Practical tips about DIY, home improvement, home maintenance and repairs, gardening and other how-to tips here for the taking.
20.12.10
How to Plan a New Years Eve Party for Children
Read more: How to Plan a New Years Eve Party for Children
The Types of Christmas Trees to Choose From
Although artificial Christmas trees are very popular, a lot of people still choose to have a freshly harvested Christmas tree either inside their homes, or out on their lawns. Just like all other trees, Christmas trees also come in different shapes and sizes that make a few types more popular than others.
Read more: The Types of Christmas Trees to Choose From
16.12.10
Potluck Ideas for a New Year’s Eve Party
Read more: Potluck Ideas for a New Year’s Eve Party
Tips on Holding Christmas Parties at Home
It can be very gratifying to serve your friends, families and loved ones especially during the Christmas holidays. Taking some time to share food, entertainment and laughter in fun and festive ways is truly a part of the spirit of Christmas.
When deciding to hold a party at home, among the first things to consider is determining whether it will be a formal or an informal event. Among the key matters that demands careful consideration are the number of persons attending, the food and its preparation, and the Christmas themed decoration that fits the holiday festivities. It's also necessary to know who among your friends or family members will be available you out if needed.
Read more: Tips on Holding Christmas Parties at Home
Proper Storage Tips for Your Snowmobile
Read more: Proper Storage Tips for Your Snowmobile
6.12.10
DIY Old-fashioned Christmas Decorations
Decorating for Christmas doesn’t actually require ANY electricity to do well.
Check out more of Christmas decorating tips by StaciB.
Read more: DIY Old-fashioned Christmas Decorations
Christmas Pictures - Free Wallpaper and Clip Art Sources for Kids This Christmas
Check out these Christmas resources shared by Heather Tooley.
Read more: Free Wallpaper and Clip Art Sources for Kids This Christmas
2.12.10
How to Make Votive Candles
Votive candles are often used as accents for a center piece or decors. Votives are very economical because they can burn for up to fifteen hours.
Votives are very economical because they can burn for up to fifteen hours. Some votive candles need to have a holder. To save money, look for votive candle holders at yard sales and thrift shop. To add a personalized touch to your votive candles, apply some of decor that suits your taste such as pretty ribbon, or pine cones, etc, with a hot glue gun around the votive candle holder.
Materials needed
double boiler
thermometer
wax
molds
wick
wick tabs
dye and fragrance (optional)
The wick tabs will serve as the base for the candle. To ensure your candles will properly form in the molds, invest in a mold spray to keep them lubricated and clean.
Prepare your molding area by placing old newspapers under the wax molds. This will ensure easy clean up afterwards. When the wax melts, add the colors and scents if any. Pour the melted wax immediately into the molds up to its brim.
While wax is cooling down in the molds, ready your wicks. Attach a wick a few inches longer than the mold to a wick tab. Dip each wick into the hot wax. Keep watch over the votive molds because they cool faster then other types of candles. Once you see the wax begins to harden, insert a wick with the tab into a mold through the bottom. The metal tab will meld to the wax, as it continues to cool, securing it stays put at the base of the candle. Be sure that your wick remains in the center of the votive while the candles cool.
When the wax completely cools and set, there will be a noticeable sink hole in it caused by natural shrinkage. You may pour melted wax into the molds once more to repair this. Make sure that the wax is about 15 degrees hotter than the initial wax you used to fill the votives. Once the candles have totally cooled again, they'll slide out of the molds with ease. Trim the wick to about half an inch from the candle top. For safety, you may choose to use a votive holder that is one or two inches taller than the actual candle.
Add a personal touch your candles with scents, colors or designs. Votive candles also make excellent gifts.
Do You Need to Remodel Your Bathroom?
Read more: Do You Need to Remodel Your Bathroom?
How to Prevent Your Running Shoes From Getting Smelly
Read more: Prevent Your Running Shoes From Getting Smelly
Choose the Perfect Dog House for Your Canine Family Member
Read more: Choose the Perfect Dog House for Your Canine Family Member
23.11.10
How to Have a Wonderful and Frugal Thanksgiving
How to make a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner without warping your budget out of control isn’t as hard as it may seem at first. A frugal attitude and a little planning is all it takes.
Read more: How to Have a Wonderful and Frugal Thanksgiving
20.11.10
How to Plan for and Prepare a Turkey for Thanksgiving
Read more: How to Plan for and Prepare a Turkey for Thanksgiving
10.11.10
How To Get Your Car Ready For Winter
Read: How To Get Your Car Ready For Winter
9.11.10
Easy Thanksgiving Craft Decorations for Kids
Here are some wonderful craft projects by Heather Tooley'
Read: Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids - How-to Thanksgiving Craft Decorations for Kids
Budget Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts
It is not uncommon for guests to want to do something for the hostess in return for all of her trouble. A small hostess gift is always a welcome gesture. The gift need not be elaborate or expensive. It just needs to be something that is carefully chosen and of good quality.
Are you looking for an inexpensive or budget Thanksgiving hostess gift to give this holiday? If so, this list by Gayle Crabtree has some great ideas that you will get started on your search.
Read more: Budget Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts
29.10.10
How to Make Easy Thanksgiving Centerpieces for Decoration
Read more: How to Make Easy Thanksgiving Centerpieces for Decoration
22.10.10
Easy Ghoulish Halloween Decorations for Your Door
Read more: Easy Ghoulish Halloween Decorations for Your Door
Halloween Craft – Recycle Tin Cans Into Halloween Lanterns
20.10.10
Cute Costumes You Can Make for Your Baby or Toddler for Halloween
As children get older they start having their own costume ideas, but babies you can dress any way you please, though I feel for the little ones, costumes should be cute rather than scary; and simple to remove when your child needs changing or gets sleepy.
Martha Lownsberry shows us 5 great costumes for babies that can also be modified for toddlers as well.
Read more: Cute, Comfortable and Convenient Costumes You Can Make for Your Baby or Toddler for Halloween
17.10.10
How to Make Fake Bones
Making your own fake bones is not all that hard and you will be surprised at how realistic they can look with just a little effort. The instructions here are for a large undefined bone, but the process can be used for almost any kind of long bone.
Read more: How to Make Fake Bones
14.10.10
A Guide to Fall Gardening
A lot of gardeners don't even consider fall gardening because of the wintertime frosts that may come too soon. On the contrary, fall gardening will make excellent vegetables and will prolong crops long after spring planted plants are finished. Vegetables farmed from fall gardening are occasionally sweeter and milder than those that grow in the summertime and provide a brand new taste to the same old veggies.
Read more: A Guide to Fall Gardening
12.10.10
Halloween Hair:How to Create a Halloween Hair Raising Hair Style!
Read more: Halloween Hair:How to Create a Halloween Hair Raising Hair Style!
9.10.10
Home Decorating Ideas for Halloween
Read more: Home Decorating Ideas for Halloween
7.10.10
Professional Installation of Auto Sound Systems Imperative
One of the heaviest decisions that people involve to make when choosing on an auto sound system is the decision of whether or not have the system professionally set up. On the one hand, it will add up a pretty sizeable fee to the bottom line but you just may find that the fee is considerably worth the expense you'd have to pay to fix any errors you might make along the way. The fact of the matter is that setting up an auto sound system is not a leisurely task and calls for no small degree of skill and concentration.
Read more: Professional Installation of Auto Sound Systems Imperative
8.9.10
What You Need to Know About On-Ground Swimming Pools and Filtration Systems
1.9.10
How to Prepare A Cozy Guest Bedroom
One of the necessary preparations of having a beloved one to stay is making the guest room. If the designated place where the guest will be staying is a spare room that’s not used a great deal, it is very practically urged to spend one night at that place yourself to be sure it is not freezing cold or practically uninhabitable. Rooms that are left alone uninhabited or vacant for quite some time may quickly become stale or damp, with a musty odor, or worse, develop strange sounds you may not be ordinarily aware of. Some hosts even lend their own cozy bedroom, but if this isn’t necessary, do see to it that you have made the guest room as welcoming and as comfortable as possible. During the cold season, guarantee that the bed will be adequately warm – an electric blanket or a hot-water bag in a soft cover is a genuine treat.
Provide additional pillows too plus some cozy throws or covers, which could also make the bed appear more welcoming. If lady friends are coming, it’s fun to place some gorgeous treats in the room. Light a scented oil diffuser or a scented candle or in a relaxing neutral aroma such as peppermint or eucalyptus to comfort the tired nerves of the guest, particularly if they arrived from a long travel. Place a cozy terry cloth robe for your guest to use – travelers ordinarily don’t bring robes since it’s too bulky to pack. These preparation matters will make the room feel more inhabited, not aseptic and frigid like an infirmary room or a morgue.
A welcoming home does not necessarily have to be glamorously pretentious. Make the best of what you have. What’s important is that the guest feels welcome in a friendly accommodating atmosphere, which will make his or her stay an unforgettable one.
© 2010 Athena Goodlight
17.8.10
How to Buy the Right Amount of Paint
Use this three-step method to calculate how much paint you’ll need for your DIY painting project.
Read more: How to Buy the Right Amount of Paint
How to Choose the Right Paint Color for Wall Painting
...If after this test, you still love the color , buy as much paint as you’ll need.
Read more: How to Choose the Right Paint Color for Wall Painting
16.8.10
Easiest Ways to Organize Your Garage
12.8.10
Facts You Should Know About Fabric Softeners
Many people use a fabric softener to cut static cling caused by the dryer’s tumbling. The friction-reducing chemicals in softeners prevent a static charge from accumulating.
There are three basic types of fabric softeners. Rinse liquids are added to the wash during the rinse cycle; many washing machines automatically add them from a dispenser atop the agitator. Drying sheets are infused with softener. When you put a sheet into the dryer along with the laundry, contact and heat release the softener. Detergents with fabric softeners are added at the start of the wash cycle.
Laundry Tips to Get The Best Results
- Separate very dirty clothes that should be presoaked or washed in hot water from lightly soiled or temperature-sensitive items.
- Separate sweatshirts, new towels, and products made from chenille yarn (all of which may tend to generate lint) from permanent press clothes and corduroys (which attract lint)
How to Clean Refrigerators and Freezers to Save Energy
The condenser coil, which helps disperse heat, it tends to collect dust because it is outside the cabinet. Dust lowers the efficiency of the appliance in addition to that, it also raises the electricity cost. The condenser should be cleaned annually or twice a year, particularly before the onset of the summer season. The reason is that because high weather temperatures impose heavy demands on a refrigerating system.
Choosing the Best Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Read more: Choosing the Best Toilet Bowl Cleaner
11.8.10
Using Recycled Products for Craft Projects
There are numerous uses for products that may be deemed as trash. Before you throw that piece of empty box or plastic container away, think twice. You could bring them to life in more ways than one especially in your art or craft project.
Read more: Using Recycled Products for Craft Projects
Clever and Cheap Ways to Clean Your Toilet Bowl
Read more: Clever and Cheap Ways to Clean Your Toilet Bowl
How to Effectively Use Colors to Decorate Your Room
Colors can set a room’s mood and can visually affect its size. Using the right colors can single-handedly create a space that reflects your mood and style.
On your walls, different shades give differing effects:
Pale shades
Use a soft tint of color to create a calming effect and to make the room appear larger. Nice pale shades that are most effective are butter yellow, shell pink, or misty green.
Bright shades
To make walls stand out and to create an energizing atmosphere, choose vivid colors. You can try using cobalt blue, canary yellow, or grass green.
Deep shades
Rich, deep shades conjure feelings of comfort and safety, and make the room look cozier.
Why not try Bordeaux red, amber gold, or sapphire blue.
Make your kitchen cabinets come alive with color.
Cabinet color can open up or pare down the kitchen.
flickr photo by A National Acrobat
Pale shades are best for reflecting light and thus make the kitchen more open and airy.
Bright shades unify the space by creating a strong focal point. Bright shades can also distract the eye away from appearance of clutter.
Deep shades can disguise flaws. Because deep shades can absorb light, the dents and scratches seem to vanish.
Colors on furniture
Colors can enhance, refine, or highlight a piece of furniture.
Pale shades can lighten appearance of bulky furniture, making them look more delicate.
Bright shades draw attention to the furniture piece, making it the focal point of a room.
Deep shades can make a particular piece of furniture look more substantial and serious.
Colors on floors
Add intimacy to a room and highlight a focal furniture piece with floor color.
flickr image by yachtfan
Pale shades showcase elegant dark wooden furniture by providing a sharp contrast.
Bright shades create a similar effect to that of an area rug by highlighting a focal of any room.
Deep shades lend coziness to a large room without making it appear smaller.
Set the mood of the room with color.
flickr image by urbaneapts
Colors can have an effect on people both emotionally and physically. According to Dr. Morton Walker, author of The Power of Color, bright colors energize, causing a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. Pale colors, on the other hand, slow the action of the heart.
Pale colors are known to relieve stress and lower blood pressure. They produce a sense of warmth and have the ability to soften hard surfaces like sinks and counters, making them very appealing for use in kitchens and baths. Pale colors work well in bedrooms, too, or in any room you want to have a stress-free feel.
To feel energized and create a dynamic mood in a room, use bright colors. Such colors are great for children’s rooms, kitchens, family rooms, or anywhere you want a lively mood to prevail. Just keep in mind that, when using brights, a little goes a long way. Intersperse bright shades with neutral colors to keep them from becoming too overpowering.
Deep shades have a quiet strength about them that is very comforting. Deep shades are believed to reduce marvelous excitement and relax the mind. For this reason, these shades are the choice for dens or masterbaths, in which you want to spend time alone contemplating.
© 2010 Athena Goodlight
9.8.10
Fight Bathroom Mildew with These Simple Tips
5.8.10
How to Paint Your Walls and Ceilings Efficiently
Read more: How to Paint Your Walls and Ceilings Efficiently
29.7.10
How to Deal with Manmade Fabrics in Today’s Homes
One way to minimize the work of home maintenance is to be well informed on home furnishing and finishes. It will be then more economical to maintain them in terms of time and money spent, unlike the hit-and-miss system.
Following is a guideline to manmade fabrics and other materials found in today’s homes.
ACRYLIC—used for rugs, curtains, drapery, and upholstery fabrics. It looks and feels like wool, can be easily washed and dries up quickly. Apart from being wrinkle resistant, stains are easily removed. It is also resistant to moths and mildew.
ACETATE— This washable and quick drying material is commonly used for shower curtains. Blended with other fabrics, it is used for curtains, drapery, and upholstery.
GLASS FIBER—This material is good for curtains, drapery, and bedspreads. It is washable and dries up quickly. Do not wring the cloth.
NODACRYLIC – Furry rugs, carpets, curtains and drapery contains this material. It is washable, highly resistant to chemical stains and does not support combustion.
NYLON—It is commonly used in upholstery fabrics and carpets but generally not in curtaining as it’s not recommended for prolonged exposure to sun. This material is washable, quick drying, requires little ironing, and resists wrinkling and mildew.
OLEFIN – used in carpets and outdoor furniture upholsteries. It is highly resistant to chemicals, moisture, mildew and sunlight.
POLYESTER—This is frequently blended with other fabrics for use in curtains and drapery. It is washable, drip-dry, quick-drying, and wrinkle resistant.
RAYON – Two major types are Bemberg – silky and sheer, and Viscose – stronger and more versatile. The ranges are from silkiness to wooliness. The many purposes of this material include use in upholstery, curtain, drapery fabrics and rugs.
SARAN – is good outdoor furniture upholstery. It can also be used for screenings, and, combined with other materials for curtain, drapery and wall coverings. It is easily washed and quick-drying but shrinks in intense heat. It is also resistant to sun, salt, staining and weather.
VINYL – This waterproof material resists staining and can be washed or wiped clean. It is often used for upholstery and wall coverings.
When you are aware of the positive and negative features of these manmade fabrics, you can better decide which fabric suits best your needs in the home and your particular lifestyle.