How to Make Dried Flower Gifts
Nothing beats the pleasure of receiving hand-made gifts. They are a symbol of a person’s ingenuity and love for the receiver. The flowers from your summer garden can easily be transformed into your own work of art. Use them as your unique gifts throughout the year. To help you in this endeavor, follow the steps below:
1. Pick flowers. Gather flowers you like from your garden. Remember to get ones that have different widths to provide your gifts with variations. Low blooms are the best choices you have. Gather some pansies, wild roses and others.
2. Let the selected flowers dry. Carefully brush dirt and dust off your flower petals. Do this using a light brush. Put the flowers in a flower press. You can also choose to lay them out on a piece of cardboard. Stock the cardboard with heavy books to press the flowers. Allow them to dry for at least two weeks. Remember to put the cardboard and weighed-down books in a place where no one is likely to move them.
3. Prepare the stick laminate. Cut stick laminate paper into pieces. Make sure that the size of the laminate cutout is at least one inch larger than the project you have. For example, if you are making place mats, measure one inch from the edges of your place mats. These marks will serve as your guide when cutting.
4. Temporarily place the flowers to your project. Lay out the dried pieces of flowers you are going to use. You can also pre-cut ribbons or other embellishments you may want to include. Picture how you want your project to look like.
5. Stick the flowers. Peel off one side of the laminate and stick it to your project’s frame. Place your laid out flowers on the other side of the laminate. Carefully draft out your arrangements as this would be your finished work. Consider changing colors or patterns if you need to.
6. Cover up your arrangement. Cut another stick laminate that you can place over your project’s flower design. Stick the laminate paper to one side of your frame first. Then, carefully pull it to the other side of your project. Make sure that you don’t wrinkle any flower while doing this. Smooth wrinkles before attaching the other side of the laminate paper to the opposite edge. Stick the laminated paper to the side of the frame. Let out air under the laminated paper before you stick its last side to the back of the frame.
7. Embellish your project. Put your flower arrangements in a frame. You can also embellish it with pearls or ribbons to hide its edges. Personalize your gifts by putting the name of the receiver at one side of the edges.
Providing beautiful dried flower gifts is as easy as letting your imagination play. Be resourceful and think of other gifts projects that you can embellish with dried flowers. Go on and make someone happy with your creativity!
How To Make Driftwood for an Aquarium
An aquarium with driftwood in it is capable of providing a natural feel. This kind of décor provides viewers and your pet fish improved aesthetic appeal. Although you have heard that driftwood has certain risks, this does not mean that you can’t manage them. Here are ways by which you can safely use driftwood in your aquarium:
1. Find your driftwood. Driftwoods can be purchased in aquarium supplies stores. However, these products have an almost artificial feature to it. To make your aquarium look more natural, search for driftwood materials outdoors. It does not necessarily have to be real driftwood; any weathered down wood could be a substitute. Just pick one that has a unique appearance.
2. Clean the driftwood. Get rid of dusts and soil by using a water hose to clean every part of the driftwood you have picked up. Remember to spray water in all nooks and crannies. Simultaneously use a scrubber to remove algae and molds. Break off loose pieces and debris from the wood.
3. Boil your driftwood in water. Use a big pot for boiling your driftwood into water. Mix one teaspoon of aquarium salt in every gallon of water you will use. Aquarium salt will take care of all the bacteria and parasites that might be living inside the driftwood. Make sure that the driftwood is entirely soaked into the salted water. Let it boil for about two to four hours.
4. Soak the wood into a rubber container. After completing the boil, transfer the wood inside a rubber container filled with water. You can also add aquariums salt into it. Make sure that the wood is completely soaked by tying it to rocks. Let it stay underwater for a week or two. The color of the water will definitely change. This reminds you of the driftwood’s tannin content.
5. Replace the water. Replace the water into the container every two weeks or until the color wears off. Bear in mind that the process may take months.
6. Transfer the driftwood to a container filled with pure water. Once the color subsides, transfer your driftwood to a container filled with water. Do not add salt to the water as this would be the time to drain off salt before you transfer the wood to your aquarium. Again, replace the water every week to flush out any salt debris.
7. Wash the food. Wash the wood again using a hose. Immediately transfer it to your aquarium. Remember to place it to your tank while it is still capable of soaking underwater. Place it in an area that you think would be best.
Improving on the look of things is always a challenging task. However, the hindrances and risks should not make you bow down to the test. Utilizing the proper methods and processes will ensure that your endeavor will be a success. In the case of driftwoods, all you need is a little patience and a dash of effort. Try to create your own aquarium driftwood now.
How to Make Drink Coasters from Your Child's Artwork
Children are very fond of creating their own artworks. They can venture on imaginative heights that no adult can explore. As such, their artworks speak of life, love and everything that is both good and unique. Whether you see your child having a great artsy future, make sure that you show him or her how you appreciate his or her works. Fill up your home with pride by turning your child’s artwork into lovely drink coasters. Here’s how you should do it:
1. Collect your child’s artwork. Select the artwork you will be using. Make sure that you get the ones not posted on your children’s bedroom wall. It might be necessary to ask permission for your children to avoid tantrums and miscommunication. Remember to get a variety of artworks if you don’t plan to stick to a theme.
2. Cut the artwork. Measure four by four inch areas to your child’s work. Each section would be your drink coaster. Thus it is necessary to pick out particular areas that could stand for itself. Get a cork sheet and place one of the cut artwork on it. Using a ruler, measure at least half an inch from the artworks edges. Mark these areas and cut the cork sheet using a craft knife. To provide your project with a creative kick, use cut out irregular shapes from the cork sheet instead of the regular square patterns.
3. Glue the cork sheets together. Use the cut out cork sheet as a pattern to create one of a similar size. Glue together these sheets using craft flue. Set aside to dry up.
4. Glue the artwork cutout. Brush off any debris from the glued cork sheet. Place the artwork cutout on top of the cork sheet to see how it would look like. Once you have ensured that no further size adjustment would be needed, apply glue on the back of the artwork cutout. Carefully stick the artwork cutout to the cork sheet and let it dry.
5. Protect your drink coaster. Once the drink coaster if fully dry, get polyurethane to cover the artwork. Polyurethane would protect your child’s artwork from any water mark in the future. Set it aside.
6. Add finishing touches. After it the polyurethane dries, use a waterproof magic marker to embellish your drink coaster. You can also use the marker to frame your child’s artwork. Adding the name of your child as the name of the artist would also be great. Coloring the cork sheet with waterproof paint could also enhance and emphasize the innocent beauty of your child’s artwork.
Making your child feel good and appreciated could be done by creating trinkets out of their artworks. You can also choose to let your child participate in creating this project. This way, you let them feel that they are part of the family team. Also, don’t be afraid to use these drink coasters when there are small gatherings and intimate family dinners.
How to Make Drum Parts
Playing the drums is undoubtedly exciting and fun. Leaning how to use its different parts is a positive challenge one would love to conquer. To help you create your unique drum part, here are some sure-fire steps:
1. Lean your fours. Drum parts are almost always timed in 4/4. This means that the drum part is equal to the way you count 1 to 4. A beat is then played into each count. Count 1-2-3-4 aloud. Remember that your drum part should include a play in the drums’ key elements: kick drum, snare drum and hi-hat cymbal.
2. Play your kick drum. Once you have mastered the rhythm of counting one to 4, play the kick drum in between these counts. Count aloud and play the kick drum in each count of one to three. Repeat this step until you have mastered the beat.
3. Get in tune with the snare drum. Play the snare drum on counts two and four. Continue on counting aloud and hit the snare drum once you get to counting two and four. Do this first until you get used to it. Then, slowly incorporate the kick drum pattern that you have mastered earlier.
4. Integrate the hi-hat cymbal. While still counting aloud, play the hi-hat on beats one to four. Again, master it and incorporate the new routine to the kick drum and snare drum beats. Do this slowly so you could get the groove.
5. Ditch the counting. Practice doing the kick drum, snare drum and hi-hat cymbal without the counting aloud. If this seems hard, do the counting in your head. Get the feel of the rhythm for at least five tries then stop counting altogether. After several tries, you will find that the beat would naturally come to you. No need to count aloud.
6. Master the drum part. Make sure that you already have gained literacy over the drum pat by playing it over and over. Turn the difficulty a notch higher by doing the pattern in different rhythms. Try slowing the rhythm down. Go back to the regular rhythm. Lastly, try it again by following a faster set.
7. Gear up variations. Personalize your drum part by tweaking the patterns you have learned. This way, you would be able to come up with a routine that is truly yours for the taking. Remove some routines to your beat such as avoiding using the kick drum. You can also add several extras like doubling the number of times you hit the hi-hat. Use your ear so you could identify what sounds better.
Making the drum part is just one step; mastering it is another. The artist in you should not just be confined with the recommended and tried-and-tested patterns. Explore new music heights by experimenting on the different tones of the snare drum, kick drum and hi-hat. Add or reduce beats if necessary. You can also choose to watch famous drum players to see how they do their own adlib and drum parts. Whatever you do, trust your ingenuity.
How To Make Apres Ski Drinks
Socializing after a great skiing day is undoubtedly one of the best ways to relax. If you are one hosting the after-skiing party, it is necessary that you come up with the Apres Ski drinks. Here are some steps that you could follow to come up with a variety of ski drinks:
1. Make the ‘for adults’ drink. Gear up the adults for a night of laughter and fun by creating hot buttered rum. Mix 12 teaspoons of brown sugar to 18 ounces of light or dark rum. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Mix thoroughly. Add 12 pats of butter or margarine and 12 cinnamon sticks. Mix the pour in a bottle. The batch makes 12 mugs. When serving, measure two shot glasses of the mixture and pour it with a mug of boiling water. Stir the contents of the mug with a cinnamon stick and top it with a pat of butter or as desired.
2. Go Irish with coffee. Mix sugar to 1-1/2 ounces of Irish whiskey depending to taste. Combine it with steaming coffee and top it with whipped cream. You can also drizzle it with dark chocolate syrup to add more flavor.
3. Make Peppermint patty. Use peppermint schnapps and crème de cacao to add flavor to this drink. Mix these ingredients with cream. Shake the mixture with mixing tin over the glass.
4. Simplify your drinks. Mix 1 to 1 ½ shot glasses of Triple Sec or any orange flavor liquor into a cup of cocoa. Add whipped cream if desired.
5. Go with grog. Juice 3 lemons. Combine the juice with 18 ounces of light rum. Add 12 cubes of sugar. Keep it inside the refrigerator before the start of the skiing tournament. Serve two shot glasses of this mixture in a mug of boiling water. Stir completely before serving.
6. Whip up an apple cider mix. Welcome the non-liquor drinkers with hot apple cider. Get peach schnapps of the non-alcoholic variety. Mix it to the hot apple cider. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon to taste. Stir the drink with a cinnamon stick.
7. Tranquilize with tea. Serve an electronic kettle that you would regularly fill up with water to boil. Organize different varieties of tea bags in every flavor or blend. Slice some lemons and place it beside the tea bags. You could also make sure that sugar, honey and cinnamon sticks are available so your guests can whip up their own tea party drink.
8. Be traditional with hot chocolate. Go old school by offering traditional hot cocoa. You can pour the mixture in a hot kettle you can refill from time to time. Make sure that you also offer servings of marshmallows, butterscotch and peanut butter cookies.
The key to having a great Apres Ski party is to serve variety. Think of the different personalities of your guests when deciding which drinks to serve. Other than that, let yourself enjoy the night!
