A Collection of Various Helpful Tips Part II
Homemade Goods And Gift Giving
Simplify your gift giving. Decide on one type of gift to do in multiples and vary each one to personalize it for the recipient.
If you’re planning to ship your food gifts, keep in mind that firm baked goods, such as bar cookies, breads, and unfrosted cakes, hold up best.
Bake cakes ahead. Place cooled, unfrosted cake layers on a baking sheet; freeze until firm. Transfer the frozen cakes to freezer bags and seal. Freeze for up to four months.
For Tabletop Decorating
A good rule of thumb: At a large dinner, place a centerpiece in the middle of every six place settings.
To camouflage floral foam in a glass vase, line the container with moss or broad, flat foliage before inserting the water-soaked foam.
When setting the dining table for a sit-down dinner, allow at least 23 inches of table width per guest for comfortable seating in a side chair. If using armchairs, allow 30 inches.
Leaving the stem intact keeps the pumpkin fresh longer, so carve an access hole for scraping in the back of the pumpkin instead of the top.
For Crafts
To make a snowy scene sparkle, add iridescent glitter. Be sure to cover the craft with glue, shake on glitter, and tap off excess glitter into a tray to reuse.
When cutting felt around curves, use the sharpest scissors you have, turn the felt rather than moving the scissors, and keep the scissors at the same angle for the smoothest edge.
Miscellaneous Tips
When downloading printables, file them on your computer’s hard drive by season, type, and content for easy retrieval when needed.
For easy cleaning blinds, hang blinds in tub, spray foam cleaner like Dow on each blade, wait 5 minutes, rinse off and hang dry or wipe dry.
When cleaning deep large pots, it is easier if scouring in a circular motion in small sections at a time, up and down, and then rotating.
References
Better Homes and Garden – BHG.com
Martha Stewart – MarthaStewart.com
Friends and Family