How to of the Day

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• How to Remove Wrinkles from a Tie
• How to Make a Bat Costume
• How to Avoid Leg Pain when Running

How to Remove Wrinkles from a Tie Posted: 15 Oct 2017 05:00 PM PDT You may only wear ties for special occasions, or they could be a part of your daily uniform for work. Either way, your tie is going to develop wrinkles after wearing it. Tie fabric is usually sensitive and should never be ironed. This doesn't mean that removing wrinkles from ties isn't easy. To remove wrinkles from a tie, you can hang the tie, roll it up, or use steam, depending on the severity of the wrinkles. EditSteps EditHanging the Tie Undo the knot. It is important to untie the knot after you are finished wearing it. Undoing the knot prevents permanent creases, and it is the first step in removing existing wrinkles. First, loosen the knot by gently pulling it from side to side. Then, pull out the short and long end of the tie with your thumb. Next, use your fingers to loosen the entire knot and then gently pull it out.[1] Removing the knot by pulling on the back end of your tie will eventually rip it. Drape it over a tie rack. Hanging up the tie is the best way to remove slight wrinkles. It's usually not ideal to hang the tie on a regular hanger because it may slip off or have to be tied to stay on the hanger. If possible, drape the undone tie over a tie rack, or buy hangers especially made for ties. Make sure the tie is flat whether it has been draped or hung up.[2] Investing in a tie rack will keep your ties in good shape for longer. You can even make your own if you are good at building things. Leave the tie overnight. The wrinkles may come out within several hours, but it is ideal to leave it hanging overnight. If you won't be wearing it that day, leave the tie hanging. Make sure to hang up the tie after every wear to keep it in good shape.[3] EditRolling the Tie Wrap the tie around your hand. This is a method that is ideal for slightly stubborn wrinkles. Once the tie is undone, hold the narrow end of the tie against your palm. Use your thumb to hold the tie down. Then, wrap the wide end of the tie around your hand. The tie shouldn't feel very tight around your hand, but there should be subtle tension. Keeping the tie rolled up, slide it off of your hand.[4] Place the tie on a flat surface. Make sure the tie hasn't come undone before placing it on a flat surface. The flat surface could be a table or countertop. Just be sure that the surface is clean and won't be bothered by anyone.[5] Wait for at least several hours. The wrinkles should begin to loosen after several hours. Ideally, wait overnight for the wrinkles to come out completely. Then, put on the tie or store it properly in a safe place.[6] EditUsing Steam Hang the tie up in your bathroom. You should only use steam on your tie if the wrinkles are pretty stubborn. The gentlest method for steaming your tie is to hang it up while you're taking a shower. Preferably, you should use a hanger made especially for ties.[7] Turn the shower on to a high setting. The shower will have to be fairly warm for the bathroom to steam up. If this is too much for you to handle, you can turn on the shower and leave the room. The steam should work on the tie within 5 to 10 minutes.[8] Use a handheld steamer. If the wrinkles still haven't come out, you can resort to using a handheld steamer. To use the steamer, connect the nozzle to the cleaning unit. Then, put it on a flat surface and fill the unit with water until it reaches the top line. Next, press the steam button and gently go over the tie. Disconnect the nozzle and remove the water when you are finished using the steamer.[9] It is better to use a steamer, but you can also use an iron that has a steam setting. The exact instructions for the use of a handheld steamer vary from brand to brand. Consult the instructions before use. You can find fairly inexpensive handheld steamers online or at many supermarkets. Store the tie properly. Once you've steamed the tie, put it on or store it away. Make sure to store it properly or the tie will get wrinkled again. Ideally, you should hang the tie up, but you can also roll it loosely and put it in a box or drawer.[10] EditTips If possible, do not wear the tie two days in a row. Ties need time to regain their shape.[11] If you aren't sure where to store your ties, there are some racks especially made to hang ties. These racks are often sold at furniture and container stores.[12] EditWarnings Avoid ironing your tie. The iron could cause damage.[13] Do not leave the tie knotted after you are finished wearing it. This will permanently crease the fabric.[14] EditThings You'll Need Tie rack or hanger Steamer EditSources and Citations Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

How to Make a Bat Costume Posted: 15 Oct 2017 09:00 AM PDT If you need a fast, easy costume for the night, look no further! Bat costumes are easily customizable and appropriate for all ages. All you need is a quick trip to your local craft store and some elbow grease. EditSteps EditMaking the Outfit Gather your supplies. You will need a long sleeved black shirt, black pants, a long piece of black felt for the wings, and hot glue or sewing supplies. To find out how much felt you need, measure yourself from wrist to wrist with your arms stretched out. Next, measure the distance from the top of your back to your waist. Use these measurements to choose a rectangular piece of felt. If you want to make a more feminine bat costume, use a long-sleeve dress instead of a shirt and pants.[1] Felt can be found at most craft supply stores. If you use another kind of fabric you will have to use a sewing kit to attach the wings. Cut jagged edges in the felt. First, fold the felt in half lengthwise. Next, cut the bottom edge of the mask into a jagged bat wing. The jagged edge should be longer near the center fold and shorter near the edges. When unfolded, the fabric will resemble a long triangle. If you want to go for a cute look cut the edges into a scalloped pattern instead of a jagged lightning pattern.[2] Center the wing fabric on the shirt or dress. Lay the shirt or dress out flat on your work surface. Stretch the sleeves out, making a straight line from wrist to wrist. Lay the wing fabric on the shirt with the long side of the triangle resting on the shoulders and arms. Center the fabric so that the tips of the wings reach each wrist. Use straight pins to secure the fabric if you're worried about the wings shifting. Straight pins can be found in most sewing supply kits. Glue or sew the fabric. Apply a small circle of glue between the shoulder blades of the shirt or dress. Press the wing fabric onto the glue. Next, apply a circle of glue to each wrist and press the wingtips into them. Once the glue cools the costume is ready to wear.[3] If you aren't using felt for your wing fabric you must sew on the wings. Add a few stitches where you would normally use glue.[4] Assemble the outfit. Carefully put on the winged shirt, pants, and black shoes. If you used a dress, put on the dress and pair it with cute black shoes. If you made a paper mache mask, tie the mask tightly around your head. You don't have to wear a mask if you don't want to. Instead, purchase black cat ears that resemble bat ears or wear face paint. EditMaking a Paper Mache Mask Gather your supplies. You will need five or six foot-long sheets of aluminum foil, a few sheets of newspaper torn into one inch by six inch strips, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, scissors, a ribbon or large rubber band, a cup of flour, a cup of water, a mixing bowl, and a spoon. Most bat masks use black paint for the "fur," white paint for the eyes, and red paint for the mouth. However, feel free to get creative! You can measure out foil from a roll or purchase individual sheets of foil from a baking supply store. Make some paper mache paste. Add a cup of flower and a cup of water to a mixing bowl. Mix it well to remove any lumps. The mixture should be the consistency of glue. If it's too thin, add some more flour. If it's too thick, add some water.[5] If you don't feel like mixing up your own glue, you can buy non-toxic clear paper mache paste at a craft supply store.[6] Make the foil mold. Crinkle each sheet of foil slightly. Next, lay the sheets of foil on top of one another. Press the layers of foil onto your face, using your fingers to outline each major facial feature.[7] Pay special attention to the areas around your nose, brow bones, eyes, and chin. The more detail you press into the mold, the better the mask will fit your face. If your mold seems flimsy, gently stuff the inside with newspaper to help it keep its shape. Cover the mold with paper mache. First, dip a strip of newspaper into your glue until it's completely saturated. Gently squeeze any excess glue off the tip. Next, lay the strip of newspaper down on your mask. Repeat this step, completely covering the mask with strips of newspaper. If you'd like to add ears to your mask, fold pieces of wet newspapers into triangles and attach them to the top of the mask. These triangles will take extra time to dry. Add five layers of paper mache. Allow each layer to dry before adding another layer.[8] Once the fifth layer has dried completely press gently on the mask to test the strength. If you think the mask is too flimsy, add another layer of paper mache and test it again. If you add a layer of paper mache before the previous layer has dried, your mask will take twice as long to dry. Paint your mask. Paint from light to dark, allowing the paint to dry between each layer. For example, if your mask will have large eyes and pointy teeth, paint the eyes and teeth first, the red mouth next, and the black fur last. Otherwise, the lighter paint will mix with the darker paint and create a mess of grays and pinks. Acrylic paint is water-soluble. Therefore, if you only have one paintbrush, you can dip it in water in between colors to clean off the paint.[9] Avoid using oil paints and other paint types that take a long time to dry. Otherwise you'll be waiting a few days for your mask instead of a few hours. Cut and trim the mask. Use a sharpie or pencil to mark out the mouth and eye holes before cutting them out with scissors. If you're not sure where to put the holes, wear the mask while you carefully mark the areas to cut. If your mask is uneven, neatly trim the edges of your mask. Most people cut small circles on the eye area to see through and a thin slit on the mouth area to talk through. If you have trouble cutting small areas with scissors use a hobby knife instead. These knives can be found at most craft supply stores. Attach the mask to your head. Cut two holes on the sides of the mask. Next, thread a ribbon or large rubber band through this area. Place the mask on your face and tie the ribbon or rubber band tightly. The mask should rest tightly but comfortably. If you have long hair, use a ribbon instead of a rubber band. Rubber bands can cause damage to your hair.[10] EditCustomizing Your Costume Wear ghoulish face paint. If you don't want to wear a mask, consider wearing face paint instead. First, cover your skin in a thin layer of white paint to make you look ghoulish. Next, paint grey circles around your eyes. Use some black paint to outline "fangs" on your lips.[11] Finish the look by painting your lips black. Wear plastic fangs instead of painting them on for an extra creepy effect. Add mascara and red lipstick to become a cute or sexy bat. Use props with your bat outfit. Visit your local Halloween supply store or costume shop and buy some interesting bat props. For example, if you're planning on wearing a dress with your costume, buy some spider webbed black tights. If you don't want to make a mask but you still want to wear one, buy a scary bat mask. Many Halloween supply stores are seasonal, opening in August and closing after Halloween.[12] Add decorations to the bat wings. If you're making the costume for a child, add sparkles to the edge of the bat wings with craft glue. If you want to add bold colorful designs to the bat wings, paint the fabric with colorful fabric paint.[13] If you like to sew, consider sewing black fur to the top of the bat wings for a realistic touch. EditThings You'll Need a long sleeved black shirt and black pants OR a long sleeve black dress black felt for the wings hot glue and hot glue gun sewing supplies (optional) aluminum foil strips of newspaper a cup of flour a cup of water a mixing bowl a spoon black, red, and white acrylic paint paintbrushes scissors a ribbon or large rubber band EditWarnings Never leave children unattended around hot glue guns. EditRelated wikiHows Attract Bats to Your Yard Act Like an Animal Make a Child's Bat Costume Build Your Own Batman Costume Create a Jack Skellington Costume EditSources and Citations Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

How to Avoid Leg Pain when Running Posted: 15 Oct 2017 01:00 AM PDT While running is fantastic exercise, it's also a relatively high-impact activity. Pounding on the pavement can cause leg pain. Most often, leg pain or cramping is a result of muscle fatigue. Avoid the pain of muscle fatigue by strengthening your muscles so you can run further without strain. If you still have leg pain, you might need to adjust your exercise routine.[1] EditSteps EditTweaking Your Running Regimen Spend longer warming up. If you commonly have leg pain when running, your muscles may not be sufficiently warm. Take a few more minutes to walk before breaking into a run, or include dynamic stretching in your warmup routine after a brief walk.[2] Dynamic stretches involve constantly moving your legs through their range of motion. These types of stretching can better loosen your leg muscles and prepare them for a run, which may help you avoid leg pain. For example, you might incorporate lunges into your warmup routine. After walking for a few minutes, Do 10 to 20 lunges, alternating sides. Evaluate your form. If you frequently have leg pain while running, poor running form may be the culprit. Get a coach or experienced runner to observe you running and give you tips on what might be causing your leg pain.[3] For example, if you're leaning too far forward when you run, you can pull too hard on your calves. This can result in calf pain or shin splints. Slow your pace. If you're getting cramps or other leg pain while running, it may be because you need to build up your cardiovascular fitness more gradually. Start by walking or jogging at a slower pace, and slowly work up to faster speeds.[4] Watch your pace particularly if you're running up and down hills, which can place greater strain on your leg muscles. If you regularly have leg pain, you might consider running in intervals. For example, instead of running for 30 minutes with five minutes of walking before and after to warm up and cool down, you might walk for five minutes, run for five minutes, then walk for another five minutes. Keep up that rotation until you've finished your run. Shorten your stride. Particularly when running uphill, a longer stride will force your muscles to stretch further. If this causes strain it can lead to leg pain. A shorter stride allows you to avoid leg pain while you're working to strengthen and lengthen your leg muscles.[5] Decrease the distance or duration you run. Leg pain typically means that your muscles are fatigued or overworked. If you find that leg pain doesn't start until later in your run, it may be a sign that you need to shorten your runs until your legs are stronger.[6] For example, if you normally run for an hour, and find that your legs start hurting after 45 minutes, try decreasing your runs to 45 minutes for a few weeks. Build back up to an hour slowly, adding five minutes each week. Scale back if leg pain starts, and be patient. Use relaxation techniques while running. Deep breathing and other relaxation techniques give you better mental focus. They also decrease the overall tension in your body, which can keep you from developing leg pain.[7] You can find recordings online or on your favorite music app that provide focused music and guided meditations for runners. These recordings can help you focus on your breath and reach a more relaxed state as you run. EditEliminating Outside Causes See your doctor. If you've decreased the duration and intensity of your runs and you're still having leg pain, you may have an injury. Pain that is always the same type of pain in the same location may indicate a torn or strained muscle.[8] Describe the pain to your doctor as precisely as you can. You also want to list the ways you've tried to avoid leg pain and whether those efforts have made any difference. All of these details can help your doctor narrow down the possible causes of your leg pain. Some medications also have side effects that can result in muscle cramps. If you're taking any medications for a chronic condition, especially to lower your cholesterol, mention it to your doctor. There might be other options available.[9] Change your running shoes. Depending on your running style, your shoes may not be giving your feet the support they need. This can result in leg pain. Take out your running shoes and inspect them closely. The pattern of wear can give you some indication of how your foot is striking the ground and where you might need more support.[10] If you have shin splints, you might try putting heel lifts in your shoes. They'll provide extra cushioning for your heels, and also put less strain on your calves. Drink an electrolyte beverage while running. If you suffer from cramps, you may be dehydrated. While this isn't the most common reason for muscle cramps, staying well hydrated can help prevent leg pain as well as lower your risk for injuries.[11] Use electrolyte beverages to supplement, not replace, regular fluid intake. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water both before and after your run. Electrolyte beverages are primarily designed to replace electrolytes lost through sweat. This is particularly important if you regularly run outside in a hot climate, or if you simply sweat a lot. Try a buffered salt tablet before you exercise. Particularly if you're going for a long run outside during hot months, you may be losing a lot of water and electrolytes through sweat. A salt tablet will help you retain water and can reduce leg pain.[12] A salt tablet will only work if you have leg pain from cramps that are brought on by dehydration. This isn't the most common reason for leg cramps, and typically shouldn't be a concern unless you're running long distances in a hot climate. EditStrengthening Your Legs Use wall sits to strengthen your quads. Wall sits are a fairly simple exercise that you can do anywhere – all you need is some open space to lean against a wall. If you have leg pain, particularly around the knee, weak quads may be the problem.[13] Stand a few feet away from the wall with your back against it. Keep your feet about hip-width apart and bend your knees slowly, sliding your back down the wall. Lower until your thighs are perpendicular to the wall and parallel to the floor, making sure your knees are directly over your ankles and don't jut out over your toes. Start by holding the position for 30 seconds, then stand to release. Gradually hold for longer until you can comfortably hold the wall sit for 60 seconds. Work up to ten repetitions of 60 second holds. When that feels too easy, try holding dumbbells for an extra challenge. Strengthen hips and glutes to prevent calf pain. If your leg is straight when it passes underneath your body as you run, this can cause calf pain. Strengthening your hips and glutes gives you a more powerful stride and put less strain on your calves.[14] Glute bridges are one good way to strengthen your hips and calves. Lying on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips until your knees are at right angles directly over your ankles. Keep your shoulders on the ground. Hold the bridge for 5 to 10 seconds, breathing deeply, then lower back down to the ground. Do two to three sets of 10 to 20 repetitions. You can make the exercise more challenging by lifting one leg out straight, or by resting your feet on a stability ball. Do calf raises to help with calf and shin pain. If you have pain in the front and outer parts of your lower legs, calf raises can help by strengthening your calves and shins. Weak shin muscles often are the cause of this kind of leg pain, typically referred to as "shin splints."[15] Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a wall or a chair for balance. Slowly raise onto your toes, flexing your calf muscles. Move your heels as high as you can without pain. Then, slowly lower yourself back to a normal standing position. Do three sets of ten repetitions. When this gets too easy, do one leg at a time. Practice heel raises to build your shin muscles. Use this exercise to avoid getting pain in your shins while you run. You can do it at home with no equipment at all![16] Stand on your heels with your toes pointed upward. Walk with your feet in this position for 30 seconds. You can do this barefoot if you're inside, but you'll need shoes if you want to do this exercise outdoors. Do three sets of 30 seconds. Stretch your hamstrings to help with hamstring pain. Tight hamstrings can result in leg pain when running. Over time, tight or shortened hamstrings can lead to Achilles tendinitis. If you run often, make sure you're stretching and strengthening your hamstrings regularly.[17] For a simple hamstring stretch, try a standing toe touch. Stand with your legs hip-width apart, and bend at the waist, keeping your legs straight and letting your arms hang down.[18] Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, then repeat three to four times. Try the foot press to ease shin pain. The foot press is a good exercise to use to strengthen a muscle in the front of your shin called the tibialis anterior. If you have shin splints or pain in your shins when running, this exercise will help. You do foot presses either laying down or in a seated position.[19] Simply put one foot on top of the other and lift the lower foot while you simultaneously press down with the top foot until you feel a stretch. Hold the stretch for about 10 seconds, then switch and do the other foot. Repeat five times with each foot. Do lunges to strengthen your hamstrings and quads. Put your hands on your hips, and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a slow step forward with your right leg, and lower until both your legs form 90 degree angles, keeping your weight on your front heel.[20] Make sure your knees are positioned over your ankles. Pause, and then slowly return to your starting position, doing your best to stay steady. Repeat with your left leg. Do three sets of ten repetitions on each side. When you're ready for more of a challenge, do this exercise holding dumbbells. EditSources and Citations Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

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