How to Make an Everlasting Candle from Crisco (it doesn’t smell!) | Ok, here’s the thing, I was always going to get around to doing a post on making a candle with Crisco, but then someone commented on our Facebook page about our make a candle with olive oil post saying olive oil is expensive and Crisco is a better option. This got me thinking and tinkering and do you know what, it’s nice to make an olive oil candle (there is just something nice, healthy and clean about olive oil), but if you are up against it and you want the functional no-frills, but works like a charm option, then Crisco is the way to go. Also it couldn’t really be simpler as Crisco comes in a tin, so once you have inserted a wick, you are ready to go! And NO, No, No it doesn’t stink! One thing I would do differently to the video is – I find it easier to use a straw to insert the wick. So there you go folks, but a few tins of Crisco in the cupboard and keep some wicks/string handy and you have cheap everlasting candles, which you could eat if you got really desperate…
How To Style Maiden Braids Last month I did a makeover story with Kelsie and had many requests for a maiden braid tutorial. Yesterday she came in and we photographed these simple step by steps. Kelsie has extremely long and thick hair, but anyone with shoulder length or longer can do these braids (see my photo below for an example). Steps 1-2: Braid two strands on each side of a center part. Steps 3-5: Wrap braids around the crown of your head and pin in place with one pin each. Step 6: Arrange braids so that they cover the front of your head like a headband. Steps 7-8: Pull the rest of the hair into a ponytail and pin it into a cute messy bun. Step 9: Add final pins and spray.
8 Completely Awesome DIY Home Energy Projects | Ecoble Small-scale renewable energy is a must for a sustainable home – but converting your home to clean energy options can carry a huge initial price tag. We’ve scoured the web for some of the most innovative examples of homemade energy solutions to compile a collective list of DIY projects to make your home greener and more energy efficient without costing you a fortune. From solar water heaters and gadget chargers to homemade super-efficient refrigerators, you’ll find links (with instructions) to some of the best projects you can make at home… Homemade Energy-Save Fridge The ‘Ambient Air Fridge’ isn’t quite a year-round green appliance but when things cool down in the winter, this homemade fridge will definitely shave a few dollars off the electric bill! The insulated wood box fits snugly in an out-of-the-way doorway and even controls the temperature with an inexpensive thermostat and a couple of computer fans. DIY Electric Lawn Mower Make Your Own Wind Turbine Low Cost Solar Water Heater
LIVESTRONG.COM - Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools | LIVESTRONG.COM How to Sharpen Tools: The Family Handyman Sharpening your tools Years ago, I drove by a storefront with a hand-painted plywood sign. It read “Tool Sharpening.” Curious, I gathered a boxful of dull old handsaws and circular saw blades in my garage and carried them up to the store with the hope of getting them sharpened. Inside I saw a lean old fellow with wisps of gray hair curling from the backside of an old hunting cap. A week later when I walked into the store, he asked me what my name was and started rummaging through a pile of bags and boxes. The next day I gathered my garden tools and brought them down to the same shop. A moment passed, then he looked me in the eye and said, “Why don’t you do it yourself?” That afternoon changed forever how I look at tools. Do It All with Three Simple Tools A Grinding Wheel, a Mill File and a Sharpening Stone You can sharpen most garden tools with a simple 10-in. mill bastard file (Photo 5). A grinding wheel (shown in Photo 4) is good only for removing larger amounts of steel. 1 of 7 2 of 7
Useful Life Hacks « The Bored Ninja - Fun, Interesting, and Cool Stuff on the Internet How To Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Cubes | Make It Or Fix It Yourself!Make It Or Fix It Yourself! I definitely enjoyed trying this! How neat! I must say that this is one of my How-To favorites. Why? Well, this one comes in really handy for me. So, I came across ways (most of them the same with a few minor differences) to make the dishwasher detergent and was definitely intrigued with making it into cubes. Ingredients 2 cups of Borax (purchased at Walmart for $3.13)2 cups of Baking Soda (or Washing Soap)2 packets of unsweetened lemonade (or Essential Oils)1/2 cup of Kosher Salt1/2 cup of vinegarice cube trays (I used mask shaped trays from Everything’s A Dollar $1 each and regular trays that I already had at home.)wax paper (optional) Directions: Pour Borax into a mixing bowl. Add in the baking soda or washing soda. Pour the kosher salt into the bowl with other ingredients. I used 2 packets of the lemonade. Stir to blend the ingredients. This is the fun part! Your mixture should look somewhat like this. I used regular trays and the mask-shape trays. So, how did it work in the dishwasher?
How to make perfect brownies Something very weird happened to Kevin Costner back in 1989. As he stood in his cute, all-American white tee in an Iowan cornfield, the very crop seem to have a message for him: "If you build it … they* will come" it whispered, somewhat unhelpfully. Putting aside the issue of whether Field of Dreams was single-handedly responsible for the Millennium Dome for a moment, I'd like to suggest the same is true of the chocolate brownie. Put brownies on the menu, and people will come, and they will order dessert. *Actually, it's "he will come". Cakey v fudgey When it comes to brownies, I bow to "his Holiness Lord Nigel", as one blogger terms the Observer's celebrated cookery writer, and the Very Good Chocolate Brownies from his Kitchen Diaries which, in my experience, more than live up to their boastful billing. The world splits into two camps on the brownie issues: crumbly and cakey, and dense and fudgey. The more butter the better? All rise? Old-style brownies Technique Perfect chocolate brownies