| How to Hang a Garland Outside Posted: 16 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST Garlands are long strands of pine tree branches that add a pop of cute decoration in the winter time. They look great as an addition to string lights or as a focal point on the front of your home. You can add a garland to your front door, your railings, or your porch posts by using simple tools that won't damage your walls or doors. [Edit]Hanging a Garland Around Your Front Door - Use a tension rod to hang your garland for a quick addition. Find a tension rod that is made specifically for garlands or use an extra curtain rod. Put the tension rod into the alcove above your door and screw it tight. Hang your garland along the rod and wrap it around the ends so that it stays.[1]
- You can find garland tension rods at most home goods stores during the holiday season.
- Attach hooks to the top of your door for easy installation. Purchase 5 to 6 wall hooks that have sticky backings. Place them about apart from each other on the wall above your door. Hang your garland on the hooks and let the ends frame the outside of your front door.[2]
- Hooks with adhesive backings work well on wooden walls, but they won't do well on brick or stone. They also may fall off in hot or humid climates.[3]
- Hammer nails into the spaces between stones in a stone wall. Choose nails that are about long. Use a hammer to push them into the spaces in between the stones in your wall that surround your door. Try to put the nails about apart, but add them wherever they will fit in with your stones. Hang your garland on the nails and let the ends frame your door.[4]
- If your stone wall is damaged or not stable, do not push nails into it.
- Use brick clips to hang your garland on your brick wall. Brick clips are metal clips that fit vertically over your brick without creating any holes or marks. Hold your brick clip vertically and attach it around a single brick above your door. Make sure it clicks into place so that it will support the weight of your garland. Use 5 to 6 brick clips spaced about apart to span the width of your door. Hang your garland off of your brick clips and let the ends drape around your front door.[5]
- You can find brick clips at most hardware stores.
[Edit]Adding a Garland to Your Railings and Windows - Use zip ties on your railing for a secure solution. Set your garland out on your railing in a straight line. Attach a zip tie around the center and each end of your garland. Pull the zip tie as tight as it can go to make sure it is secure. If your garland is sagging in any areas, add another zip tie to make it tighter.[6]
- When it comes time to take your garland down, cut off the zip ties and throw them away.
- Wrap your garland around your porch railing for a simple decoration. Place your garland on top of your railing at one end. Wrap your garland around your railing 2 to 3 times in a loose spiral pattern. Secure each end of your garland with a zip tie to keep it in place.[7]
- This looks great on a railing that slopes downward.
- Add planter hooks to your railings for a secure solution. Planter hooks are large metal hooks that have brackets to fit over your railing. Open up the brackets of your planter hook and set them over your railing. Tighten the brackets with a small wrench to secure them. Place 5 to 6 planter hooks along your railing about apart. Drape your garland over the planter hooks to keep it in place.[8].}}
- You can also use planter hooks to hang large wreaths or heavy bundles of lights.
- Hang outdoor hooks on your windows for a subtle decoration. Use outdoor hooks with an adhesive back that are made specifically for attaching to glass windows. Place one hook on either side of your window and hang a small garland in between them.[9]
- Outdoor hooks will withstand the months of cold and harsh weather that might happen during the winter.
- You can find outdoor hooks at most hardware stores.
[Edit]Wrapping a Porch Post in Garland - Use a garland that is twice the length of your post. Measure the length of your porch post with a measuring tape. Multiply the length by 2 to find out how long your garland needs to be.[10]
- For example, if your post is tall, use a garland that is long.
- Attach hooks with adhesive backs to the top and bottom of your post. Peel the backs off of 2 adhesive hooks and place one at the very top of your post on the side that faces your home. Add another to the very bottom of your post on the same side.[11]
- You can also use hooks that are installed with nails and a hammer for a more permanent solution.
- Hang the top part of your garland on the top hook. Hold your garland lengthwise and place the top part on the top hook. Make sure that it is secure and won't fall off of the hook.[12]
- You can wrap a zip tie around your garland to attach it to the hook if you need to.
- Wrap the garland around your post 3 to 4 times. Grab the end of your garland and wrap it around your post, keeping even spacing throughout. If your pole is especially long, you may need to wrap your garland 5 to 6 times.[13]
- You can decide how many times you'd like to wrap your post depending on what you think looks the best.
- Hook the bottom end of the garland on the bottom hook. Once you reach the bottom of your post, take the end of the garland and attach it to the bottom hook. If you need to, add a zip tie to attach the garland to the hook so that it stays in place.[14]
[Edit]References |
| How to Knit Blankets Posted: 15 Nov 2020 04:00 PM PST A nice, warm, knitted blanket pairs perfectly with a good book on a cold night. A blanket is a long-term project, but you can always pick the project up when you have the time. Plus, when it's finished, the sense of achievement will make it all worthwhile! You can use a variety of knitting techniques and stitch patterns to create a unique and beautiful blanket to keep for yourself or give away as a gift. [Edit]Patch Blanket - Base the size of your patches on how big your blanket will be. Depending on what size blanket you'd like to have, you can make your patches big, small, or anywhere in between. Generally, a blanket will use patches that are , a blanket will use ones that are , and a blanket will have patches that are .[1]
- The amount of yarn you need depends on the weight of your yarn and your blanket size. In general, you'll need between .
- Knit 1 line of yarn using the cast on stitch. Make a simple slipknot with your yarn and slide it over your left-hand knitting needle. Wrap the yarn around your thumb, then slide the yarn loop onto the knitting needle again. Pull your thumb out of the yarn, then tug on both ends to tighten the knot. Keep repeating this stitch until you have 1 side of your square patch done.[2]
- This is one of the easiest ways to start a knitting project, and you'll probably use it a lot later on in other projects, too.
- For this project, you'll want size 19 US (000 UK) knitting needles if you're using bulky yarn, or size 15 US (000 UK) knitting needles if you're using medium-weight yarn.
- Slide your right-hand needle into the excess thread to keep knitting. Grab your second knitting needle and bring the point up close to the point of your left-hand needle. Wrap the loose yarn clockwise around the top of the right needle, keeping the yarn wrapped tightly as you move along. Pull the right-hand needle backwards just slightly, then slide it up through the closest loop on your left needle. Keep going down the line to complete one row.[3]
- When you've finished a row, you can move your empty needle back to the side with the working yarn to start a new one. Then, you can continue on using rows until you've made an even square.
- If you reach the end of a ball of yarn, just cast on again with your new length of yarn to keep going.
- This is a basic knit stitch, and it's useful to learn when you're making blankets, scarves, or hats.
- Finish the square by casting off. Once you're done with your patch, you'll still have yarn wrapped around your left-hand needle. Take your empty needle (the right-hand needle) and bring it up to the point of the left needle again. Knit 2 basic stitches using the loops attached to the left-hand needle, looping the stitches onto your right needle. Then, use the point of your left needle to grab the first stitch on the right needle and pull it up and over the second stitch.[4]
- Continue casting off until you've removed all of the stitches from both needles.
- You'll be left with a square patch of yarn that you can use to create your blanket!
- Make 12 equal squares. To complete your blanket, keep making even squares in the same size as your first one. Once you've made 12 squares, you can stop and arrange your blanket.[5]
- Knitting this many squares can take a long time, especially if you've never knitted before. Don't be afraid to put down your project and pick it back up again later.
- Arrange your squares in a blanket pattern. Once you have all 12 squares, spread them out on a flat surface to see how they'll look in your finished blanket. You can use your creativity here to make a pattern, mix and match colors, and try out different numbers in different rows.[6]
- It's helpful to spread all of the patches out before you move on so you can visualise how your blanket will look in the end.
- You can even alternate the patches in a right side up, wrong side up pattern.
- Sew each square together with an invisible seam. Position 2 of the squares next to each other and line up the edges. Thread a large sewing needle with a new length of yarn, then poke it into the edge of 1 square. Bring your needle up and through the yarn, then poke it through the edge of the second square, sewing them tightly together (kind of like a running stitch). Keep going back and forth up the 2 squares with stitches that are about apart until you reach the top.[7]
- The invisible seam is great for knitting 2 pieces of knit-work together. It's a very versatile stitch that will probably come in handy during other projects, too.
- Once you're done, you'll have a soft, cozy blanket with a fun, funky pattern to snuggle up under.
- If you attach all of your squares and realize your blanket isn't as big as you'd like it to be, you can just knit a few more patches and add them onto the ends.
[Edit]Solid-Colored Blanket - Cast on 210 stitches on your needle. To start a plain blanket, grab your knitting needle and make a simple slip knot with your yarn, pulling it over the tip of your left-hand needle to get started. Wrap the yarn around your thumb, then slide that loop onto the needle to attach your yarn. Tug on both loose ends of the yarn to tighten up the knot, then keep going with this stitch.[8]
- The length of your initial stitching will be the width of your blanket, so you can make it as long or as short as you'd like. This may be slightly more or less than 210 stitches, so you can play around with the number that you need.
- A blanket with 210 stitches will be about wide.
- As you might have guessed, you're going to need a long knitting needle for this blanket. Try to get size 7 US (7 UK) knitting needles for lightweight yarn or size 10 US (4 UK) knitting needles for bulky yarn.
- Depending on how large your blanket is, this project can take of yarn.
- Make the second row with a basic knit stitch. Take the empty needle in your right hand and bring the point up to the last stitch you just made. Wrap the loose yarn, or the working yarn, clockwise around your right-hand needle, then pull the right-hand needle backwards just slightly. Slide your needle up through the loop of yarn, then pull the loop onto the right needle. Keep going with this stitch to make the second row of your blanket.[9]
- Creating a plain blanket is all about making small strips of stitching. When they're all finished, you'll have an entire blanket!
- Keep stitching rows of yarn until your blanket is done. When you've finished a row, move your empty needle back over to the side with the working yarn and start again. You can use your basic knit stitch to keep going down the length of your blanket, stopping when you run out of yarn or your blanket is long enough to cozy up in. This can take quite a while, so don't be afraid to put your project down and pick it back up again later.[10]
- This is a great way to practice your basic knit stitch.
- The length of your blanket is up to you, but most solid-colored blankets end up being about long.
- If you reach the end of a ball of yarn, cast on again with a new length of yarn to keep going.
- Cast off the last stitches when you reach the end. When you're finally done with your blanket, take your empty needle and slide it underneath the last stitch you made. Do 2 basic stitches, then use the left needle to slide the first loop up and over the second loop, keeping them on the right needle. Keep going until there aren't any more stitches wrapped around your left-hand needle.[11]
- This is also called a "bind off."
- Pull the tail of the yarn through the last loop. To make sure your blanket doesn't unravel, take the tail end and pull it back through the loop hanging off the blanket. Pull the tail end taut to secure the knot in place and keep all your stitches tight.[12]
- Stitch the tail end of the yarn through the outer edge of the blanket. Take a size D crochet hook and thread the tail end of your yarn through it, leaving hanging out of the back. Use your crochet hook to thread the tail end into the border of your blanket for to secure the tail. When you're done, use scissors to snip the excess yarn off.[13]
- This will keep your blanket secure without adding a ton of bulk to the outer edge.
[Edit]Striped Blanket - Cast on the first 20 stitches. Wrap the length of yarn around your thumb and hold it in place to make a simple slip knot. Slide the loop over your left-hand needle, then remove your thumb and grab the 2 loose ends. Pull them taut to tighten the knot, then repeat this stitch 20 times.[14]
- For striped blankets, you can alternate your yarn color to make them interesting to look at.
- If you're making a baby blanket, try using muted colors that go with the color of their nursery.
- You'll need size 10 US (4 UK) knitting needles for bulky yarn and size 7 US (7 UK) knitting needles for lightweight yarn.
- The amount of yarn you'll need depends on the size of your project, but it's best to start with .
- Use a knit stitch to stitch the width of your stripe. Now you can decide how wide you'd like your stripes to be—most are between thick. Grab your right knitting needle and bring it up to the last loop you made. Wrap the working yarn around your right-hand needle, then draw it back just slightly to slide it through the last loop on your left-hand needle.[15]
- When you reach the end of one row, move your empty needle to the side of the row with the working yarn and start again.
- You can stop once you've completed a single stripe, but don't cast off yet!
- Wrap your new yarn color around your empty needle to switch colors. Take the end of your empty needle and bring it up to the last stitch you made like you're going to do a knit stitch. Instead of wrapping the last yarn color around your needle, grab your new color and wrap it once around the needle. Continue knitting on top of the previous row with your new yarn color to switch to a new stripe.[16]
- This is an easy way to switch between colors and avoid dealing with seam stitches.
- You can leave the excess yarn from your last color sticking out in a tail. When your blanket is done, just cut it off.
- Keep using a basic knit stitch to complete the rest of your blanket. You can add as many new colors and stripes as you'd like to until you finish up. If you're making a baby blanket, you'll probably want it to be about long; for an afghan or a throw, you might want it to be around long.[17]
- The length and pattern of your blanket is totally up to you, so get creative with it!
- Cast off the end of your stitches. Take your empty needle and slide it under the last loop you made. Do 2 knit stitches, then use your left-hand needle to slide the first loop up and over the back of the right-hand needle. Keep going until you've removed all of the yarn from your left-hand needle.[18]
- Weave the yarn tail into the edge of the blanket. Pull the tail end of the yarn through the last loop sticking out of your blanket, then thread it through a size D crochet hook. Use your crochet hook to weave the tail into the first on the edge of your blanket, then use scissors to snip the end off when you're done.[19]
- Now you can throw your blanket on the back of your couch or give it as a present during a baby shower.
- Knitting blankets can take a long time. One project can take a few months, or longer if you're just starting out.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Patch Blanket - Between of yarn
- 19 US (000 UK) or size 15 US (000 UK) knitting needles
- Sewing needle
- Ruler
[Edit]Solid-Colored Blanket - Size 7 knitting needles
- Between of yarn
- Size D crochet hook
[Edit]Striped Blanket - 10 US (4 UK) or size 7 US (7 UK) knitting needles
- Between of yarn
- Size D crochet hook
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Wash Dress Shirts in the Washing Machine Posted: 15 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST A dress shirt always looks best when it's been properly washed and dried. However, dry-cleaning or professional laundering is expensive. Fortunately, you can wash most dress shirts in a normal washing machine at home. You only need to make some slight adjustments between washing standard and delicate dress shirts. This saves tons of money and keeps your shirts looking fresh. [Edit]Prepping the Shirt - Check the care label to confirm the shirt is machine-washable. Most dress shirts are cotton, linen, or polyester. These materials are all machine-washable, but double check the care label to confirm that it's okay to put the shirt in the washing machine. If the label says "Machine Wash" or has a symbol with a bucket filled with water, go ahead with putting it in the machine.[1]
- If you see a bucket with an X over it, or the words "Dry Clean Only" or "Do Not Wash," then bring the shirt to the dry cleaners. Usually, wool and silk aren't machine-washable.
- You might also see "Hand Wash Only" on the label. In this case, hand wash the shirt instead of putting it in the machine.
- Divide the white and colored shirts to prevent staining. If you're washing multiple shirts, separate out the white ones. This prevents the colors from bleeding together and staining the white ones.[2]
- If a white shirt has thin colored stripes, wash it with the whites. If a colored shirt has white stripes, wash it with the colors.
- Separate shirts made of silk, wool, cashmere, or other delicate materials. Fragile materials like these need a different wash cycle than other more durable materials. If any of your dress shirts are made of delicate material, separate them from the other shirts and run them in a different load.[3]
- If you aren't sure what your shirt is made of, check the care label. If it says "Delicate," then separate it out.
- Unbutton all the buttons on the shirt. Buttons can get snagged on the inside of the washing machine and damage the shirt. Make sure they're all unbuttoned before you wash it.[4]
- Remember all the little buttons on the sleeves. Some shirts also have buttons around the collar.
- Pretreat any stains on the shirt. Check the shirt for any stains. If you find any, wet them with cold water. Then, rub a spoonful of detergent onto each stain. Let the detergent soak in for 5 minutes before washing the shirt.[5]
- You can also buy stain-removing pens or sprays to pretreat the shirt.
- Also check the other side of the fabric for stains. It may have soaked through.
- Turn the shirt inside out before washing it. This helps remove any armpit and deodorant stains from the inside of the shirt. Remember to pull the sleeves as well so the entire shirt is inside out.[6]
[Edit]Loading the Shirt into the Machine - Set the machine to cold water. Warm water can make colors bleed and stain your other clothes. Make sure your washing machine is on its cold setting before starting it.[7]
- Most modern washing machines use cold water as their standard setting. This may be your machine's default as well.
- Both standard and delicate shirts require cold water, so don't adjust the temperature for different shirts.
- Load your normal detergent before putting the shirt in. In most cases, your dress shirts don't need any special detergent. Use the same amount and type you usually do, and pour it into the machine before loading the clothes.[8]
- If you're washing a plain white shirt, use detergent with bleach in it. Otherwise, make sure the detergent is bleach-free.[9]
- Place delicate shirts in a washer bag to prevent them from tearing. This is a mesh bag that's perfect for delicate items. It allows the water and detergent to clean the shirts while protecting them from getting caught on anything. Load your shirts made of silk, wool, cashmere, or other delicate materials into a bag before putting them in the machine.[10]
- Don't overload the bags. Follow the instructions for how many items each bag can fit.
- Washer bags are available online or from home goods stores.
- Run the machine on the normal cycle for standard dress shirts. Shirts made of polyester, linen, nylon, or cotton usually don't need any special setting. Set the cycle to normal and let it run until the load is finished.[11]
- Do not wash delicate shirts on the normal cycle.
- Set the machine to delicate for fragile materials. Shirts made of delicate materials could get ruined with the machine on the normal setting. Instead, set it to the delicate cycle. Then place the washer bag into the machine and let the cycle run completely.[12]
- Remember to consult the care tag if you aren't sure what material your shirt is made of. If it's marked "Delicate," then run it on the delicate cycle.
[Edit]Drying the Shirt - Shake the shirt out immediately after you remove it. As soon as the cycle is finished, take the dress shirt out. Hold it firmly by the collar and gently shake it a few times. This gets out all the crumples and avoids wrinkling when the shirt dries.[13]
- Don't leave your clothes in the washing machine after the cycle is done. They'll get wrinkled and musty. Take them out right away.
- Turn the shirt right-side out. Since you washed the shirt inside-out, reverse it again so the right side is facing out. Letting the shirt dry inside out might cause more wrinkling.[14]
- Press the shirt while it's still wet. Lay the shirt down flat on an ironing board. For the crispest results, use a hot iron on a low steam setting. Move the iron quickly to avoid damaging the shirt.[15]
- If you're not experienced with ironing, set the iron to a high steam setting. This won't give you the crispest result, but it avoids damaging the shirt.
- If you don't have time to iron the shirt right away while it's still wet, use a spray bottle and lightly wet the shirt before you iron it for better results.[16]
- Ironing is optional. If you prefer, you can skip it and just let the shirt airdry.
- Hang the shirt on a plastic hanger to dry. Take a wide plastic hanger and put the shirt onto it. Button the shift so it stays in place. Then, hang the shirt and let it airdry.[17]
- Don't use wire or thin plastic hangers. These could distort the fabric.
- Avoid putting dress shirts in the dryer. Not only do dress shirts look crisper if they're air dried, but you'll also avoid wear and tear by keeping them out of the dryer.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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