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Glue to Make an Oversize Ring Fit - hot glue on band of ring

Glue to Make an Oversize Ring FitI've always been encountering this, especially if someone gives you a ring as a gift. When the ring is too big that won't fit on your finger that would be a problem and sometimes I go to a goldsmith to have it cut it to make fit on my finger. And this will cost you a money, right?

 

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Unsticking Two Stainless Steel PotsThis way is easier than the hot water and ice method. Fill the under pot with water by finding a way to put the water in through the rim. When you have a nice quantity, bring the pot to a boil. The steam will push out and up the pot at the top. That's what worked for me.

 

Repairing Old Figurines - four vintage figurines

Repairing Old FigurinesI fixed these before I started visiting Thrifty-Fun, but the instructions should be easy to follow.

 

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Drinking Glasses Stuck TogetherWhen glass glasses get stuck together, it can be challenging to separate them, lest one or both break. I solved this by carefully pouring a small amount of vegetable oil between them and letting them sit overnight for the oil to disseminate.

 

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Baby Oil for Sticky Rubber HandlesI have scoured the internet looking for the answer to this dilemma. Most sites say use baking soda or talcum powder. I didn't think that would be good for my camera so I experimented with a sticky pen. The unbelievable solution is baby oil! My camera has been sticky free for over a year. A very small amount will do the trick.

 

Raised Bed With Pillows

Raising a Bed with BooksI recently had a hollywood frame under the bed. It was too high and tended to roll out when I "hopped" up on it.

 

A piece of embroidery thread being inserted into a knot.

Using Thread to Untie KnotsI will often have knots brought to me to untie that are practically impossible to undo. I thread a needle with embroidery floss and get the string of embroidery floss between the knotted yarns. I will keep reinserting the needle and yarn wherever the knot is the most stuck. After a bit of pulling, everything is able to be untied.

 

Close up of wooden frame.

Covering Up Nicks and Scratches on WoodI used a crayon designed for covering up gray roots to fix a picture frame. This crayon is activated with water and goes on more smoothly than a regular crayon. I'll bet you can't tell where the damaged area was!

 

Preventing Broken Eye Glass Chains

Preventing Broken Eye Glass ChainsI have wider than usual eye glass temples. Stretching the little rubber tips that go over the temples often makes them break. While I only spend $1 on them, I still have to replace them when they break.

 

two bracelets

Repairing Elastic BraceletsWhen the elastic in a bracelet stretches, most think it's a lost cause. Many get tossed or recycled into other things (my personal fav'). But if you love the work and want to save it, it's super easy.

 

Use Broken Canopy for Parts

Use Broken Canopy for PartsWe lost our shade structure during an unusually stormy and windy soccer game one fall. My brother had purchased the same structure and broke his frame in a similar manner. Instead of throwing them out, we took apart the broken leg and replaced it from one of the good ones from my brother's frame.

 

Fixing A Broken Soap Dispenser

Fixing A Broken Soap DispenserThe pump was frozen. It wouldn't depress. I tried soaking it but it still would only move very slightly. I went to the manufacturers website to find replacement parts and wasn't successful. Finally, we tried applying a light weight oil where the tiny holes are and it worked. An easy, no cost solution!

 

spice bottle under handle

Balancing a Warped SkilletThis may have only happened to me. But if you ever have this happen, you will probably remember this tip.

 

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Removing a Stuck Lid from a PanMy boyfriend was making burgers and wanted to melt cheese on top of one. He put a glass lid over the burger and the steam sucked it into the pan and then it was stuck.

 

menage photo of process

Separating Stuck Pots and PansThis is foolproof technique.

 

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LED Bulbs Interfere with Garage Door Remote SignalAll of my family members began noticing that their remotes could open the door from down the block, but wouldn't close it unless they were nearly in the garage. I replaced the flickering LED bulbs in my garage door opener.

 

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Removing Adhesive on EyeglassesI have an antiglare coated eyeglass. Stains of Elfy adhesive got accidentally on the corner of it. I tried to google for solutions but ended up having no solution to it. Finally, I tried to remove it by scrathing it with a scissor. I was able to remove the Elfy without harming the eyeglass.

 

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Repairing a Ring that Has Been CutCutting a ring off your finger will not destroy the ring. Any ring can be repaired by a competent jeweler. The ring will probably have to be cut anyway in order to make it larger.

 

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Removing Super Glue on Plastic LensesGet 91% alcohol and Q-tips and rub the smudge like crazy. This will take some time and a little elbow grease but it works. I just did it on my plastic lenses. And they are crystal clear. this really does work!

 

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Toothpick as Temporary Eyeglass ScrewDid you lose the screw from your eyeglasses? Here is a temporary solution to give you time to get to the optical store. Use a toothpick to hold the arm of your glasses on, so you can still wear them. Just poke the pick in the hole and break of ends of pick showing.

 

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Repairing A Guitar's Strap Lock Screw HoleTwo of my electric guitars had loose strap-lock screw holes. For a quick and easy fix, I simply squeezed a little wood filler into the screw holes, screwed the strap-locks back into place, and allowed the wood filler to set.

 

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Aluminum Polish for Removing Scratches On Plastic LensesI think the use of Armour Etch to remove the antiglare and scratch resistant coatings has been said enough about. Plus it's on YouTube. It worked for me on my PLASTIC prescription glasses with metal frames.

 

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Buffing Scratches out of Polycarbonate Eyeglass LensesI've read most of the suggestions, but here is what worked for me. I got my polycarbonate lenses with the AR coating at Walmart. As most of the tips suggest, the most likely cause of your scratches are due to scratches in the AR coating.

 

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Try Combinations To Open Antique BankHave you tried the combination? 000, 001 till 999? I opened a suitcase lock that way.

 

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Repairing Scratched EyeglassesIf your eye glasses get scratched, take them back to the place where you got them and have them buff the scratch out. Why spend money on something that you really don't know will work. Worse you might ruin an expensive pair of glasses.

 

Save Spray Tops From Empty Bottles of Perfume

Save Spray Tops From Empty Bottles of PerfumeI buy many of the same type of perfume from the Dollar Tree, particularly Eternity and Ralph for Women. I find that if I lose a top off one of the ones I like, there is always an extra one I keep.

 

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Armour Etch For Scratched EyeglassesMy glasses (polycarbonate lenses with anti-glare coating, no other coatings) were ruined when I got brake cleaner on them. They looked like they had tiny scratches and dots all over the lenses, to the point that I couldn't drive at night with them.

 

Repairing an old Mickey Christmas sculpture.

Use Fingernail Polish to Repair Ceramic PaintI had this Micky Mouse centerpiece (made in China) that was packed in with our Christmas decorations. The paint was peeling off. The under glaze was white and it took some work to remove the cracking and peeling paint.

 

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Repairing Costume JewelryYou can re-surface/spiff up costume jewelry using colored nail polish. I just touched up the worn gilding on a vintage pendant using gold-colored polish.

 

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Sharpen Knife with Aluminum FoilI have found that to keep a knife or scissors sharp, cutting kitchen foil is a simple answer.

 

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Use "Japanese Paper" To Repair BindingFirst of all NEVER use tape to repair a book. Tape does not age well. It becomes brittle, yellow, leaves a deep stain on the paper, and often the paper gets torn at the edge of the tape.

 

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Furniture Polish For DVDsSpray the disc with furniture polish then wipe with a soft cloth. This will clean and cover up scratches.

 

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Aluminum Foil Sharpens ScissorsA few snips thru a folded in 4ths piece of foil sharpens up dull scissor blades in a "snap".

 

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Fix Garden Statue with ToothpasteSomehow the head of one of my garden statues got broken off. My hubby glued it back on, but there was a still a gap at the break, and you could see the dark glue, not nice.

 

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Fix Rhinestone Jewelry with Missing StonesI have some old rhinestone jewelry that was nice but missing some stones and they were too small to replace. So I had the idea of applying pearl nail polish to the sites where the stones were gone and then sprinkling the area with silver glitter.

 

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Reshaping Old GlassesGlasses, reading glasses, sun glasses - I have lots and something always goes wrong with one of them. Of course, you can replace the screws, but you can also reshape them gently.

 

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Removing Scratches on MirrorFor light surface scratches on mirrors, use Eagle One Never Dull Wadding Polish. It worked great for me. You will need to use a little elbow grease but keep at it and the scratches will disappear!

 

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Hemostat to Fix Jammed Vacuum Beater BarHemostats can be used for so many things around the house! If you have a nurse that can get them for you from the disposable packs they now use in cath lab, ICU, Radiology special procedures, and ER, for example.

 

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Repairing Plastic BinsYou can fix cracked and broken plastic storage bins with spray on liquid tape. Spray the edges of the break and fit them together, then spray both flat surfaces of the broken area to form a patch that extends outwardly about an inch from the break.

 

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Repairing Grain SacksGrain sacks may be readily patched by turning the bags inside out, smearing a thick flour-and-water paste around each hole, covering the area with a patch and pressing with a hot iron until the glue is dry. The bag may then be turned around back the right way and used.

 

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Making a Watch Battery Last LongerI have several watches. Some for good, some for everyday. When I am not wearing the watches, I pull out the stem and that makes them stop working. This saves on the life of the battery and won't wear them down when they aren't being worn.

 

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Clear Nail Polish to Secure Eyeglasses ScrewIf you need to put a screw in sunglasses or eyeglasses, dab the screw with clear nail polish to keep it in place. The nail polish keeps it in place as it gets in all the cracks and spaces.

 

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Repairing Broken Links in Heavy ChainCut two pieces of sturdy flatiron the length of an ordinary link, drill holes in each end of both pieces, and join the broken chain with the chunks of strap iron and two short bolts.

 

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How to Detangle a NecklaceMoisten a tangled neck chain with vegetable oil before trying to untangle it with two straight pins.

 

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Use Petroleum Jelly on Spray Pump to Keep from JammingDab a tiny drop of petroleum jelly over the pinhole opening of a hairspray pump. It prevents residue from gumming up and rendering it useless. This also works for spray starch.

 

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Wind Steel Wool to Tighten ScrewsMy front door became difficult to open. Upon examining it, I realized that the screws had come loose and the strike plate was sticking out which made it difficult to open. I had a book of household hints that I had bought at a yard sale.

 

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Alcohol For DVD Skip Remover and Eyeglass CleanserI have a two fold tip here. The first is that you can almost always get rid of those annoying skips on your DVDs by gently using eyeglass cleanser and a 100% cotton cleansing cloth.

 

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Repair Reading Glasses with Toy Train ScrewsI am hard on my reading glasses. I have 6 pairs that have one side or the other of the ear piece broken off. I keep the pieces, hoping one day to fix them somehow, but on each one a part of the top where the tiny screw holds them together had broken off.

 

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Cover Bucket Handle With Garden HoseUse pieces of a leaky garden hose to cover a metal handle on a bucket. Trim to handle size and slit the hose down one side. Slip it over the handle and secure with electrical tape.

 

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Buy Thrift Watch for Replacement BandDo you have watches you just don';t have the heart to throw away even though the strap is broken? Purchasing watch bands or straps can be a bit pricey these days. I have a seasonal watch that I like a lot for the summer. The band finally came apart, I wore it so much.

 

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Saving Money On Watch UpkeepMy husband used to bring all our watches in for new batteries at the same time so all the batteries would die around the same time. Then, one day the watch repair employee changing the batteries said to pull the stem out on the watches you don't wear very often.

 

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Repair Rubber Gloves With Super GlueI got a small leak in one of my rubber gloves and was about to throw it away, but decided to try Super glue. I put a small dab on the tear and it worked great.

 

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Reuse Lenses From Broken Reading GlassesDon't throw away those old plastic reading glass lenses if the cheap frames break! I managed to recycle a pair of stronger lenses into another cheap wire frame that was flexible enough to grip around the lenses and was the approximate size and shape.

 

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Oven Cleaner for Thrifty RefinishingIf you want a thrifty and effective way to refinish something, use oven cleaner! Do not use this method on a valuable antique (but then if it is a valuable antique, you should not be refinishing it anyway as it will ruin the patina).

 

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Use Pencil Topper Erasers for Replacement Glue TopsWedge shaped pencil erasers (pencil toppers) make good replacements for lost glue bottle caps. The round hole fits many of the "squirt" type bottle tips, while the wedge end will go into the slotted type end that comes on many wood glues.

 

Repairing a Broken KeyHere's a nifty idea to repair a broken key - the ones with a circular shaft. File a flat on the end and use an electrical strip connector as shown in the diagram. They are quite cheap to buy, and you can cut off any length you need.

 

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Use Bandaids For Emergency Eyeglass RepairIf you ever have to tape eyeglasses of any other small item temporarily, instead of scotch tape or even electrical tape, cut off the sticky portion of a band-aid and use that instead.

 

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Chalk to Prevent Tarnish on JewelryTo save any of your jewelry from tarnishing, pop a length of chalk inside your jewelry box. I have no idea how this works but it does!

 

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Repair a Large Screw Hole With RopeIf you have a hole that is to large for a screw, just put a piece of natural rope into the hole. I like jute or cotton rope the best.

 

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Temporary Fix for Audio and Game CDsIf you have a small scratch in your CDs and don't want to have to have them repaired right away or buy new ones, try this trick. Stick them in the freezer for about five minutes. The cold causes the scratch to contract making the CD usable again.

 

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Use a Toothpick to Unclog Soap DispensersIt's easy to remedy this problem, when foam soap or sanitizer soap containers become clogged and squirts all over when you pump. I use a toothpick to run through the rim, taking care to remove all the clogged soap. Works like a charm.

 

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Repairing Cracks in Fine ChinaRepair fine cracks in china plates and cups by boiling them in milk. The milk reacts with the kaolin in china and closes the crack.

 

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Temporary Fix for a Hose LeakCreate a temporary seal for a water hose or small air hose leak, with the labels from some of the plastic drink bottles. The label will come off, if you crush the bottle into itself. Then slip the label sleeve over the leaking water hose, or air hose and apply heat using a hair dryer.

 

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If Your Watch Becomes MagnetizedThis is a tip to get your watch working again when the second hand is going forward one second and then back one second. If your watch has ever done this, you know just what I mean.

 

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Use Dish Soap When Driving a ScrewTo make your job easier when your driving a screw into hard wood, putting a drop of liquid dish soap on the screw end will make the screw go in much easier and the soap won't hurt a thing.

 

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Check On Repairing Instead Of ReplacingWhile we have central air conditioning that we primarily use, in summer months. At one time, we only used a "swamp cooler" (an evaporative cooler), but not your basic one.

 

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Peanut Butter For CD ScratchesTo remove scratches from CDs, smear peanut butter on the CD, and wipe clean with a soft cloth or coffee filter. Scratch is gone, and it plays like a charm!

 

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Learn About Your Equipment From RepairmenThe gas man just came to look at my vintage gas stove, which we had restored. Even though I have had it for years, by watching him and asking questions, I learned a lot I didn't know about my stove and its care.

 

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Replace Eyeglass ScrewsIt's so easy to replace screws in those eye glasses. I keep a repair kit in an old Altoids tin. Remember you need different sizes of screws, it's not one size fits all.

 

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"Burnish" Metallic Finish With MarkersGot a good deal on extra reading glasses at the 99 Cent Store (the label read $9.95!!). But they are metallic, and even though they are sturdier than my normal plastic glasses, they just look cheesier.

 

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Fixing TweezersHave your tweezers flattened out and lost their spring? Close the tweezers with a pencil placed halfway between the hinge and the points to increase the bend. Then they should grip again.

 

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Repair For Cracked DishVery good tip for a cracked dish. If a cracked dish is heated for 45 minutes in sweet milk, the crack will be so welded together that it will hardly be visible, and will be strong it will stand the same usage as before.

 

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Frugal Cork Grease For Woodwind InstrumentsAny of your kids studying a clarinet or another woodwind with a cork? I just found out that you can use lip balm instead of cork grease - cheaper, easier to get and smells better too.

 

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Refurbishing PotteryRefurbishing Pottery Pieces. Just got a "majolica" Italian plate from a thrift shop for 60 cents. It is lovely, but it had chips on the edges. Being white, I covered the chips with old thickened white-out and then when dry, covered it with a layer of clear nail polish.

 

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Removing Watchband LinksHave you ever bought a watch with a stainless steel bracelet then realized that the band was so huge you could fit it around your ankle?

 

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Fix For Watch BandsFix For Watch Bands Tip. Don't know about you - but I am always breaking those little "belts" on my watch which hold the strap on well before rest of the band is shot. . .

 

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Using Fishing Line and Weed Whacker Line for Folk HarpsDoes anyone out there play a folk harp? Here's a $-saving tip - You can use fishing line for your harp strings. Compare the gauge needed with the heaviness of fishing line used for deep sea fishing.

 

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Rejuvenating Old Paperback Books or PostersYou can rejuvenate old paper items like the covers of used paperback books - or worn posters by touching up the worn spots with colored markers.

 

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Minor RepairsYou CAN do minor repairs on leather and faux leather goods, especially if you have the stitching holes already - just re-sew with thread (doubled or heavy duty) by hand. I ALSO replaced a missing magnetic latch on a lovely teal thrift store backpack bag ...

 

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Stuck Together Postage StampsIf postage stamps become stuck together, put them in the freezer for an hour or two. When you remove them, they should come apart easily.

 

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Oiling the Cupboard DoorsMy mom was 85 when she died, and she was a widow for over 20 years. So I had to laugh when she told me she used Wesson oil to stop her cupboard door from squeaking.

 

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Saving Priceless Audio and Video TapesThere are three main threats to the longevity of audio and video tapes: magnetic fields, moisture, and heat.

 

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Mini Tool Kit for GlassesIf you wear eye-glasses or sunglasses, you might want to consider purchasing a mini tool kit, just so you can keep the mini screwdriver in your purse or wallet for emergencies, in case you were to have a loose screw on your eye-glasses.

 

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Inexpensive Battery Powered Clock WorksNeed to replace the clock works in your favorite clock? Go to the Dollar Store and buy a clock and remove the clock works and place into your clock.

 

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Fixing a Broken Laundry BasketWhen a laundry basket breaks, don't toss it. Drill holes in the rim on either side of the break and sew it together again!

 

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Fixing Loose Glasses with RubberbandsThis morning my glasses were so loose they were sliding down my nose. I keep a package of assorted rubber bands, and I selected two of the tiniest.

 

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Coloring Chipped Lamp with MarkerI had a black lamp that got chipped when we moved it. I just colored the chip in with a black Magic Marker. I did the same thing with my coffee table using a brown marker. On my colored wall, I patched a hole with toothpaste and baking soda, then color matched it with magic marker.

 

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Repair Tears in Window ShadeRepair tears in window shades with colorless nail polish. This works wonders on small tears. By Peggy

 

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