| How to Crimp Your Hair Overnight Posted: 25 May 2022 09:00 AM PDT Whether you want tight curls or soft, beachy waves, adding a crimp to your hair is a great way to give it a new style and texture. However, heating elements such curling, crimping, and waving irons can cause long-term damage to your follicles that strip shine and turn crimps into frizz. To get great crimps and avoid damaging your follicles with heat, try an overnight style that crimps your hair by the time you wake. Style your hair using braids, curling rods, or a headband at night to have well-styled curls by morning. [Edit]Braiding Your Hair - Shower before bed. Before you go to sleep, take a shower. Shampoo and condition your hair according to your typical routine.
- Shower at least half an hour before you intend to go to sleep in order to give your hair time to air dry.
- Dry your hair. Towel dry your hair immediately after you shower. Then wait for your hair to air dry partially. Keep in mind that thicker or longer hair will need more time to dry than shorter, finer hair.[1]
- Your hair should be damp to the touch, but not dripping wet. See how it feels after a half an hour or so.
- Divide your hair. Start by following your normal part and parting your hair in two from your forehead back to your neck. Then, divide both sides horizontally into sections.
- For thicker hair, divide each side up into three sections. For thinner hair, divide each side into two sections. Short hair may need to be in multiple sections in order to form a braid.
- The smaller your braids and tighter your crimp will be. If your braids are larger, your crimp will be less kinky and more waved. A setting lotion or curling cream can help define your look.
- Braid your hair. Braid each section and tie off each braid with a small hair tie or elastic. Textured hair may not need an elastic to hold its braid in place. Start each braid as close to the scalp as possible, and continue down as close to the tips as possible.[2]
- To get loose waves, keep your braid loose. Don't pull hard as you braid and allow your braid some slack as you go.
- For a tighter crimp, pull your braid sections tight toward your scalp as you go.
- Sleep on the braids. This style only works when your hair dries completely while in the braids. Sleep on your braids and allow them to dry completely before you take them out.
- If your hair is not dry by the time you wake up, consider using a blow dryer on a cool setting to finish the job.
- Remove the braids. Once the braids are dry, remove the elastic and unbraid your hair. Shake the braids out and comb through with your fingers.[3]
- Avoid using a brush or comb if possible, as it may cause your hair to frizz. Especially if you don't want a voluminous look, comb your hair with just your fingers.
- If you need to use a hair tool to work out knots, try a wide-toothed comb.
- Style your hair. If you like the way your crimps look, you are all done. Otherwise, consider adding texturing paste or a curl enhancing spray to your look to get more definition. You may want to apply an anti-frizz serum to tame any flyaway hairs that got loose from the braids overnight.
- Use a small amount of hairspray to help hold your style and make it last all day, and try a dry shampoo to keep your scalp looking fresh and stop oil from weighing down your crimp.
[Edit]Using Curling Rods - Wet your hair. Wash your hair before you go to bed, shampooing and conditioning as normal. If you do not want to completely wash your hair, spritz it until it is damp with a spray bottle full of water.
- Towel dry your hair once you come out of the shower so that it is not dripping wet.
- Divide and twist your hair. Divide your hair into several sections, starting at your natural part and working out. Loosely twist each section from the root down to the tips.
- Divide your hair into more sections depending upon its thickness. Thinner hair will likely two or three pairs of curling rods. Thicker hair may use four or five.
- Twist onto the rods.Curling rods are long, thins, bendable rubber rods akin to curlers but meant to get a tighter crimp. Wrap your hair around the length of the rods the same way you would wrap it around a curling iron. The tighter your wrap them, the tighter your crimp will be.
- Start with at least four pairs of rods for medium-textured, shoulder-length hair. Longer or thicker hair may need six or more. Typically longer hair may need a larger rod to hold its weight. Choose the rod size that seems right for your length.
- Secure the rod pairs by bending inward to hold them in place against your head. Try to secure them as high on your head as possible.
- Curling rods are available affordably at most drug stores and beauty supply stores.
- Sleep on your style. Go to bed with the curling rods in. Allow your hair to dry around the rods while you sleep.[4]
- If the curlers make you uncomfortable while you sleep, adjust them toward the top of your head and away from your pillow.
- Sleeping in a silk cap or scarf on can reduce frizz and keep your hair in place while your sleep.
- Unroll your hair. When you wake up, gently remove the rollers and slip your hair off of the rollers. Shake your curls out with your fingers. Then, style your hair as you would like. [5]
- Keep the crimps tighter by minimizing finger brushing. If you want softer, fuller curls, finger brush your hair more.
- Use a bit of mousse or hairspray to help hold your curls. Finish with a bit of anti-frizz serum or a shine spray.
[Edit]Curling with a Headband - Dampen your hair. This style works best when your hair is damp but not wet. Take a shower and let your hair dry most of the way, or spritz it damp with a spray bottle of water.
- Soak up any excess water from the shower or the spray bottle by using a clean, dry towel.
- Secure your headband. Use a sports headband or any other fabric headband that wraps all the way around your head. Pull the headband up around your hairline.[6]
- If the headband won't stay in place, use a couple of bobby pins on either side of your head to secure it.
- Separate your hair. Divide the hair behind the headband in two sections from your forehead to the back of your head. Try to keep the divide as close to the middle of your head as possible.[7]
- Use a rattail comb to help you split your hair up evenly.
- Wrap your hair around the headband.[8] Working in small sections, wrap your hair around the bottom of the headband. Start the wrap near your ear, and work back toward the middle of the headband.
- Wrap one side completely before moving onto the next.
- Secure any loose parts with bobby pins.
- Sleep on your hair. Allow your hair to dry completely while wrapped around the headband. Use a blow dryer on a cool, low setting to finish drying your hair if it isn't complete by morning.
- Use a heat protective spray if you decide to blow dry your hair.
- Unwrap your hair. Unwind your hair from around the headband. Shake out your curls and style lightly with hairspray to hold the shape.
- Use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to brush out your hair and loosen the curl.
- When you take out the braids flip your hair upside down and shake your hair out; this will leave you with a more natural effect
- If you want a more structured result, use curl enhancing products in your hair before you braid or wrap it.
[Edit]Warnings - Don't brush wet hair because this can cause breakage in the hair follicles.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - A brush
- Hair ties
- Fabric headbands
- Bobby pins
- Curling rods
- Wide tooth comb
- Hair clips
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Choose Microwave Safe Containers Posted: 25 May 2022 01:00 AM PDT In recent years, there has been growing concern about potentially hazardous substances leeching into food from microwave containers.[1] Most of the concern focuses on plastic containers, specifically those containing bisphenol-A (BPA) or phthalates.[2] But you may use the microwave for the convenience of reheating and thawing foods. By informing yourself on different products available to heat food in the microwave, you can choose the best containers for your needs and protect your health. [Edit]Finding Safe Dishes - Be aware of potential health hazards. Some microwavable containers, especially those made of plastic, can be potentially harmful to your health. Others, like glass or plastic dishes, are better for your health. Informing yourself about the potential dangers of certain types of microwave-safe containers may help you make a safer choice.[3] Some of the potential health hazards are:
- "Endocrine disruption," which mimics human hormones.[4] This may have effects such as modifying chemical signals that regulate metabolism and reproduction.
- Miscarriage and birth defects
- Lower sperm counts
- Early puberty
- Cancer
- Obesity and diabetes
- Neurobehavioral abnormalities.
- Learn what substances to avoid. "Plastic" is a generic term for different materials, or plasticizers, that can form microwave containers. In particular, it's plastic containers with BPA, phthalates, polyvinyl chloride, and polycarbonate that may harm your health. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closely regulates plastic containers and materials that come in contact with foods, you may still want to learn and avoid potentially hazardous chemicals. The following containers may be harmful if microwaved with food:[5]
- Plastic dishes
- Some Styrofoam containers
- Plastic storage or shopping bags
- Plastic wrap
- Takeout food containers, water bottles, and plastic tubs or jars that hold foods like margarine, yogurt, mayonnaise, or mustard.[6]
- Soft plastic containers
- Look for safety designations. In many cases, containers are manufactured to be microwave-safe and may have labels on their packing and the products indicating this. In addition, you may want to make sure that the containers also bear other markers that can indicate they're safe for microwave use and your health. Check packaging and the product for the following symbols or statements:[7]
- A label "microwave-safe"
- A symbol of a dish with wave-like lines above it.
- A symbol of lines of waves.
- A symbol of a triangle, or Mobius loop, with a number in it. The number designates the type of plasticizer used in the product, which you may want to avoid.
- Search your pantry. You may already have microwave- safe containers in your kitchen. Before purchasing new containers, look in your pantry to see what you have and can use.
- Read containers for labels including "microwave-safe."[8]
- Be aware that there is no consensus on plastic wrap and microwaves. If you use plastic wrap in the microwave, make sure the packaging says "microwave-safe."[9]
- Check for containers that are old, scratched, cracked, or have been used frequently. These may leech out more harmful materials. Consider throwing these away and investing in new containers.[10]
- Make sure glass or ceramic containers have the "microwave-safe" label and do not contain any materials, such as rims, made of gold or other materials not safe for the microwave.[11]
- Be aware that, contrary to popular belief, you can microwave some Styrofoam or other polystyrene containers. Just make sure to check that they are labeled microwave-safe.[12]
- Purchase new containers. Even if you need microwave-safe containers and want to buy new ones, it's easy to find microwave-safe options at most retailers. Read package labeling and the product itself for descriptions and symbols that designate the product microwave-safe.[13]
- Remember that glass and ceramic containers are the safest options for microwaving. Check to make sure that they also carry the "microwave-safe" designation.[14] Just be aware that these products may be more expensive than plastic, though they may also last longer.
- Buy plastic containers and wrap marked microwave-safe.
- Consider checking the Good Housekeeping Institute's test results for the best and safest containers to use in the microwave.[15]
- Run a safety test. There is a method you can use to check a container's safety that you are unsure of or one that has a microwave-safe label. Running this safety test may help you decide if you want to use the container or opt for another one.[16]
- Empty the container you want to test and place it inside the microwave.
- Put a second container containing one cup of tap water inside the microwave.
- Heat the microwave on high for one minute. If the empty container is cool, it's safe to use in the microwave. If it is warm, use it only to reheat food and if it is hot, don't use it in the microwave at all.
[Edit]Using Safe Microwaving Practices - Read microwave instructions. Microwaves make many things in our lives easier. But they don't come without potential hazards and it's important to read the instruction manual for your microwave to avoid harming yourself or others.[17]
- Contact the microwave's manufacturer if you have any questions.
- Check online for product manuals if you lost your instruction packet.
- See if there are specific suggestions on the type of containers or wrap you can use. For example, some microwaves can use specific types of aluminum foil, while others can't.
- See if there are instructions or suggestions for specific foods. For example, most meats cannot be cooked at full power, but instead at half power for longer.
- Follow prepared food instructions. If you want to cook prepared foods in your microwave, read the packaging instructions. In most cases, these containers can only be microwaved once and may also have specific heating requirements.[18]
- Vent containers if required by puncturing them with a fork or peeling back a corner of the plastic wrap.[19]
- Make sure you closely check the heating requirements. For example, some foods can only be cooked at 50% power and not following this could ruin your meal and your microwave.
- Arrange food for reheating. If you're going to use a covered dish to reheat food, it's arrangement in the container can affect the heating process. Arranging your food evenly within the container can help ensure uniform cooking and may help destroy harmful bacteria.[20]
- Cover food safely. In many cases, you may need to cover food you've prepared yourself to heat it in the microwave. Making sure you use safe types of covers and vent the container can ensure that you don't cause unsafe chemicals to leech into your food.[21]
- Choose plastic wrap that is labeled microwave-safe. However, never let it contact your food.
- Consider using waxed or kitchen parchment paper, white paper towels or plates, or a domed microwave container to cover your food.[22]
- Loosen or vent the lid or any wrap to allow steam to escape.
- Stay away from brown paper bags, newspaper, foam containers, and most aluminum foil as covers.
- Check food during cooking. Midway through the microwaving process, check your food to make sure it is cooking properly. Consider rotating or stirring the food to eliminate cold spots.[23]
- Be aware that cold spots in food can contain harmful bacteria.
- Use a food thermometer to check temperatures, especially of meat.
[Edit]Warnings - Use caution when removing items from the microwave oven. Remove the lid or cover with care to avoid being burned. Check the temperature of the container before lifting it with your hands.
- Never use the microwave to can vegetables or to sterilize the glass jars used for canning.[24]
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Grow Edible Mushrooms Posted: 24 May 2022 05:00 PM PDT Mushrooms are delicious, but the gourmet varieties can be expensive and difficult to find fresh. If you're a big fan of cooking with mushrooms, you can keep your kitchen stocked and your kitchen diverse by growing your own unique varieties, ensuring that you've always got a fresh fungus to cook with. This article will explain how to select varieties, methods of fruiting, and cooking techniques for your mushrooms. [Edit]Selecting Varieties - Buy the mushroom spawn of your desired variety. If you're a seasoned mushroom-grower, you can order spores and inoculate your own fruiting cakes, but to get started and ensure a successful fruiting, it's usually best to buy pre-inoculated "spawn," which is usually available in pre-mixed bags. All you need to do to grow mushrooms is to prepare these spawn in a proper growing medium, keep them in a humid, dark location, and wait.
 - If you're going to commit to growing mushrooms, make sure to select a variety that you'll like to eat a lot of.
- Consider the humble button mushroom. It goes by many names: crimini, button mushroom, white mushroom, table mushroom, but the agaricus bisporus is one of the most popular, versatile, and delicious mushrooms you can grow. Hearty enough to grill but delicate enough for salads and sautées, you can't go wrong with the button.
- Mushrooms sold as cremini and portobellos (both agaricus bisporus) are essentially white button mushrooms that have been discarded because they lacked the salable whiteness. More recently, as tastes have changed, these once-discarded mushrooms have become more popular, even though they are essentially the same variety. The portobello mushroom is simply an agaricus bisporus allowed to mature slightly, until the cap opens up and plumps.
- Grow some wine caps. Not as common as the portobello, but similar in texture, flavor, and heartiness, the wine cap stropharia rugosoannulata is a beautiful brownish-red mushroom with a bright white stalk.[1] Just as versatile as the button varieties, the wine cap could be a change of pace in your kitchen. Impress your friends at a dinner party with this seldom-used mushroom plucked straight from your garden.
- Grow shiitakes. Cultivated for its nutritional properties (shiitake has proven tumor-reducing effects) this Japanese variety is translated "oak mushroom." Grown on logs, the delicious and rich caps of the shiitake mushroom are perfect for soups and stews, as well as a killer mushroom risotto. The stems are somewhat tough to chew when cooked, but are still very useful for flavoring broth.[2]
- Try out some oyster mushrooms. A popular mushroom to pick, the pleurotus ostreatus is commonly known as the oyster mushroom because of its delicate briny taste and oyster-like appearance.[3] Grown on logs like the shiitake, the oyster mushroom is easy to grow and even easier to eat.
[Edit]Growing and Harvesting Mushrooms [Edit]Terrarium Method - Choose a cooler or terrarium with a lid. Styrofoam coolers, plastic terrariums, or even old grow-trays covered with enough wet newspaper can be used to grow mushrooms in the right environment.
- If you've got a dark basement in which to grow your mushrooms, you don't necessarily need a growing chamber with a lid. Use or build some 6-inch deep trays to grow your mushrooms in.
- Use an old fishtank or a plastic storage bin for growing mushrooms in drier climates, or if you don't have a basement in which to grow your mushrooms and need to regulate the temperature more readily.
- Fill your container with medium that is suitable for mushroom growing. You can buy your own pre-mixed beds to grow mushrooms, or make your own. Materials as diverse as manure, rye meal, vermiculite, and sawdust are used successfully for growing different varieties of edible mushrooms, but the basic mix will need to include compost and wood chips.
- The medium is very important, because mushrooms--unlike plants--can't manufacture their own nutrients and need an appropriate mix of sugars, starches, cellulose, and nitrogen. The kind of substrate you'll want to create for growing your mushrooms depends on the variety you want to grow:
- A manure-based compost is most appropriate for button varieties. Straw-rich horse manure, aged to the proper pH is appropriate. Many large-scale growers find it easier to make compost from corn fodder, straw, peat moss, tankage, and greensand instead.[4]
- To prepare a fruiting substrate for morel spawn, mix together 80% small hardwood chips, 10% rice hulls, 5% soybean meal, and 5% sphagnum, then add a little lime to adjust the pH to 7.1 to 7.3. Next, combine 5 parts of this mixture with 2 parts sand and 3 parts potting soil and mix well.[5]
- "Plant" the mushroom spawn. Plant your spawn about two inches deep in your substrate, several inches spaced from your other plantings.
- Alternatively, you can sprinkle your growing chamber with your spawn and cover with compost.
- Keep the chamber at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 21 degrees Celsius. Placing the container in a heated room or in direct sunlight may be used to regulate the heat. It will take about 3 weeks for the roots to spread into the medium.
- You want to check for the thin, white thread-like mycelium, which serve as the root base of the mushrooms. When you see this spiderweb-like formation happening, place the container in a darkened room or basement, so that the temperature is reduce to 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 degrees Celsius, and cover the spawn with a layer of regular potting soil.
- Spray the soil surface with water to keep it slightly damp. Do this regularly. A wet cloth is also useful for keeping the mushroom and soil damp. If you are keeping the container in a heated indoor space, then spraying everyday is necessary.
- Maintain cloth and soil dampness and temperature for 3 to 4 weeks. During this time, keep an eye out for any problems. You may need to start over if you notice pin-prick dots of black fungus, or if your substrates is over-saturated and slimy. Remove the cloth that your mushroom spawn came in once mushrooms begin to poke out of the soil.
- Harvest the mushrooms. The mushrooms are ready to be picked when the "veil" connecting the cap to the step of the mushroom is lifted. As soon as you see this happen, the mushrooms are at their optimum ripeness and deliciousness. Pick them.
- Don't pull them up from the substrate and risk knocking loose other mushrooms. Hold them firmly and twist them out, or use a small knife to cut them off near the base.
- Picking the mushrooms regularly is important--don't wait. Keeping the ripe mushrooms out of the way allows the flush to continue spreading, leading to a fruitful harvest.
[Edit]Log Method - Start with hardwood logs and plug spawn. You can buy pre-inoculated logs directly from spawn suppliers, or start with ordinary fresh-cut logs with the bark intact. Oak is ideal, but you can also use other hardwood such as hard maple, hornbeam, ironwood, or sweet gum.[6] Regardless of your choice, the logs should be about 4 feet (1.2 m) long and 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) in diameter. If you use your own logs, you'll also need "plug spawn," or cylinders of mushroom spawn specifically for growing in logs. Oyster mushrooms and shiitake are two varieties commonly sold as plug spawn.
- For best results, cut the logs in late winter or spring. The wood is richer in sugars at this time, so the mushrooms have more to feed on.[7]
- Inoculate the logs. If you are starting with your own logs, inoculate them within three weeks of cutting to stop the growth of undesirable organisms:
- If the wood is unusually dry due to a drought or a long storage period after felling (more than one or two months), soak the logs in clean water for a day or two, then let dry completely.[8]
- Gently clean off all moss, lichens, and other organisms that could compete with your mushrooms.
- Drill a diamond-shaped pattern of holes in each log. Use a 5/16th inch (7.9 mm) drill bit and make each hole deep enough to insert the plug spawn.
- Insert plug spawn with a wax cover. Tap the plug spawn fully into each hole with a hammer, or use the inoculating tool included in some types of plug spawn kits. Knock off any protruding excess spawn, then cover the holes with a thin layer of beeswax or cheese wax to protect the spawn from pests. The wax should be heated just hot enough to melt, but no hotter, to avoid starting a fire.[9]
- Keep the logs in shade. Avoid wind and sun. You can purchase fruiting blankets to cover the logs with, or find a location with about 60% shade-cover to allow your logs time to fruit. A location near a building or evergreen trees is ideal, since they provide shade year round.
- Keep the logs moist until mushrooms form. It's important to keep the logs about 50% saturated with water so the spawn can establish itself.[10] For best results, set up a misting system or sprinkler for light misting over a long period of time. You can instead spray heavily with a hose (or rain) for two to three hours twice a week instead, but this may be less reliable.
- Stop spraying when the mushrooms fruit. Once you see white mycelium reach the ends of the log, start checking regularly for fruiting (the formation of tiny mushroom "pins" that will grow to full size). Stop watering once this happens unless you experience very hot, dry weather. Fruiting takes anywhere from five to twelve months for shiitake mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms may be ready in much less time, but all mushrooms require at least one warm season before fruiting.[11]
- If you let the fruiting happen naturally, most or all of your mushrooms will be ready in spring and fall. Commercial growers often practice "forced fruiting" in summer and winter, soaking the logs and controlling temperature and humidity for year-round production.[12] Forced fruiting is more difficult and labor-intensive.
- Harvest the mushrooms. When you see the veil of the mushroom lift away from the stem, it's time to harvest your oysters and your shiitakes. Twist them off or cut them with a knife.[13] You can let the mushrooms grow larger before harvesting, but this will reduce the overall number of harvested mushrooms per log.[14]
- Start a new harvest in six to eight weeks. After this rest period, your logs will be ready for new spawn.
[Edit]Cooking Your Mushrooms - Prepare your mushrooms to eat by brushing them of dirt. You don't need to soak the mushrooms or wash them considerably to get them ready to cook. Use a paper towel to brush any dirt or stray particulate from the mushrooms and trim off the stem ends. Discard the stems of shiitakes completely, or save them for making stocks or stews.
- Some people disagree on the proper method of cleaning mushrooms. You can get them wet, and getting them wet won't ruin the mushrooms, especially if you're eating them right away, but you don't need to. Make sure there's no large dirty spots on them, and they're fine to eat.
- Make marinated mushrooms. One of the most simple and delicious ways to prepare and eat your fresh mushrooms is by cooking them quickly in butter and oil and letting them chill overnight to gain flavor. For this recipe, you'll need:
 - A pound of fresh mushrooms, any variety, chopped into quarters or halves
- a tablespoon of butter
- three tablespoons of olive oil
- half an onion, chopped (or shallots, if you prefer)
- two cloves of garlic, chopped
- half cup of dry red wine
- a handful of chopped green herbs, like oregano, thyme, or parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Heat the butter and a tiny amount of olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat until the butter bubbles. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent.
- Add the mushrooms. Do not stir for a minute or two until you hear them start to sizzle. That means the water is being released. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and toss them to coat them with the garlic and onions. Continue browning the mushrooms.
- Add more oil as the liquid cooks off and deglaze the pan with the red wine. Let some of the liquid cook off and add the chopped herbs and seasoning to taste. You can eat it now for a delicious side dish or transfer it to a container to chill overnight.
- Make a mushroom omelette. Mushrooms and eggs go together well, combining a meaty and substantial substitute to pork. It's perfectly simple and complex at the same time.
- Experiment with your mushrooms. Cooking mushrooms are versatile and delicious any way you prepare them. Use your imagination and try different combinations. You can make:
- Consider drying your mushrooms. If you end up with several pounds of fresh mushrooms, it may be difficult to use them all at once. Consider investing in a food dehydrator to keep your kitchen well stocked with your own produce well into the year.
- What you need: mushroom spawn (act as mushroom seeds), container, potting soil, cloth, medium
- If you grow outdoors the mushrooms will need 60% shade.
- Purchase your mushroom spawns from a reputable place.
[Edit]Warnings - Do not use mushrooms that are white underneath! These are poisonous!
- when using wood chips as a medium, check to make sure that the mushroom can tolerate this type of wood.
- It will be more difficult to grow mushrooms outside from the start.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Maracas Posted: 24 May 2022 09:00 AM PDT Multiple ways to make your own instrument Maracas are hollow musical instruments that make a rattling noise when they are shaken. Making your own maracas at home is easy and it is a fun craft project to do with children. You can quickly make maracas out of plastic Easter eggs or you can make paper mache maracas which take a bit more skill. Once you have decorated your maracas, they are ready to shake and make some noise! [Edit]Making Plastic Easter Egg Maracas - Open 2 plastic eggs. Place 1 hand on each half of the plastic egg. Gently twist and pull the halves to separate them. You will be able to make 2 maracas using 2 plastic eggs. If you want to make more maracas, simply use 1 extra egg for each subsequent maraca that you want to make.[1]
- You can purchase plastic eggs from dollar stores or use leftover eggs from Easter.
- Fill 2 plastic egg halves with dry rice and then close each egg. Use a spoon to scoop dry rice into 2 of the plastic egg halves. Gently twist the plastic eggs back together after adding the rice. There needs to be enough rice in each egg to fill it halfway.[2]
- You can use any type of rice, provided that it isn't cooked.
- Alternatively, you can also use small plastic beads or small pieces of dry pasta if you prefer.[3]
- Be careful to hold the half that is full of rice secure while you twist the other half back on.
- Filling each egg halfway with rice is only an approximate measurement. Try adding different amounts of rice to see how the sound changes when you use the maracas.
- Place each plastic egg in between 2 plastic spoons. Sit the plastic egg crosswise between the bowl part of 2 spoons, with 1 spoon on each side of the egg. When 1 spoon is resting on a surface, the egg will be able to easily balance in this position.[4]
- Wrap the plastic egg and spoons in washi tape to hold them together. Attach the plastic spoons to the egg by wrapping washi tape around the outside of the spoons and the egg. Make sure that you wrap the washi tape around the egg and spoons at least twice so that it is held in place securely. Either wrap the washi tape all over the egg and spoons or just wrap it a few times around the middle, depending on what you prefer. [5]
- You may need somebody else to help hold the plastic egg and the spoons in place while you wrap around the washi tape.
- You can stick to just 1 pattern or color of washi tape, or use a variety of different styles to make your maracas bright and colorful.
- If you don't have washi tape, you could use colorful duct tape instead.[6]
- Hold the spoon handles together using washi tape if they are too far apart. Wrap washi tape tightly around the ends of the spoons to secure them. This allows the maracas to comfortably fit in your hand.[7]
- If the spoon handles are close enough together for you to comfortably hold, then you don't need to wrap them in washi tape unless you prefer to add more decorations!
- Decorate the maracas further with paint or stickers if you prefer. Once your maracas are held together securely, decide if you want to add any additional decorations aside from the washi tape. You could place small stickers over the plastic eggs and spoons to make your maracas stand out. Alternatively, you can get creative with paint and make a design or pattern on your maracas to make them bright and colorful.[8]
- You could also wrap washi tape down the handle of the spoons for an easy decoration.[9]
[Edit]Making Paper Mache Maracas - Get 2 plastic bottles that are approximately . Plastic water, milkshake, or soda bottles are great for making maracas. Empty the bottles and clean them out thoroughly with hot, soapy water before you use them. Make sure that they are completely dry before you begin filling them.[10]
- 2 plastic bottles will make 2 maracas. Get more plastic bottles if you want to make extra maracas.
- Check that each bottle has a secure lid.
- Place 1 cup of dry rice, beans, or pasta into each plastic bottle. Put the lids back onto the bottles and give them a shake. Add more fillings or remove some to adjust the sound.[11]
- Sand, salt, lentils, and bird seed also make good filling options.[12]
- Glue the lids onto the plastic bottles. Place a ring of craft glue either around the inside of each lid or the outside of each bottle where the lid goes. Secure each lid on tightly and make sure it is sitting straight.[13]
- Alternatively, you can use hot glue rather than craft glue to secure the lid.[14]
- Attach the neck of each bottle to a toilet roll tube. Place craft glue around the inside of each toilet roll tube. Push a toilet roll tube gently onto the neck of each bottle to create a handle for the maracas.[15]
- You will need 1 toilet paper tube per plastic bottle.
- Don't lift the maracas up by the handle until the glue is dry.
- Alternatively, you can use masking tape to wrap the toilet roll tube to each plastic bottle rather than using craft glue.
- Use masking tape to create a cross over the open end of each tube. Cut 2 pieces of masking tape that are approximately in length for each maraca. Stick these over the end of the toilet paper roll that is exposed and not attached to the plastic bottle. Place these in a letter "X" formation to cover the hole.[16]
- Mix together flour, water, and salt to make paper mache paste. Combine 1 cup (120 g) of flour, 1 cup (237 ml) of water, and 1 tsp (5 g) of salt in a large bowl. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients until they are smooth.[17]
- Paper mache the maracas. Tear a few sheets of newspaper into long strips. Dip each strip into the paper mache paste and then draw the strip through your fingers to remove the excess paste. Paste each strip onto the maraca and make sure that you cover the plastic bottle, toilet roll tube, and masking tape fully. Cover each maraca with 3 layers of paper mache.[18]
- Let the maracas dry overnight. Leave the maracas for at least 12 hours so that the paper mache has enough time to dry. Avoid touching the paper mache while it's drying.[19]
- If it's very humid, the paper mache may take longer to dry.
- Add 3 more paper mache layers and let the maracas dry again. Repeat the process of adding extra paper mache layers over the maracas. Let the maracas dry overnight again and then check that the paper mache feels firm before you begin decorating.[20]
- Decorate the maracas with paint. Once the paper mache has fully dried, pick your favorite colors of paint and decorate them however you see fit. Use multiple bright colors if you want your maracas to stand out, or stick to just 1 color for simple decoration. You can also paint patterns or pictures on the maracas if you prefer.
- Wait until the paint dries before you use the maracas.
- Feel free to decorate your maracas with other craft items too, such as plastic beads, buttons, ribbon, or washi tape.[21]
- Experiment with different dry fillings for the maracas to hear different sounds. Sand and rice tend to make softer sounds, while lentils, beans, and pasta tend to make a louder noise.[22]
- Making maracas is a great craft project for children of all ages to enjoy. If you are making maracas with young children, make sure that they have adult supervision so that they don't swallow anything small.[23]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Making Plastic Easter Egg Maracas - Plastic eggs
- Dry rice, pasta, or small plastic beads
- Plastic spoons
- Washi tape or duct tape
- Paint or stickers
[Edit]Making Paper Mache Maracas - Plastic bottles
- Dry fillings such as rice, beans, or pasta
- Craft glue or hot glue
- Toilet roll tubes
- Masking tape
- Large bowl
- Whisk
- Newspaper
- Paint
- Plastic beads, buttons, ribbon, or washi tape
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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