By Noreen Doll. Need a quick way to get more mileage from a citrus peel? Here's a great idea for how to use up citrus peel. After you've removed the pulp and juice from the fruit, save the peel. I'm using a grapefruit here, but oranges and lemons work just as well. Turn half of a peel inside out, then use it to scrub the sink. After you've finished … [Read more...] about Use Up Citrus Peel
Tips
How to Repair a Paperback Book
By Noreen Doll. I was asked if I could repair a paperback book with a glued binding that had several of the pages falling out. This is a large (8 1/2 x 11) drawing book that was often left open for referral, and as a consequence many of the pages had become loose. Because I wanted to cut off as little as possible to preserve the content, I narrowly shaved off the … [Read more...] about How to Repair a Paperback Book
An Easy Way to Peel a Boiled Egg
By Noreen Doll. Do you need an easy way to peel a boiled egg? It is so frustrating trying to peel a fresh egg that has been boiled. The shell wants to cling to the egg and comes off in tiny pieces, often taking chunks of the egg with it. Recently I read that if you put baking soda in the water when you boil the egg, the shell will come off easily. Since we … [Read more...] about An Easy Way to Peel a Boiled Egg
Uses for Shelf Liner
By Noreen Doll. I originally bought this rubbery shelf liner to line the shelves in my kitchen cupboard. I like it because the dishes don't move once they're set in place. And it also cushions them. Then I began to see all kinds of other ways I could use the shelf liner, and now I like to keep a roll handy. It comes in several colors and it is machine washable, … [Read more...] about Uses for Shelf Liner
How to Sharpen a Punch
By Noreen Doll. Do you need to sharpen a punch? Any kind of punch can be sharpened this way. I was punching holes around the edges of a Christmas card to make it into a sewing card for preschoolers. After punching a few holes, I noticed the punch was not punching cleanly, and it was leaving raggedy looking holes. You can punch aluminum foil to sharpen … [Read more...] about How to Sharpen a Punch
How to Tie a Tiny Bow
By Noreen Doll. Here's a quick and easy way to tie a tiny bow. To tie this bow all you need is a length of narrow ribbon, twine, or string. For this bow I used 1/8 inch wide ribbon. I did the photos with twine because the ribbon wouldn't lay properly for the camera to photograph. 1. Make 2 loops with about 2 inches or so of twine or ribbon between … [Read more...] about How to Tie a Tiny Bow
Ideas for Re-Using Plastic Packaging
By Noreen Doll. Many gifts this year will come packaged in plastic and most of it is either recycled or thrown in the trash. Here are some great ideas for recycling the plastic. Carefully cut away the curved parts and save all the flat plastic pieces. These edges are razor sharp, so handle very carefully. The flat pieces you are left with won't take a lot of … [Read more...] about Ideas for Re-Using Plastic Packaging
Speedy Apple Slicing
By Noreen Doll. Do you ever wish you knew how to do speedy apple slicing, instead of slaving over preparing them? Here's a quick and easy way to do that. First peel the apple. You will need to have this cool tool, which is pretty inexpensive. There are different variations of it - some are all metal. But basically it has a circle in the center with 8 blades … [Read more...] about Speedy Apple Slicing
How to Coffee Dye or Tea Dye
By Noreen Doll. Sometimes you want to craft with a dingy or antique white color fabric, and it can be difficult to find just the shade you want in a store. By knowing how to coffee dye or tea dye, you can get just exactly the shade you need. First you need to decide on what kind of fabric you want to use. 100% cotton seems to work best for dyeing, but do try other … [Read more...] about How to Coffee Dye or Tea Dye
Cheap Laminating
By Noreen Doll. You can use packaging tape for cheap laminating if you don't have - and don't want to buy - a laminating machine. I make sure the tape I laminate with is completely clear. One thing it is really nice for is preserving recipe cards. I have a few old recipe cards written by hand by relatives who are long gone. And I think it's pretty special to be … [Read more...] about Cheap Laminating
Make Sandpaper Last Longer
By Noreen Doll. Use packing tape to make sandpaper last longer. Whenever I would sand a project, it seemed like the paper always tore and became useless long before the grit had been used up. It was very frustrating. One day, after cutting a sheet of sandpaper to the size I needed, I grabbed a roll of packaging tape and taped strips all across the back. It … [Read more...] about Make Sandpaper Last Longer
Wax Paper Is Ideal for Crafting
By Noreen Doll. Wax paper can be found at the Dollar store or in the big box stores for a dollar or two. And it is extremely useful when you are crafting. I have always used Reynolds Cut-Rite wax paper because it seems to be a better quality than any other kind. Last fall I ironed colorful fall leaves between two sheets of wax paper to help preserve their color … [Read more...] about Wax Paper Is Ideal for Crafting
