| How to Make Your House Smell Like Christmas Posted: 25 Dec 2020 04:00 PM PST When it comes to Christmas, one of the best things about it is the wonderful smells it brings. Of course, those smells don't just appear on their own. You need to invite them into your home. You can make a simmering potpourri, for instance. You can also use candles and oils to create your favorite Christmas scents or make items that you can use around your home that also smell good. [Edit]Making a Simmering Potpourri - Pick some of your favorite scents. The key to simmering potpourri on the stove is to pick scents that remind you of Christmas. Some people enjoy something subtle, such as oranges and thyme.[1] However, you can use whatever combination you want, including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cranberries, and clippings of pine.[2]
- Add them all to a pot. Place the items in a pot big enough to hold them. With spices, you can use whole spices, like cinnamon sticks or whole cloves, or just ground spices if that's all you have. Pour in enough water to cover everything.[3]
- Boil and simmer the potpourri. Bring the pot up to a boil on the stove. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat until it just maintains a simmer. You can simmer the potpourri all day, but you'll need to add water throughout the day as it evaporates from the pot.[4]
[Edit]Adding Scent Through Candles and Oils - Make your own peppermint spray. Add 8 ounces of distilled water to a small spray bottle. Squeeze 20 drops of peppermint essential oil into the bottle. Place the lid back on, and shake the bottle well. Once it's mixed, spray it around your home. You can even use it on fabric.[5]
- You can also use cinnamon oil (three drops), pine oil (three drops), and orange oil (four drops) as a spray. Mix it with six tablespoons of water and one of vodka.
- Burn candles. One simple way to add scent to your home is to burn candles that remind you of Christmas, such as cinnamon apple or pine. You can also make your own simple candle by adding any oil that burns (including vegetable oil) to a mason jar. Add a lantern wick, and your favorite scents from your kitchen or essential oil cabinet, such as cinnamon or clove.[6]
- Try a wax warmer. Another option to add scent to your home is to use a wax warming system. These systems often don't require an open flame, so they are safer to have on. You simply plug them in, turn them on, then add scented wax to the warming area. The wax releases happy Christmas smells into your home.
- Create your own diffuser. Start with a small glass bottle. Add water to the bottle, filling it most of the way. Add drops of your favorite essential oils that remind you of Christmas, such as cinnamon, clove, orange, and cedarwood. Also add in two tablespoons of vodka. Finally, drop in a handful of bamboo skewers, which will diffuse the scent into the air.[7]
[Edit]Creating Useful Scents - Make scented fire starters. Fire starters help get your fire going more quickly, plus these add a nice scent to your home. Start by placing scented items in paper cupcake liners, such as cinnamon sticks, pine cones, rosemary, bay leaves, and cloves. Use a piece of cotton lint, and center it in the middle of the liners. You can let it hang over the edge; it doesn't need to be perfectly centered. Finally, pour in melted beeswax or soy wax. Let it cool, and you've got scented fire starters in your fireplace.[8]
- You can also simply add a drop of cinnamon essential oil per log in the fire before you light it up.[9]
- Mull some wine. Mulled wine is a warming winter drink. Add four cups (0.94 liters) of apple juice, a bottle of red wine (750 milliliters), 1/4 cup (59 milliliters) of honey, the zest and juice of an orange, and your choice of spices to a pot. You can use 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 whole cloves, and 3 star anise. Bring to a low simmer, and let it heat for about 10 minutes before serving. This mixture will create an enticing smell, as well as make a great drink for guests.[10]
- You can also do all apple juice if kids are enjoying the drink, too.[11]
- Make your own sachets. Sew up scraps of fabric into small bags, and then stuff them with the scraps leftover from your Christmas tree trimmings. Some tree lots may let you pick up trimmings for free if you don't have a fresh tree. Sew the trimmings into the bags, and place them around your house for a fresh scent.[12]
- Create a scented garland. Garlands are lovely to look at, and if you do them properly, you can add a hint of Christmas to the air. Start by slicing apples and oranges. Then, make a thick dough out of cinnamon, cloves, and applesauce. Roll it out, and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Bake the fruit and "cookies" on a low heat (250 degrees Fahrenheit) in the oven until they dry out (or use a dehydrator). String them up together.[13]
- Alternatively, you can use this same method to make a homemade potpourri. That is, make the dried fruits as you did above. Mix them with whole, dried spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise to make a homemade potpourri.[14]
- Use scented pine cones. You can pick up pine cones that are already scented from your local craft store. Alternatively, you can find your own pine cones and scent them yourself. All you need to do is spritz them with a bit of cinnamon essential oil or spray. Place the pine cones around your home in small groups.[15]
- Make spiced oranges. Also called pomanders, these beauties have been used since the Middle Ages. All you need to do is poke holes in oranges or grapefruit with a toothpick or skewer. Poke a whole clove into each hole, and use the completed fruit to decorate your home.[16]
[Edit]References |
| How to Make a Friend Laugh Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:00 AM PST If your friend is feeling down or you're both a little bored, making them laugh is a great way to get the good vibes going. You can go with something simple, like a joke or a meme, or try something more elaborate, like a harmless prank. Whatever you try, keep your friends sense of humor in mind so you can make them chuckle with your silly antics. [Edit]Tell them a silly pun. - Pick a pun so dumb that your friend will have to laugh. Look through a joke book to find a play on words, or make one up of your own. Try something like:[1]
- "What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!"
- "What does a nosey pepper do? Gets jalapeño business."
- "What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator."
[Edit]Try a knock-knock joke. - You can get your friend involved with a joke that needs an answer. Stick with a classic joke to stay silly, or make one up on your own. You could try:[2]
- "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Tank." "Tank who?" "You're welcome."
- "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Cow says." "Cow says who?" "No, cow says moo!"
- "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Who." "Who who?" "I didn't know you were an owl!"
[Edit]Go for a plain old joke. - Pick something that will really make your friend chuckle. You could joke about going back to school, a new teacher, or your parents. Try:[3]
- "I invented a new word: plagiarism!"
- "What's orange and sounds like a carrot? A parrot."
- "What did the pirate say when he turned 80? Aye matey."
[Edit]Try the rule of 3. - Say a list of 3 things, but make the third one funny and ridiculous. You can do this with almost anything, like:[4]
- "Are you trying too hard to get people to like you? By having a lot of money, an attractive appearance, or wearing deodorant?"
- "If you want to be seen: stand up! If you want to be heard: speak up! If you want to be appreciated: shut up!"
[Edit]Say a simple one-liner. - Short jokes are simple and to the point, but they get the job done. Go for one of these if your friend wasn't super into your long-form jokes earlier. Try:[5]
- "I own the world's worst thesaurus. Not only is it awful, it's awful."
- "What's the difference between a good joke and a bad joke timing."
- "If we shouldn't eat at night, why did they put a light in the fridge?"
[Edit]Make fun of yourself for a laugh. - A little self-deprecating humor can be silly! Try making fun of a silly habit you have, something you're wearing, or something that happened to you recently. You could say:[6]
- "I'm in shape. Round is a shape, right?"
- "This shirt is so colorful, you can probably see it from space."
- "I got so distracted by my phone the other day that I walked right into a pole!"
[Edit]Play a harmless prank. - If your friend has a good sense of humor, they might appreciate this. Make sure the prank is funny for both of you, and don't go out of your way to cause damage.[7]
- Make your friend a silly meal when they say they're hungry, like green eggs and ham or a sandwich cut out in the shape of an animal.
- Place confetti on the blades of a ceiling fan so they fall into the air when the fan is turned on.
- Hide bubble wrap under a rug so your friend is surprised by the popping noises.
[Edit]Tease your friend without being mean. - If you're close with your friend, you can get away with a little teasing. Make sure you aren't making fun of anything they're sensitive about, and don't go overboard with your comments.[8]
- Lightly tease your friend over their habit of talking with their hands or saying a certain word a lot.
- You might also tease your friend about their large stuffed animal collection or a musician or TV show that's their guilty pleasure.
[Edit]Tell a funny story that happened to you. - If it makes you laugh, it will probably make your friend laugh, too. Look for something that happened to you in person, a news story you read about, or something funny from your childhood to relay to your friend.[9]
- Maybe you saw a bird poop on someone's head, or a dog wearing a funny sweater.
- Or, maybe you have a memory of your dad starting the blender without the lid on and making a huge mess.
[Edit]Watch a funny movie or TV show. - Let the characters on the screen do the talking for you. Pick out a movie or TV show that you and your friend both like, then chill out with some snacks and enjoy it.[10]
- You could try "The Office," "Superbad," "Friends," "Dumb and Dumber," or "The Good Place."
- If you're out of ideas, type in "comedies" or "funny" to search for movies and TV shows.
[Edit]Find videos of stand up comedians. - Comedians are made to make people laugh! Look up a comedian on YouTube or Netflix to find a few videos you can binge with your friend.[11]
- You could also head to a comedy club to see comedians in-person.
- Josie Long, Dave Chappelle, Mindy Kaling, Hannibal Buress, and Trevor Noah are all good comedians to choose from.
[Edit]Send your friend a funny meme. - If you're not with your friend, this is a great way to get them to smile. If you see a funny meme as you're scrolling through social media, forward it to your friend to make them laugh.[12]
- You know your friend best, so try to pick something that fits their sense of humor.
- Instagram and Twitter are great places to look for memes.
- If they aren't into memes, a cute kitten video works too!
- Start laughing and see if your friend laughs too—many times, laughter is contagious.
- Be animated when you're telling a story, moving your arms around and speaking in an excited voice to make your story even better.
- Know what your friend likes and dislikes so that you can choose funny things that relate to them.
[Edit]Warnings - Avoid being mean if you choose to tease or prank your friend, because you don't want to hurt their feelings.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Make a Candy Cane Reindeer Posted: 25 Dec 2020 12:00 AM PST Candy canes and reindeer can both get you into the Christmas spirit, but do they go together? They sure do! Making your very own candy cane reindeer is one of the easiest holiday crafts you can find. All you need are some candy canes, glue, pipe cleaners, and pompoms, and you're all set to get into the Christmas spirit. Whether you want to decorate your home for a Christmas party or do an activity with your kids, everyone will love your candy cane reindeer. [Edit]Attaching the Antlers - Wrap a brown pipe cleaner around a pencil. This is a simple trick to get twisty antlers. Take a brown pipe cleaner and twist it all the way around a pencil or pen, like a snake crawling up a pole. Then slide the pipe cleaner off and it will be all twisted, like a spring. This is perfect for a quirky antler design.[1]
- Brown pipe cleaners will look more like a real reindeer's antlers, but you can use any color you want. Green or red can fit the festive holiday mood.
- If you want your reindeer to have straight antlers, you can skip this step. Straighter antlers give your reindeer a more realistic look.
- Line up the pipe cleaner with the top of the candy cane. Hold the candy cane upright so the curve is pointed up. Take your pipe-cleaner antler and center it just under the bend in the candy cane hook.[2] Since you'll be bending the pipe cleaner in half, make sure there's an equal amount of pipe cleaner on each side. Otherwise, your antlers will be uneven.
- Twist the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane. Bend each side of the pipe cleaner up above the candy cane so they're touching. Then twist the 2 ends around each other to keep them in place. Fold each end back down about halfway for 2 perfect antlers.[3]
- You could use other angles for the antlers too. Pointing them up looks more like real antlers, while curving them down looks like your reindeer has big, silly ears.
- If the pipe cleaner won't stay in place, you can put a dab of hot glue on top of the candy cane to hold it down. Press the pipe cleaner onto the glue for a few seconds so it sticks.
- Fold the pipe cleaners in different directions to shape the antlers. You can keep your reindeer's antlers straight or fold them into different shapes. Try bending the pipe cleaners up and down in a few different spots to give the antlers some shape, just like on a real reindeer.[4]
- If you want your reindeer to look more realistic, bend the pipe cleaners up and mold them into a boxy shape.
- This works whether or not you twisted the pipe cleaner at the start.
- If you didn't twist the antlers from the start, you still can! Just wrap them around your finger for crazy, twisted antlers.[5]
[Edit]Decorating the Reindeer's Face - Put a dab of hot glue on the tip of the candy cane's short end. Hold the candy cane so the short end is facing you. Take a hot glue gun and squeeze a little bit of glue right at the tip, on the bottom of the hook. This is the spot where you'll put the reindeer's nose.[6]
- Work quickly after you squeeze out the glue, because hot glue dries fast.
- You could also use a different type of glue like white glue. This doesn't dry as fast, though, so make sure you hold each piece down so it sticks.
- Be careful with the hot glue gun. Don't touch the tip or you could get burned.
- If you're doing this activity with young kids, do this step for them. They could hurt themselves if they're playing with a glue gun.
- Stick a pompom on the tip for the reindeer's nose. You can use any color pompom you want to. Take one and press it gently onto the hot glue. Hold it for a few seconds so its sticks right.[7]
- Small pompoms, just about as thick as the candy cane, will work fine for a nose. For a wackier design, try using a big pompom for a really pronounced nose.
- Don't press down too hard or you might break the candy cane.
- You could also use a rhinestone for the nose, if you want it to be shiny like Rudolph's. Some rhinestones have sticky backs, so you won't need the hot glue. Colored beads also work.[8]
- Squeeze 2 dabs of hot glue halfway up the short end. Find the point about halfway up the short end of the candy cane, which is the perfect spot for the reindeer's eyes. Squeeze 2 small dabs of hot glue at that spot right next to each other.[9]
- You could put the eyes higher or lower if you want, it's up to you.
- Put 2 googly eyes on the hot glue. Googly eyes are perfect to give your reindeer some personality. Press 1 onto each dab of glue and hold them down for a few seconds. Now your reindeer has eyes![10]
- You can easily find googly eyes at any arts and craft store. They come in all different sizes. Try to get eyes slightly thicker than the candy cane for a cute, big-eyed look.
- Some googly eyes have a stick back, so you won't need hot glue for these.[11]
- If you don't have googly eyes, then you could also cut out 2 white paper circles and put dots in the middle with a marker for your reindeer's eyes.
- Add a bowtie for more decoration. This is totally optional, but can be a perfect addition to your reindeer. Take ribbon of any color and wrap it around main part of the candy cane about halfway down. Then make a knot with the ribbon to give your reindeer a classy Christmas bowtie.[12]
- You can also use 2 different ribbons in the knot to give it more of a Christmas feeling.
- If you don't have ribbon, then there are tons of other things you could use. String, shoelaces, or another pipe cleaner will all work.
[Edit]Displaying Your Candy Canes - Hang the reindeer from your Christmas tree if you want an ornament. Who doesn't love a homemade Christmas ornament? You can take your candy cane reindeer and loop them around the branches on your tree for a festive Christmas decoration.[13]
- If you have a Christmas party, you can let your guests go and take candy canes off the tree for a snack.
- Tape the reindeer to the top of a gift for an extra treat. You've heard of putting a bow on a gift, but a candy cane is a nice, unique idea. After you wrap a present, try taping one of your reindeer down for an extra treat.[14]
- Put a bunch of reindeer into a jar for an easy decoration. If you make a group of reindeer, display them together for an easy, decorative candy jar. Take a glass jar and fill it with your candy cane reindeer so they're all peeking over the side.[15]
- You can leave the jar by your door or living area so guests can help themselves to a candy cane around the holidays.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Candy canes
- Pipe cleaners
- Googly eyes
- Hot glue gun
- Pompoms or rhinestones
- You can use pipe cleaners, ribbons, and pompoms of all different colors if you make more than one reindeer so each one has a unique look.
- You can also use candy canes with different colors too.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
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