| How to Make Clear Glue Posted: 14 Sep 2020 01:00 AM PDT Don't rush out to the store the next time you run out of glue! With a few pantry items, you can make simple homemade craft glue that dries completely clear. While most homemade glue recipes contain flour as a binder, you can make a flour-free glue using cornstarch. If you're short on time and don't want to cook the glue, just mix flour with water to make a quick paste. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Basic Craft Glue - 1 cup (120 g) of all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (67 g) of sugar
- cup water, divided
- of vinegar
Makes of glue [Edit]Flour-Free Clear Glue - cup water, divided
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) of corn syrup
- of vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) of cornstarch
Makes of glue [Edit]No-Cook Clear Paste or Glue - 2 tablespoons (16 g) of all-purpose flour
- of water
- 1 pinch of salt
Makes of glue [Edit]Basic Craft Glue - Whisk flour with sugar and of the water. Put a saucepan on the stove and pour 1 cup (120 g) of all-purpose flour into it along with 1/3 cup (67 g) of sugar and of the water. Whisk the mixture to make a smooth paste.[1]
- Don't worry if you see a few lumps since you can strain them out later.
- Stir in the remaining of water and vinegar. Slowly pour in the rest of the water while you whisk. Then, mix in of vinegar. The vinegar is a very mild preservative that helps your homemade glue last a little longer.[2]
- It doesn't matter which type of vinegar you use, especially since you won't smell the vinegar after you cook and cool the glue.
- Heat the glue over medium and simmer it for 5 minutes. Turn the burner to medium and whisk the glue while it cooks. Keep whisking as it bubbles gently and cook the glue until it's thick.[3]
- Although the glue looks white, it dries clear so it's great for most craft projects.
- Strain the glue into an airtight storage container. Turn off the burner and set a fine-mesh strainer over your storage container. Carefully spoon the glue into the strainer and push it through using the back of the spoon. Then, use the glue or put the lid on it and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days.[4]
- If your glue doesn't look lumpy, you can skip this step and transfer the glue directly to your storage container.
- Clean the saucepan and strainer in hot, soapy water as soon as you finish making the glue. Once you've used the glue in the container, soak it for 30 minutes before scrubbing it with hot, soapy water.
[Edit]Flour-Free Clear Glue - Mix of the water with corn syrup and vinegar. Set a saucepan on the stove and pour in of the water. Add 2 tablespoons (40 g) of corn syrup and of vinegar. Then, stir the mixture until the corn syrup dissolves.[5]
- You can use any type of vinegar in this glue recipe.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Turn the burner to medium and keep the lid off of the pan so you can see when the liquid begins to boil. Stir the mixture occasionally and heat it until it comes to a full rolling boil.[6]
- Mix the remaining water with cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour the remaining of water into a small mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons (15 g) of cornstarch. Use a spoon or a whisk to mix the cornstarch until it dissolves in the water.[7]
- The cornstarch makes the glue thick and easier to spread.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the pan and boil it for 1 minute. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan with the boiling liquid. Keep whisking the whole time you pour so the cornstarch doesn't clump. Bring the glue to a boil and continue to whisk for 1 minute.[8]
- It's really important to whisk constantly so the glue becomes smooth.
- Wash the pan immediately in hot, soapy water so the glue doesn't have a chance to harden.
- Turn off the burner and cool the glue to room temperature. Set the pan on a cool burner so the glue stops cooking and leave it to sit until it's cool enough to handle. This should take around 20 minutes. Then, use your glue or store it for later.[9]
- To store the flour-free glue, spoon it into an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Once you've used the glue and need to clean the container, soak it in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes before you scrub it out.
[Edit]No-Cook Clear Paste or Glue - Put 2 tablespoons (16 g) of flour into an airtight container. Find a small container that you'd like to use to store the glue and put the flour into it. If you'd like to double or triple the recipe, use a larger container.[10]
- Since this glue only lasts 1 day, make just as much as you need for your project.
- Stir in of water and 1 pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in the water 1 spoonful at a time to prevent large lumps from forming. Then, mix in a pinch of salt. Keep mixing until the flour is hydrated and you have a sticky paste.[11]
- Whisk in more water until the glue is the consistency you want. If you'd like a clear paste, you may not need to add more water. To make thinner glue that you can spread with a brush, whisk in a spoonful of water at a time.[12]
- Add up to an extra of water for thin, clear glue.
- Refrigerate the glue for 10 to 15 minutes if you want to make thick paste. Although you can use the clear glue as soon as you've mixed it, stick it in the fridge to chill if you want a thicker paste. Then, stick a popsicle or craft stick into the paste to spread it on your project.[13]
- Store your no-cook glue or paste at room temperature for up to 1 day. If you keep it in the fridge for more than 15 minutes, it will dry out and harden.
- To clean out the container, soak it in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes before you wash it.
- To make a mixture that's not as thick or sticky as glue, create your own clear slime!
- Homemade glue doesn't last as long as storebought glue with preservatives, so use the glue within a few days.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Basic Craft Glue - Measuring cups and spoons
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Spoon
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Storage container
[Edit]Flour-Free Clear Glue - Measuring cups and spoons
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Spoon
- Storage container
[Edit]No-Cook Clear Paste or Glue - Storage container
- Spoon
- Measuring spoon
- Whisk, optional
[Edit]References |
| How to Build Your Personal Brand Posted: 13 Sep 2020 05:00 PM PDT A personal brand is much more than just the products or services that you're selling. For instance, when you think of Oprah Winfrey, chances are you don't think of her as just a talk show host. With a magazine, a book club, beauty products, and even her own TV channel, she's come to be known for a multitude of things, all of which embody her personality and values. That's what a successful personal brand looks like. It's memorable, genuine, and tells a compelling story that speaks to its audience. With hard work and engagement, you can build your own successful brand that reflects who you are and what you have to offer. [Edit]Defining Your Brand - Choose specific demographics for your target audience. Identify who your target audience for your brand is by thinking about factors such as age, location, gender, income level, education, and ethnic background. Figure out who has a need for your brand and who is most likely to buy and support it.[1]
- You can also think about the psychology of your target. For instance, what kind of personality or attitude do the people interested in your brand have?
- Knowing who your target market is can help you figure out ways to appeal to them and attract newcomers.
- Focus your message so it appeals to your target audience. Think about who you're trying to reach or sell your products to. Craft a message and think about what kind of content will market and promote your brand most effectively to your target audience.[2]
- Your personal brand and message need to focus on your target demographic to keep them engaged.
- For example, if your goal is to appeal to recent college grads, your message could focus more on strategies and challenges around entering the professional workforce. If you're trying to reach working moms, your message could include ways to deal with family stress or self-care strategies.
- Research the industry and imitate experts in the field. Spend time reading up on business strategies and information about the industry you're interested in. Find out who the experts are in your field. Look up their blogs, websites, articles, or anywhere else they've contributed their thoughts on the industry. Use their experience to help you build your own brand.[3]
- Even though the goal is to stand out in your industry, it's important to know the major players in your field.
- Use the internet to research experts and find resources and information about your field.
- Find out how an expert you admire started off and became successful in the industry. For instance, if you're into fitness, you can read interviews and articles about how a fitness model or athlete built their business so you can model your brand after theirs.
- Create a list of your strengths and weaknesses. A simple way to help define who you and your brand are is to make a list of your personal strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself questions about what areas of work you excel in, what characteristics other people have complimented you on, as well as which roles and jobs seem to drain you or don't suit your talents. Brainstorm and write down everything that comes to mind.[4]
- Think about what industries, jobs, and challenges motivate or excite you.
- Use your strengths and weaknesses to help you narrow down industries as well. For instance, if you prefer working on projects by yourself, then you may not want to work in an industry that requires collaboration.
- Apply your strengths and weaknesses to your personal brand. Take your list of strengths and weaknesses and assess them as they relate to the industry or career that you work in. Find a specific niche in your industry that suits your talents and passion.[5]
- For example, clothing design is a massive industry, but if you're really good at designing t-shirts with abstract art designs, and you love doing it, it could be your niche.
[Edit]Marketing Your Personal Brand - Reflect the beliefs of your brand in your personal life. Separating your personal brand from your personal life can actually make building it more difficult. Instead, live your brand by having your actual lifestyle reflect your brand so it's more authentic and more appealing.[6]
- For instance, if your personal brand focuses on wellness and nutrition, you can make yourself and your brand look more genuine by practicing what you preach and eating well and exercising.
- Don't think of your personal brand as just your job functions, but also your personal ideals. If you work in finance, your daily life can reflect your personal philosophies such as kindness or thoughtful leadership.
- Craft an elevator pitch summary of your brand. An "elevator pitch" is a super-short summary of an idea that can be delivered quickly to anybody who's interested in hearing about it. Spend some time boiling down your personal brand into a few short, memorable phrases that you can memorize and pitch to someone on short notice and capture their attention.[7]
- Create a summary that reflects the people you serve, the values you embody, and the results you achieve.
- Tell your audience what you do and what makes you different and exciting. If your personal brand is focused on a vegan lifestyle, you can talk about the health benefits you noticed after cutting out animal products from your life as well as the delicious recipes you've discovered.
- Let's say you're a conflict resolution specialist with a focus on mediating corporate disputes. You could say something like, "Hi, I'm Chris Smith, I can fix professional arguments. My experience as a corporate lawyer helps me find compromises that everyone can live with."
- Attend networking events to meet potential customers and clients. Look online for local networking events for people related to your industry. Attend the events and talk to as many people as you can to make business connections and increase awareness of your personal brand. Hand out business cards and collect contact information from the people you meet so you can get in touch with them.[8]
- Designing a good-looking business card is an easy, simple, and quick way to pass along your contact info and give people a good idea of what your brand represents.
- Accept invitations from other people in your industry to attend networking events as well.
- Don't worry if you get nervous! Think of the event as potential job opportunities. Just be professional, polite, and tell people a bit about who you are.
- Keep an up-to-date list of your contacts for future marketing. Create a spreadsheet or a list of business contacts and potential clients. Whenever you meet a new contact or you get someone's business card, add it to your list or spreadsheet so you can reach out to them for potential marketing or to use their services.[9]
- Capture their name, email, and try to include any info you have about them. For instance, you could add a note like "John, loves pizza, has a wife and 2 kids." You can use these details when you talk to them in the future.
[Edit]Growing Your Online Presence - Focus on an online platform that suits your interests. Choose a platform that you enjoy using, you're good at using, and is better suited for your personal brand. Focus on marketing and building an audience on that platform, which is more likely to include people from your target audience.[10]
- For instance, Twitter may be more effective for reaching a broader audience, while Facebook may be more effective for marketing to people who know you.
- You can also research which platforms are more effective for your industry to help you choose a focus.
- Make lots of quality content on your platform. Create the best quality content that you can that reflects and promotes your personal brand. Share the content on your platform so your target audience can see and share it.[11]
- For instance, you could live-stream one of your gaming sessions on Facebook live if you're into video games. If you're into plants and flowers, you can use Instagram to post beautiful photos of them.
- Try to post as often as you can to stay engaged with your target audience.
- Collaborate to create content with other people in your industry. Get in touch with other people who work in your industry and have their own following. Collaborate on a project or make content together that you can share. You'll trade audiences and grow your own social media following. Everybody wins![12]
- If your brand revolves around fitness, you could get together with another fitness figure, record a workout together, and post it.
- You could also play fun challenges or games with other content creators. For instance, if you're into video games, you could challenge another gamer to a duel and broadcast the results.
- Use LinkedIn as an additional social media tool for your brand. LinkedIn is a social media platform that's more focused on professional business connections and job searches. Make an account, and focus on highlighting your skills related to your industry. Connect with other people in your industry, participate in group discussions, and reach out to meet new people.[13]
- You can also read and share industry-related articles on LinkedIn.
- If you're ever in the market for a new job, the connections you make on LinkedIn can be super valuable tools to help you land one.
- Use a professional photo for your account so recruiters and industry leaders are more likely to contact or connect with you.
- Create a Twitter and use it for your brand's specific niche. Twitter is an expansive platform that you can use to follow leaders in your field and stay relevant in your specific niche. Incorporate your personal brand in your bio and use hashtags that are related to your specific niche. Retweet top industry stories and connect with other people through their accounts.[14]
- For instance, if you're into collecting, selling, and trading high-end sneakers, you could add hashtags like #sneakerheads, #jordan, #kicks, and #kicksonfire.
- Read and respond to what your audience is saying online. In addition to creating and posting content, it's important that you engage with your audience by responding to their comments and messages. You can also use the things they say and post to get an idea about what they're talking about and are interested in so you can tailor your content to be more relevant.[15]
- For example, if there's a funny new meme format that people in your audience are sharing, you can tweak it to fit your brand and share your own version to increase engagement.
[Edit]Optimizing Your Website - Create a website using a hosting service for easy customization. A website is a super important part of your personal brand because it's what people will see and how they'll contact you or purchase something from you. Use a hosting service like Squarespace or Wix, which makes designing your website super simple.[16]
- Other popular web hosting services include GoDaddy, Bluehost, and HostGator.
- You'll need to pay a subscription fee to keep your website up and running.
- Choose a domain name that suits your brand. For instance, if you're into design, you could go with something like "designsbyjulie.com."
- Design a professional logo for your website. A high-quality logo shows people that you're serious and your brand is professional. Think about the mood you want your logo to convey and choose a design that communicates your brand to your audience.[17]
- Look at other logos in your industry to get ideas for your own and so you don't create one that closely resembles the competition.
- If you need help, consider hiring a professional graphic designer.
- Use written content and video to craft a brand story. Building a narrative about your personal brand is an effective strategy to expand your audience. Record videos talking about yourself and your brand and post them to your website so people can watch them. Write blog posts and articles so visitors can read and learn more about you and your brand.[18]
- People will feel more invested if they feel like they have a personal connection to your brand.
- Upload professional photographs of you and your products. Make your website look as good and professional as possible by using high-quality photographs. Hire a photographer or use a high-definition to take professional-looking photos of you and your products. Post the photos on your website for people to see when they visit.[19]
- Low-quality photos can make your brand look unprofessional.
- Add any testimonials and media features to your website. Whenever a customer, client, or someone in your industry praises you and your work, add it to your website as a testimonial. Link any news articles or media coverage about you or your brand as well. Use them as proof that you can solve other people's problems and produce quality work.[20]
- For instance, if a customer tells you something like, "Thanks so much! You're a lifesaver!" ask them if you can share their testimonial on your site.
- If you're ever in the news or someone writes about your services, link it to your website so visitors can see it!
- Entice people to give you their email address for leads. Offer a discount or exclusive content for free in exchange for a visitor's email address. Collect the emails and use them for future marketing campaigns so you can get the word out to people who have already visited your site and know a little bit about you and your brand.[21]
- Try not to spam people who give you their email address or they may block you.
- Try to be as genuine as you can. People can tell if you're trying to sell them something and may be turned off if they think you're pretending to care about something.
- Remember that even if you change jobs or even careers, you can still carry your personal brand with you into new industries and experiences.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Cut an Orange for Drinks Posted: 13 Sep 2020 09:00 AM PDT Ah, oranges—the sweet, juicy fruit that just about everybody likes. In addition to being a great snack, oranges are also perfect for garnishing drinks, especially cocktails and certain types of beer like wheat beers and orange ales. Try experimenting with wedges, slices, wheels, and twists by adding them to different beverages for a garnish you'll want to eat! [Edit]Creating Orange Wedges - Wash the orange before you slice it. Rinse the orange peel under cool running water, and use your fingertips to thoroughly scrub the surface. There could be dirt or germs on the peel of the orange that could contaminate the knife and the orange slices if you don't wash it first.[1]
- Be sure the knife is clean before you start cutting, also.
- Slice the ends off the orange. Place the orange sideways in the middle of a cutting board. Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut the top and bottom off the orange to get rid of the stem and blossom end bits.[2]
- Hold the orange firmly when you do this, so it doesn't slip or roll while you're cutting.[3]
- You can use either a chef's knife or a paring knife for this, but it's easier if the knife is very sharp.
- Be careful whenever you're using a sharp knife. Keep your fingers and hands out from under the blade and always cut away from your body.[4]
- Cut the orange down the middle vertically. Hold the orange firmly with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other side, so it doesn't roll away while you cut it. Slice straight down through the middle, from the flat stem end to the flat blossom end.[5]
- Alternatively, you could stand the orange up on one of the flat ends and cut down through the middle from the top to bottom that way.
- Make 3 even diagonal cuts to cut each half into 3 wedges. Place the halves of the oranges flat-side-down on your cutting board. Slice into the peel diagonally from 1 side down to the middle of the fleshy side on the cutting board, then repeat this for the other side to cut the half into 3 even wedges. Do the same for the other half of the orange.[6]
- It might take a few tries to get the hang of cutting orange halves into 3 perfectly even wedges, but just keep practicing and you'll be able to do it with no problem soon enough!
- Slice a notch from the flesh to the peel in the middle of each wedge. Flip the wedges over so they are flesh-side-up on the cutting board. Cut down through the center of the flesh in each wedge until just before you reach the orange rind.[7]
- Be careful not to cut all the way through the orange wedges. But don't worry if you mess one up. You can always just eat your mistake!
- If you want smaller wedges, you can cut each large wedge in half, then cut a notch into the middle of each of your smaller wedges.
- Stick the wedges on the rims of drink glasses to garnish them. Slide the notch you cut in an orange wedge over the rim of a glass until it sits there on its own. Try garnishing cocktails like Margaritas, Dark and Stormies, and Bloody Marys. Stick the wedges on non-alcoholic beverages like fresh-squeezed orange juice, iced tea, and even glasses of ice water.[8]
- Other cocktails that go nicely with orange wedges are Pimm's Cups and Gin Fizzes.
- For a non-alcoholic treat, try adding an orange slice to a glass of ice water, lemon-lime soda, orange juice, or a frozen juice mocktail.[9]
- When you're drinking a beverage with an orange wedge garnish, you can squeeze the wedge into the drink for extra orange flavor. Or, you can just grab it off the rim and eat it!
[Edit]Making Wheels and Slices - Cut both ends off your orange. Place your orange sideways on a cutting board and hold it steady by the sides. Use a sharp chef's knife or paring knife to cut the top and bottom ends off.[10]
- Be careful when you're slicing an orange with a sharp knife. Make sure you have a good grip on it, so it doesn't slip or roll, and keep your fingers and hands out from under the knife's blade.
- Slice the orange into round slabs of the desired thickness, starting at one end. Hold the orange steady by the sides. Start cutting from one end by slicing straight down through the orange horizontally, keeping your fingers and hand that you're holding the orange with out of the way as you cut. Keep slicing until you cut the whole orange into even wheels.[11]
- Wheels that are about thick are a good size for drinks if you're not sure how big to make them.
- Cut each wheel in half if you want orange slices for your drinks. Lay a wheel flat on your cutting board and cut right through the middle, so you have 2 even slices. Repeat this for each wheel to cut them all into even slices.[12]
- You could also leave half the orange in wheels and cut half the wheels into slices, if you want a variety of garnish options for drinks.
- Slice a notch into your wheels or slices if you want to put them on glasses. Cut a notch from one side of each wheel into the middle of the wheel. Make a notch in the middle of the flesh of each slice that goes almost to the orange peel.[13]
- You can skip this if you are planning to put the wheels or slices directly into a drink, rather than on the rim of a glass.
- Stick your wheels and wedges onto glasses or into glasses or pitchers. Try garnishing glasses containing cocktails or pints of beers like wheat beers or citrusy beers with the wedges and wheels. Toss some wheels or wedges right into pitchers of things like Margaritas or Sangria to decorate them and add some citrus flavor.[14]
- For example, if you make a pitcher of Screwdrivers with orange juice and vodka for brunch with your friends, you could throw some whole orange wheels directly into the pitcher. You can then use some slices to garnish individual glasses for serving.
- You can also double-up on oranges in pints of beer by putting a wheel in the beer itself and sticking a wedge on the rim of the pint glass.
- For a fun, tropical treat, try adding a slice of orange to a skewer along with other fruits like cherries and pineapples.[15]
[Edit]Cutting Orange Twists - Cut the bottom off an orange and place it cut-side-down on a cutting board. Hold an orange sideways on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut off just the bottom end. Stand the orange upright on the cutting board with the end you just cut flat against the board.[16]
- This just helps stabilize the orange while you cut the peel off to make a twist. Once you get comfortable with slicing the peel, you may choose to skip this step.
- Use a paring knife to slice off a thin oval of the orange's peel. Start at the top of the orange and just barely cut into the peel. Slice down and away from you until you cut off a thin, oval-shaped piece of the peel.[17]
- It's OK if there is a bit of the pith, or the white rind, still attached to the peel, but it's best not to have a big chunk of it. If there is, you can carefully slice the white pith away from the peel using your paring knife.
- It's up to you exactly how big to make your orange twist. Feel free to experiment with different oval sizes until you decide what works best for you and the drinks you're making.
- Twist the ends of the piece of peel in opposite directions using your fingertips. Pick up the oval-shaped piece of peel using 2-3 fingertips of both your hands. Twist your hands in opposite directions, so the oval curls up into a spiral shape.[18]
- This not only looks cool, but also releases the oils inside the peel to add aroma and flavor to your drink.
- Put the orange twist into a cocktail and serve the drink. Orange twists make nice garnishes for classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds or Orange Martinis. Simply drop the twist into the glass on top of the drink or lean it up against one side of the glass, so the rim supports it and it stands up.[19]
- Other cocktails you might want to garnish with an orange twist include the Tom Collins and the Sazerac.
- Feel free to experiment with different wedge, wheel, and slice sizes. There really isn't a right or wrong way to cut an orange for drinks!
- If you have one, wear a cut-resistant glove on the hand you're using to hold the orange. That way, if the knife slips, you won't cut yourself.
- Try combining oranges with other citrus fruits like lemons and limes in pitchers of Sangria or Margaritas. Or, you can add slices of other edible fruits like apples, peaches, and strawberries.
[Edit]Warnings - Be careful when you're using a sharp knife to cut oranges for drinks. Keep your fingers and hands out of the way of the blade and always cut on a cutting board.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Cutting board
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Orange
[Edit]References |
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