| How to Make a Simple Cloth Bag Posted: 17 Aug 2019 01:00 AM PDT Whether it is to present a gift or store your items, making your own bag is a great way to save money and recycle. A t-shirt bag is 1 of the easiest that you can make, because it does not involve any sewing. If you want to get more crafty, however, you can try a simple draw-string pouch or a handled tote bag! [Edit]Tying a No-Sew T-shirt Bag - Choose a t-shirt you won't mind cutting up, and turn it inside-out. The size of the t-shirt does not matter. You can use a small shirt for a small bag, or a large shirt for a larger bag. It would be best if you use a regular t-shirt rather than a fitted one, however.[1]
- Consider using a shirt with an interesting print or graphic on the front. This will be visible on the outside of the bag once you are done.
- If the shirt is white, consider tie dyeing it. If it is black, you could do a reverse tie dye with bleach!
- The shirt can be old, but make sure that it is clean and without any holes or stains.
- Cut the sleeves off using the seams as a guide. If you want longer handles, fold the shirt in half first, then extend your cut below the armpits. By folding the shirt in half, you can ensure that both long handles will come out symmetrical.
- Try to use a good pair of fabric scissors for this. Regular scissors will still work, but they don't give you as clean of a cut.
- Cut the collar off. How much you cut off of the neck is up to you, but make sure that you cut the same amount off of the back as you did off of the front. Also, try to leave of space between the neckline and the sleeves. This will make your handles more durable.[2]
- To make your neckline more even, trace the curve using a marker and a bowl or plate first.
- Decide on the length of your bag, then draw a line across the shirt. How long you make your bag is up to you, but remember that your bag will stretch a little when you put things inside it. If you want your bag to be the same length as your shirt, simply make the line about above the hem.[3]
- Use a ruler or some other straight edge to make the line as even as possible.
- You need this horizontal line because you will be cutting a fringe into the bottom edge of your shirt.
- Cut wide slits into the hem, stopping at the line. Make these slits about wide. Start on the left side of the shirt and finish on the right. Be sure to cut through both layers of the shirt as well as the side seams. When you are done, you'll end up with a shirt that has a tasseled bottom.[4]
- If you need to, draw guidelines for the slits before you begin cutting.
- Turn the shirt right-side-out, then tie the tassels together. Turn your shirt right-side-out first. Take the first tassel on the front of the shirt and tie it to the first tassel on the back of the shirt into a single knot. Repeat this step for all of the tassels until you reach the other side of your shirt.[5]
- Don't worry if the single knot doesn't seem very secure. The next step will resolve that.
- The knots and tassels will be part of your bag's final design. If you don't want them to be visible, then don't turn your shirt right-side-out.
- Tie the adjacent tassels together to hide the gaps. Your bag will likely have tiny gaps between the knots. You will need to hide them, or your bag won't be able to hold small items. To do this, you will need to tie the first and second tassels together, the third and forth tassels together, and so forth.[6]
- Do this for both sides of the bag. Start with the front, then do the back.
- Trim the tassels, if desired. Depending how how short you make the bag, the tassels can be either very long or very short. If you want your tassels to be shorter, trim them down to your desired length. Don't go shorter than , however!
- If you are keeping the tassels on the inside of your bag, you should trim them down as well so that they don't get tangled.
- If you want to keep the tassels long, consider adding some pony beads onto them. Tie knots under the beads, if needed, to keep them in place.
[Edit]Sewing a Drawstring Bag - Cut a rectangle out of fabric. Choose a durable fabric, such as cotton, linen, canvas, or jersey. Use a tailor's chalk or pen and a ruler to draw a rectangle on the back of the fabric. Cut the fabric out with fabric scissors.[7]
- The fabric can be solid colored or it can have a print on it.
- This pattern already includes seam allowances, so you don't need to add more.
- You can make a bigger/smaller bag if you want to, but keep the proportions the same. Make it twice as long as it is wide.
- Fold 1 of the long edges down by and iron it. Turn your fabric so that the back (wrong side) is facing you. Fold 1 of the edges down by . Secure it with sewing pins, then press it flat with an iron. This will make the top of your bag.[8]
- Use a heat setting on your iron that is safe for your fabric. For example, if you are making a linen bag, use the linen setting on your iron.
- Sew 2 lines across the folded edge to create a drawstring channel. The first line needs to be down from the top of the folded. The second line needs to be from the fold. When you are done, you will have a space between the 2 lines; this space will make the channel for the ribbon to go through.
- You can match the thread color to the fabric, or you can use a contrasting color. For example, if you are making a white bag, try red thread for a simple design.
- Use a straight stitch for this. If you are working with stretchy fabric, use a zigzag stitch instead.
- Be sure to backstitch so that the stitching doesn't come undone. This is where you reverse the sewing machine for 2 to 3 stitches.
- Fold your fabric in half, widthwise, with the wrong side facing out. Turn your fabric so that the front (right side) is facing you. Bring the narrow edges together to fold the fabric in half. Insert sewing pins along the bottom and side edge of the rectangle.
- Do not insert any sewing pins along the top or side folded edges.
- It does not matter how many sewing pins you use, or how close together they are. As long as they hold the fabric in place, you are good.
- Sew along the bag together using a seam allowance. When sewing the side, skip the gap between the 2 horizontal lines you sewed earlier, or you won't be able to insert the drawstring. When you are done, remove the sewing pins.
- Use a straight stitch for woven fabric, and a zigzag stitch for stretchy fabric.
- Remember to backstitch when you start and finish sewing.
- You are only sewing where the pins are. Do not sew across the top or side folded edges.
- Turn the bag right-side-out. For a nicer finish, cut the bottom corners off as close to the stitching as possible, before you turn the bag right-side-out. You can also finish the seams with a serger or a zigzag stitch, but this is not absolutely necessary.
- Some fabric frays more than others. If the fabric is fraying, then you should finish the seams with a serger or a zigzag stitch.
- Cut a long piece of ribbon or string. Choose a piece of ribbon or string that is no more than wide. Measure out , then cut it. This will make the drawstring that will open and close your bag.[9]
- Match the color to your bag, or use a contrasting color. For example, if you have a blue canvas bag, a thin, white rope would look nice.
- If your ribbon or string is made from polyester, singe the cut ends with a flame to prevent unraveling.
- If your ribbon or string is not made from polyester, seal the cut ends with fabric glue or fray-check. Let the ends dry before moving on.
- Use a safety pin to insert the drawstring. Pin the safety pin to the end of your drawstring. Find the wide gap on the inside of your bag, then insert the safety pin. Guide the safety pin through the channel until you reach the gap again. Remove the safety pin when you are done.
- Close the bag by scrunching it along the drawstring. Once you have the bag closed, ie the ends of the drawstring into a bow. If you'd like, you can place a pretty bead onto each end of the ribbon; tie each end into a knot to hold the bead on.
[Edit]Making a Tote Bag - Cut a piece of fabric twice the height you want your bag to be. The fabric needs to be the same width as your desired bag, plus for the side seam allowances. You should also add to the overall height for the hems.
- For example, if you want a bag, your fabric should be .
- Use a sturdy fabric, such as canvas, cotton, linen or canvas.
- Fold the narrow edges down by to make the hems. Turn your fabric so that the back (wrong) side is facing you. Fold the narrow edges down by , then insert sewing pins to keep them down. Press them with an iron to make them nice and crisp.
- Use the right heat setting on your iron for the fabric that you are using.
- Sew the hems as close to the raw edge as you can. A seam allowance that is between should be fine. Use a straight stitch for woven fabrics, and a zigzag stitch for stretchy fabrics. Be sure to backstitch when you start and finish sewing, and to remove the pins when you are done.
- If you don't know how to sew, you can use iron-on hem tape or fabric glue.
- Match the thread color to the fabric, or use a contrasting color for a more interesting effect.
- Fold the fabric in half, with the right sides facing in. Turn the fabric so that the front (right) side is facing you. Bring both of the hemmed edges together, then secure the raw edges with sewing pins. Leave the top, hemmed edges alone.
- Sew the side hems using a seam allowance. Use a straight stitch for woven fabrics, and a zigzag stitch for stretchy fabrics. Backstitch when you start and finish sewing, and remember to remove the pins as you sew.
- If you don't know how to sew, you can use iron-on hem tape or fabric glue.
- For a nicer finish, go over the side seams with a serger or a zigzag stitch.
- Trim off the bottom corners as close to the stitching as you can to reduce bulk.
- Cut a long strip of fabric for the handle or shoulder strap. The strip can be whatever length you want it to be, but it needs to be twice the width, plus a seam allowance. You can cut 1 long strip to make a shoulder strap, or 2 short strips to make handles.
- The strap or handle does not have to match your bag. You can use a contrasting color to make your bag look more interesting.
- Use sturdy, woven fabric for this, like cotton, linen, or canvas. Don't use stretchy fabric.
- Fold the strip in half, then sew it with a seam allowance. Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the right sides facing in. Secure the long edge with sewing pins, then sew along it using a seam allowance and a straight stitch. Remove the pins as you sew and remember to backstitch.
- Don't iron the strip yet; you will need to turn it inside-out first.
- Turn the strip inside-out, the press it with an iron. Clip a safety pin to 1 of the narrow ends, put it through the length of the strip, and out the other narrow end. Remove the safety pin, then press the strip with an iron.
- For a nicer finish, tuck the raw edges into the narrow ends of your strip by , then sew over them using a seam allowance.
- Turn your bag right-side-out and attach the handles. If you made a shoulder strap, attach each end to the top of each side seam. If you made handles, attach your first handle to the front of the bag, and the second handle to the back.
- You attach the handles by sewing or with fabric glue. For a nicer finish, attach them to the inside of the bag.
- If you attached the handles to the outside of the bag, consider adding a pretty button, flower, or other embellishment to the bottom of each strap or handle to hide the joint.
- Add a Velcro closure, if you want the bag to open and close. Cut a piece of Velcro. Find the center of the front and back top hem. Glue each piece of Velcro to the inside of your bag, right against the top edge of the hem. Wait until the glue dries, then press the Velcro together to close the bag.
- Avoid using self-adhesive Velcro. The glue will eventually come off.
- For best results, use fabric glue. You can use hot glue in a pinch, however.
- Finished!
- Decorate your bag with embroidery, stencils, or beading.
- You can use staples in a pinch, but your bag won't be very strong.
- When making a t-shirt bag, you can sew across the bottom instead of making a knotted fringe.
- Make a bunch of bags and give them away as gifts.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Tying a No-Sew T-shirt Bag - T-shirt
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pen
[Edit]Sewing a Drawstring Bag - Fabric
- Ribbon or string
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Sewing machine
- Safety pin
[Edit]Making a Tote Bag - Fabric
- Scissors
- Sewing pins
- Safety pin
- Iron
- Sewing machine or needles and thread
- Velcro (optional)
[Edit]Related wikiHows
[Edit]References |
| How to Curl Your Hair Without Heat Posted: 16 Aug 2019 05:00 PM PDT Curly hair can be fun and flirty, but if your hair is naturally straight, you might think you have to use damaging heat to get the curls you crave. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get curls without using heat! Pin curls have been used for decades to get curly hair without heat, and they'll work on any hair length. You can also try cold rollers to style your hair into curls as it dries. If you'd prefer voluminous waves, pull your hair into a bun before you go to bed, or wrap your hair around a headband for vintage curls that work on any length! [Edit]Trying Pin Curls - Start with damp, detangled hair, and add styling lotion. Wash and condition your hair as you normally would, then gently towel dry it until it's damp. Detangle your hair with a wide-toothed comb, then evenly distribute a small amount of styling lotion through your hair from the roots to the ends.[1]
- If you have thin hair that doesn't hold a curl well, you might want to start with wetter hair. However, if your hair is very thick, it might be best to work with barely-damp hair to cut down on the drying time.
- If you don't have styling lotion, use lightweight mousse instead. Don't use heavy products, as this can make your curls look stiff and crunchy, rather than soft.
- Separate out a section of hair near your face. For your pin curls to look their best, you'll want each section of hair to be approximately the same size. Typically, pin curls are made with about sections, which will allow you to wrap them easily.[2]
- If you experiment with pin curls, you may find that slightly larger or smaller curls work better for your hair!
- If you prefer, you can pin up the hair on the top of your hair and start the curls at the bottom, then work your way around to the front of your head.[3]
- Wrap the ends of the first section around one of your fingers 1-2 times. Place the ends of your hair against your finger, then loosely roll the hair around it a few times. Try to create a neat curl, with the ends tucked in, which will give you a smoother look when you're finished.[4]
- For bouncier curls, wrap the curl upward around your finger, or toward your face. For more voluminous waves, wrap downward, or away from your face.
- Don't roll too tightly or it will be difficult to remove the curl from your finger without disturbing it.
- You can also roll the hair around the very tips of 2 of your fingers, instead, which may make it easier to remove the curl.
- Slip your fingers out of the curl and wrap the hair all the way up to your scalp. Carefully slide your fingers out of the loops you just made, holding your hair in the shape of the curl. Then, roll that curl all the way up the section of your hair until you reach your scalp. When you're finished, you'll see a circular curl resting close to your head.[5]
- Don't twist the hair as you're rolling the curl, as this will create frizz.
- This part can take a little practice, but be patient and keep trying!
- Secure the curl with a pin. Slide a pin onto the curl you just made, making sure it's tight against your scalp to hold the hair in place. Pin-curl clips, which have 2 prongs, are the best for this, especially the ones that are slightly curved, as this allows them to sit more comfortably against your scalp.
- If you don't have pin-curl clips, you can use 2 bobby pins in an X-shape instead.[6]
- Continue curling all of your hair. Pin curling can take a while, since you're working with smaller sections of hair. However, this is the way to get the biggest, bounciest curls without using heat, so be patient and make sure each section is as neat as possible.[7]
- If you have any short hair remaining when you're finished, like bangs or short layers around your face, pin it in sections around the curls. You can also sweep your bangs to the side and pin them in one curl.[8]
- Let your curls dry completely, then remove the pins. Traditionally, pin curls are done at night, which allows them to dry while you're sleeping. Then, when you wake up in the morning, you can just remove all of the pins, and you'll have a glam style that should last all day.[9]
- For big, fluffy, vintage curls, brush out your hair. Keep brushing until you get the smooth look you want, but keep in mind that it can take as much as 5 minutes of brushing to calm down the curls, so be patient.[10]
- You can also use your fingers if you'd prefer more defined curls.
[Edit]Putting Your Hair in a Bun - Wet your hair with water. If you want, you can wash and condition your hair. However, if your hair is already clean, you can just dampen it with water. If you're starting with very wet hair, gently blot it with a towel to remove any excess water.[11]
- Your hair might hold a curl better 2-3 days after your last shampoo, rather than the same day you washed it.
- Comb your hair thoroughly. To get smooth, sleek curls, detangle your hair completely before you put it up. Use a wide-toothed comb to get rid of any tangles, and part your hair with the comb if you're planning on doing more than one bun.
- If you're only making one bun, comb your hair back away from your face.
- Create one bun for voluminous waves. Pull your hair back into a ponytail at the top of your head, then fasten it with a hair tie. Wrap your hair in a bun by twisting the ponytail 2-3 times, then wrapping your ponytail around the first elastic all the way to the end. Secure the bun with a second hair elastic or bobby pins.[12]
- You can also make a donut bun with a sock. Cut the toes off of a sock and roll it into a donut shape, then place the end of your ponytail through the hole in the sock. Spread the ends of your hair until they cover the entire sock, tucking the ends underneath. Then, roll the sock down the length of your ponytail until you reach the crown of your head, and secure it in place with bobby pins.[13]
- Separate your hair into 2 buns for tighter waves. If you want waves with a little more curl, try dividing your hair into 2 buns or twists, instead. Once you've parted your hair with your comb, pull each section into a ponytail high on the side of your head. Twist the ponytail tightly until it starts to curl around itself, then continue wrapping the ponytail around the base all the way to the ends. Secure each twist with a hair tie or bobby pins.[14]
- You can also tuck the twist into a wraparound cloth headband to secure it.
- For curls that start lower on your head, place the buns near the nape of your neck.
- Sleep in the buns. Since you're wrapping your damp hair up tightly, you'll need to let your hair dry for about 6-8 hours, or overnight. Luckily, this is a great way to get wavy hair while you sleep, and since your hair is pulled up, it's more comfortable to lay on than some other styles might be.
- If you don't want to sleep in the buns, try wearing your hair up all day, then take it down for a glam evening look.
- Take the buns out in the morning. When you wake up, gently remove the hair elastics or pins that are holding your buns in place. Use your fingers to loosen your hair, and enjoy your light waves![15]
- Use a little hairspray to set the waves, if you want.
[Edit]Using Cold Rollers - Choose wet-set rollers that are a little smaller than the curls you want. If you want larger curls, or if you mostly just want to add volume, opt for large rollers, like a diameter. If you'd prefer tighter curls, use small or medium rollers, which typically range from in diameter.[16]
- Rod-shaped curlers are great for creating spiral curls or defining natural curls. They're also perfect for curling short hair, since they tend to have a smaller diameter.
- If you don't have rollers, you can cut strips out of an old T-shirt, instead. Make the strips the same width that you want your curls to be, and a little longer than the length of your hair.
- Foam rollers might get damaged if you put them into wet hair, so make sure to use a roller that's designed to be used while your hair is damp. Also, look for a soft roller, like one made from rubber, satin, or silicone, if you're planning to sleep with the rollers in.
- Dampen your hair. Wash and condition your hair, or just spritz it with water from a spray bottle. If you're starting with wet hair, gently blot your hair with a soft towel until it's damp. The curls will hold better if you start with damp hair, but if it's too wet, it might not dry completely once you put in the rollers.[17]
- Do not apply serum or leave-in conditioner to your hair, as the curls may not set.
- Detangle your hair with a wide-toothed comb. Gently run a wide-toothed comb through your damp hair to make sure it's perfectly tangle-free. If you have any tangles in your hair, your curls will look messy, and it will be harder to get the sections perfectly even.
- Avoid brushing your hair when it's wet, which can lead to breakage.
- Section off a small piece of your hair near your forehead. Separate out a piece of hair that's about the same width as the roller, or just a little smaller. Typically, this will be about . Hold the section of hair away from your head vertically, then place the roller horizontally against the end of your hair, on the side facing away from you. Roll the hair away from your face, all the way down toward your scalp. Secure the roller with the included clips.[18]
- If you're using a T-shirt, roll your hair the same way, then tie the ends of the strip to hold the curl in place.
- If you only want to curl the ends of your hair, stop rolling halfway up your head and tie the strips at the place where you want the curls to stop.
- Continue rolling the top section of your hair. By following a pattern when you're rolling your hair, you'll end up with a more symmetrical style, and it will be easier to keep the sections separate. Start by rolling the top section of your hair, or the mohawk area, all the way back to your crown. When you're finished, you should have a neat row of horizontal rollers all the way along the top of your head.[19]
- This will give you plenty of volume at your roots.
- Roll the sides and back of your hair to finish. Once you've rolled the front section, take another section of hair near one of your ears. This time, hold the hair straight out from your head horizontally, and place the roller vertically at the end of your hair. Roll the hair all the way to your scalp and secure it again, then continue for the hair on both sides of your head.[20]
- Roll your hair under for curls that curve toward your neck, or roll it up for curls that bounce outward.
- You can arrange the rollers at the back of your head horizontally or vertically, depending on the look you're going for. Using horizontal rollers will give you more of a voluminous curl, while putting in your rollers vertically will result in more of a spiral curl.
- Leave the rollers in place until your hair is dry. Since you're not using heat, it will take several hours for the curls to set, so plan to leave the rollers in for at least 4 hours, although overnight is better. If you want your hair to dry faster without adding any heat, use a hair dryer set to its coolest temperature.[21]
- Hide the rollers by wrapping your head in a silk scarf if you need to go somewhere before your curls are set.
- Remove the rollers and loosen your hair. Once your hair is completely dry, take the clips out of the rollers, untie the T-shirt strips, or remove the bobby pins from your hair. Do this gently, especially if you want tighter curls.[22]
- For loose curls or big waves, gently run a wide-toothed comb through your hair. You can also run your fingers through your curls to fan them out, but do not brush them.
- Set the look with a little hairspray if you'd like.
[Edit]Wrapping Your Hair around a Headband - Start with damp hair. Your curls will set best if your hair is slightly damp when you put it up. Wash and dry your hair as normal, then blot it dry. If you don't need to wash your hair, you can just spritz it with plain water from a spray bottle, instead.[23]
- Use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair, as well.
- Place an elastic headband over your head. Pull the headband down so it sits low on your forehead and circles around the back of your head, over your hair. Your curls will start where the headband sits, so adjust it based on how you want your curls to look.[24]
- This is a great option if you want to go out while your curls are setting! Your hair will be pulled up in a soft, romantic style. Try picking a headband that will match your outfit for the day!
- Take a small section of hair and wrap it around the headband. Start on one side, working with the hair closest to your face. Choose a section that's the same width you want your curls to be—about will result in soft, pretty waves. Wrap the first section up and over the headband, then tuck it behind the elastic. At this point, your hair will be looped once around the headband. Keep looping the hair around the headband until you get to the end of the section, then pin it in place with a bobby pin.[25]
- If you don't have bobby pins, you can just tuck the ends of your hair under the headband to hold them in place.
- Continue wrapping all the way around your head. Once you've wrapped the first section around the headband, take another section of hair that's about the same size as the first one, and wrap it in the same way. Keep doing this until you've wrapped all of your hair around the headband.[26]
- To make sure your curls are even, you may want to wrap all the way around one side, then move to the front of the other side and work toward the back again.
- Let your hair dry in the headband. You'll need about 4-6 hours for your hair to dry, or a little more if you have very thick hair. You can wear this style out, or you can sleep in it if you'd prefer. Either way, check to make sure your hair is completely dry before you take it down, or your curls might fall out.
- To speed things up, you can use a hair dryer on the cold setting to blow air over your hair.
- Remove the headband and shake out your curls. Take out all of the pins around the whole headband, then gently unwrap each section of your hair. When you've unwrapped all of your curls, slip the headband off of your head.
- This style will give you pretty, vintage curls.
- Lightly scrunch your curls with mousse or hairspray to hold them in place.
- Avoid brushing your hair after you style it. This will separate the curls and leave your hair looking messy and frizzy. Instead, gently loosen the curls with your hands for a tousled look.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Trying Pin Curls - Wide-tooth comb
- Pin-curl clips or bobby pins
[Edit]Using Cold Rollers - Curlers or a T-shirt cut into strips
- Towel (optional)
- Spray bottle (optional)
[Edit]Putting Your Hair in a Bun - 2 hair elastics for each bun
- Bobby pins
- Sock (optional)
[Edit]Wrapping Your Hair around a Headband - Circular elastic headband
- Bobby pins
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Slice Cheese Posted: 16 Aug 2019 09:00 AM PDT You can easily slice cheese in wedge or block form. When cutting cheese wedges, you should remove the wax rind, cut soft cheeses lengthwise, slice hard cheeses width-wise, and chop blue cheese on an angle. For slicing cheese blocks, cut them into small triangles, slice logs into coins, or chop them into even cross-section slices. Grab the proper knife, make your cuts, and dig in! [Edit]Slicing Cheese Wedges - Use a sharp knife to cut smaller wedges if you have wheels or pyramids. If you have a wheel or pyramid of cheese, you can easily cut it into smaller wedges to serve and eat. Use a sharp knife, and place the tip of your knife at the center of your cheese. Cut your cheese into even wedges about wide. Make even slices around the entirety of your wheel or pyramid. Then, you can cut the wedges into smaller slices depending on your cheese type.[1]
- You can do this for soft, medium, or hard cheeses.
- When you are finished, you should have about 8-16 slices, depending on the size of your cheese and the thickness of your sections.
- Cut off the wax rind from your semi-soft wedge before you eat it. If your cheese has a protective wax rind, cut this off before you slice your wedge. Take your knife and place it immediately next to the wax outer layer. Insert your knife into the cheese with medium pressure, and make 1 slice along the longest edge of your wedge. Then, turn your knife and make another slice to remove the wax on the shorter edge.[2]
- You should easily cut away the wax in 1-3 slices.
- For example, slice off the wax from gouda and edam cheese wedges.
- Make your cuts along the long edge if you are slicing soft wedges. If you picked up a wedge of soft cheese cheese from the supermarket, you can easily cut it with a sharp knife. Cut your slices across the wedge's longest side, angling your knife from the tip as you make your slices. This will slice your wedge into thin, even pieces of cheese.[3]
- You can slice your cheese as thick or thin as you'd like. Aim for about wide slices.
- Chop your cheese width-wise if you have a semi-firm or hard wedge. To make your cuts, lay your cheese wedge on its side, and position your knife at the shortest, thinnest side of your cheese. Cut your wedge down the width of your cheese and make a slice every depending on how big of pieces you'd like. When you get to the last piece at the thickest side of your wedge, cut it in half lengthwise rather than width-wise.[4]
- If your wedge is on the larger side, you may want to slice it in half first.
- Slice your cheddar, asiago, goya, and romano cheeses like this, for example.
- Cut from the center on a bias if you are slicing a blue cheese wedge. Lay your cheese wedge on its side, and position a sharp blade at the center of the narrow end. Point your knife to the outer side, and make your slice in a radial pattern. Continue making slices until you reach the other side of your wedge. Each slice should be between wide.[5]
- This works best with firm blue cheese wedges.
[Edit]Cutting Blocks of Cheese - Chop semi-firm cheese blocks into triangles. If you want to slice your cheese bricks into triangular bites, first cut your block in half to get 2 rectangles. Then, slice each half into rectangle pieces roughly thick. Finally, cut each slice at its diagonal to get 2 triangles per slice.[6]
- This is a great way to slice different cheddar cheeses.
- Slice your cheese into evenly spaced coins if cutting logs of cheese. Unwrap your cheese log, and position your knife about from the edge. Make 1 slice by pressing your knife into the cheese with medium, downward pressure. Lift up on your knife, and repeat this another down your log. Do this until you have chopped all of your cheese log.[7]
- You will have about 10-18 coins of cheese, depending on the size of your slices.
- Do this for fresh or aged goat and mozzarella cheeses.
- Cut even cross-section slices if slicing rectangular blocks of cheese. With a large knife, start making slices into your rectangular chunks of cheese about thick. Do this by inserting your knife into your cheese starting at 1 end, and making evenly spaced cuts down the length of your cheese.[8]
- Your slices should all be about the same thickness, though you can adjust the thickness of your slices to your liking.
- You can slice blocks of cheeses including Swiss, cheddar, colby jack, and pepper jack.
[Edit]Using the Right Knife - Use a soft cheese knife to easily cut soft to semi-soft cheeses. Soft cheese knives are long, sharp blades with a pointed end. In addition, they have holes in the blade which prevent the cheese from sticking to your knife. To make your slices, angle your knife at the long edge of your cheese and press down into the block with firm, even pressure.[9]
- For example, this knife works great when cutting Havarti.
- You can use the points at the end of the knife to pick up your cheese after you slice it.
- Grab a cabana to cut decisive pieces of crumbly cheeses. A cabana is a wide, bell shaped cheese knife helpful to chop off chunks. To use, insert it into a wheel of cheese, and pull away the knife to separate your bite from the rest. Use a scooping motion to lift up your cheese.[10]
- Use this to cut chunks of blue and goat cheese, for example.
- Cut your medium-soft or medium-hard cheeses with a wire cheese slicer. Wire cheese slicers are helpful tools to easily slice through bricks of medium cheeses. To use, lift up on the handle of the wire slicer, and sit your cheese overtop the cut guideline where you want to make your slice. Then, simply press down on the handle to lower your wire into your cheese and make your cuts. Pull back on your block to separate your slice.[11]
- You can make your slices as thick as you'd like. A typical slice is about thick.
- Use a cheese plane to slice very thin pieces of hard cheeses. A cheese plane is a wide cheese grater used by hand. Place your block of cheese on its thinnest side, and position your cheese plane at the edge of the top face. Slowly and firmly drag your cheese plane over the entirety of your cheese. As you do this, the groove in the plane will slice your cheese.[12]
- Use a cheese plane for Swiss and Emmental cheeses if you want very thin slices.
- Chop hard cheeses with a core knife. "Core" means heart in Italian, and it is a cheese knife with a sharp, pointed tip. Take a chunk of your cheese, and angle the sharp edge of your core at the cheese. Press downward on your core to chip off pieces from your chunk.[13]
- Use these to slice off pieces of parmesan or cheddar cheeses.
- Cut slices or cubes of hard cheeses with a cleaver. A cleaver is a wide blade, sharp-edged tool used to make decisive cuts. It is wide enough to slice through an entire block of cheese in 1 motion. Simply put your cleaver on your block of cheese, and press downward in a single motion. To make cubes, slice your cheese and then make additional chops to create square shapes.[14]
- Use a cleaver to section off Swiss and cheddar cheeses, for example.
[Edit]Related wikiHows - Always use sharp blades and knives to ensure your cuts are as clean and precise as possible.
[Edit]References |
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