| How to Make a Snow Globe Posted: 22 Dec 2021 08:00 AM PST Are you looking for a fun, holiday-themed project to make with your kids (or parents)? One solution is to create a snow globe! A snow globe is a cute, traditional decoration which is easy to make using everyday items from around your home. Alternatively, you can buy a ready-made kit online or in craft stores to create a more professional-looking snow globe you can enjoy year after year. Whichever option you choose, see Step 1 below to get started. [Edit]Making a Snow Globe From Household Items - Find a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Any size will do, as long as you have figurines that will fit inside them.
- Pimiento jars, olive jars, artichoke heart jars, and baby food jars are all good choices, but anything with a tight-fitting lid will do the trick - just take a look in your fridge.
- Wash the jars inside and out. If you're having trouble removing the label, try rubbing it with hot soapy water and using a plastic card or knife to scrape it off. Dry thoroughly.
- Decide what you want to put inside. You can put anything you like inside your snow globe. Small children's toys are a good option, as are winter-themed figurines or cake-toppers (think snowmen, Santa Clauses and Christmas trees) from thrift and craft stores.
- Just make sure the figurines are plastic or ceramic, as other materials (like metal) may start to rust or turn funny after being submerged in water.
- If you want to get a little more creative, try making your own figurines from clay. You can buy clay from a craft store, shape it into any form you want (snowmen are really easy) and bake them in the oven. Paint them with water-proof paint and they're ready to use.
- Another idea is to take pictures of yourself, your family or your pets and laminate them. You can then cut around the outline of each person and place their photo in the snow globe, for a really personalized touch!
- Even though it's called a snow globe you don't need to limit yourself to creating a winter scene. You could create a beach scene using seashells and sand, or something playful and fun like a dinosaur or a ballerina.
- Create the scene on the underside of the jar lid. Take the lid of your jar and cover the underside with a layer of hot glue, super glue or epoxy. If you like, you can sand the lid with some sandpaper first - this will create a rougher surface which helps the glue to stick better.
- While the glue is still wet, build your scene on the underside of the jar. Stick in your figurines, your laminated photos, your clay sculptures, or anything else you want to put in there.
- If the item you're sticking has a narrow base (such as the laminated photos, or a snipping from a garland or plastic Christmas tree) it might be helpful to stick a few colored pebbles to the underside of the lid. Then you can just wedge the item between the pebbles.
- Keep in mind that the scene you create will need to fit inside the jar opening, so don't make it too wide. Keep your figurines in the center of the lid.
- Once you have created your scene, set the jar lid aside for a while to dry. The glue needs to be completely set before you can submerge it in water.
- Fill the jar with water, glycerin, and glitter. Fill your jar almost to the brim with water and add 2 to 3 teaspoons of glycerin (which can be found in the baking section at the supermarket). The glycerin "thickens" the water, allowing the glitter to fall more slowly. You can achieve a similar effect with baby oil.
- Next, add the glitter. How much will depend on the size of the jar and personal preference. You want to add enough to make up for the fact that some will get stuck to the bottom of the jar, but not so much that it obscures the scene you've created.
- Silver and gold glitter are good options for winter or Christmas scenes, but really you can choose any color you like. You can also buy special snow globe "snow" online and in craft stores.
- If you have no glitter on hand, you can make pretty convincing snow from crushed up eggshell. Just use a rolling pin to crush up the shell nice and fine.
- Carefully put the lid on. Take the lid and carefully screw it onto the jar. Close it as tightly as you can, and wipe up any displaced water with some paper towel.
- If you're worried about the lid coming loose, you can place a ring of glue around the rim of the jar before you close it. Alternatively, you can wrap some colored tape around the lid.
- However, sometimes you will need to reopen the jar to fix something that's come loose or to add fresh water or more glitter, so think about that before you seal it up.
- Decorate the lid (optional). If you want, you can finish off your snow globe by decorating the lid.
- You can paint it a bright color, wrap a decorative ribbon around it, cover it in felt, or stick festive berries, holly or jingle bells to it.
- Once that's done, all that's left is to give your snow globe a good shake and watch the glitter fall gently around the beautiful scene you've created!
[Edit]Making a Snow Globe From a Store-Bought Kit - Purchase a snow globe kit online or from a craft store. There are many different kits available, some which allow you to simply slot in a photograph, some which require you to sculpt your own clay figurines, and others which provide you with a water globe, base and other materials for making a professional-looking snow globe.
- Construct the snow globe. Once you have your kit, follow the instructions on the packaging to put it together. Some will require you to paint the parts and glue the figurines to the base. Once the scene is set, you will usually need to glue the glass (or plastic) dome to the base and then fill the dome with water (and snow or glitter) from a hole in the base. You will then use the stopper provided to seal the snow globe.
- Add glitter, beads, or other small items to the water. Anything will work so long as the objects don't interfere with your main object!
- Some fun things to have as your main object are small plastic dolls, plastic animals, and/or pieces from board games such as Monopoly or from model train sets.
- For a fun twist to the snow globe, try adding a few drops of food coloring to the water before adding glitter, beads, etc.
- Instead of using a jar, you can also use a small glass or plastic vial/container to make a snow globe necklace!
- One way to make the object inside of the snow globe more fun is to add glitter or fake snow to the object. This can be done by first painting the object with clear varnish or glue and then sprinkling the glitter/fake snow on top of the wet glue. Note: This must be done before the object is placed inside of the water and the glue must be dry before the object is placed in the water. Otherwise, this effect won't work!
[Edit]Warnings - It's possible that your homemade snow globe may start to leak, so make sure to place it on a surface you don't mind getting wet!
- If you choose to dye the water with food coloring, make sure you use light colors, not blue, green or black/navy blue or you won't be able to see into your snow globe. Also, make sure that the object will not be stained by the food coloring!
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Clear jar with cap (mason jars work well!)
- Water
- Glue or epoxy
- Glycerin
- Glitter/small beads
- Small plastic object(s)
- Food coloring (optional)
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Cinnamon Spice Cupcakes Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:00 AM PST If you love the taste of cinnamons and the taste and sweetness of spices, you will crave these cinnamon spice cupcakes. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Cupcakes - 5 egg whites (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (divided)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1+3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2+1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1+1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Yield: 24-30 cupcakes
Preparation time: 30 minutes [Edit]Frosting - 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cinnamon chips (optional, for garnishing)
[Edit]Making the Cupcakes - Prepare your preparation space.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a cupcake tin with paper cupcake foils.
- Mix together the butter and sugar until it's creamy.
- Add in the granulated sugar, cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger to the bowl with the butter and sugar.
- Mix in the egg whites and buttermilk(1/4 cup).
- Beat this mixture somewhat and continue adding the remainder (1/2 cup) of buttermilk. Mix the entire time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all unbeaten cupcake pieces don't stick to the bowl.
- Spoon out enough batter to fill each cupcake foil about 2/3 full.
- Spoon out the remainder of each cupcake into their apportioned foils.
- Place these cupcakes in the oven for 16-18 minutes.
- Take the cupcakes out once they are ready. Make sure that you test them to check for doneness by taking a toothpick and sticking it in, and when this toothpick comes out clean, it is ready!
- Place all cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.
[Edit]Making the Frosting - Prepare the butter. Mix the butter until it turns to a pale yellow color.
- Mix together all dry ingredients including the cinnamon and sugar.
- Add in the butter and milk.
- Blend in the mixture until it's light and fluffy.
- Use a decorative tip on a decorating piping bag and pipe onto each cupcake.
- Add other garnishes if you'd like. Chocolate chips are recommended, but you can add any toppings you like.
[Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Coffee on a Stove Posted: 21 Dec 2021 04:00 PM PST Whether you are dealing with a power outage, your coffeemaker is on the fritz, or you just want to experiment with new brewing methods, knowing how to make coffee on a stove can come in handy. From using a humble saucepan to a traditional little pot to an Italian-designed, multi-part metal contraption, there are many different ways to make delicious stovetop coffee, three of which are described in this article. So give that drip coffee maker, single serve machine, or your local barista a rest and give one (or more) a try. [Edit]Making "Cowboy Coffee" on Your Home Range - Heat water on your stovetop. A small pot or tea kettle will work fine. Add 8-10 ounces (one cup or a little more) of water per mug of coffee you desire.
- Bring the water just to boiling -- bubbling regularly but not vigorously.
- Add 1-2 heaping tablespoons (depending on taste) of ground coffee per 8 oz. of water. Stir just enough to help the coffee grounds circulate.
- Use a standard drip coffee grind.
- Try 2 tablespoons per mug at first. It is easier to weaken coffee that is too strong by diluting it than it is to strengthen coffee that is too weak.
- You can use instant coffee if desired. You will add 1-2 teaspoons per mug instead (refer to package directions).
- Remove the mixture from the heat and cover. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Some people prefer to bring the mixture back up to a boil briefly,[1] or even for up to 2 minutes.[2] This will increase the bitterness of your brew, so know your taste in coffee before deciding.
- Stir the coffee and let it sit, covered, for 2-3 more minutes. This wait not only steeps the coffee in the water (longer wait = stronger coffee), it also allows the coffee grounds to settle on the bottom of the pot.
- Splashing a little cold water into the pot at the end may help the grounds settle at the bottom. Flicking drops off your wet fingertips should suffice for a single mug size brew.
- Pour the coffee into your mug(s) -- carefully. Pour slowly not only because the coffee is still quite hot, but because you want to leave most of the grounds -- now more like a brown sludge -- in the pot. Leave the last bit of the brew in the pot to trap most of the sludge there.
- If you have a tea strainer or similar filter, you can place it over your mug to help keep out even more of the sludge and rogue grounds.[3]
[Edit]Using a Moka Pot for "Stovetop Espresso" - Understand how a moka pot works. It is an Italian-designed metal vessel that disassembles into three parts, and uses steam pressure to brew coffee. Check Step 1 here for a good diagram and the following description of a moka pot:
- They have three chambers, one for water, one for grounds and one for the finished product.
- The bottom chamber is for the water. It usually has a pressure valve as well.
- The middle chamber is for your finely ground coffee. Pack it in lightly.
- The top chamber is the collection point for the brewed espresso / coffee.
- Preheat enough water for the bottom moka pot chamber in a separate kettle or pot. When the water boils, remove it from the heat source. This step is not required but is recommended to prevent the metal moka pot from overheating and imparting a metallic taste.
- Fill the bottom chamber of the moka pot with the water, almost to the valve ring. There may be a guide line inside the chamber. Insert the filter basket.
- Fill the basket with coffee, leveling the coffee off with your fingers. Make sure there are no loose coffee grounds on the top edge of the filter basket that might hinder the seal.
- Use standard drip grind coffee -- roughly table salt consistency.
- Screw the top and bottom of the moka pot together. Make sure they are securely sealed, but do not tighten so much that you won't be able to get them back apart.
- Be careful so as to not spill the ground coffee into the water or either into the top chamber. Keep each in its own place for now.
- Place the moka pot on the stove over moderate heat, leaving the top lid open. When steam begins to form, the coffee will start to percolate up into the top chamber. You will hear a puffing sound as the steam emerges.
- The coffee will emerge as a rich brown stream which will lighten over time. Wait for the stream to reach the color of yellow honey, then remove the pot from the heat.
- Do not leave the pot on too long or you will scorch the coffee -- and that is not a taste most people enjoy.
- Wrap the pot with a cold dish towel or run it under cold tap water. Again, this is not absolutely necessary, but is recommended to prevent the coffee from acquiring a metallic taste.
- Pour your finished brew into cups or a carafe. If this semi-espresso is too strong for your liking, you can dilute it with water.
[Edit]Making Turkish (or Greek) Coffee at Home - Gather your materials. A regular old pot and drip grind coffee will not do for this method.
- You'll need an ibrik (variously known as a cezve, briki, mbiki or toorka, among other names), a small metal pot (traditionally made of brass) which is thinner at the neck than base and usually has a long handle.
- You'll also need water and sugar (or, though less traditional, a sugar substitute), of course.
- This method requires Turkish grind coffee, which is as fine a grind as you are likely to encounter. Specialty shops, coffee roasters, Middle Eastern shops, and some mainstream retailers may have this grind.
- Also look at the grinding machine found in your grocery store's coffee aisle -- many of them actually have a Turkish grind setting.[4] If grinding your own beans, make the grind as fine as you can.
- Add sugar to the ibrik. This is optional but traditional. Add to taste, but 2 teaspoons for an 8 ounce ibrik is probably a good reference point.
- You can substitute an artificial sweetener (such as aspartame) for the sugar as well.
- Fill the ibrik with water until it reaches the neck. Do not overfill -- leave some room in the neck for frothing or you will end up with a giant mess on your stove.
- If you want to make less coffee, you need a smaller ibrik. It needs to be filled to the lower neck to brew properly. A typical small ibrik is about 8 ounces, enough for two 3 oz. demitasse cups.
- Add coffee to the water, but do not stir the coffee at this time. Allow the coffee grounds to float on the top of the water.
- These floating grounds act as a barrier between the water and air, facilitating the frothing process.
- Depending on how strong you like your coffee, use one to two rounded teaspoons of coffee per demitasse serving, or roughly three rounded teaspoons (or one rounded tablespoon) for an 8 oz. ibrik.
- Heat the ibrik on the stove. Some people recommend using a low setting, but medium to high heat will also work. You'll just have to pay even closer attention to prevent a messy boil-over.
- The coffee will foam. Foaming is not the same as boiling.[5] Do not let it boil, and really do not let it boil over unless you love vigorously scrubbing a scorched stovetop.
- Remove it from the heat when the foaming reaches the top of the ibrik. Let it settle back down, then -- finally -- you can stir it.
- Traditionally this process is repeated up to three more times. Put the ibrik back on the heat, wait for it to froth up to the top of the neck, then let it settle down and stir.
- Pour the coffee into demitasse cups. Let it rest for 1-2 minutes before drinking to let the grounds settle.
- When pouring, leave the last bit of coffee in the ibrik to trap some of the "sludge." Likewise, when drinking, leave the last bit in your cup.
- Turkish coffee is traditionally served with a glass of water as a palate cleanser.
[Edit]Warnings - Heating water on the stovetop can be dangerous. Never leave a pot of water unattended on the stove.
- Coffee is hot, and can burn you. Just ask a personal injury lawyer.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Christmas Tree Decorations Posted: 21 Dec 2021 08:00 AM PST Sick of store-bought Christmas ornaments? Want to add a little individual flair to your tree? Or just looking for a fun Christmas project for you and your family? You've come to the right place! This article will provide you with some great homemade ornament ideas, all of which are low-cost and easy to make. Happy crafting! [Edit]Making Easy DIY Decorations - Spray paint pine cones. Collect some pine cones - large or small - and spray paint them gold or silver. Attach a piece a ribbon to the top and hang from your tree. Alternatively, roll the pine cone in some glue and then in some glitter for a sparkly finish!
- Make a popcorn and cranberry garland. Take a needle and some strong thread (nylon or waxed cotton), a bowl of air-popped popcorn and a cup of cranberries. Thread the needle, making a large knot from the end. Begin sewing the popcorn and cranberries onto the thread, alternating between each, or using any pattern you like. Make a large knot at the end of the string. Hang on your indoor Christmas tree or, even better, on an outside tree to provide a tasty treat for the birds! [1]
- Make Lego presents. This is an easy one for kids to make! Assemble some large Lego pieces to form a square or rectangular present shape. Take a length of colored ribbon and tie it around the Lego, making a bow on top. Place your Lego presents under the tree or hang them from the branches!
- Make a gumdrop snowflake. Take one large, ball-shaped gumdrop and stick six toothpicks into it, at regular intervals. Stack a selection of smaller gumdrops onto each toothpick until they are full. Attach a ribbon for hanging on the Christmas tree, or simply balance the gumdrop snowflake on a branch.[2]
- Make a jigsaw Rudolph. Grab five jigsaw pieces (two of which slot into each other) and paint them light brown. Take one piece of jigsaw to form the base, and glue the two attached pieces to the bottom half. This will be Rudolph's face. Take the remaining two jigsaw pieces (unattached) and glue them to the top half of the base piece to form the antlers. Glue a circle of red felt (or a red gumdrop) to the bottom of the jigsaw to form a nose, along with two googly eyes. Attach a ribbon to the back for hanging.
- Make cinnamon bundles. Take five or six cinnamon sticks and form a bundle. Tie with a piece of red or green ribbon and make a bow on top. Hang from the branches of the Christmas tree for a pretty and fragrant ornament!
- Make a photo cube. Buy a wooden/foam/cardboard cube, then print out six christmas photos (you, friends, trees, etc.) Cut the photos to the right size for each side. Using glue (hot glue is best), paste the photos onto each side of cube. Attach a string to hang. If you want, you can write on one side.
[Edit]Making Salt Dough Ornaments - Gather the ingredients and equipment. To make your salt dough ornaments, you will need one cup of plain flour, half a cup of salt and half a cup of water. You will also need Christmas themed cookie cutters (stars, Christmas trees, angels, wreaths, etc.) a cookie sheet, a rolling pin, some toothpicks, ribbon, and acrylic paints and glitter glue for decorating.
- Make the salt dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and water and stir until it forms a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour -- though not too much, as this will cause the dough to crack.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is about in thickness. Use your Christmas themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the dough. Place each shape on a floured surface as you cut out the rest of the dough.
- Make holes in each ornament for hanging. Before you bake your ornaments, you will need to make a little hole at the top of each where you can thread a ribbon to hang the ornament from your tree. Use a toothpick to make punch a hole near the top of each ornament, rotating the toothpick a little to make the hole wide enough for your ribbon to fit through.
- Bake the ornaments. Place your salt dough ornaments on a floured cookie sheet and place on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to . Bake for two hours, then remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Decorate. Once the salt dough ornament have cooled, you can decorate them using the acrylic paints and glitter glue. Depending on personal preference, you can use a small paint brush to paint on intricate details, or you can simply cover the decoration in one block color. You can also glue on sequins, button and crystals for extra decoration.
- Thread the ribbon. Cut a length of ribbon - preferably in red, green or white - and thread it through the hole at the top of the ornament. Secure with a knot and hang from the tree. If you like, you can write the date on the back of the ornament to remember when you made it![3]
[Edit]Making Felt Snowman Ornaments - Gather your materials. To make your felt snowman ornament you will need pieces of felt in white, brown, orange and black. You will also need a piece of white ribbon (approximately 5 inches in length), a sewing needle and thread (in colors matching the felt), a pen, a scissors, some polyester fiberfill and a sheet of paper.
- Cut out the body of the snowman. Draw the outline of a snowman onto the sheet of paper. Make the snowman whatever shape you like -- two snowballs high, three snowballs high, fat, skinny -- it's up to you.
- Cut the paper snowman outline, then place it on a piece of white felt.
- Use your pen to trace the outline of the snowman onto the felt, then cut it out with the scissors.
- Trace another snowman outline onto a second piece of felt and cut that one out too.
- You should now have two identical snowman outlines.
- Cut out the snowman's arms and facial features.
- Cut out five small circles from the piece of black felt. These will form the snowman's eyes, along with his three coal buttons.
- Cut out a small triangle from the orange felt. This will form the carrot for the snowman's nose.
- Cut out two stick shapes from the brown felt. These will be the snowman's arms.
- Sew on the snowman's eyes, nose and buttons. Take one of the white felt snowman outlines and hand-stitch the eyes, carrot nose and coal buttons into place. Use thread of a corresponding color for each piece, i.e. orange thread for the nose, and black thread for the other pieces.
- Assemble the snowman.
- Take the two white felt body pieces and line them up, placing the piece with the sewn-on features on top.
- Take the brown felt arms and place them between the two body pieces, sticking out at an angle.
- Take the length of white ribbon, fold it over, and insert the end between the two body pieces at the top of the snowman's head. This will form the hanging loop for the finished ornament.
- Sew it all together. Take your needle and some white thread and hand-stitch the two body pieces together, leaving a seam allowance of only .
- As you're stitching, make sure to catch both of the snowman's arms and the looped thread in a stitch, in order to secure them in place.
- Don't stitch the entire snowman closed just yet; leave a space of about to an inch open at the bottom.
- Stuff the snowman. Take your polyester fiberfill and stuff it into the snowman, making him nice and plump. Once you've done this, you can finish the snowman by stitching the snowman closed. Hang your jolly felt snowman on the Christmas tree and admire your handiwork!
[Edit]Making Glitter Ball Ornaments - Collect some clear glass ornaments. They can be any size you like, just make sure that they have easily removable tops.
- Remove the tops and pour in a little floor wax. Gently remove the tops from the glass ornaments (you don't want to damage them) and pour a small amount of floor wax or floor finish into the glass ball.
- This may sound strange, but this is what allows the glitter to stick to the inside of the ball. Just make sure the product you use is acrylic based and clear drying.
- Gently swirl the product around the inside of the ornament, making sure the entire inside surface is coated in floor wax.
- Once you're done, you can pour the floor wax back into the bottle. Waste not, want not!
- Grab a selection of different colored glitters. Pour a substantial amount of your chosen glitter into the glass ornament and swirl it around until the glitter completely covers the interior of the ornament. Shake any excess back into the container of glitter.
- You can choose any colors you like --gold, silver, red, blue, green, purple -- whichever ones go with the color scheme for your tree.
- If you want to be really wild, you could even try mixing a few different colors for a real disco ball effect.
- Replace the top. Once the glitter has dried, you can replace the top of the ornament. Use a little to secure it in place if it feels in any way loose.
- Decorate the outside. If you like, you can leave the glitter ball ornaments as they are. Alternatively, you can decorate the outsides using snowflake- or star-shaped scrapbook stickers and some diamante sequins.[4]
[Edit]Making Clothespin Snowflake Ornaments - Take eight wooden clothespins. Eight wooden clothespins will make one snowflake ornament. Carefully separate each clothespin, removing the metal springs.
- Glue the two halves of each clothespin together. Take some hot glue or wood glue and stick the flat sides of each clothespin together. Take a piece of ribbon, fold it in half, and insert both ends between two of the wooden pieces before you glue them. This will allow you to hang the ornament later.
- Make the snowflake. Assemble the snowflake as follows:
- Take two of the glued-together pieces and align the flattened edges at the top to form a right-angle. Attach two more pieces to form an X shape.
- Take the remaining four glued-together pieces and stick one in between each right angle. You should now have a snowflake.
- Paint the snowflake. Paint the snowflake using white or gold spray paint. Paint with a slight, glittery shimmer can look very nice. Stick sequins or jewels onto the ornament as you see fit.[5]
[Edit]Printable Snowman Template - If your tree does not come pre-lit, pick up some lights and string them.
- Another great thing is to pick up some fake snow spray and spray that on the tips of your tree. Also get some candy canes and hang them on the tree.
- Try to make this a family activity and have fun!
- Get all of the supplies you need for making D.I.Y. decorations at a craft store, or check out your local dollar store or Walmart.
[Edit]Warnings - Be careful with the tacks and metal hooks.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Photograph Christmas Lights Posted: 21 Dec 2021 12:00 AM PST Christmas lights are beautiful to behold, and it's not every day of the year that you get to see them. But how do you capture their beauty in photos? If you're trying to photograph the lights outdoors, aim to take the pictures at dusk for the best lighting. Adjust your camera's shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to the recommended settings, and take lots of pictures so you have plenty of options to choose from. [Edit]Setting up the Camera in a Good Location - Aim to begin shooting at dusk. This is the perfect time to photograph the lights, as it's not too light and not too dark yet. Try to get to the location early, roughly 15-20 minutes before dusk, so you're sure not to miss the ideal photographing time. Check to see when the sun is going to set so you can make a plan to arrive before dusk.[1]
- If you take the pictures earlier, the lights won't look lit in the photos, and if you take the pictures after the sun has set, then you won't be able to see the background.
- When the Christmas lights look like they're shining brighter against the darkening sky, it's time to start taking pictures.
- Continue taking pictures of the lights until you're satisfied with your collection or the sun completely sets.
- Bring a tripod to keep your shots stable. Since you're using a slower shutter speed, your photos are going to be more affected by any wobbliness or movement. A tripod is necessary to keep your photographs stable and not blurry.[2]
- Set the tripod up on stable ground before dusk so that you have time to make any adjustments.
- If you don't have a tripod, try balancing your camera on the hood of a car or another stable surface.
- If you're using your phone, consider investing in a portable tripod made for your specific type of cellphone.
- Choose how close or far away you'll be from the lights. Your camera will require different settings depending on how close or far you are from the Christmas tree lights. Decide exactly what you want to capture in your photo, such as the details of the ornaments on the tree, or a decorated house with lots and lots of lights that is best seen from far away.[3]
- For example, a picture of a close-up of a Christmas tree will likely require less lighting than a picture of a house lit up when the sun has set.
- Find the right lighting if you're shooting indoors. If you're taking pictures of your Christmas tree inside during the daylight, make sure you take it from the right angle. Avoid backlighting to ensure your picture doesn't come out super dark and be aware of how the windows will impact the lighting. If you're taking the picture indoors at night, try to dim the lights in your house so that the Christmas tree stands out but can still be seen.[4]
- Take pictures from several different angles with different levels of lighting to see which one looks best.
[Edit]Adjusting the Camera Settings - Use a manual camera so you can adjust your settings. Being able to adjust your camera settings is super important so that you get a great shot. This includes settings like the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. If you already have a manual camera, great! If not, see if you can borrow one from a friend or family member.[5]
- The best cameras for taking pictures of Christmas lights are DSLRs or mirrorless cameras.
- While it's possible to take a good photo of Christmas lights using the camera on your phone, photos taken from a manual camera will turn out much better.
- If you do choose to use your phone, locate your phone's manual camera controls. These are likely only found on newer versions of phones.
- Find a macro or all-purpose wide angle lens. A macro lens is great for capturing a specific ornament or decoration on the Christmas tree, meaning it's perfect for details. A wide angle lens is good for fitting an entire house or grouping of trees into the picture. Choose a lens that's appropriate for what you'll be photographing, whether it's a Christmas tree full of details or a large scene with many trees.[6]
- Purchase a wide angle lens for your cellphone that comes as an attachment, if desired.
- Avoid using your camera's flash. While it may seem like this would light up the background so it's seen against the lights, this actually just dulls the brightness of the Christmas lights. If possible, try not to use the flash on your camera to achieve the best results.[7]
- Even if you're outside and it's getting dark, keep the flash switched off.
- Keep the ISO around 400 to make up for the dark lighting. ISO measures the image sensor's sensitivity to light. Go to your camera's ISO settings and try to keep it between 400 and 800, with the lower the setting, the better. Test out different values until you find the best one for your lighting situation.[8]
- Your pictures will become grainier the higher you set the ISO, which is why it's not recommended to set it above 800.
- Consider downloading an app that extends your ISO range if you're taking the photos on your phone.
- Set the aperture to a low setting according to the light. The aperture is the hole that lets light pass through in the camera. For the best Christmas pictures, you want your aperture set to a low setting, likely between f/2.8 and f/8. Test out different settings within this range to find out which one works with the light around you.[9]
- When you increase the aperture, you're decreasing the amount of light that comes into the photo. This is why it's important to keep it at a low setting—you need as much natural light as possible.
- If you use an F-stop of F2 or below, your Christmas lights will look like floating globes—which can be a really pretty way to capture a holiday family photo. On the other hand, using a higher F-stop will capture the lights in focus.[10]
- Change the shutter speed to a slower setting. A slower shutter speed gives your camera more time to allow light into the photo, which is perfect for low-light settings like Christmas lights. Change your shutter speed to a low number, such as ⅛ of a second. The more time you give for exposure, the less grainy your picture will be.[11]
- Keep your shutter speed between ⅛ of a second and ⅖ of a second.
- Be aware that low shutter speeds means the camera will be more susceptible to movement.
- Use an app like Camera+ 2 to slow down the shutter speed on your phone.
- Switch to the right white balance. The white balance setting on your camera helps fix the coloring in your photos, making sure they capture the true tones and light of the subject. Try setting the white balance to Daylight or Tungsten for the best results.[12]
- These settings will make the lights look their clearest and most accurately colored.
- If you're using your phone, use the manual white balance settings, or download an app like the VSCO Cam.
- Try using a reflective foreground whenever possible, such as snow, ice, or water, to increase the light and improve the look of the Christmas lights in the photo.
- Always take a series of test shots to find out which settings, angles and compositions work best.
- Take advantage of the bokeh affect in your photos, which is the blurred quality that lights sometimes have when you photograph them unfocused.
- Timing your shutter release can also work effectively to prevent blurring.
- Change the color contrast later on when editing the photos, if desired.
- Download photo apps that let you alter the aperture or ISO settings on your phone to enhance your picture quality.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Manual camera
- Tripod
- Macro or all-purpose wide angle lens
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Parboil Chicken Posted: 20 Dec 2021 04:00 PM PST If you're frustrated by chicken that's overdone on the outside but still raw on the inside, try parboiling your chicken. Simmer the chicken in water or a flavorful liquid until it loses its pink color. Then remove the chicken and pat it dry before using it in your recipe. Parboiling ensures the chicken will be thoroughly cooked when you finish it on the grill, stove, or oven. [Edit]Simmering the Chicken - Put the chicken into a stockpot. You can use a whole chicken or as many pieces as you can fit into a stockpot. Decide if you'd like to parboil boneless chicken or if you want to leave the bones in for additional flavor. Then place the chicken into a stockpot on the stove.[1]
- If you want to parboil several whole chickens, you'll need to work in batches or use several pots.
- Pour a flavorful liquid into the stockpot. Although you can simply pour enough water to cover the chicken, use chicken broth, apple cider, or vegetable stock in order to add flavor to the chicken. Ensure that the chicken is covered by at least of liquid.[2] of liquid.}}
- You can also include a chopped onion, 2 to 3 carrots, 2 to 3 stalks of celery, the peel of 1 lemon peel, or 1 head of garlic cloves for each chicken to add extra flavor.
- Bring the liquid to a boil. Turn the burner on to medium and leave the lid off of the stockpot. Heat the chicken in the liquid until the liquid begins to boil vigorously. The amount of time this takes will depend on how much chicken you're parboiling and how much liquid you have in the stockpot but it should take less than 15 minutes.[3]
- Simmer the covered chicken on low. Turn the burner down to low and put the lid on the stockpot. The liquid should bubble gently and the chicken will lose its pink coloring once it's finished parboiling. Follow these guidelines for how long to parboil your chicken:[4]
- 30 to 40 minutes for a whole chicken
- 15 to 20 minutes for chicken wings
- 10 minutes for chicken breasts
- 5 minutes for chicken legs, thighs, or quarters
- Remove the chicken and pat it dry. Turn off the burner and use tongs to take the parboiled chicken out of the liquid. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pat it dry with paper towels before you continue to cook it in your recipe.[5]
- Remember that the chicken isn't completely cooked at this point. Use good hygiene practices, such as washing your hands and preventing cross-contamination, when working with the chicken.
- Finish cooking the chicken according to your recipe. Because you're heating the chicken but not cooking it completely, the chicken may continue to grow harmful bacteria as it's stored. This is why it's important to cook the chicken to a food-safe temperature of immediately after parboiling it.[6]
- To prevent foodborne illnesses, avoid parboiling the chicken and refrigerating it before you cook with it.
[Edit]Cooking with the Parboiled Chicken - Bake the parboiled chicken to create crunchy pieces. If you're making wings but don't want to deep fry them, parboil them and spread them on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven and then roast the chicken at for 20 to 30 minutes or until they're caramelized and crisp.[7]
- If you're baking breasts, thighs, or drumsticks add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
- Spread your favorite sauce over the baked chicken pieces. For example, coat them with buffalo wing sauce or blue cheese dip.
- Toss parboiled drumsticks on the grill for perfectly cooked chicken. Brush the grill grate and heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Place the parboiled chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook the chicken for 20 to 40 minutes. Use tongs to turn the chicken frequently and brush the chicken with barbecue sauce during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Remember to insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. The temperature should reach before you pull the grilled chicken off of the grill.
- While this works well with drumsticks, you can use any cut of chicken. Keep in mind that larger pieces, such as breasts, will take longer to grill while smaller pieces, such as wings will cook faster.
- Bread or batter the parboiled chicken and deep fry it until it's crispy. Dip the parboiled chicken pieces in beaten egg and then coat the pieces with a batter of your choice. For example, use a crunchy breadcrumb coating or a beer batter. Then fry the chicken pieces in of oil until they're crunchy and cooked throughout.[8]
- Use tongs to carefully turn the pieces as they fry. Depending on the size of your chicken pieces, it may take 10 to 20 minutes to fry them in hot oil.
- Add parboiled chicken pieces to your favorite clear soup. To make classic or Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, parboil chicken and set it aside while you heat fresh stock in the pot. Simmer your choice of chopped vegetables, such as carrots or celery, and return the whole chicken pieces to the pot. Cook the soup over medium heat until the chicken is cooked throughout.[9]
- If you prefer, shred the cooked chicken and return it to the soup before serving.
- To give your soup a fresh taste, add chopped basil or parsley just before serving the soup.
- If you'd like to parboil frozen chicken without thawing it first, add 3 to 5 minutes to the simmering time.
- If you plan on marinating the chicken, marinate it before you parboil it since you'll need to cook it immediately after it simmers.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Stockpot
- Tongs
- Plate
- Paper towels
[Edit]References |
| How to Clean an iPhone Charger Tip Posted: 20 Dec 2021 08:00 AM PST If your iPhone charger is acting up, the tip might have gotten dirty or corroded. Luckily, with a few household items, it is possible to clean the connectors on your charger and potentially get it working again. This wikiHow article will teach you how to remove buildup on the tip of your iPhone charger. [Edit]Cleaning Your Charger with Rubbing Alcohol - Gather a q-tip, rubbing alcohol, a toothpick, a towel, and your charger. You might already have these items around the house, but if not, they can likely all be found at your local grocery store.
- Dip the end of the q-tip in rubbing alcohol. Use the rubbing alcohol with the highest alcohol percentage you can find. Ideally, it would be 99%.[1]
- Lower alcohol percentages mean there is more water in the solution, which can corrode your charger.
- Rub the charger tip with the q-tip. When cleaning the tip of the charger, do not be afraid to apply some pressure.
- Often, chargers that fail due to corrosion have a visibly dirty fifth gold pin (when viewed with the metal tip below the white insulation). This is the most powerful circuit, so be sure to clean it as well as you can.
- Scrape the charger tip with the toothpick. After using the q-tip, some spots may remain on the tip of your charger. Use a toothpick to remove any residue or corrosion while being careful of the gold connectors.
- If you damage a gold connector, the charger will stop working permanently, so do not scrape too hard!
- Dry the charger. After drying the charger with your towel, wait two to three minutes to ensure there is no remaining liquid.
- Plug the charger into your phone. If your phone begins charging, you have successfully cleaned your charger! Otherwise, if the charger still is not working, and the tip is still corroded, try cleaning it once more.
[Edit]Cleaning Your Charger with Baking Soda and White Vinegar - Gather three q-tips, water, baking soda, liquid soap, white vinegar or lemon juice, a toothpick, a towel, and your charger. These are relatively common household items, but if you cannot find any of them, they are almost certainly available at your local grocery store.
- De-grease the charger tip with soap and water. Dip your q-tip in some warm water with a little bit of soap, then rub the charger tip gently on each side. This will remove any residual grease from your hands.[2]
- If you are not sure what soap to use, dishwashing detergent or hand soap will work!
- Mix water, baking soda, and white vinegar or lemon juice. You can measure out about half a cup of water, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Warm water is preferable, but if you only have cold water, that is ok.
- Scrub the charger tip with the baking soda solution. Dip your second q-tip in the solution you just made, then clean the lightning connector. Do not be afraid to apply pressure and clean it for several minutes, as this is necessary to remove the tougher build-up.
- Chargers that stop working due to corrosion often have a significant amount of buildup on the fifth gold pin (when viewed with the metal tip below the white insulation). This is the most powerful circuit, so be sure to clean it as well as you can.
- Remove residue and corrosion with the toothpick. For especially resistant spots, lightly clean the charger tip with a toothpick. Be careful not to damage the gold pins, or your charger will stop working permanently!
- Clean the charger tip with water. Dip your last q-tip in warm water and rub both sides of the connector once more to remove the baking soda solution.
- Do not clean your charger tip with running water! If there is a leak in the cable connector housing, it will ruin the charger.
- Dry the charger. Pat the connector dry with a towel, then wait two to three minutes to ensure it is completely dry.
- Plug the charger into your phone. If your phone starts charging, the cleaning worked! Otherwise, if you can still see corrosion on the charger, try cleaning it once more.
- If you have tried other chargers and they do not work or corrode quickly, the problem may be the charging port on your phone. Try cleaning the charging port as shown in the linked article and contacting Apple for repairs.
- When cleaning the charger tip, try to avoid bending the wires in the charger too much. Otherwise, they can eventually break or disconnect from the housing of the connector.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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