| How to Style Clothes You Already Have Posted: 18 Oct 2019 01:00 AM PDT Next time you're staring at your closet, thinking, "There's nothing to wear," resist your urge to blow a bunch of money on a shopping spree. Instead, re-style the clothes you already own. Mix and match outfits by layering in new ways and switching your shoes. Freshen up your plain shirts and pants with some rolling, cuffing, and tying and playing with accessories. You can also modify the clothes you own by distressing, cutting, tailoring, or dying. Soon you'll feel like you have a whole new wardrobe! [Edit]Mixing and Layering Outfits - Wear pants under a dress. This look is coming back into style. You get the best of both worlds: the feminine fun of a dress with the practicality and mobility of pants. Choose fitted pants, like skinny or straight-leg jeans, and a flowy dress. Keep the pants plain in color so that the dress is still the star of the show.[1]
- If you want to ease into this look, start with a shirt-dress, which looks sort of like a tunic. You'll get used to it and then go bold with a more feminine dress.
- Wear leggings with a plaid shirt. You might think that leggings are only good for wearing to the gym, but you can make them into a cute, casual look by wearing a plaid shirt on top. You can layer the look by wearing a fitted T-shirt or tank top underneath, and then wearing the plaid shirt unbuttoned.[2]
- This is a fun, casual look that's great for weekends.
- Wear a T-shirt under a strappy dress. If you have to go somewhere a bit formal, but you really want to wear your pretty, strappy dress, put on a T-shirt underneath. It will give you the coverage you need to meet the dress code. It also shows off more of your dress than if you had to wear a cardigan on top, and it's cooler for the summer.[3]
- Pick a color of shirt that goes well with your dress without distracting too much from it. Black or white shirts go well with most colors of dress.
- This is a great way to make your fun and skimpy bar-hopping dress day-appropriate.
- Match a blazer with jeans for date night. You don't have to only wear your work blazer to the office. Wear it with jeans and a solid-colored T-shirt for a smart-casual look perfect for date night or dinner. This works great for both men and women. You can also pair a blazer with a short, flowy dress, for a cute mashup of masculine and feminine styles.[4]
- Wearing a blazer with a dress will give the ensemble a slightly tougher, edgier look than if you wore a cardigan.
- Switch out your shoes. If you normally wear your outfit with casual sneakers, try it with a pair of heels or ankle boots. If you normally wear heels with it, try flats. Simply switching out your shoes can freshen up a tired outfit.[5]
- Try wearing your colorful fancy heels to spice up a gray outfit.
- Repurpose scarves as headbands and hair ribbons. In the spring and summer, it may be too warm for you to wear your favorite scarves around your neck, but you can repurpose them as fashionable headbands or hair ribbons. Simply tie a scarf around your head, for a headband, or put your hair up and tie the scarf in a bow around your hairstyle.[6]
- This works best for small thin scarves, not blanket scarves!
[Edit]Making Small Changes to Outfits - Roll up your sleeves and unbutton your shirt. If you're tired of your boring old office-worthy button-down shirt, dress it up for a night on the town by rolling up the sleeves and unbuttoning the top few buttons. This works for both men and women. You'll show a little more skin, and feel like you're wearing a different shirt entirely.[7]
- Pair this with jeans for a casual look, or with a flowy skirt for date night if that's your thing.
- Cuff your pants. Change up the look of your jeans or other casual pants by cuffing them. Roll the bottoms of the pants up once or twice. It will look more casual than wearing them un-cuffed.[8]
- Cuffing is a great way to show off stylish socks or ankle boots.
- Cuff the sleeves of your T-shirt by rolling up the sleeves once or twice. This is a really popular look right now, and a great way to make a plain T-shirt look more put-together. Unfortunately, it's notoriously hard to get the rolled sleeves to stay rolled. If you really want them to stay put all day, you can put a rubber band around the base of each unrolled sleeve, and then roll them up.[9]
- You could also just embrace the disheveled look of partially unrolled sleeves.
- Many people claim this look is inspired by movie star James Dean.
- Knot the bottom of your shirt. Instead of tucking in your button-up shirt, leave the last few buttons unbuttoned, and tie the two sides of the shirt in a pretty overhand knot. You can tuck in the sides of the shirt for a neater look, or leave them hanging for a more bohemian style.[10]
- This also works for oversized T-shirts. You can gather together some of the extra fabric at the bottom of the shirt and twist it into a knot. This will make the T-shirt more fitted, and is a quick, casual look.
- Elevate plain outfits with fun accessories. The plainer the outfit, the more accessories you'll look good wearing. Try a colorful belt, fun socks, a scarf, dangly earrings, a necklace, a cute watch, or a stack of bangle bracelets. Don't wear all of these at once! Just try one or two staple accessories to dress up any look.[11]
- Wear a colorful belt with your black jeans and tuck in a white T-shirt. Instantly your outfit looks more interesting!
- Big dangly earrings can instantly make your outfit look more formal and put-together. Wear your hair up if you really want to draw attention to your earrings.
- Accessories don't have to be jewelry! If jewelry isn't your thing, try wearing a watch, a scarf, a belt, a headband, or some fun, colorful socks.
[Edit]Modifying Your Clothes - Distress your jeans. There's no need to go to the store and buy those expensive distressed jeans. You can easily distress your own jeans at home. With scissors, cut horizontal slits about away from each other in the front of your jeans. Use tweezers to pluck out the vertical blue threads between the two slits. You'll be left with only the horizontal white threads, just like you see in distressed jeans in the store.[12]
- You can also rub your jeans with sandpaper to give them that soft, lived-in feel.[13]
- Turn your jeans into cut-off shorts. If you're really sick of one of your pairs of jeans, you can transform it into a pair of shorts. First, put on your jeans and look in the mirror. Mark with chalk where you want the shorts to get cut off. Then take off your jeans and cut them with fabric scissors, about below where you marked, to leave enough room for error and fray.[14]
- Lots of people like to cut their shorts at an angle, so that they are longer by the inner thigh and shorter at the outer thigh.[15]
- Tailor your old dress. If you have a favorite old dress that you used to wear all the time, but doesn't fit anymore, you can tailor it so that it fits better. Many big clothing stores, like Macys, offer tailoring, or you can go to an independent tailor in your town. If you're skilled at sewing, you can tailor your own clothes by taking in the hems with a sewing machine.[16]
- Tailoring is a great way to still wear your favorite clothes if your body has changed in shape or size over the years.
- Dye your cotton or nylon shirts. Cotton and nylon are the easiest fabrics to dye at home. First fill a bucket with hot water that's about . Follow the mixing directions for the dye you're using and stir it into the hot water to make a dye bath. Test the color of the dye-bath by dipping in a paper towel, and modify it by adding more dye or more water until it reaches a good color. Wet your shirt with water, and pop it into the dye bath. Stir continuously for up to 30 minutes, until it reaches the color you want.[17]
- Once you've dyed your shirt, take it out of the dye-bath, rinse it well, wash it in the washing machine, and hang it up to dry.
- You can also organize a clothing-swap with your friends to trade clothes. Have each friend bring a couple items of clothes to trade. You can all take whichever pieces you want, and donate the rest.
[Edit]References |
| How to Peel a Pumpkin Posted: 17 Oct 2019 05:00 PM PDT Pumpkins are famous for being turned into jack-o'-lanterns, but this type of squash plant can also be used for making many delicious dishes. In order to do so, however, the skin must be peeled off. Pumpkins used for cooking, unlike those used for carving, have thicker skins that cover the fleshy fruit. Peeling the skin off is not a hassle with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife and a little dedication. [Edit]Peeling with a Vegetable Peeler - Wash the pumpkin to remove dirt and contaminants and soften the skin. Remove dirt and other contaminants from the skin by washing the pumpkin under warm water. Removing dirt keeps the pumpkin from beginning to rot, and warm water soften the skin, making it easier to peel off. Dry the pumpkin with a clean towel or let it air dry.
- Cut the rounded top and bottom off of the pumpkin to create flat surfaces. Place the pumpkin on its side on a sturdy cutting board. Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut about off of the top and bottom of the pumpkin so that it has two flat sides.
- The pumpkin should be able to steadily sit on its top and bottom after you make the cuts.
- Set up the pumpkin and the peeler. Turn the pumpkin on its side on a cutting board so that one flat side faces towards you and the other flat side is away from you. Place the peeler in one hand and use the other hand to hold the pumpkin steady while you peel.
- Peel the skin using the peeler, starting from the side closest to you. Similar to peeling a potato, push the peeler in a straight line, starting from the side closest to you and moving to the side farthest from you.[1]
- You should aim to make peels that are about wide and are as long as the pumpkin's side.
- Try to only cut off the skin and leave the flesh intact. The skin is the outermost layer that covers the thicker flesh.
- Rotate the pumpkin to continue the peeling process. As you finish peeling sections, turn the pumpkin over to different sides.[2] Before continuing to peel on another side, remember to steady the pumpkin with your free hand.
- Inspect the pumpkin and check to make sure all of the skin is peeled. You might have missed some spots as you were peeling. Rotate the pumpkin and check to see if you need to go back and peel places that you did not completely peel.
[Edit]Peeling with a Knife - Prepare the pumpkin for peeling. Wash the pumpkin off and let it dry. Cut off the top and bottom to create flat surfaces.
- Place the pumpkin on its side and get your knife ready. Similar to using a vegetable peeler, you will want to place the pumpkin on a cutting board, with one of the flat surfaces facing towards your body. Hold the knife in your fist with the blade pointing outwards.[3]
- Cut away strips of skin by pushing the knife along the side of the pumpkin. You should be able to see where the inner flesh of the pumpkin meets the outer skin. Push the blade of your knife down the pumpkin from the end closest to you towards the other end. As you finish sections, rotate the pumpkin until it is completely peeled.
- Make sure to push the knife slowly and deliberately to protect your fingers from getting cut. Doing so also reduces the risk of cutting out the flesh.[4]
- Check to make sure all of the skin is peeled off. Rotate the pumpkin fully and see if there are any spots you missed before peeling them away.
[Edit]Cooking the Pumpkin before Peeling - Prepare the pumpkin by washing and slicing it into smaller sections. Depending on how big your kitchen appliances are, cut the pumpkin into halves or into more sections. After doing so, use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and other fibers from the pumpkin's inside and place them into a bowl.
- The inner seeds of the pumpkin are edible and make for a yummy snack! You can save them for later or choose to roast them when you cook the pumpkin.[5]
- Bake the pumpkin in an oven. Pre-heat the oven to degrees. Place the pumpkin halves or sections onto a baking sheet. Once the oven warms up, put the pumpkin into it and cook for 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the sizes of the sections.[6]Check on the progress by sticking a fork into the flesh; when the fork easily punctures the flesh, take the pumpkin out and let it cool.
- Cook the pumpkin using a microwave. Place the sections of the pumpkin into a microwave-safe dish with a small amount of water.[7] Microwave the pumpkin for approximately 10 minutes, checking the progress using a fork. Once the pumpkin flesh can be easily punctured with a fork. Let the pumpkin out and let it cool.
- Depending on the microwave wattage and the size of the pumpkin slices, cooking time may vary. Keep an eye on it by checking on the pumpkin periodically as it cooks.
- Peel the pumpkin using the vegetable peeler method or the knife method. The skin should come off much more easily, but still be cautious when using sharp kitchen instruments.[8] Look over the pumpkin and peel away any spots you may have missed.
[Edit]Warnings - When using sharp cutting instruments, always cut away from your body to minimize the possibility of harming yourself.
[Edit]References |
| How to Make Wine Bottle Wind Chime Posted: 17 Oct 2019 09:00 AM PDT Wind chimes are a pretty way to decorate your porch. When the wind blows, they will make a gentle tinkling noise. While you can always buy one from the store, making your own wind chime is easy. All you need is a glass bottle, some ornaments and key rings, and a bit of chain or cording. [Edit]Cutting the Bottle - Find an empty wine bottle. You can use one from the recycling bin or you can buy a brand new bottle from the craft store. Be sure to wash the bottle with soap and water and remove any labels.
- Remove the cork and set it aside for a different project.
- If you are buying a tinted bottle from the craft store, be aware that color usually does not go through the bottle and may chip off.
- Prepare a pot of boiling water and a pot of iced water. The key to cutting a bottle in half is to dip it between hot and cold water until it comes apart. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Have another pot or bowl filled with iced water close by.[1]
- Keep the water at a steady boil on the stove.
- The iced water needs enough ice in it to make it very cold, but not so much ice that you can't stick anything inside it.
- Score a line around the bottle with a glass saw. Put on a pair of leather work gloves first. Next, place the bottle on a stable surface, then set the saw down next to it. Rotate the bottle as you apply constant, even pressure with the saw, scoring a thin line. Don't worry about cutting the bottle completely in half.[2]
- You can use a tile saw with a glass blade instead.
- How far down you make this line is up to you. About 3/4 of the way down from the top would be ideal, however.[3]
- If you want to, you can use a metal clamp or string as a cutting guide.
- Dip the bottle in boiling and iced water until the bottom comes off. You only need to dip the bottle deep enough so that the scored line is submerged. Rotate the bottle while it is under the water, sort of like stirring soup with a spoon. Keep doing this until the bottom half of the bottle breaks off.[4]
- Start with the boiling water, then do the cold. Keep alternating between the 2 pots until the bottom half of the bottle breaks off.
- How many alternations you do will vary each time. It will depend on various factors, such as the depth of the scored line, the thickness and quality of the glass, etc.
- Discard the bottom half of the bottle and keep the top. What you do with the bottom half is up to you. You can toss it into the recycling bin, or you can set it aside for another project. For example, you can turn it into a glass jar or cup.
- If you wish to keep the bottom half, be sure to sand and polish the cut edge.
- Polish the cut edge with various grits of sandpaper. Hold the sandpaper against a flat surface, like a plate, then rub the cut edge of the bottle against the sandpaper. Start with a coarse grit first, then work your way up to a medium grit, and finally to a fine grit.[5]
- Keep the bottle wet as you sand it to prevent dust and chipping.[6]
- The exact grit number does not matter, as long as the packaging says: coarse, medium, and fine. It would be good to finish with a high number, like 400-grit, however.
- Keep your work gloves on during this step. Don't take them off until after you have finished smoothing the glass.
[Edit]Adding the Hanging Chain - Decide how long you want the hanging chain to be. Starting at the base of the bottle's neck, measure towards the top of the bottle. Add this measurement to however long you want your hanging chain to be.[7]
- For example, if your bottle's neck measures and you want your hanging chain to be long, you should cut the chain down to .
- Cut a piece of chain with wire cutters according to this length. The chain should be thin enough so that you can slide it down the neck of the bottle, and delicate enough so that you can cut it with wire cutters. A jewelry chain could work, but the loops need to be big enough so that you can thread a split key ring through them.
- It is better to cut the chain too long than too short. You can always trim it shorter.
- Alternatively, you can a length of nylon cording instead. Cut it a little longer than you need it so that you can tie knots into it.[8]
- Secure a split key ring to the bottom of the chain. Find a split key ring that is wider than the neck of your bottle--about wide should be fine. Separate the key ring, and feed it onto the end of your chain. The key ring will act as a stopper inside the bottle.[9]
- The key ring must be bigger than the neck of the bottle. If it is too small, it won't hold the bottle up.
- If you are using a cord, tie the bottom end to a large key ring using a secure double-knot. If you can't find a key ring, you could use plain, metal ring.
- Feed the other end of the chain through the neck of the bottle. Turn the bottle upside down, and place the chain inside. Let the chain fall through the neck of the bottle and out the top. The key ring will sit right inside the neck.
- Follow this same process if you are using a nylon cord.
- Thread another split key ring onto the top of the chain. This will allow you to actually hang the finished wind chime from a hook. Hold the wind chime up by the second key ring; the bottle will slide down the chain and stop at the first key ring.
- The first key ring will be either somewhere inside the neck or just below it.
- If you are using a nylon cord, simply tie the other end to another key ring or metal ring.
[Edit]Adding the Wind Catch - Cut a second chain for the wind catch to dangle from. Hold the bottle up by the chain and note where the key ring sits inside. Measure from this point down to about from the bottom edge of the bottle. Cut a second piece of chain according to that length.[10]
- The wind catch is the little ornament that dangles from the bottom of the wind chime.
- If you used a nylon cord previously, you should use a second piece here. Extend the cord below the bottom edge of the bottle.
- Add the second chain to the key ring inside the bottle. Reach into the bottle and pull out the key ring. Thread the end of your second chain onto this key ring, then hold your wind chime up again.
- You will have 2 chains in your bottle. The first chain should be sticking out of the top of the bottle. The second chain will be dangling inside the bottle.
- If you used a nylon cord, tie it to the ring. For extra noise, thread a large, wooden bead onto the cord, then tie a knot below it so that it sits inside the bottle.[11]
- Thread a third split key ring to the bottom of the dangling chain. This will allow you to secure your desired ornament.[12] Alternatively, you can skip this step and rely on a small hook attached to the top of the wind catch.
- Keep in mind that if you choose the hook, you'll need to screw it onto your dangle first. It must also be small enough to fit through the bottom loop on the chain.
- If you used a nylon cord, then tie a metal ring to the bottom. Don't use a hook.
- Choose an ornament to use as the wind catch. A chunky necklace pendant will work just fine, but you can also use a wooden ornament instead. If you choose a wooden ornament, drill a hole into the top, then add a hook or eye screw.[13]
- Alternatively, you can repeat the process to add a smaller bottle to the bottom of the first one. This will give you a stacked wind chime.
- Secure the ornament onto the key ring. Split open the key ring, and thread it onto the loop that's on top of your pendant. If you used a hook, simply slide it onto the bottom ring of the chain.[14]
- Hang the wind chime using the key ring at the top of the chain. You can hang it outside where the wind will catch it, but if you want to use it for purely decorative purposes, hang it indoors instead.
- Add a small bell to the bottom of your wind catch. A standard trumpet-shaped bell will work better than a jingle bell.
- If the bottle looks too plain, decorate it with fabric paint. You can also etch it using glass etching cream instead.
- You can hang the ornament further up inside the bottle to make more noise.
- You can leave the label on if you really want to. It would be a good idea to paint over it with a few coats of clear, outdoor gloss, however.
- If your tinted bottle chipped, you can fill the chips in using glass paint after you polish it.
[Edit]Warnings - Be careful when cutting the glass bottle. If you are concerned about chips and dust, put on a pair of safety goggles and a dust mask.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Empty glass wine bottle
- Glass saw or a tile saw with a glass blade
- Leather work gloves
- 2 pots
- Boiling water
- Iced water
- Coarse, medium, and fine-grit sandpaper
- Thin chain
- 3 split key rings
- Wire cutters
- Medallion or ornament
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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