| How to Make Your Candles Last Longer Posted: 21 Jul 2020 01:00 AM PDT If you're looking for ways to prolong your candle's burn time, there are several easy ways to do so. Before lighting the candle, try doing things like trimming the wick or placing the candle in the fridge so the wax hardens. Once the candle is lit, keeping the flame out of drafty areas and melting the entire top layer of wax will keep your candle glowing for days. [Edit]Prolonging the Life of the Candle - Place your candle in the fridge or freezer to harden the wax. When the wax is harder, it will take more time and effort for it to melt. Place your candles in the fridge for a day or two, or set them in the freezer for 1-8 hours, depending on their thickness.[1]
- For thin candles, they will likely only need an hour or less in the freezer, while thicker pillar candles will need 6-8 hours.
- If you have more than one candle, test just one in the freezer before adding the others—some candles have been known to crack when frozen.
- Mix table salt into the wax to slow down the melting rate. Light your candle and let it burn until there's a puddle of melted wax around the wick before blowing the candle out. Sprinkle in a small palm-size measurement of salt, using a spoon or toothpick to mix it around so the salt isn't just on the top.[2]
- You'll need to work quickly once you blow out the candle so the wax doesn't harden before you're able to sprinkle in the salt.
- Trim the candle wick to help ensure a longer burn time. Long candle wicks tend to speed up the burn process, so it's best to have a shorter wick. Use a pair of scissors or nail clippers to snip off the top section of the wick, leaving the wick roughly tall.[3]
- Always wait until the wax and wick have cooled before trimming it.
- Recenter the wick if it moves out of place. If you notice the wick of the candle is lopsided or has shifted spots, blow out the candle and wait for it to cool. Carefully use your fingers or a pair of tongs to move it back in its original position.[4]
- If your candle is burning with the wick uncentered, it will burn unevenly.
[Edit]Caring for a Lit Candle - Avoid placing the candle in a drafty area so it burns evenly. If you put your candle in front of a vent, fan, open window, or other source of air flow, it may not only extinguish it, but cause the candle to burn unevenly. Try to find a spot for your candle where it can burn without being inhibited by any type of wind.[5]
- If you're not sure whether the area is drafty, look at the flame of the candle—if it's flickering or moving to one side, it's being affected by the air.
- Melt the top layer of wax when the candle is first lit to prevent tunneling. Tunneling is when a candle burns the wax right around the wick, but the outer edges of the candle never melt, creating a tunnel-like appearance. The first time you light a candle, let the entire top layer of wax melt completely, creating an even pool across the surface, before extinguishing it.[6]
- This may take roughly 2 hours for a thick candle, and much less time for a thinner candle.
- Burn a candle for no more than 4 hours at a time. Burning a candle for more than 4 hours at once can cause a buildup of super hot wax, which is harmful to the candle's scent. After 4 hours, let your candle take a break before lighting it again.[7]
- Allow the candle to cool completely before lighting it again. Once the candle is extinguished, let the wax cool and harden before starting to burn it again. This is to make it safer for you to trim the wick and clean off any wax, if necessary. Most candles will take roughly 2 hours to cool.[8]
[Edit]Extinguishing and Storing Your Candle - Blow out the candle gently to avoid spraying melted wax. You can do this by blowing on the flame with a small puff of air, or by using a snuffer to extinguish the flame. This will help make sure the wax isn't blown all over the place and there isn't any debris in the melted wax.[9]
- Let the candle cool before putting it away. This is especially important if your candle has a lid—you want to wait until the smoke has disappeared before placing a top back on the candle. Wait a few minutes, letting the wax start to harden, before storing your candle in a safe spot.[10]
- Store your candle in a cool, dark place. This is so that your candles won't melt or warp due to higher temperatures. Pick out a dry, cool place for your candles, such as on a shelf in a closet or in a drawer, placing them carefully in their storage spot so they don't become damaged.[11]
- Avoid letting your candle sit out in the sunlight for extended periods of time.
- Wipe away any burn spots from the candle holder, if necessary. If your glass candle holder has black burn marks on it from the candle's flame, find a cotton pad or paper towel and dampen it with soapy water. Rub the burn marks gently with the wet cotton pad, scrubbing until the marks are gone. Dry the glass thoroughly before lighting the candle again.[12]
- Burn marks usually only happen when your candle has burned for too long, so try to blow out the candle within 4 hours of it being lit.
- Put the lid on your candle when you're not using it, if applicable.
- Read any instructions that come with your candle so you know how to properly care for it.
[Edit]Warnings - Supervise young children around candles.
- Always stay with a burning candle—if you're leaving the room or house, blow it out.
- Avoid placing a candle near anything flammable.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Take in the Waist on a Pair of Jeans Posted: 20 Jul 2020 05:00 PM PDT If your jeans gap slightly or are a little too big at the waist, you may be able to fix the issue by taking in the waist yourself. If you are an experienced seamstress, take in the waistband in the back for a professional look. For an easier sewing project, try taking in the waist on the sides instead. Even if you don't have the skills or patience to sew your jeans, you can still tighten the waistband without sewing by using an elastic band. [Edit]Adjusting the Back of the Jeans - Pull the waistband snug from the back and pin it in place. Put your jeans on and pull the back of the waistband with one hand to adjust it to the right size. Pinch the extra fabric of the waistband with your free hand and secure it with a large safety pin. Pinch just below the safety pin to pull out the excess fabric and secure it with a straight pin. Continue pinching and pinning down the back seam until there is no more excess to pin and your jeans fit well in the waist and hips.[1]
- Be careful not to catch your underwear (or your skin!) when you are placing the pins.
- Try to pin as far down as you can along the seat of the jeans. The further you go down, the less noticeable the transition from the original thread and your new thread will be.[2]
- Mark the inside of the jeans along the pinned seam and take out the pins. Take the jeans off carefully. Place them face up on a flat surface and pull the front waistband down so you can see the inside of the back waistband where you've placed the pins. Mark along the center of the pinned seam with fabric chalk, making sure that it leaves a line on both sides of the seam. Then, take out the pins.[3]
- If you don't have fabric chalk handy, you can also use a highlighter.[4]
- Cut out the waistline stitching between your markings, plus on each side. Working from left to right, use a seam ripper to take out the top and bottom row of stitches along the waistband. Remove all the stitching of the two rows on the waistband between the chalk marks, plus on each side. Leave the stitching along the top edge of waistband and the seat of the jeans for now.
- To make sure you don't rip out too many stitches, try cutting the first and last stitch you would like to take out. Then, pull at the loose threads to take out all the stitching in between.[5]
- Remove the belt loop(s). Take off any belt loops between your two chalk lines. To do this, carefully clip away the thread attaching the belt loop(s) to the waistband.
- If there are any leftover threads from the belt loop after you remove it, leave them in place. Sewing over these when you reattach it later will help disguise the alteration.[6]
- If you don't want to remove the belt loops, cut the top of the center back belt loop and the bottom of the left and right back belt loops. Then, sew them back into place after you replace the waistband.[7]
- Take out the stitching from the top edge of the waistband and from the center of the seat. Carefully cut the stitching on the top edge of the waistband along the same length where you removed the two rows of waistband stitching. Separate the two layers of the waistband. Use a seam ripper to take out the row of stitching on the inside of the jeans from the waistband down to about below your chalk lines. Remove the corresponding stitching on the outside of the jeans as well to fully separate the seat of the jeans.
- It may make it easier and more precise to cut the first and last stitch you would like to take out, and then pull at the loose threads to remove all the stitching in between.[8]
- Fold the inner layer of the waistband and sew across it with a straight stitch. Fold the waistband across the center back line of the jeans, the midpoint between the two chalk lines. Fold with the right sides (the sides facing towards the outside of the jeans) facing each other, so the folded edge is facing you. Sew where the new altered waistband meets from the top to the bottom of the waistband with a single straight stitch.[9]
- To reduce the bulkiness of the new waistband, you can cut off the extra fabric outside of your stitches. Leave about of fabric outside the stitches. Press the cut ends of the fabric with an iron so they open up on each side of the seam.[10]
- You may find it easier to pin where you would like to sew and draw a chalk line as well to help keep you on track.[11]
- Repeat the alteration with the outer waistband. Take in the outer waistband, using the inner waistband as a guide. Fold it in the middle, sew it, then trim and press the edges.
- Sew the seat of the jeans back together with a single straight stitch. Pin the seat together by turning the right sides (the outside of the jeans) to face each other. Pin along the chalk lines you made earlier. Sew the seat together with a single straight stitch next to the pins.
- It may help to take a hammer and pound the original jean seam you are sewing across in this step. This will flatten out the layers of fabric there and make it easier to sew across.[12]
- Try on your jeans after you sew the seat to make sure the seams look straight and properly positioned. If anything looks funny, use your seam ripper to take out the seams and resew that section.[13]
- Sew topstitching with a single straight stitch on the outside of your jeans. To give your altered jeans the same outward appearance again, use topstitching thread to sew from the existing stitching lines up to the waistband in two rows, matching the stitching on the rest of the jeans. Overlap a few stitches with the old stitch line to make it blend together better.[14]
- Using a longer stitch length setting on your sewing machine can make the topstitching look more professional. Try stitch length.[15]
- If you have a double needle for your sewing machine, you can also use that to sew both lines of topstitching at once, instead of doing the two lines separately.
- If you can't find topstitching thread, you can also try to use two strands of all-purpose thread at the same time to get a chunkier look that will better match the original topstitching.[16]
- If your jeans are very worn along the seat area and the topstitching you put in looks too new and out of place, try roughening it up a bit with a nail file.[17]
- Sew the belt loop back on with single straight stitch. Sew the top and bottom of the belt loop back onto the waistband in the center. Be sure to match the thread color of the other belt loops.
- It may help to hammer where you will sew first, since you will be sewing through many layers of denim.[18]
[Edit]Taking in the Sides of the Jeans - Put your jeans on inside out and pinch the waist at the sides until it fits. Turn your jeans inside out and put them on. Pinch the waistband on each side until you get the right fit in the waist. Try to pinch an equal amount on both sides so that your jeans will sit evenly after the alteration.
- You can secure the pinched fabric with a large safety pin to help you as you proceed to the next step.[19]
- Secure the excess fabric on both sides with straight pins. Carefully put the pins in the waistband on each side where you have pinched the fabric, as close to your waist as possible to keep the jeans snug. Be careful not to pin your finger. Keeping pinning down the sides of the jeans where you can pinch out loose fabric. Pin as far down as you would like, depending on how you would like the jeans to fit.
- You can pinch and pin just along the waist, down to the mid-thigh, or even all the way down to your knee if you want a extra skinny fit.[20]
- Sew next to your pins with a single straight stitch. Carefully take your jeans off. Sew each side of the jeans along the pinned line. Use a sturdy denim needle, a longer stitch length than normal, and higher tension. Go over the stitches again with a backstitch (reversing back over your stitches) at the beginning and end to secure the stitching in place.[21]
- Try a stitch length of 2 and a thread tension of 4 to start. If that doesn't work, you can easily take out the stitching with a seam ripper and try again with different settings. Don't be afraid to experiment until you are happy with how your seam looks.
- Turn your jeans right side out and try them on. Try your jeans on again and check the fit. You can always take your stitching out and try again if there is something off. If you are happy with the fit, but feel like excess fabric inside the jeans is too bulky, you can cut it out. Leave about a border outside the stitching to prevent the fabric from unravelling. Otherwise, you can leave the fabric in.
- You can also fold the excess fabric to one side and sew the end down so it lies flat inside when you wear them.[22]
[Edit]Using an Elastic Band - Pinch the extra fabric at the center back of the waistband. Put your jeans on. Pinch the excess fabric in the back of the waistband so that the jeans fit snugly.
- Ironing the waistband before putting your jeans on can help make your measurements and fit more accurate.[23]
- Mark each side of the pinched fabric on the inside of the jeans. Keep the fabric pinched. Use fabric chalk or a highlighter to make a small line inside the jeans on each side of the pinched fabric where you will want your new, smaller waistband to touch.
- Cut two slits in the inner waistband to allow the elastic through. Remove the jeans and lay them with the front side facing up. Pull the front of the jeans down to reveal the back of the waistband. Cut out a few stitches from the bottom of the waistband below each of your two highlighter marks. Use scissors to cut a slit from one of the broken seams to just before the top of the waistband. Only cut through the inner layer of the waistband. Cut another slit on the other side.[24]
- The slit should be at least long to accommodate the elastic.
- Prepare a elastic band. Measure the elastic band and cut it so it is slightly smaller than the distance between the two slits on the waistband. Attach a safety pin to each end of the band.
- The shorter your elastic band, the tighter it will pull the waistband.
- Slip the elastic band through the slits and attach it to the jeans. To do this, attach one end of the elastic band with a safety pin to the waistband outside one of the cuts. Thread the other end of the elastic through to the other slit in the waistband. Attach it to the outside of the slit with another safety pin.[25]
- You may need to cut out the tag from the jeans if you cannot push the safety pin through.
- Only stick the safety pins through the inner layer of the waistband so won't show from the outside.
- If you want to alter the waistband again later, you can always use a looser or tighter elastic band.
- You can also sew the elastic in place with a single straight stitch instead of using safety pins if you want a more permanent solution.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Adjusting the Back of the Jeans - Heavy duty safety pin
- Straight pins
- Sewing machine with a strong denim needle
- Seam ripper
- Marking chalk
- Measuring tool
- Hammer or rubber mallet
- All-purpose thread
- Topstitching thread, in a color that matches the stitching on the waistband.
- Iron
[Edit]Taking in the Sides of the Jeans - Straight pins
- Sewing machine with a strong denim needle
- All-purpose thread
- Iron
[Edit]Using an Elastic Band - 2 safety pins
- elastic band
- Fabric scissors
- Highlighter
- Seam ripper
- Iron
- It's best to alter a pair of jeans when it is freshly washed or dried. A pair you've been wearing all day will be little stretched out and that can throw off your alteration.[26]
[Edit]Warnings - It's not a good idea to take in the waist more than because it can change the pocket positioning and affect how the jeans fit in the hips.[27]
- Don't try to alter your favorite pair of jeans until you have practiced a bit with other pairs first.[28]
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Calculate Percentages Posted: 20 Jul 2020 09:00 AM PDT Knowing how to calculate percentages will help you not only score well on a math test but in the real world as well. They are used for calculating tips in restaurants, finding out the nutritional content of your food, or even determining statistics of your favorite sports team. Regardless of how you plan to use the knowledge, calculating percentages is fundamental and quite easy overall. [Edit]Practice Problems [Edit]Calculating the Percentage of a Whole - Visualize what a percentage represents. A percentage is an expression of part of the whole. 0% represents nothing, and 100% represents the entire amount. Everything else is somewhere in between![1]
- For example, say you have 10 apples. If you eat 2 apples, then you have eaten 2 out of the whole 10 apples (2 / 10 × 100% = 20% eaten). If 10 apples is 100% and you ate 20%, then 100% - 20% = 80% of the apples remain.
- The term "percent" in English comes from the Latin per centum, meaning "through 100" or "for 100".
- Determine the value of the whole. In some cases, you will be given the value for part of the whole and the whole. Other times, you might get two parts that make up the whole. It is important to distinguish what the percentage is "of." For instance, let's say we have a jar containing 1199 red marbles and 485 blue marbles, making it 1684 marbles in total. In this case, 1684 makes up a whole jar of marbles, i.e. 100%.[2]
- Find the value that you want to turn into a percentage. Let's say we want to find out the percentage of the jar that is taken up by the blue marbles. Then the percentage of the whole we are looking for is 485 (the number of blue marbles) of 1684 (the whole amount).[3]
- Put the two values into a fraction. The part goes on top of the fraction (numerator), and the whole goes on the bottom (denominator). Therefore the fraction in this case is 485/1684 (part/whole).[4]
- Convert the fraction into a decimal. Percentages are best calculated from the decimal form. To turn 485/1684 into a decimal, divide 485 by 1684 using a calculator or pencil and paper. This comes to 0.288.[5]
- Convert the decimal into a percent. Multiply the result obtained in the step above by 100% (per 100 = per cent). For this example, 0.288 multiplied by 100% equals 28.8%.[6]
[Edit]Working Backwards From a Percentage - Identify the given numbers you're working with. Say you borrowed money from a friend who is going to charge you daily interest. The amount borrowed was initially $15 and the interest rate is 3% per day. These are the only two numbers you need for the calculation.[7]
- Convert the percentage into a decimal. Working backward from before, divide the percentage by 100%, or you can multiply by 0.01 (they're the exact same). 3%/100% = 3/100 = 0.03. [8]
- Re-word the problem with your new values. It helps to reword your problem with the new value(s) now in the form of "X of Y is Z." X is the decimal form of your percent, "of" means to multiply, Y is the whole amount, and Z is the answer. So, 0.03 x $15 is $0.45.[9]
- In this example, $0.45 is the amount of interest accrued each day that you do not pay your friend back.
- If you need to further calculate the total due after 1 day, you would add the amount you borrowed to the amount of the interest times the number of days. So $15 + ($0.45 x 1 day) = $15.45.
[Edit]Calculating Discounts - Write down the original price and the discount percentage. The original price is usually the big number that retailers will mark through or make especially large so you know how good of a "deal" you're getting.[10]
- Be sure to also pay attention to whether the discounted percentage applies to a single item or the total.
- Find the opposite of the discount percentage. This trick lets you perform 1 calculation instead of 2! The opposite of a percent is 100% minus the percent you are working with, i.e. the amount of the item you are still paying for. If you want to buy a shirt that is 30% off, the opposite of this is 70%, meaning you would have to pay 70% of the original price.[11]
- Convert the opposite percent into a decimal. To convert a percent into a decimal, divide by 100%, multiply times 0.01, or move the decimal two places to the left. In this example, 70%/100% = 70/100 = 7/10 = 0.7.[12]
- Multiply the original price by the new decimal. If the shirt you want is $20, multiply $20 by 0.7. This comes to $14, meaning the shirt is now on sale for $14.[13]
- Calculate your savings afterward to feel better. Once you get home, it can be a good idea to check your receipts, not only to make sure the discounts were applied correctly but to see how much you saved altogether. Here, you can simply subtract the sale price from the original price ($20 - $14 = $6 saved)!
- x% of y is the same as y% of x. For example, 10% of 30 = 3 = 30% of 10.[14]
[Edit]Help Calculating Percentages [Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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