| How to Use Candy Canes Creatively Posted: 16 Dec 2019 12:00 AM PST The holiday season is always just around the corner, and before you know it you'll be up to your ears in light strings, wrapping paper and candy canes. Looking for a fun way to put those tasty peppermint candies to use this holiday season? There are all sorts of imaginative things you can do with the iconic red-and-white striped sweets you have lying around, from baking to decorating to making Christmas-themed accessories for displaying in your home. All you need is a clever idea to get you started! [Edit]Cooking With Candy Canes - Make peppermint bark. Everybody's favorite Christmas confection is also one of the easiest ways to incorporate candy canes in the kitchen. Just combine melted white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate morsels and a little peppermint extract, then top with crushed candy cane pieces. This timeless treat is guaranteed to please when given as a gift or served as an after-dinner delight.[1]
- Line your baking dish with wax paper to keep the melted chocolate from sticking as it cools.
- Send out baggies of homemade peppermint bark along with your Christmas cards this year.
- Dip them in chocolate. Make candy canes more yummy by coating them with a rich chocolate shell. Dunk the stems of the candy canes into a container of melted milk, dark or white chocolate, then drizzle with another variety of chocolate for a little visual contrast. Pairing smooth, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate with zesty peppermint is sure to make these sweets even sweeter.[2]
- Whip up a "lollipop" variety by sticking chocolate-dipped candy canes into marshmallows covered in chocolate, or rolled in nuts or crushed candy pieces.[3]
- Crush them up for a crunchy topping. Put a few candy canes in a plastic bag and pound them to break them up into small pieces. These can then be used to lend a little minty flair to almost any drink, dessert or sweet treat. The red and white pattern will also instantly make your baked goods more holiday-appropriate.[4]
- Use crushed candy cane pieces to top anything from marshmallows and brownies to cakes and homemade candies.
- Serve eggnog in shot glasses with crushed candy canes around the rim.
- Use them to stir a toasty beverage. The next time you serve a steaming cup of coffee, hot cocoa or spiced tea, simply slip a candy cane in the mug. As it dissolves, it will infuse the beverage with sweet peppermint flavor. What could be better on a chilly winter day?[5]
- Try adding candy canes to a pot of hot cocoa the way you would simmer cinnamon sticks for apple cider.
- Give gifts of coffee, tea or cocoa by stuffing them into an oversized coffee mug and taping a candy cane to the outside.
[Edit]Using Candy Canes as Decorations - Convert them into Christmas ornaments. If you run out of ornaments while you're decorating the tree, or you just want to fill in the gaps, loop a few candy canes onto the branches here and there. They're the perfect size and shape to hang from the tree, which is a delightfully unexpected place for them to turn up. If you're looking for something fresh to supplement your collection of traditional ornaments, an ordinary box of candy canes may be just what you need.[6]
- Best of all, you don't even have to remove the candy canes from their plastic wrappers, which means they won't make a sticky mess as they sit out and can be reused year after year.
- Look for candy canes striped with different colors to make your tree more visually interesting.[7]
- Put them together to make a wreath. Arrange the candy canes in a circle and secure them with hot glue. The result is an inexpensive, eye-catching wreath that you can use to spruce up any door in your house. Get as crafty as you please, beautifying your wreaths with ribbon, tinsel, or evergreen garlands.[8]
- It may help to have some sort of backing for your wreath, like a circular wire frame that will hold the candy canes in place.
- Hang the wreath using a thumbtack, hook or detachable wall strip.
- Turn them into napkin rings. This is a simple way to get into the Christmas spirit when throwing a dinner party. Attach a candy cane to each folded linen around the table using a length of ribbon or a strand of twine, then tuck the silverware in underneath or lay the napkins directly in the center of each plate. Your guests will love the festive touch.[9]
- Be careful not to break the candy canes while you're tying them down.
- Encourage your guests to leave with their candy canes or enjoy them after the meal.
- Accent a centerpiece. Take a bundle of candy canes and line them up in a row around the outside of a lackluster bowl, vase, candle holder, or serving dish to transform it into a brilliant display. Secure the candy canes using a layer of double-sided tape or ribbon, or make it a permanent addition to your holiday decorations by gluing them down.[10]
- Work slowly and carefully to make sure that the candy canes are even and symmetrical around the surface of the item you're decorating.
- Enhancing old, humdrum pieces with candy canes is much cheaper than buying all new Christmas accessories for your home.[11]
[Edit]Making Candy Cane Crafts - Make candy cane reindeer. For a fun arts and crafts project you can do with your younger kids, gather some simple materials and turn ordinary candy canes into adorable, zany reindeer faces. Stick on googly-eyes, tie a ribbon around the middle like a bow tie and twist a brown pipe cleaner onto the top to serve as the antlers. Hang the candy cane reindeer from the Christmas tree or display them as separate decorations.[12]
- Let your kids or students personalize their reindeer with string, pipe cleaners, glitter, glue, ribbon, construction paper and other materials.
- Pick one reindeer to be Rudolph and glue a red fuzzy felt ball onto the end of the hook to make a shiny nose.[13]
- Piece together miniature sleighs. Place two candy canes side-by-side with the hooks facing up, layer fun-sized candy bars on top from largest to smallest and tie it all together using multicolored ribbon. Mini candy sleighs are perfect for presenting a bundle of loose sweets. You could even use them as a creative way to present gift cards or other offerings that are too small to wrap.[14]
- Hand out candy sleighs as unique party favors, or use them as stocking stuffers.
- Use them to display your business cards. Holiday cheer isn't just for the homestead. When tied together and stood on their hooked ends, two candy canes can make a nifty seasonal business card holder. Switch out the normal card holder on your desk or service counter with this easy DIY Christmas-themed version.[15]
- Run a thin line of glue between the shafts of the two candy canes to help hold them together.
- When stood upside down, the hooks will be just wide enough to hold a stack of regular business cards.
- Create a framed photo ornament. Another way to make room for candy canes on your Christmas tree is by using them to craft handmade frames for a photo ornaments. Glue the ends of two candy canes together to form a heart shape. Then, find a photo of a loved one or special memory, trim the edges to fit the frame and stick it to the backside of the candy canes. Your fondest memories will be preserved forever when hung proudly from your tree.[16]
- The candy cane frame will be tall and slender, making it a perfect fit for most wall-sized picture portraits.
- This is a thrifty way to use candy canes while also finding a purpose for any old photos you've got lying around.
- Work carefully to avoid breaking candy canes when crafting or decorating. Discard the ones that are already broken.
- You can find candy canes in other colors than just white and red. They're also available in different color combinations and stripe patterns.
- Leave the candy canes in their plastic wrappers to keep them from melting or getting sticky.
[Edit]Warnings - Keep candy canes out of the reach of small children and pets. Broken pieces could present a choking hazard.
[Edit]References |
| How to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger Posted: 15 Dec 2019 04:00 PM PST Clogged toilets are an inconvenience since they are unusable until they're fixed and have a risk of flooding. If your toilet is clogged and you don't have a plunger nearby, you can still use many other things in your household to loosen the blockage. For a serious clog, you may need to use a special toilet auger to break it apart. When you're finished, your toilet should work like new! [Edit]Using Dish Soap and Hot Water - Add of dish soap to your toilet and let it soak for 25 minutes. Pour liquid dish soap directly into the toilet bowl so it can sink to the bottom. Over the next 25 minutes, the soap will make the pipes more slippery so it's easier for the clog to move through the toilet. During this time, you may notice the water level go down as the clog loosens up.[1]
- Pour of hot water into the toilet bowl. Use the hottest that comes out of your bath faucet. Slowly add the water to the toilet bowl directly over the drain to help force the clog down. The hot water paired with the soap should break apart the clog so your toilet can flush again.[2]
- Only pour hot water into the bowl if there's no risk of it overflowing.
- You can also add 1 cup (200 g) of Epsom salt to help break apart the clog.
- Try flushing the toilet to see if the clog went through. Flush your toilet as normal and see if it drains completely. If it does, then the dish soap and hot water worked as intended. If not, you may try again or try to break the clog a different way.[3]
[Edit]Mixing Baking Soda and Vinegar - Pour 1 cup (230 g) of baking soda into your toilet bowl. Dump the baking soda directly into the water. Try to spread it evenly throughout the bowl so it covers all of the surfaces. Wait until the baking soda sinks to the bottom of the toilet before moving on.[4] of hot water to help break apart the clog.}}
- Add of vinegar to toilet. Slowly pour the vinegar into your toilet. Work in a circular pattern so the vinegar evenly distributes through the bowl. As it mixes with the baking soda, it will start to fizz and bubble due to a chemical reaction.[5]
- Make sure the vinegar doesn't fizz over the edge of your toilet or else you'll have a bigger mess to clean.
- Let the mixture sit for 1 hour before flushing it. As the vinegar and baking soda react, they'll break down the clog so it can fit through your pipes easily. Use another bathroom or wait until 1 hour has passed before trying to flush it.[6]
- If the water still doesn't go down, try adding the same amount of baking soda and vinegar, but let it sit overnight.
[Edit]Breaking Apart the Clog with a Hanger - Unwind a wire hanger except for the hook. Grab the hook with a pair of needle-nose pliers to hold it secure. Grab the bottom part of the hanger and twist it counterclockwise to unwind it. Once it's unwound, straighten out the hanger as much as you can, leaving the hook intact so you can use it as a handle.[7]
- Tie a rag around the end of your hanger. Use the end of the hanger that doesn't have the hook. Wrap the rag around the hanger and tie a knot so it stays in place. The rag will help prevent any damage to your toilet as you feed it into your pipes.[8]
- Choose a cleaning rag that you don't need to save since it will get very dirty when it breaks apart the clog.
- Pour of dish soap into your toilet. Let the soap settle on the bottom of your toilet bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before you use your hanger. During this time, the soap will help lubricate the clog and make it easier to break apart.[9]
- If you don't have liquid dish soap, you can also use any other sudsy liquid cleaner, such as shampoo or body wash.
- Feed the end of the wire hanger with the rag into the toilet bowl. Hold the hook of the hanger securely in your non-dominant hand. Push the end of the hanger with the rag into your toilet so it goes into the drain. Keep feeding the hanger into your pipes until you feel a clog or until you can't feed anymore.[10]
- Wear rubber cleaning gloves if you don't want the toilet water to splash up.
- Jostle the hanger in your pipes to break apart the clog. Use swift up and down movements to hit the clog. The clog should loosen and the water level in your toilet will go down. Keep breaking apart the clog until you can't feel the obstruction anymore.[11]
- If you don't feel a clog or obstruction, it may be deeper in your pipes.
- Flush your toilet. Once the hanger is removed, try flushing your toilet like normal. If the hanger was effective, then the water should drain easily. If not, then you can try again to break the clog more.[12]
- If the hanger doesn't work for a second time, call a plumber to assess the problem.
[Edit]Warnings - Never pour boiling water into your toilet since the sudden heat could crack the porcelain.[13]
- If you've tried all the methods listed and your toilet is still clogged, contact a plumber as soon as possible to look at the problem.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Using Dish Soap and Hot Water [Edit]Mixing Baking Soda and Vinegar [Edit]Breaking Apart the Clog with a Hanger - Wire hanger
- Needle-nose pliers
- Cleaning rag
- Liquid dish soap
- Cleaning gloves
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make a Tealight Snowman Posted: 15 Dec 2019 08:00 AM PST Battery-operated tealights are great alternatives to real tealights, but did you know that they have other uses too? Turned on their side, they look almost like a snowman's face! All you have to do is add some eyes, a mouth, and some accessories. [Edit]Making the Base - Get a battery-operated tealight. You can find them in arts and crafts stores as well as in the candle section of a supermarket. A white tealight would work best, but you can also get a white glitter one for a fancier snowman.
- Turn the candle so that the flame is pointing away from you. Set the candle down on the table first, then rotate it until the tip of the flame is pointing away from you. Most battery-operated tealights have a flame that curves slightly to one side, rather than pointing straight up.[1] Having the flame tilted upward will make the snowman look more jolly.
- Draw a simple snowman face using a black permanent marker. Make two dots above the flame for the eyes. Make four to five dots below the flame to make the mouth.[2] Make sure that the tip of the flame is pointing upwards, towards the eyes.
- For a more dimensional look, use black puff paint.
- If you are using a glitter tealight, draw the face using black puff paint. Regular marker won't show up.
- Consider coloring the flame in with an orange permanent marker. The flame will look yellow-orange when it is turned on, but it will look white when it's turned off. You can fix this by coloring the flame in with an orange permanent marker.[3]
- Don't use a washable "kid's" marker. The color will rub off.
- Don't use paint or paint pens. They are opaque, and the color won't shine through.
- Cut an 11-inch (27.94-centimeter) long piece of thin ribbon and tie the ends together to form a loop.[4] You can use any color you want, but red, white, or green are most commonly associated with winter and Christmas. Choose the thinnest ribbon you can find, about 1/16 to 1/8-inch (0.16 to 0.32-centimeter).
- Hot glue the ribbon to the back of the tealight. Place a drop of hot glue on the back of the tealight, close to the top. Press the knotted part of the ribbon into the glue, and let it set.
[Edit]Adding the Accessories - Cut a 2½-inch (6.35-centimeter) long piece of pipe cleaner. You can use any color you want, but red or green would work best.
- Hot glue the pipe cleaner to the top of the tealight. Draw a line of hot glue around the top edge of the tealight, right above the eyes. Quickly press the pipe cleaner into the glue. If you need to, gently curve the pipe cleaner first, so that you don't risk accidentally touching the glue.
- Hot glue two mini pompoms to either end of the pipe cleaner. Choose two pompoms in a contrasting color. Place a drop of hot glue at either end of the pipe cleaner. Quickly press the pompoms into the glue.[5]
- Cut a 4½-inch (11.43-centimeter) long piece of ribbon.[6] Choose a thin ribbon, about ¼ to ½ inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) wide. Use a color that matches your ear muffs.
- If you can't find any ribbon, use a strip of felt instead.
- Cross the ends together to form a loop, and secure them with a drop of hot glue. Cross the left end over the right to form a loop, sort of like the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. Secure the loop with a drop of hot glue.[7]
- Glue the scarf to the tealight. Place a drop of hot glue on the back of the tealight, close to the bottom. Press the inside part of the loop against the glue, so that the crossed part is in front. Make sure that the tail ends of the ribbon are pointing down.[8]
- Trim the ends of the ribbon, if needed. The ribbon should pop up against the bottom of the tealight. If it keeps hanging down, use a drop of hot glue to keep it in place.
- Hot glue a flat-backed safety pin to the back and wear it as a brooch.[9]
- Hot glue a magnet to the back and use it as a fridge magnet.[10]
- When gluing something to the back of the tealight, be careful not to cover the switch or the battery.
- Hot glue can leave behind threads or "whiskers," which can make your work look messy. Be sure to pull those off when you're done.
- Make a whole family of snowmen and vary the designs.
[Edit]Warnings - Avoid touching the hot glue gun's nozzle.
- Avoid touching the hot glue.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Battery-operate tealight
- Black permanent marker or puff paint
- Orange permanent marker (optional)
- Pipe cleaner
- 2 mini pompoms
- 1/16 to 1/8-inch (0.16 to 0.32-centimeter) ribbon
- ¼ to ½ inch (0.64 to 1.27-centimeter) ribbon
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
[Edit]References |
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário