By Noreen Doll. Do you ever try to thread ribbon or twine through a punched hole only to have the end fray and spread in all directions? One clever remedy I've discovered is to put a drop or two of white glue on my finger tip and then stick the end of the twine in the glue and rub the glue all over the end. Twist the end of the twine in the direction that … [Read more...] about How to Prevent Cord Ends from Fraying While You Work
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Embroidery Thread Bobbin from a Milk Jug
By Noreen Doll. I had a little bit of plastic left around the opening of the milk jug and I wanted to be able to use it, because I challenged myself to use as much of the jug as I could. I noticed the plastic was just the right size for embroidery thread bobbins. So I used a bobbin I already had as a pattern, and traced the bobbins around the opening. And … [Read more...] about Embroidery Thread Bobbin from a Milk Jug
Easy Way to Hide Paint Drips
By Noreen Doll. Here's an easy way to hide paint drips when you're painting. Our kitchen / dining room has a lot of brown trim in it, including a chair rail that goes around the dining room walls. Recently we painted the ceiling and walls, and while doing the ceiling, several drops of paint dripped onto the wood trim. By the time we noticed the paint drips, they … [Read more...] about Easy Way to Hide Paint Drips
Remove Dried Paint Splotches Easily and Cheaply
By Noreen Doll. While painting recently, we managed to have dried paint splotches on the vinyl floor. Because the vinyl is textured, removing the paint splotches presented a problem. It couldn't just be scraped off because the vinyl wasn't a flat surface - it had tiny ridges. We tried various things, and then discovered that alcohol would soften the paint so it … [Read more...] about Remove Dried Paint Splotches Easily and Cheaply
DIY Alcohol Hand Wipes
By Noreen Doll. Make DIY alcohol hand wipes. Especially during cold and flu season, I use hand wipes a lot. And they are expensive! I keep a bag or two of them in my car, and carry a few with me in a ziplock sandwich bag. Because I use so many, I decided to make my own, and here's how I do it. Materials. Unscented Baby Wipes Bottle of … [Read more...] about DIY Alcohol Hand Wipes
Use Up Citrus Peel
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
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
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
