| How to Make a Ladybug Costume Posted: 18 Oct 2019 05:00 PM PDT It's easy to make a no-sew ladybug costume for you or your little one using things you might already have on hand. Create red ladybug wings with black spots using fabric or cardboard and make a simple antennae headband. When you're ready to dress up, just wear the wings over a black shirt and add a few details, such as a ladybug mask or makeup spots. Pair the costume with the antennae headband and have fun! [Edit]Making the Wings - Draw a large circle on red felt or cardboard. Decide how large you want your ladybug wings to be at their widest point. Then, lay red felt fabric or a piece of cardboard on your work surface. Use chalk or a pen to draw the circle on your material.[1]
- To make little kid-sized ladybug wings, you might want to make the circle between . For an adult, try drawing a circle.
- Cut out the circle and cut it in half. Use a sharp pair of scissors to carefully cut out the fabric or cardboard circle. Then, you can use a ruler to draw a straight line right down the middle of the circle. Cut the circle in half using the line as a guide.[2]
- You should now have 2 halves for your ladybug wings.
- Paint the wings red and let them dry if you used cardboard. Get out a bottle of red acrylic paint and dip a brush or roller into the paint. Cover the cardboard wings so they're completely red. Then, leave them to dry completely. This should take about 1 hour.[3]
- If you used red fabric to make the wings, you can skip this step.
- To make your ladybug wings sparkly, sprinkle a little red glitter over the red paint before it dries.
- Cut out black fabric or cardboard circles. You can make the circles for the ladybug spots as big or small as you like. If you'd like perfectly round circles, set a glass on the material and trace around it. Then, cut around the circle and use it as a template to cut out more circles.
- Make as many circles for your ladybug spots as you like. You might even make the spots different sizes.
- Glue the black spots to the red wings. If you're using fabric, squeeze fabric glue onto the black spots before you stick them onto the wings. To glue black cardboard spots onto cardboard wings, try using wood glue.[4]
- You can paint black spots onto the wings instead of attaching fabric or cardboard spots.
- Glue the top of the wing tips together. Squirt a little fabric or wood glue onto the pointed end of 1 wing. Then, lay the other wing tip over the glue so the wings overlap at an angle by about . This will make the wings look as though they're spreading apart near the bottom. Remember to let the wings dry completely before you assemble the rest of your ladybug costume.[5]
- To make the costume more secure, you can use hot glue to glue the wings together.
[Edit]Creating an Antennae Headband - Choose a black headband. If you're going for a simple look, pick a plain headband that's comfortable to wear. You could also use a black headband that has decorative swirls or detail.[6]
- You should use a sturdy headband, not a flexible fabric headband. This will help the antennae stay in place.
- Twist the end of 2 black pipe cleaners onto the top of the headband. Take a long black pipe cleaner and wrap the bottom around the headband. The rest of the pipe cleaner should stick up from the top of the headband. Do this for the other pipe cleaner to make the other antenna.[7]
- Try to leave between each antenna.
- Tape the pipe cleaners to the headband using black tape. Tear off 2 pieces of black duct or electrical tape and stick them onto the pipe cleaners at the base of the headband. The tape will prevent the pipe cleaner antennae from sliding around.[8]
- If you prefer, you could use red tape to give the headband a little more color.
- Glue a red or black pom pom to the end of each antenna. Heat a hot glue gun and carefully squeeze a little glue onto the pom pom. Then, stick the pom pom onto the end of a pipe cleaner to make the end of the antenna. Repeat this for the other antenna.
- Use caution when handling hot glue because it can easily burn you.
- Use any size of pom poms, but keep in mind that large ones might make the antennae droop over.
- You could also use black pom poms if you'd like completely dark antennae.
- Twist each antenna into a curlicue if you'd like wiggly antennae. To give the antennae a sense of movement, wrap each one tightly around your index finger to curl them. Then, slide your finger out and pull gently on the pipe cleaner to unwind it a little.
- Try bending the antennae to make a zigzag design too!
[Edit]Putting the Costume Together - Pick a black shirt and pants. To make the red ladybug wings really stand out, you'll want to find a comfortable black shirt with black pants or get out a long-sleeve black leotard with leggings.
- You could choose a red or black dress instead of the leotard or shirt.
- Feel free to swap out red clothing for any of the black pieces. You could even cut red fabric circles to glue onto the black clothes.
- Attach the ladybug wings to the back of your shirt. You can use fabric or wood glue to stick the top of the fabric or cardboard wings to the back of your shirt near your neckline. This will leave the wings so they hang down loosely. You should leave the glue to dry for at least 1 hour before you wear the costume.
- If you don't want to wait for the glue to dry, use safety pins to attach the fabric wings to the shirt.
- To make a longer lasting costume, sew the fabric wings onto the fabric of your shirt.
- Apply spots to your face with makeup. To complete the ladybug look, use makeup or costume paint to draw small black and red dots across your face. If you'd like to cover more of your face with a design, draw red wings across your eyes and add black dots over them.[9]
- You could also powder your face with a red blush before adding the black dots.
- Add a tutu to make a toddler ladybug costume. Little kids love the feeling of twirling around with a bunch of tulle. Buy or make a red tutu that you can tie around your toddler's waist.[10]
- You can leave the tutu solid red or glue black fabric circles to the tutu so they look like spots.
- Wear an eye mask covered in spots. Buy a simple red eye mask and glue small black dots made of foam over the mask. These will look like ladybug spots. If you're short on time, draw the black dots using a permanent black marker.[11]
- For an adult-style ladybug costume, you could wear a red dress and glue black dots to it. Then, wear the ladybug wings over it.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Making the Ladybug Wings - Red fabric or cardboard
- Black fabric
- Chalk or pen
- Scissors
- Red paint, optional
- Hot glue gun, optional
[Edit]Creating an Antennae Headband - Black headband
- 2 black pipe cleaners
- Black duct or electrical tape
- 2 red pom poms
- Hot glue gun
[Edit]Putting the Costume Together - Black shirt and pants
- Makeup or costume paint
- Red tutu
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Make Espresso Powder Posted: 18 Oct 2019 09:00 AM PDT Espresso powder is most often used by bakers to enhance the flavor of brownies, cookies, and chocolate cakes. You can buy it from specialty stores, but you can also make a batch of your own espresso powder at home. All you need is espresso beans, a baking sheet, and a coffee grinder. Use your espresso powder to amp up baked goods, make a delicious steak rub, and even whip together a delicious hot beverage. [Edit]Roasting the Beans - Use 1 cup (200 grams) of espresso beans to make 1 cup of espresso powder. Depending on how often you use espresso powder, you could make a bigger or smaller batch. Fresh beans that have been newly purchased will produce the best flavor, so try to make your espresso powder before your beans go stale.[1]
- Beans generally stay fresh for about 2 weeks after they've been opened. If they're in a special container with a degassing valve, they could last for up to 6 months. for about 1 hour. Run the baked grounds through a grinder to pulverize them even further, and then store them in an airtight container.[2]}}
- Preheat the oven to . The goal of baking the espresso beans is to slightly roast them while also drying them out even further. This helps them be ground to a much finer consistency.[3]
- If you use a temperature lower than , you'll need to increase the total cooking time to compensate. For example, cooking at would require about 1.5 hours of baking time.
- Spread the espresso beans over a baking sheet in a single layer. Use an unlined, ridged baking sheet. The ridge will keep the beans from accidentally spilling over the edge. Try to space the beans apart a little bit so that the hot air can get between all of them.[4]
- A perk to baking the espresso beans is that your house will smell fantastic for a little while!
- Bake the espresso beans for about 1 hour to give them a toasted flavor. Set a timer and let the oven do its work. There's no need to check on the beans or flip them during the 1-hour cook time.[5]
- If you skip the baking step, the beans could create a powder that is a little too bitter for your baking needs.
- Let the beans cool off for about 10 minutes once they're done baking. Once the timer goes off, use an oven mitt to remove the baking sheet from the oven. Set the baking sheet on top of the stove and let the beans cool off until they're no longer hot to the touch.[6]
- If you let the beans cool off for longer than 10 minutes, that is totally fine. 10 minutes is just the minimum so that the beans aren't still hot when you go to grind them.
[Edit]Grinding and Storing the Powder - Grind the espresso beans in small 1/4 cup (50 gram) batches. Smaller batches will make a finer powder. If you did the entire cup at once, it would be hard to really grind things down to a fine consistency. Use a coffee grinder set to the finest grind possible and pulse each batch for 15 to 20 seconds.[7]
- Transfer the espresso powder to an airtight container. Once the espresso beans have been ground into a fine, powder-like substance, use a spoon to transfer them into a storage container. Pick a container that is resealable or that has a tight-fitting lid.[8]
- Keep in mind that a plastic container will absorb the smell and oil from the powder, so you may want to designate a specific container for your espresso powder.
- Store the espresso powder in a cool, dry location for up to 6 months. If you made a big batch of espresso powder, rest assured that you have ample time to use it all up. Put it in a cupboard or pantry where it won't come into contact with any moisture.[9]
- After 6 months, the powder will still be technically good, it just won't be as fresh or the best quality anymore.
[Edit]Adding Espresso Powder to Recipes - Add espresso powder to your baking recipes for a rich, deep flavor. For most cookies, brownies, and chocolate cakes, add just a teaspoon (2 grams) of espresso powder to really enhance the flavor of the recipe. Add an additional teaspoon (2 grams) for an actual coffee flavor.[10]
- Don't worry—a little espresso powder doesn't have to make your sweets taste like coffee. It really just enhances the flavors that are already in a sweet treat, especially when chocolate is involved.
- Create a smokey steak rub with espresso powder, paprika, and brown sugar. Use 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons (4 grams) of espresso powder, and 2 teaspoons (4 grams) of salt. Mix them together in a small bowl and sprinkle the rub onto both sides of a steak before you cook it. Cook the steak however you prefer and enjoy![11]
- Feel free to mix up the rub by adding different spices. Cinnamon or chili powder would make a great addition!
- Make mornings special with cinnamon-sugar-espresso toast. Combine 1 tablespoon (12.5 grams) of sugar, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of espresso powder. Make your toast, butter it, and sprinkle the sugar mixture overtop.[12]
- If you don't like butter, use a butter substitute. One or the other is necessary, otherwise, the sugar mixture won't have anything to stick to.
- Enjoy a hot mocha toddy during the colder months. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together 1/4 cup (50 grams) of light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon (7 grams) of cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons (12 grams) of espresso powder, of milk, and of heavy cream. Heat the mixture until it is almost boiling, and then distribute it amongst mugs. Top the drink with whipped cream sprinkled with espresso powder.[13]
- To add an extra kick to your hot toddy, pour of vodka into the pan along with the other ingredients.
- If you don't have or can't make espresso powder, use double the amount called for of instant coffee. You could also sub out some liquid from the recipe and use that same amount of liquid espresso.
- Espresso powder is caffeinated, so use decaf espresso beans if you want to steer clear of the caffeine.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Espresso beans
- Baking sheet
- Coffee grinder
- Airtight storage container
- Oven mitt
[Edit]References |
| How to Style Clothes You Already Have Posted: 18 Oct 2019 01:00 AM PDT Next time you're staring at your closet, thinking, "There's nothing to wear," resist your urge to blow a bunch of money on a shopping spree. Instead, re-style the clothes you already own. Mix and match outfits by layering in new ways and switching your shoes. Freshen up your plain shirts and pants with some rolling, cuffing, and tying and playing with accessories. You can also modify the clothes you own by distressing, cutting, tailoring, or dying. Soon you'll feel like you have a whole new wardrobe! [Edit]Mixing and Layering Outfits - Wear pants under a dress. This look is coming back into style. You get the best of both worlds: the feminine fun of a dress with the practicality and mobility of pants. Choose fitted pants, like skinny or straight-leg jeans, and a flowy dress. Keep the pants plain in color so that the dress is still the star of the show.[1]
- If you want to ease into this look, start with a shirt-dress, which looks sort of like a tunic. You'll get used to it and then go bold with a more feminine dress.
- Wear leggings with a plaid shirt. You might think that leggings are only good for wearing to the gym, but you can make them into a cute, casual look by wearing a plaid shirt on top. You can layer the look by wearing a fitted T-shirt or tank top underneath, and then wearing the plaid shirt unbuttoned.[2]
- This is a fun, casual look that's great for weekends.
- Wear a T-shirt under a strappy dress. If you have to go somewhere a bit formal, but you really want to wear your pretty, strappy dress, put on a T-shirt underneath. It will give you the coverage you need to meet the dress code. It also shows off more of your dress than if you had to wear a cardigan on top, and it's cooler for the summer.[3]
- Pick a color of shirt that goes well with your dress without distracting too much from it. Black or white shirts go well with most colors of dress.
- This is a great way to make your fun and skimpy bar-hopping dress day-appropriate.
- Match a blazer with jeans for date night. You don't have to only wear your work blazer to the office. Wear it with jeans and a solid-colored T-shirt for a smart-casual look perfect for date night or dinner. This works great for both men and women. You can also pair a blazer with a short, flowy dress, for a cute mashup of masculine and feminine styles.[4]
- Wearing a blazer with a dress will give the ensemble a slightly tougher, edgier look than if you wore a cardigan.
- Switch out your shoes. If you normally wear your outfit with casual sneakers, try it with a pair of heels or ankle boots. If you normally wear heels with it, try flats. Simply switching out your shoes can freshen up a tired outfit.[5]
- Try wearing your colorful fancy heels to spice up a gray outfit.
- Repurpose scarves as headbands and hair ribbons. In the spring and summer, it may be too warm for you to wear your favorite scarves around your neck, but you can repurpose them as fashionable headbands or hair ribbons. Simply tie a scarf around your head, for a headband, or put your hair up and tie the scarf in a bow around your hairstyle.[6]
- This works best for small thin scarves, not blanket scarves!
[Edit]Making Small Changes to Outfits - Roll up your sleeves and unbutton your shirt. If you're tired of your boring old office-worthy button-down shirt, dress it up for a night on the town by rolling up the sleeves and unbuttoning the top few buttons. This works for both men and women. You'll show a little more skin, and feel like you're wearing a different shirt entirely.[7]
- Pair this with jeans for a casual look, or with a flowy skirt for date night if that's your thing.
- Cuff your pants. Change up the look of your jeans or other casual pants by cuffing them. Roll the bottoms of the pants up once or twice. It will look more casual than wearing them un-cuffed.[8]
- Cuffing is a great way to show off stylish socks or ankle boots.
- Cuff the sleeves of your T-shirt by rolling up the sleeves once or twice. This is a really popular look right now, and a great way to make a plain T-shirt look more put-together. Unfortunately, it's notoriously hard to get the rolled sleeves to stay rolled. If you really want them to stay put all day, you can put a rubber band around the base of each unrolled sleeve, and then roll them up.[9]
- You could also just embrace the disheveled look of partially unrolled sleeves.
- Many people claim this look is inspired by movie star James Dean.
- Knot the bottom of your shirt. Instead of tucking in your button-up shirt, leave the last few buttons unbuttoned, and tie the two sides of the shirt in a pretty overhand knot. You can tuck in the sides of the shirt for a neater look, or leave them hanging for a more bohemian style.[10]
- This also works for oversized T-shirts. You can gather together some of the extra fabric at the bottom of the shirt and twist it into a knot. This will make the T-shirt more fitted, and is a quick, casual look.
- Elevate plain outfits with fun accessories. The plainer the outfit, the more accessories you'll look good wearing. Try a colorful belt, fun socks, a scarf, dangly earrings, a necklace, a cute watch, or a stack of bangle bracelets. Don't wear all of these at once! Just try one or two staple accessories to dress up any look.[11]
- Wear a colorful belt with your black jeans and tuck in a white T-shirt. Instantly your outfit looks more interesting!
- Big dangly earrings can instantly make your outfit look more formal and put-together. Wear your hair up if you really want to draw attention to your earrings.
- Accessories don't have to be jewelry! If jewelry isn't your thing, try wearing a watch, a scarf, a belt, a headband, or some fun, colorful socks.
[Edit]Modifying Your Clothes - Distress your jeans. There's no need to go to the store and buy those expensive distressed jeans. You can easily distress your own jeans at home. With scissors, cut horizontal slits about away from each other in the front of your jeans. Use tweezers to pluck out the vertical blue threads between the two slits. You'll be left with only the horizontal white threads, just like you see in distressed jeans in the store.[12]
- You can also rub your jeans with sandpaper to give them that soft, lived-in feel.[13]
- Turn your jeans into cut-off shorts. If you're really sick of one of your pairs of jeans, you can transform it into a pair of shorts. First, put on your jeans and look in the mirror. Mark with chalk where you want the shorts to get cut off. Then take off your jeans and cut them with fabric scissors, about below where you marked, to leave enough room for error and fray.[14]
- Lots of people like to cut their shorts at an angle, so that they are longer by the inner thigh and shorter at the outer thigh.[15]
- Tailor your old dress. If you have a favorite old dress that you used to wear all the time, but doesn't fit anymore, you can tailor it so that it fits better. Many big clothing stores, like Macys, offer tailoring, or you can go to an independent tailor in your town. If you're skilled at sewing, you can tailor your own clothes by taking in the hems with a sewing machine.[16]
- Tailoring is a great way to still wear your favorite clothes if your body has changed in shape or size over the years.
- Dye your cotton or nylon shirts. Cotton and nylon are the easiest fabrics to dye at home. First fill a bucket with hot water that's about . Follow the mixing directions for the dye you're using and stir it into the hot water to make a dye bath. Test the color of the dye-bath by dipping in a paper towel, and modify it by adding more dye or more water until it reaches a good color. Wet your shirt with water, and pop it into the dye bath. Stir continuously for up to 30 minutes, until it reaches the color you want.[17]
- Once you've dyed your shirt, take it out of the dye-bath, rinse it well, wash it in the washing machine, and hang it up to dry.
- You can also organize a clothing-swap with your friends to trade clothes. Have each friend bring a couple items of clothes to trade. You can all take whichever pieces you want, and donate the rest.
[Edit]References |
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