Identifying Bed Sheet Sizes?
It is easy enough. A single/twin bed is 39 across. A double/full bed is 54 across. A queen bed is 60 across. A king bed is 78 across. (That is 2 twin beds side by side) A California king bed is 72 across. Make a note of these measurements on the back of an...
Trace Patterns Off Computer Screen
Just make sure you are using some kind of pencil that wont bleed through the paper or make an indentation on your screen. I wouldnt want to try it on my LCD screen - a new printer (as low as $50) would be a lot less expensive than a new (at least $130) monitor...
Using a Cake Mix That's Expired?
I make many batches of cookies every Christmas from cake mixes that I purchase on sale all year and have never had any complaints. I dont worry too much about the dates, but do use the oldest boxes first. The recipe is... to one box of cake mix, add one large...
Finding Free Yarn?
Our local Goodwill store usually has lots of really cheap yarn. You could also try your local Senior Center. Ours has a store where Seniors can sell the items they make and they often have yarn that is either free or really cheap. You might also try contacting...
Silver Jewelry Leaving Black Marks on T-shirts?
The one time I went down into one of the dormant craters on the island of Hawaii I was wearing a set of sterling hairpins to keep my hair up. When I took them out later at home they were tarnished! Probably the sulpher fumes in the crater. I guess the lesson...
Stretching My Meager Dollars
I keep track of the special deals given by my credit cards. For instance, Discover usually has a deal Jan-Mar of 5% back for gas. Other cards give 2% back when you use them at grocery stores. Also watch the grocery ads every week. Barclays AARP Mastercard gives...
Pompom Loom
What is a pom pom blanket? How about some pictures so we know what you are talking about?
Steel Pen Cups Stuck Together?
Where I used to work we sold metal garbage cans which were always getting stuck together in stacks. We would spray WD-40 all the way around where they were stuck and they would come apart.
Making a Table Cloth from a Doily Pattern?
I have Coats & Clarks book of pineapple patterns from 1946. Contact me with your mailing address and I will copy and send a couple of patterns that will enable you to make a pineapple doily of as large a diameter as you wish. The directions are too long to...
Paying with Coins at Self-Check Out
I used to feel that way about self checkouts. Now I use them all the time because they are faster than waiting in line behind 4 people with full baskets and I can see on the screen in front of me exactly what I am being charged for my items. If something is...
Solutions for Storing Photos?
Can you pass them on to your descendants or someone else in the family who would appreciate all that history?
Preventing Moisture Damage in Ceiling?
It sounds like you need to see where the roof is leaking first and fix it to stop water leaking through to your ceiling.
Keeping Beach Hat On?
You could add a tie by safety pinning some ties to your hat. You dont indicate what kind of hat it is. On my straw hats I put a string around the outside of the crown and put the ends down through the straw.
Finding a Brass Bed Headboard Spindle?
A photo of the other spindles would help a lot. We have no idea what you need if we cant see it.
Removing Mice From Our Home?
Take everything out of those cupboards. Then check (with a flashlight) bottom and sides for any spaces where the mice can get in. Mice can go through very tiny spaces. Seal those spaces with silicon seal. I found spaces in my cupboards around where the sink...
Changing The Color Of LED Bulbs
What a great idea! You just solved the problem about what to do with all my strings of boring all white lights! This would be a good project for children who are home from school and whining about nothing to do!
Political Signs Make Great Knee Pads
They also made great signs for our church bazaar. Spray paint over the letters on the sign then put your own message on with stick-on letters or stencils.
How Do I Fit LED Taper Candles?
I would try Teflon Tape, available at hardware stores. It is white. I have used it with some success on things like garden hose connections.
Single Frugal Folks?
I save money on TV by having a simple antenna connected to my TV. The cord runs out the corner of the window so the antenna can sit on my porch rail. They are available at places like Best Buy and Walmart or even the 99cent store. That way my TV service is...
Easy Sock Top Mug Sleeve
I use 8-10 oz bottles for water that fit in my purse. A baby sock works to keep the moisture on the cold bottle (it is half ice because I keep them in my freezer) from wetting anything in my purse.
Use Junk Mail For Scratch Paper
I order books online at my library. Then they are arranged on shelves in the foyer of the library for me to pick up. Each book has a slip in it that is printed on one side with my last initial and the last 4 digits of my library card. These slips are blank...
How to Keep Thread From Unwinding
How about some pictures? The instructions are for bobbin but your introducing comments sound like you are talking about thread spools. The whole things sounds like a lot of unnessary work.
Keep Wrapping Paper Neat
You must have very tiny presents to wrap! Most of mine take more than a half width of paper. I use empty paper towel holders, slit open and then clamped on the wrapping paper roll after the cellophane is removed.
Dry Your Own Herbs
You can also dry them on a cookie sheet in a gas over where the pilot light keeps the oven warm. It takes at least a week, but is a lot less trouble. My oven will hold 6 cookie sheets.
Business Name Ideas for Adult Care
Anything but Sunset Gardens which is the name of a place like that in my community. It sounds like a place where you go to die. How about Senior Manor?
Get the Most from Your Lemon
My lemon tree produces a bazillion lemons all through the year. After I have loaded up my friends with all the lemons they will take I pick a bucketfull for myself. Then juice them and pour the juice into a pop-out ice cube tray. The extra juice goes into plastic...
Seed Dresser
I use a similar item (but smaller) to store all my earrings and pendants on a shelf in my bathroom. Over the years just too much in my collection to just hang on a wall!
DIY Paper Towel Sheet Saver Using a Tissue Box
Instead of using all that time cutting paper in half, why not just buy the kind of towels that tear off a half width? I dont think they are any more expensive that the rolls that are just whole towels.
Name Ideas for Church Senior Citizens Groups?
How about Geezers at Large? This would show that you dont really take yourselves all that seriously. The older folks comments that I really resent is when someone obviously younger than I am tries to tell me that I am 81 years young. It took me 81 long, hard...
Cleaning Out a Deceased Person's Home
Good ideas! I have made sure my daughter knows about any place I may hide something. She also has a full list of passwords for my computer stuff.
Easy Childproof Cabinets
This is also a good idea if you live in California and dont want all your dishes to fall out of the cupboards when you have the next quake.
Medical Information for Emergencies
If you are with Kaiser Medical you can get a USB drive with your whole medical record on it. Then all the EMTs have to do is plug it into their laptop to see everything. It is password protected so I just wrote my password on mine. You can also purchase these...
Repairing Old Figurines
You could also use Polymer Clay which is baked in the oven at low temperatures. It comes in a variety of forms and colors at craft stores such as Michaels or Joanns.
Uses For Windshield Sun Shades
Many cars have a way to fold down the rear seats so you can get into the trunk. It would be a good idea to scope out this possibility on your car. I wonder if it would be possible to get out of the sun roof hatch on top of the car if you cant open the doors...
Restoring a Tarnished Gold Bracelet
If it truly was Gold it wouldnt have tarnished in the first place. Look for a mark on the inside that says 14k or 10k. It probably was brass as suggested in another comment. Ketchup is also a good brightener for copper-bottomed pots and pans.
Remembering When to Feed My Plants
For over 60 years I have watered my houseplants with a very diluted solution of Miracle Gro. I use just enough to tint the water a very pale aqua color and water them whenever they need it with this water. This makes them grow really well and I dont have to...
Thrift Stores Are Not Created Equal
You have to know standard retail prices when you shop at Thrifts. For instance, I buy jigsaw puzzles for $1 at $Tree. They are priced at $1.59 at our local Goodwill. Those people also work on removing color of the week items from the floor every week so it...
Champagne Cork Crochet Hook Savers
After crocheting a lot for the last 68 years, it looks to me like the extra weight on the end of the hook would throw off your tension and make your hand very tired. I prefer the method of just inserting the hook into my work when I put it down. You could also...
Find Parking Meters With Time Left
You must not live in San Francisco, CA where you are lucky to be able to even get a parking space, ever, much less one with time left on the meter!
Repairing A Scratched Hamper with Marker
I use the colored fabric pens on my colored running shoes to freshen them up. You can also use the fabric pens to color over white-out splashes on your hubbys shirts. These pens are available at Michaels, Joanns and other fabric stores.
Easy Butter Frosting
Just a suggestion. Use a fluted tip when you swirl the frosting on to the cupcakes. The round tip makes the piles of chocolate frosting look like something other than frosting.
Licorice Straws
Cute idea! Except that those red candy sticks are not licorice sticks. True licorice sticks are black and taste exactly like licorice. I believe the red ones are called Red Vines and they taste more like strawberry.
Finally Starting Out Being Thrifty
I get my internet access through the local phone company (Frontier). My TV is free because I deleted all those expensive monthly plans and just got a $10 antenna at Walmart. It brings in all the stations within a 40 mile radius of where I live.
At Home Tracing Table
Something else that works is a dining table that has leaves to insert to make it longer. Pull it apart and lay a piece of clear plastic or glass over the opening. Shine a light up from underneath. This way you can have tracing area of almost any size.
Avocado Growing at an Angle After Pruning?
I planted my avo tree in the yard about 15 years ago when it was 3 tall. It is now about 20 tall and about 15 wide. Apparently it liked where it was planted. I live in the 9 range where a lot of garlic is grown.
Don't Underestimate Your Car's Trunk Capacity
In my car you can fold down the rear seats so that something long stuck in the trunk will push forward over the backs of the folded down rear seats. A lot of cars have this possibility. This will give you as much as an extra 4 feet of length.
Replacing Your Watch Battery
I have seen the tools that you use to open a watch at Harbor Freight stores. If you dont have one in your town, just look at one of their ads (they are ubiquitous in every publication including the Sunday paper) and go to their website... HarborFreight.com
Replacing the Tub Shower Combination in a Mobile Home?
A temporary fix for a cracked plastic tub in my 1973 mobile home was Flex Tape. It is expensive, but worth the trouble. My size tub is not available from the usual outlets and there is probably damage under the floor so it would turn into a large, long, expensive...
Tufting a Comforter
Or you could just tie it with yarn which would be the traditional way to do it. My grandmother told me about it.
Vinegar as Natural Kettle Descaler
I use full strength white vinegar to descale my tea kettle. I have found that I can use it more than once so I just pour it back into a bottle and save it for the next time. That saves me a lot of money on vinegar!
Test New Sheets Before Washing
Something you need to know before you buy any fitted sheets is the measurement of the depth of your mattress. My old fitted sheets wont fit all the way down on the corners of my new mattress because the old mattress was only 6 thick. The new mattress takes...
Nail Polish Marbled Eggs
Why not use plastic eggs which are available by the bagful near Easter. Then no one would be tempted to eat them and they wouldnt be nearly as fragile as a real egg shell.
Help Your Wallet with Tape
I have been doing that too. It sure makes it easier to pull out the cards. One time a young cashier pulled off the tape. When I pointed out that I put it there to make it easier to pull out the card she just gave me a blank look.
No Need for a TV
I dont pay for TV either. I bought an antenna at the 99cent store that sits out on my porch and brings in about 30 chanels for FREE! I ran the wire for it out through a corner of the window behind my TV. You can also get an antenna at Walmart or Best Buy, but...
Shortening a Chain Necklace
Putting a knot in your chain is a good way to ruin a good chain. Only do this with costume jewelry. I spent many years as a jeweler repairing karat gold and sterling silver necklaces. Another way to shorten a chain is to put a jump ring into one of the links...
Removing Stuck-on Labels
It was probably the grease in the butter that did it. I take off those gummy labels with baby oil or WD-40. Just apply it liberally to the gum and let it sit overnight. Then you can usually just wipe it off with paper towels.
Fast Folding T-Shirt Technique
This didnt make any sense to me at all. How aboout some more pictures??
Cleaning a Keyboard with Isopropyl Alcohol
Where in the world did you get a white keyboard? I would love to have one. All the ones I have ever seen are black and only show dust. I use a small, sable make-up brush on a tilted up keyboard to take care of the dust.
Increase your Vocabulary
A good site for new vocabulary is A.Word.A.Day. You can subscribe here... https://wordsmith.org/awad/subscribe.html The words are interesting with sometimes amusing comment from readers.
Mark the Top Side of Electrical Plugs
Great idea! I live in a mobile home built in 1973. All my plugs are upside-down so the big part is on the right. Has anyone else run into this? The way I remember is Starboard-Green-Right, Port-Red-Left. All large words for the right and all small words for...
Look for Greeting Cards at Yard Sales
Sometimes you can get whole packages of greeting cards at the Goodwill, Salvation Army or other thrift stores for only a couple of dollars.
Activities for Someone Who Suffered a Stroke?
Look up your local Senior Center. Ours has free classes in things like chair yoga. If she is in a wheel chair you could take her for a walk around the neighborhood.
Why a Budget is Like a Shower
Thats a great way to figure things! Or you could break it down some more. Until my Tai Chi teacher moved to New Mexico, I was donating $5 per class, 2 days a week. Not much for a class, but that is about $40 a month! I now do the exercises at home because I...
Wearing Fancy Earrings with Sensitive Ears
It is probably the nickel in the metal of the inexpensive earrings that is causing the reaction. You could also try coating the post and back of the earrings with clear nail polish. My grandaughter is allergic to nickel so the family story is that her boyfriends...
Rice Filled Glass DIY Knife Stand
Good idea, but it looks like it could easily be knocked over. I would use one of my beer mugs that has an extra wide bottom.
Difference Between Blue Cross & Medicare?
Some places like Costco or Walmart will sell you the more common prescriptions for only $4. Ask at the pharmacy department for more information.
Masking Tape for Eyebrow Shaping
That sounds like it would pull out all the hairs in your eyebrow. How do you prevent this? I wouldnt want to do that.
Painting the Inside of a Glass Block?
Pour a lot of liquid paint inside the glass and then turn it in many directions to coat the inside then drain the excess out the hole. Leave it upside down on a rack to drain and dry for several days.
Cleaning a Toothbrush Used for Cleaning?
Why not just throw it away? I have accumulated many more old toothbrushes than I need since I change them every few months. So I just throw them in the re-cycle when I am finished with the cleaning job.
Finding My Aunts Who Were Given Up for Adoption?
Try Ancestry.com. They have a variety of ways to find people. Also go to the Mormon website and put in your information. I dont know if this will work outside the U.S. but they do have an immense amount of information. Any Mormon church can tell you how to...
Waves Cowl
Why no instructions? I have been crocheting for 65 years and couldnt figure out how to do it because the pictures went by too fast. Would it have been so hard to to add some simple WRITTEN instructions or a chart? After all, this was supposed to be a How-to...
Get Every Last Drop out of Your Bottles
After doing your trick with the bottles, I slice them open with a craft knife and scoop out the rest of what is in there. I can usually get enough out of my (expensive!) sun screen containers to do my face, neck and arms. It also works the cut off your toothpaste...
Label Office Stuff with Your Name
Use those return address labels that you get in the mail from people who want you to contribute to their charity. I have a backlog of a couple of hundred and use them on a lot of stuff.
Help Your Dishwasher to Dry Dishes Properly
I do that as soon as the last rinsing cycle is finished. Also it is a good idea to shake the water off plastic containers and their lids where it tends to accumulate under the rims. Then things dry all the way.
Using a Binder Clip for Toothpaste
I hope you dont get fired for stealing office supplies! Binder clips can be purchased at many stores.
Isopropyl Alcohol to Remove Permanent Marker from Clothing
For regular ball point pen ink marks I used to use cheap hairspray to take the marks off my husbands dress shirts. Spray on liberally, wash in cool water, marks are gone.
Making a Memorial Project with Father's Clothing?
Please dont say that quilting is difficult. I use very big squares - 10 - and this makes it easy to sew everything together. Do a random design of square placement with whatever fabric you use. Then I zigzag along all the seam lines to sew the patchwork to...
Identifying a Houseplant?
This is a succulent called a Jade Plant. Mine lives on my porch in California area 9, and I have seen them used as hedges. It is very easy to start more plants from a piece. Currently, in January, mine is blooming with clusters of small, white flowers. It gets...
Making the Connected Loops Crochet Scarf?
I would just crochet one more row across, catching the top of the last loop as I go.
Check Your Receipt for Incorrect Prices
I always use the check out yourself aisle at Safeway, Walmart and other places. It shows right there on the screen in front of you exactly what your discount is so you dont have to try to decipher those complicated receipts after you have paid. If it doesnt...
Use Envelopes for Recycling Paper
We go through a lot of the original Cheerios in the big double boxes in our house. The empty boxes are used for re-cycled papers.
Carry Scissors with You
I have always carried a pair of folding scissors on a keychain with other things like a 2-ended screwdriver that fits my glasses and a WWII can opener. I also carry a multi-tool that has all kinds of things on it including a flashlight and pliers.
Mango Lime Bars
Please be cautious using mangos. Some of us are allergic to them and have a reaction that is similar to the reaction to Poison Oak. You need to let people know that your items have mango in them just as you need to tell people if there are peanuts.
Cleaning Nicotine from Walls
I have found that a mixture of half ammonia and half water takes off cigarette smoke. You might also want to add couple of squirts detergent to your gallon container. It also takes the kitchen grease off my cupboard doors very well.
DIY Plastic Bag Dispenser
I just stuff my extra plastic bags into one of those umbrella bags that are given away in various stores in the rainy season. They hold 40-50 bags. Then I store them stacked like logs on the top shelf of my shed. I started doing this many years ago when they...
Value of Britannia 14th Edition 1929...
I think you will find that it has almost no value at all. Everything is on the Internet now days.
7 Tips for Making Thrift Shopping a Breeze
My daughter and I went to 20 thrift stores in 5 days in Reno, NV when I was up there to visit the family. We always get amazing bargains, but are careful about what we pick up. There are more thrift stores in the Reno/Sparks area than anywhere else in the world...
Using a Smaller Hook to Make a Crochet Stuffy?
A smaller hook will make your stitches tighter. This might save you a little yarn. Yes, it will probably make your project smaller, too.
Changing the Direction a Shirt Buttons
That didnt make any sense at all. Why would you want to change the direction of a button and exactly what do you mean by change the direction?
Old Annie's Crochet Afghan Patterns?
That sounds like what Annie called Mile a Minute afgans. Google that and you will find links to many patterns.
Toddler Water Play
Remember, a toddler can drown in half a bucket of water. A pot full or a sink full sounds kind of dangerous to me.
Chalkboard Shopping List
I use a magnet clip with paper from junk mail in it with pen hanging from it on the side of my fridge. Just take the top piece with the list on it when I go to the store. No wasted time finding a paper and pen and writing everything down again for a shopping...
Separating Stuck Pots and Pans
When I worked in a garden store, the metal garbage cans we had stacked on display would stick together. We just sprayed WD-40 around the top of the bottom one where it had the next one stuck in it and it would come off. Then sprayed the next one, etc. It also...
Use Coffee or Tea for Gray Hair
I prefer to call my hair color silver. Grey sounds so old and depressing even though it started turning from gold (blonde) to silver about 20 years ago when I was only 60. Now it is becoming platinum (white!).
Storing Plastic Bags Using Football Fold
I agree! I would rather spend the time reading a good book! Just stuff them in a wastebasket that you store under a table. Or you can stuff them into the wet umbrella bags that some hospital clinics have at their front doors in rainy weather.
Thrift Shops Before Retail
That is the best way to shop. When I visit my daughters in Reno we tour the thrifts. One time we did 13 in just 2 days! Got lots of bargains that time.
Using Laundry Detergent Bottles For Water Jugs?
I use a lot of white vinegar for cleaning and rinsing my hair. I save the empty gallon containers to use for refilling with water at the store to drink at home. There is no vinegar after-taste if it is rinsed out well.
Cake Mix Cookies
Ive been making cakemix cookies for years for our church bazaar where I have to make a whole lot of them. I just use one egg and one stick of softened butter. Whenever butter is on sale for under $3 I always buy the limit. It never seems to go bad.
"Sock It To Me" Cell Phone Case
Baby socks also make nice holders for water bottles. I carry an 8oz. water bottle in one of the pockets in my purse and the baby sock keeps it from sweating on the purse.
Flowerpot Gardener Taking a Rest
I hope you are using a pump to re-cycle that water. If not, you are simply wasting a lot of one of our most precious resources. We would be fined a lot here in California if we did that!
Bull's Eye Tie Dye Pattern
What an easy way to do tie dye! However, not such a good idea for Californians. Since we are in an extremely severe drought, using that much water would be criminal. Is there a way to do this without using water?
Magnetic Knife Holder
Our local grocery store butcher shop will sharpen knives for free for you. They give out a cardboard sleeve for your knife to put your name and phone number on. I keep all my knives in these sleeves in a drawer without any worry about them getting dull by knocking...
Ideas for Repurposing or Reusing Blankets and Comforters?
I keep a couple of old comforters spread across the back seat of my car. No one ever sits there, but if someone wanted to, I would just stuff them in my trunk. Meanwhile, they are not taking up any space in my trunk so I have plenty of room for groceries etc...
Keeping Silver Jewelry from Tarnishing?
You can get something at a fabric store called anti-tarnish flannel. It is usually brown. I make bags from this for my silver jewelry or just wrap in in a piece. Also, I have lined the drawers in my jewelry chest with this cloth. It works pretty well to keep...
Using Pill Bottles for Storage
I save the black air-tight containers from my glucose test strips to use for all kinds of things - matches, herbs, pins, aspirins, etc for camping trips etc. I think you get the idea.
Repairing an Old Crochet Tablecloth?
Go to a large fabric store and ask them about fusing it to a sheet. They will be able to tell you exactly what to use and how to use it. Try House of Fabrics or Joanns if you have them in your area.
Uses for Plastic Vitamin Bottles?
I use them for my used needles and test strips that I use with my glucose meter every morning. When the bottle is full I take it up to our Kaiser Clinic and put it in their container for used needles etc. and they take care of it from there.
Recycle Old Sweaters into New Clothing
Old sweaters also make great stuffed toys like teddy bears or unicorns . Especially if they previously belonged to someone the child knew.
Clearing Potato Peelings From Disposal
Lots of things cant or dont need to be put in garbage disposer. I put most of my garbage peelings etc. in my yard waste can with the weeds etc. from my yard for pick up by the recycle company. It is all compostable for future food growing! Hardly ever use the...
Clearing Potato Peelings From Disposal
I hardly ever put anything through my garbage disposer. All of that stuff can go in the yard waste can to be turned into compost. Why run up your electric bill using something that will eventually mess up your plumbing? Another thing I do is to pour a kettle...
Getting Dowels for EZ Bowmaker?
You can get any size dowels at a hardware store such as Lowes or Home Depot. Then just use a hacksaw to cut them to the proper length.
Dowels and Instruction Book for E-Z Bow Maker?
You can get any size dowels (sticks) at a hardware store such as Lowes or Home Depot. Then just cut them to the proper length with a hacksaw. Or you could return the item to the store and ask them to open boxes until you find one with everything in it. Or you...
Top Shelf Storage Tips for Short People
You can also get the grabbit tool at hardware stores like Lowes. I have a shelf above my toilet and have found out the hard way that I should close the toilet seat BEFORE I try to reach something above it!
Replacing Vintage Crochet on Costume?
A: Learn to crochet. The vintage patterns are out there. Try the library for books full of them. B: Shop the thrift stores for crochet pieces. C: Publish photos of your old laces and ask for the kindness of strangers to crochet new ones for you.
Save Countertops with Plastic Lids
You can do this with lids under cans of shaving creme that you keep in the shower to keep them from rusting the tub.
Pink Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet)
I hope everyone realizes that all parts of all species of Brugmansia are poisonous. Touching the plant and putting your fingers in your mouth may cause hallucinations.
Repairing Antique Glass Ornaments?
There is a paint available to paint on glass to make stained glass windows. I cant remember the name or who makes it. You can try Michaels Craft store or Joanns Craft or Hobby Lobby. One of them should have it. I would recommend that you experiment first on...
Mosquito Repellent?
Dont know about the menthol plant, but they dont like garlic. This goes for the plant as well as for people who eat a lot of garlic. Mosquitoes never bother me in my garden!
Cherry Trees Not Bearing Fruit?
Cherry trees need partner trees in order to cross pollenate to bear fruit. Ask someone at your local nursery about this.
Drying Flower Petals for Sachets?
I have a gas stove that operates on the old pilot lights that are always on. Consequently, the oven is always warm. Rose petals on metal cookie sheets will dry in less than 24 hours in my oven. The petals have a more interesting color than if they were air...
Drying Flower Petals for Sachets?
Another possibility would be a set of stacked sweater drying racks. Those might be easier to find than the fruit drying racks. I used to have one that would dry 3 sweaters at a time.
