| How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Posted: 30 Nov 2019 04:00 PM PST A decorated Christmas tree makes for a very jolly home during the holidays. Make your home festive by following these easy steps. [Edit]Putting the Lights on your Tree - Test your Christmas lights before you hang them on your tree. Plug your Christmas lights into an outlet. Ensure that you don't have any burnt-out bulbs.
- Put lights on your tree. Make sure to do this before putting ornaments on your tree. LED lights are best for live trees as they do not heat up too quickly.[1]
- The Around-and-Around Wrap: Wrap strands of lights around the top of the tree and work your way down to the base of the tree. For a 6-foot tall tree, you will need about 6 strands of lights with 100 bulbs each.[2]
- Put your first light at the very top of the tree to begin. This light will shine on the star, angel, or snowflake that you will add later.
- Secure your light strands by weaving them in an out of the tree's branches.
- The Vertical Wrap: Divide your tree into 3 sections. Each section will have its own lights.
- Begin at the base of the tree and weave the lights up through the branches to the top of the tree and back down to the base. Repeat.
- Connect your light strands to an extension cord and plug it into a nearby outlet.
[Edit]Hanging the Ornaments on your Tree - Wrap the base of the tree in plastic. The plastic will collect any needles that fall off your tree. Cover the plastic with a festive Christmas tree skirt.
- These skirts add to the beauty of your tree and also keep the tree's needles from collecting on your floor.
- Hang your ornaments on the tree. Look for branches that are wider apart so that your ornaments won't rest on lower branches.
- Hang heavier ornaments further up on branches, closer to the trunk of the tree. The tree is strongest near the trunk and can bear more weight.
- Hang ornaments near lights to highlight certain ornaments. This works particularly well with shiny bulb, glass, or metal ornaments as these types are the most reflective.
- Spread ornaments evenly throughout the tree. Make sure not to hang too many ornaments on each branch.
- If a branch starts to get too weighed down, ornaments could fall off or the branch could break.
- Add additional decorations. These extras can include bows, strands of popcorn and cranberries, and candy canes.
- Add tinsel (optional). Tinsel makes your tree glitter. Hang tinsel near lights for the shiniest look possible.
- Be mindful with the amount of tinsel you place on your tree. Too much tinsel could take away from the beauty of your ornaments.
- For a more modern look, buy colored tinsel rather than the traditional gold and silver.
- Add the star (or decoration you wish to have at the top of your tree.) Make sure that it is secure and not crooked.
- Turn off the lights in your house. Admire the festive tree you have created and be jolly.
[Edit]Gathering Ideas for Themed Christmas Trees - Create a traditional look with solid red, white, silver and gold orbs. The orbs can be glass or plastic.[3]
- Add fake winterberries and silver bells to complete a traditional tree.
- Place silk flowers throughout your tree for a blooming theme. Hang white lights instead of colored lights to accent the flowers.[4]
- Silk roses, magnolias, and hydrangeas are good options for a wintery feel.
- Add richly colored ribbons and little silver orbs or glittering glass ornaments for a twinkling, flowery look.
- Create a nature-inspired look with rustic metal or glass ornaments. Place pine cones throughout the tree.[5]
- Mix bird ornaments in with fake leaves.
- White lights are best for this natural look.
- Hang red, white, and blue ornaments for a patriotic look. Mix glass and plastic ornaments alongside white lights for a tree that could rival the White House's own.[6]
- To get even more patriotic, hang red, white, and blue lights on your tree.
- Hang large, brightly colored orbs for a more modern look. Mod colors include lime greens, purples, bright blues, and hot pink.[7]
- Light strands with large light bulbs mixed with bright small and large ornaments will give your tree a contemporary, edgy feel.
- When buying a live Christmas tree, look for trees that have even branches all the way around. Avoid trees with large bald spots where no branches are growing because you will be able to hang less ornaments (and it will look awkward.)
- Craft stores such as Hobby Lobby may have different ornaments that you may like to add to your tree.
- Pick colors that complement each other. Blue and silver, red and gold, silver and gold, and purple, gold, and silver, are some color combinations that look great. Combinations like blue and pink, pink and gold, and red and blue may not look work as well on your Christmas tree.
[Edit]Warnings - Never hang candles on the tree as they are dangerous and can cause a fire.
- Do not overload the power outlets! This is a common occurrence at Christmas time and can lead to a fire.
- Make sure you turn off incandescent lights before you go to bed, especially on a live tree. You can unplug the lights or use a timer.
- Be careful with broken ornaments. The shards can be very sharp. It is best not to use glass decorations on a tree if you have pets or young children who could break them and get cut.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Christmas tree (live or fake)
- Christmas tree stand
- Small plastic tarp
- Tree skirt
- Ornaments
- Strings of lights
- Beads and extra decorations (optional)
- Bows (optional)
- Star or other topper to place on the top of the tree.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Fix Leaking Pipes Posted: 30 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST Leaking pipes can cause a lot of damage to your home if they're left untreated. There are many temporary fixes for leaking pipes you can use, such as epoxy putty or pipe clamps, while you wait for a plumber. If you want to fix the pipe yourself so it's up to code, you can use a slip coupling to make the process easy. No matter what you use, be sure to turn off your water supply so your pipes don't leak while you're working! [Edit]Turning off Your Water Supply - Shut off the water supply to your home. Locate your main water supply, which is typically in your basement or crawl space. Turn the dial clockwise to shut off the water going into your home so the leak stops and doesn't cause more damage.[1]
- In an emergency, call your water company and see if they can shut off the water leading to your home.
- Turn on the faucets connected to the pipe to drain them. Start by turning on the lowest faucet in your home, such as an outdoor hose pipe or a sink in the basement. Let the water run until the pipe is completely empty. If the leak is on a pipe leading to a specific fixture, then turn on that faucet to drain it.[2]
- Dry the leaking area on the pipe. Once all of the water is drained from the pipes, use a cleaning cloth to wipe the area around the leak completely dry. That way it won't be slippery while you're trying to work on it.[3]
- Set a cloth or bucket underneath the leak in case any stray drops of water come out of the leak.
[Edit]Applying Epoxy Putty for a Temporary Fix - Put on latex or nitrile gloves. Epoxy putty heats up while you're working with it and could cause pain on bare skin. Make sure the gloves are thin enough where you can still work intricately. Wear the gloves any time you handle the epoxy putty.[4]
- You can buy latex or nitrile gloves from any hardware or big box store.
- Mix plumbing epoxy putty by hand to combine it. Rip off a small ball of epoxy putty from the tube and knead it together between your fingers. The darker epoxy will mix with the lighter exterior to activate it. Once the putty has a consistent light grey color, you can stop kneading it.[5]
- You can buy plumbing epoxy putty from your local hardware store.
- Wrap the putty around the leaky area. Mold the putty around the leak on your pipe so it wraps completely around it. Make sure the putty forms a layer that's about thick around the leak so it holds in place. Taper the edges of the putty onto the pipe so it makes a watertight seal.[6]
- Epoxy putty works on straight lengths of pipes as well as joints.
- Let the putty set for 5-10 minutes before turning your water on. Once the epoxy putty is mixed, it will set quickly so you can use your water again. Leave the putty alone for at least 5 minutes while it sets so it can solidify. Once the epoxy sets, you can turn your water back on.[7]
- Epoxy putty is a temporary fix, so be sure to fully replace your pipe or contact a plumber the next day.
[Edit]Clamping Small Leaks - Buy a pipe clamp that's the same size as the leaky pipe. Pipe clamps use rubber gaskets create a tight seal to secure a small leak on your pipe. You can purchase these in the plumbing section of your local hardware store, but make sure to buy a pipe clamp that is the same size and at least as long as the pipe that's leaking so you have a tight fit when you secure it.[8]
- Align the rubber gasket on the pipe with the leak. The rubber gasket is the rectangular piece inside of the clamp that makes your pipe's water-tight. Set the rubber gasket on top of the hole in your pipe so it seals the leak completely. If the leak is on the bottom of the pipe, hold the clamp in place until you secure the clamp.[9]
- Fit the clamp around the gasket and tighten the bolts. Close the clamp around your pipe so it fits tightly on it and feed the bolts provided with the clamp through the holes. Turn the nuts using a wrench to secure them to the bottom of the bolts. Continue tightening the bolts until the clamp stays in place and doesn't turn any further.[10]
[Edit]Putting a Slip Coupling on Your Pipe - Get a slip coupling that matches the size and type of your pipe. Slip couplings are small, watertight connections that connect 2 different pieces of pipe. Look for a slip coupling has the same diameter as the pipe you need to fix and is long enough so you can cut out the leak. Before you purchase one, make sure the coupling is the same material as your pipe, such as PVC or copper.
- You can buy slip couplings from your local hardware store.
- Slip couplings can be a permanent solution to fixing your pipes and they are up to code.
- Mark the length of the slip coupling on your pipe. Hold the slip coupling up to the leaky spot on your pipe so the coupling extends out from each side. Use a marker to draw a line on your pipe at the end of the slip coupling. This will help ensure that you cut out the right length of pipe so the coupling can still fit.[11]
- Use a pipe cutter to cut out the leaky area on the pipe. Pipe cutters are small devices that easily slice through a pipe as you rotate them around. Set the edge of your pipe cutter inside the line you drew and tighten the screw on the bottom of the device. Rotate the pipe cutter around the pipe completely and tighten the screw again. Keep spinning and tightening the pipe cutter until it makes a clean cut through the pipe. Repeat the process in from the other line you drew.[12]
- You can buy pipe cutters from your local hardware store.
- Pipe cutters work on metal and PVC pipes.
- Some PVC pipe cutters look like a pair of scissors. Put the blade over the pipe and slowly squeeze the cutters shut.
- Scrape the inside and outside of the pipe with a deburring tool. A deburring tool is a special tool used to scrape the inside and outside of the pipe to help reshape it after you make your cut. Hold the pipe steady with your nondominant hand and set the blade edge of the deburring tool inside the pipe. Scrape around the inside edge of the pipe with your tool to deburr it. The take the tool out of the pipe and scrape the outside edge.[13]
- You can buy deburring tools in the plumbing section of a hardware store.
- Make sure you deburr both sides of the cut pipe to prevent future leaks.
- Slide the slip coupling onto the ends of your pipe. Take your coupling and slide an end over one side of your pipe. Push the coupling on far enough so you're able to line it up with the other side of the cut pipe. Line up the other end of the coupling with the pipe and pull it over so the 2 pipes are connected by the coupling. The coupling will hold the pipes together so water can flow between them.[14]
- Some couplings may make you tighten them by hand or with a wrench. Follow the directions on the packaging carefully to see if there are any additional steps.
[Edit]Warnings - Contact a plumber if you don't feel comfortable cutting or replacing your own pipes or if the leak is difficult to reach.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Applying Epoxy Putty for a Temporary Fix - Latex or nitrile gloves
- Epoxy putty
[Edit]Clamping the Leak Shut [Edit]Putting a Coupling on Your Pipe - Pipe slip coupling
- Pipe cutter
- Measuring tape
- Deburring tool
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Use Makeup to Make Eyes and Lips Appear Larger Posted: 30 Nov 2019 12:00 AM PST There are some great tips and tricks you can use to make both your eyes and lips look bigger without having to resort to a medical procedure or injections! Use a subtle hand to apply your makeup so that the effects look as natural as possible. Once you know what works for you, you'll be able to add these techniques to your daily routine with ease. [Edit]Creating Bigger Eyes - Cover dark circles with concealer to brighten your eyes. When you want to make your eyes look bigger, think "lighter and brighter." Dark circles make your eyes look smaller. After you've applied the rest of your foundation, use a concealer underneath your eyes to fully mask any dark circles.[1]
- For the best results, use concealer that is a shade lighter than the rest of your foundation.
- Fill in your brows to create a more defined border for your eyes. Darker, bolder brows create an outline for the rest of your eye makeup and can help define your eyes so that they are more expressive. Opt for a brow filler that is the same shade or slightly darker than your natural hair color for the most natural looking effect.[2]
- Don't forget to pluck any stray eyebrow hairs before you fill them in.
- Create dimension on your eyelids with eyeshadow. Choose a shade of eyeshadow that is slightly darker than your skin tone and sweep it over the crease of your eyelid with a makeup brush. Brush the eyeshadow up toward your eyebrows and out toward the end of your eyebrow line to create a smokey look that will enlarge your eyes. Use a lighter shade of shadow for your actual eyelids.[3]
- You could also apply eyeshadow along your lower lash line from just the middle of your eye out to the outer corner.
- Make sure to blend the eyeshadow into your skin so there are no discernible lines.
- Stick with lighter, neutral shades of eyeshadow to make your eyes look bigger. Beiges, tans, browns, and bronzes are your friend!
- Make your eyes pop by using a flesh-toned liner on your bottom waterline. You may be tempted to line your eyes on the top and bottom with brown or black liner, but that can actually make your eyes look smaller. Use a flesh-toned liner to brighten and lighten your eyes along your waterline.[4]
- Apply the liner as quickly as you can, otherwise, your eyes will start to water and the liner will smudge.
- Keep darker eyeliner as close to your upper lash line as possible. Use black or brown eyeliner on your upper lids to create definition. Do your best to draw a thin line that adheres close to your actual lash line. A thick, dark sweep of eyeliner will make your eyes look smaller, but a thinly applied line will open up your eyes.[5]
- Liquid eyeliner or a pencil that you can sharpen are the best tools for this process. They give you more control over the thickness of the line.
- Extend eyeliner out and up past the corners of your eyes to elongate them. This is basically the same as creating a cat eye, just with a focus on making that line a little bit thinner than usual. When drawing the winged tip, make it a little bit thicker than the line on your eyelid and bring the end upwards at a slant rather than straight out from your eye.[6]
- If your cat eye tends to crease and smudge when you smile, try using a setting spray to keep it in place for longer.
- Widen your eyes by adding a nude iridescent shadow to your tear ducts. Rather than using a brightly colored eyeshadow, stick to a skin-tone, like beige, tan, bronze, or brown. Simply dab an eyeshadow brush into the shadow and pat it over top of your tear ducts. You could also use a Q-tip for the same effect.[7]
- Try to use a shade of eyeshadow that is slightly lighter than your skin tone for a gentle contrast. If you want a sharper contract, use a white eyeshadow.
- Use a lash-lengthening mascara to make your eyes look bigger. Once the rest of your eye makeup is done, apply a single coat of mascara to all of your top lashes. Then, on the second coat, focus on applying a thicker layer to the center lashes only. For your bottom lashes, just a single coat of mascara will do to make your eyes pop. Opt for a formula that is lash-lengthening rather than thickening, as the longer your lashes are, the bigger your eyes will look.[8]
- If you don't want to mess with mascara, consider getting false lashes.
[Edit]Plumping Your Lips - Use a plumping balm to give your lips extra definition and hydration. There are tons of plumping products to choose from, so picking one is mainly a matter of preference. Look for a product that has ingredients like cinnamon, peppermint, or ginger.[9]
- Even if you don't plan on wearing any lipstick, just applying a simple plumping balm can puff up your lips a little and make them appear fuller.
- Opt for lighter colored lipsticks to make your lips appear bigger. Nudes, pale pinks, and shades similar to your skin tone will actually make your lips look larger. Darker shades can flatten your lips and make them look smaller.[10]
- If you can, pick lipsticks and glosses that claim to be "hydrating." Keeping your lips moisturized and hydrated is a huge part of helping them look big. Dry lips get wrinkled and look smaller.
- Make your lips bigger with concealer and lip liner. Add a light layer of concealer over your lips and extend it above and below your actual lip line a little bit. Use the liner to draw your lip line larger than it actually is, and then fill in your lips with a matching lipstick.[11]
- Be careful when doing this to blend the concealer in with the rest of your makeup.
- Give yourself ombre lips to make your lips look larger. You'll need 2 shades of lipstick and a lip liner that matches the darker shade. Apply your lip liner like you normally would, and then use a lipstick brush to apply the lighter shade of lipstick to your lips, but avoid getting it around the outer edges where the liner is. Use the darker shade of lipstick around the edges of your lips, and then use the lipstick brush to blend the edges of the darker and lighter shades so the gradient has a natural transition.[12]
- Be careful to not smudge your lips or rub them together, otherwise you'll ruin the ombre effect.
- Get a natural pout by dabbing lipgloss on the center of your lips. After applying your lipstick, add a dab of a clear gloss or of a gloss that matches your lipstick to the center of both your bottom and upper lips. Avoid rubbing your lips together so it doesn't smear.[13]
- If too much gloss gets transferred from the wand to your lips, try putting a dab of gloss on your fingertip and applying it that way.
- Emphasize your cupid's bow with highlighter to make your lips pop. Your cupid's bow is where your top lip dips down in the center. Add a really small dab of highlighter right in the crease of the bow above where your lipstick starts. This will add a little juxtaposition between your lips and your skin and will give the appearance of bigger lips.[14]
- Do your best to not get the highlighter on your actual lip or mixed in with the lipstick.
- Add bronzer below your bottom lip to create a "shadow". Don't extend the bronzer fully from one end of your lips to the other. Instead, just put a light dab right below the center of your bottom lip. Make sure it's blended in so it looks natural.[15]
- You could also use eyeliner for the same effect, just make sure to choose a subtle brown color rather than black.
- Figure out which tricks work the best for your eyes! Once you know what works and have experimented a little, it'll be easy for you to do your makeup and look great every day.
- Keep these techniques as subtle as possible so that they look natural and not overdone.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Creating Bigger Eyes - Concealer
- Eyeshadow
- Brow pencil
- Flesh-toned eyeliner
- Brown or black eyeliner
- Mascara
[Edit]Plumping Your Lips - Plumping lip balm
- Lipstick
- Lip liner
- Lipgloss
- Concealer
- Highlighter
- Bronzer
- Lipstick brush
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
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