How to of the Day

How to Sell Furniture Online
How to Paint a Snow Figure in Watercolor
How to Bake Hot Dogs

Posted: 07 Dec 2017 04:00 PM PST

Selling furniture online is a great way to clear out pieces taking up room in your house. You can make a little cash and create space for new furniture. To sell online, figure out a price for your furniture, then take photos and write an ad. List it on a website that allows local sellers to list furniture to find the perfect new home for your pieces.

EditSteps

EditPricing Your Furniture

Determine its condition. Yes, you love your old couch, but have you really looked at it lately? Before deciding how much to sell your furniture for, you need to determine what condition it's in. It could be like new, or it could just have a few scratches here and there. It may also be a bit more worn, or it could be an old junker.^[1]
- Keep in mind that you'll find a market for furniture in any of these conditions, but you'll have to price it accordingly.
Compare prices on similar furniture. Look up furniture that is similar to yours. By looking at different pieces, you should be able to get an idea of what to price yours at. You don't want to price it higher than similar pieces because it likely won't sell.^[2]
Use a furniture calculator online. With a furniture calculator, you put information about your furniture into a price generator. You'll need information like the age, the brand, and the general condition. It will give you a general idea of what your piece is worth. You can find one at: https://www.aptdeco.com/furniture-calculator
Think about the piece's age. Generally, the older your furniture is, the less it will go for. Of course, you'll find exceptions to that rule, such as antiques. However, condition tends to be slightly more important than age.^[3]
- You can try pricing the piece at 20 to 50 percent of the original price.

EditTaking Photos of Your Furniture

Clean up your furniture first. No one wants to see the stains on your old table or microfiber couch. Scrub it down before you take a picture, so your furniture can look as good as it possibly can. For fabric furniture, you may want to vacuum it and spot-treat it, for instance.^[4]
Include multiple photos in your ad. You'll get a lot more views if you include photos. Buyers are more likely to click on an ad with photos. Plus, no one wants to buy blind when it comes to furniture. Smartphone pics are fine, as long as they are clear and taken in good lighting.^[5]
Line up your shot without clutter. People want to see your furniture, not the mess. Clean up the area around the furniture. In fact, it's a good idea to take any extras off the furniture, such as pillows, decorative fabrics, vases, or throw rugs.^[6]
Take photos from all sides and angles. Give the buyer a full picture of the item by photographing it from all sides. It also helps to be at eye-level with the furniture, as it will put the furniture in proper perspective.^[7]
Use good light. Good lighting will make almost anything look better. The best lighting is natural light, so try to take pictures during the day in a room with a lot of sunlight. If the piece of furniture is small enough, you can even lug it outside and put it on an old bedspread for a photo.^[8]
Skip the stock photos. You may be able to find stock photos of your furniture online. However, people want to see the actual furniture you have in your home, not a brand-new model. While you might include a stock photo for reference, you need to take actual pictures of your furniture, too.^[9]

EditWriting a Great Ad

Create a story. The ad is your opportunity to really sell this piece of furniture. Highlight its best features, such as how comfortable it is, the color, or it's great wood details. If it has a story (such as it was handmade), play up that detail. Think about what attracted you to the piece in the first place, and be sure to include that in your ad.^[10]
Include the basics. Beyond telling a story, make sure you include all the basic information about the furniture, such as how big it is and what material it's made out of. The buyer wants to know as much information about the piece as you can provide.
Anticipate questions. Try to answer as many questions as you can ahead of time. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. What would you want to know about the piece of furniture? For instance, is it easy to cleanup? Is your home pet-, bug-, and smoke-free? How long have you had the piece? Buyers will be curious about the answers to these questions.^[11]
Describe your furniture accurately. Be upfront about the condition of your furniture. You don't want angry buyers who will leave you with a bad review or refuse to pay. Even if your furniture isn't in perfect condition, there's likely still a buyer out there for it.^[12]

EditListing Your Furniture

Pick a couple of sites to list on. The more sites you list on, the more exposure your piece will get. However, you don't want to go overboard, as it may become difficult to keep up with the buyer's questions on different sites.^[13]
- Try Craigslist, Letgo, Facebook, Chairish, Krrb Appeal, to name a few.
- Pick the best market for your piece. For instance, Chairish is more for designer pieces, while sites like Craiglist and Facebook are more of a free-for-all.
- Also, it's important to compare the costs. Some sites charge a fee for listing, while others take a percentage of the sale. Others are free to list.
- A few, like AptDeco, will pick up and deliver furniture for you (for a fee, of course).
Set up a profile. Most sites would like you to set up a profile. Often, buyers will trust you more if you add a picture and a little about yourself. Plus, many sites have review systems, where you can leave reviews for buyers and buyers can leave reviews for you.^[14]
List your piece. Add your description to the site's ads. Upload the pictures you took of your furniture. Keep in mind, some sites may limit how many photos you can upload, so you may have to pick your best shots. Make the price clear. It's best to list items separately if you can.
- Be clear about pickup and/or delivery. Note if it's pick-up only, or if you're willing to deliver.
Answer buyers' questions. After you've uploaded your ad and submitted to the site, questions are likely to come in from potential buyers. Answer each one as promptly and as honestly as you can.^[15]
Haggle as needed. Many buyers will expect to haggle with you. You can lower the price or stand firm on it as you see fit. Keep in mind, you may sell faster if you are willing to come down a bit on the price.^[16]
Sell your item by agreeing on a price. Once you've completed all your steps, you've hopefully found a buyer. You can complete the transaction if you both agree on the price. For safety's sake, make sure to always have a friend around when a buyer arrives.

EditSources and Citations

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How to Paint a Snow Figure in Watercolor

Posted: 07 Dec 2017 08:00 AM PST

If you live in a cold climate where snow is prevalent, making figures out of snow is nothing new. For those who only wish for snow, here is a way to have the experience of making a snowman or woman. Doing a work of art means you can let whimsy rule the day and you can give your snow person human characteristics. Best of all it is more permanent and not at all at the mercy of the temperature outdoors as actual snowmen are.

EditSteps

Sketch out some snow figures on computer paper. Let your imagination run wild. We all know that the basic construction of a snow person is three balls of snow, grading from the largest at the base to the smaller one at the top for the head.
Think about snowman related props and sketch some on scrap paper. Frosty the Snowman's black top hat is seen often, but any type of available headgear works fine. Coal was used for accents like eyes and buttons, but today, anything goes. A fresh carrot still seems the main choice for a nose, and broken branches for arms, but rules are made to be broken, so be creative. Draw some earmuffs, a snow shovel and a broom, other common accessories.
Do a little research if you need it. Seeing how snow figures have been done by others can get your imagination primed. Google images of winter scenes, snowmen, watercolors of snow figures and coloring pages of realistic and cartoon snow figures. You can often print these out, too.
Gather your supplies. You'll need an 11" x 14" piece of watercolor paper (or any size you wish,) a pencil, watercolors, various round and flat watercolor or all purpose brushes, and a water container.
Try ways to make a white snow person stand out against white paper. Simply painting behind the white figure with colors works well. Putting trees, either bushy evergreens or naked winter trees in the background is another technique.
Hold your paper in either orientation. Begin to sketch out your design. If you aren't sure try doing small sketches of the paper both ways. Things you might include in your design are: another snow figure or two, a sled or snow dish, part of a house, just the doorway or a corner with a window, trees, a fence, and visiting birds or animals. Human figures wearing colorful outdoor clothing are fun to add, too.
Ignore all the standard rules for a realistic painting and do your own thing if a fantasy background is preferred. Everything is good, it is a work of art, don't forget, your imaginary world.
Keep in mind that the snow you paint has lots of color in it. You might have to fake it a little, but if you carefully observe a snow scene you will begin to see subtle colors in the snow caused by reflections, type of light, time of day, shadows and just pretty colorful lines and shapes as long as they are transparent and pastel.
Bring in some neutrals. Winter landscapes are most often drab and fairly colorless, so using a range of grays, browns and shades of dark gray to black look right.
Paint the snow figure's face and accessories. Make tree branches for arms. Add details to the landscape, whatever your wish. Let the piece dry thoroughly. Stand it up and if anything needs punching up, do it on a dry painting.
Hang up the art work. You can purchase pre-cut mats in colors that will coordinate and highlight your colors or white to give it a refined and finished look. Frames can be easily found at discount and thrift stores, so put the matted piece behind glass and hang it for the season.
- Fix a cup of hot cocoa and in the warmth of your house, feel happy to have created art from something as simple as a pile of snow.

How to Bake Hot Dogs

Posted: 07 Dec 2017 12:00 AM PST

You don't need a campfire or stove top to cook your hot dogs. You can easily bake them at home in your oven. Bake raw hot dogs on their own on a baking sheet, or bake them in hot dog buns in a pan. Whichever way you choose to bake your hot dogs, make sure you have an assortment of your favorite toppings ready to top them off with!

EditSteps

EditBaking Plain Hot Dogs

Turn on the oven and prepare a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Spread the hot dogs you want to bake out on the baking sheet so they're not touching. If you can't fit all the hot dogs on one baking sheet, use a second sheet.^[1]
Use a knife to slice the hot dogs down the middle lengthwise. Cut halfway down into the hot dogs with the knife. Cut all the way from one end of each hot dog to the other.^[2]
Put the hot dogs in the oven for 15 minutes. Set a timer so you don't forget about them. After 15 minutes, open the oven to check on the hot dogs. If they look slightly brown and curled at the edges, they're finished. If not, leave them in for a few more minutes.^[3]
- For a slightly browner, crispier hot dog, set your oven to broil for the last 2-3 minutes of baking.
Take the hot dogs out of the oven and serve. Use a spatula to transfer the hot dogs from the baking sheet to a plate. Serve them in hot dog buns and add toppings like cheese, mustard, ketchup, and relish.^[4]
- If you want melted cheese on your hot dogs, top them with cheese and put them back in the oven for 1 minute.

EditBaking Hot Dogs with Buns

Turn on the oven and line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Make sure the aluminum foil comes up the sides of the pan. Use a pan that's large enough to hold all the hot dogs you want to bake. If you don't have one that's big enough, line two baking pans.^[5]
Arrange hot dog buns side by side in the lined baking pan. Place the hot dog buns in the pan so they're touching. Fill the pan completely with a single layer of hot dog buns so none of them tip over when they're baking. Use one hot dog bun for every hot dog you want to bake.^[6]
- For extra flavor, coat the insides of the hot dog buns with butter or mayonnaise before you put them in the baking pan.
Fill the buns with hot dogs and your favorite toppings. Place one hot dog in each hot dog bun. Add toppings like mustard, cheese, onions, chili, and relish. Sprinkle the toppings directly on the hot dogs in the buns.^[7]
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 45 minutes. Wrap the edges of the aluminum foil over the sides of the pan so it stays on in the oven. Set a timer for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, take the pan out of the oven. The toppings on your hot dogs should be melted and the hot dog buns should be slightly browned.^[8]
Serve the hot dogs. Carefully transfer the hot dogs from the pan to a plate using a spatula. Eat the hot dogs with your hands or use a fork and knife.^[9]

EditBroiling Hot Dogs

Set your oven to "broil" and prepare a baking sheet. Look on your oven's temperature knob for the broil setting. Place your hot dogs on a baking sheet so they're in a single layer. None of the hot dogs should be touching.^[10]
Put the hot dogs in the oven and broil for 4 minutes. Place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven so it's directly under the broiler's heat source. Set a timer for 4 minutes.^[11]
Flip the hot dogs with tongs and broil them for 4 more minutes. Use an oven mitt to pull out the baking sheet so you can easily flip the hot dogs. Put the hot dogs back on the top rack of the oven and set another timer for 4 minutes. ^[12]
Take the broiled hot dogs out of the oven and serve. Carefully transfer the hot dogs to a plate using the tongs. Put the broiled hot dogs in buns and serve with your favorite toppings.^[13]