tinted surfaces. It is not considered safe for eyeglasses that have a tinted coating, windshields with the same, or even specially treated windows. For those, plain soap and water is your best bet, or else a soap/water/vinegar solution.

In the old days, people cleaned their windows with water and vinegar, then polished them with old newspapers. You can still do this today, but vinegar will not cut oil or grease that may have gotten on the window, particularly in the kitchen. So if you want to get nostalgic and try this method, mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar with two cups water, and add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, and put it in a spray bottle.

Be careful with the newspaper polishing, though. Given that many are now made with recycled papers, and eco-friendly inks, the results may not be quite what you anticipate.

How to Make Dish Soap

The frugal housekeeper is always on the lookout for ways to cut household costs, and still get their chores done with efficiency. Some people have come up with innovative ways to substitute their own "formulas" for liquid dish soap.

First, bars of laundry soap are often much cheaper than dish soap. You can take a bar of the soap and pare it into curls, place it in a pot or plastic container, and cover with hot water. Let set overnight, then pour the whole thing in a blender and whip it until you have a thick liquid. How much you can water it down, depends largely on how good the soap was to start with. So once you have your liquidized bar of soap, add 1/4 cup of water at a time, and test it under running water for its foaming properties. Stop diluting when you lose the foam.

You can attempt this with powdered laundry detergents, but the result is not as lasting, and tends to lose its foaming power.

Many people contend that commercial liquid dish soaps are far too concentrated, and advocate cutting them with up to four parts water to one part soap, which would make your bottle last longer. When the soap emulsifies and spreads out over the dishwater surface, you're not as likely to get clumps of suds and soap in a dish, requiring extensive rinsing.

How to Make a Table

If you have experience with woodworking tools, making your own table can be great fun. Not only will you get the piece of furniture you want, but you'll save money and have the satisfaction of doing a great job. But not everyone is adept with the various saws and hardware needed, nor do they have in-depth knowledge about selecting woods or how to provide for stress-bearing.

That doesn't mean you can't still build a nice table, in the style you want. But it may be simpler, and still fun to buy components from a company that supplies the various parts, such as a table top, apron, legs, joints and mouldings. Once assembled, you can hand finish it in the stain that suits you, or the rest of your furniture.

First, make sure that your components are quality wood. For example, you should strive to find table tops without knots that may weaken the surface and mar the appearance. You also want natural wood legs, not ones made from sections of wood subjected to glues and high pressure to make them into one piece. The apron, or edge that goes around a circular table, is something that can be tricky to make, so you'll end up paying more for an apron shaped by steam treatment, than one of plywood forced to bend under mechanical pressure.

Consult your supplier as to the joinery hardware you will need for the style of table you intend to build. Remember, the longer the table, the more stress on the center section. Hepplewhite legs provide a clean, fresh line, but may be too delicate for the weight of the tabletop you purchased. Ask if the table style you want, e.g. William and Mary, Shaker, or Sheraton, is suitable for the wood you would like it in.

Friday, July 25, 2008

How To Make Basic Clay with Cornstarch

Not all art and craft supplies need to be store bought. This clay recipe is easy to make - and safe for little ones who don't know not to eat it!
Homemade Clay Recipe

1c. Cornstarch
2c. Salt
Enough Water to Make a Thick Paste.

Stir while cooking, and cook until stiff.

Allow this to cool, and cover with a damp cloth until ready to use.

Coloring may use watercolor, food color, or oil color may be added before cooking or when molded; let dry, then paint with water color.

--HOW TO CARE FOR CLAY:--
Clay can always be broken up, dampened, and used again - even after it has been painted. When it has been used, but has not been allowed to become hard, poke holes in the clay with your finger or with a pencil, fill these with water (to restore the original dampness) and place in an airtight crock or in a galvanized pail with a tight cover. A damp cloth placed over the clay will help to keep it moist until the next time.

Jennifer Houck is the owner of Free Parenting Resource, a place for great tips, advice and products to help guide you on your journey of being a mom.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)