Add some fizzle and sizzle to bath time with a homemade bath bomb. Bath bombs make great holiday or birthday gifts. You will need: 1 c. baking soda 1/2 c. cornstarch 1/2 c. citric acid 2 1/2 tbsp. sweet almond oil 1/8 c. distilled water 6 drops of the essential oil of your ch ...more
Bake a red velvet cake whenever you want to serve a dessert that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. You Will Need: * 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted * 1 tsp. salt * 2 tbsp. cocoa powder * 2 1-ounce bottles of red food coloring * 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter, divid ...more
Give a new look to your photographs! Use coffee! This video tutorial will show you how to develop film with coffee and washing soda, along with a little vitamin C. Developing photos with this so-called "Caffenol" developing, produces pictures lovely, soft-contrast, black-and- ...more
Concoct soda at home—over time, you'll save a bundle by not using the store-bought stuff. Plus, it's fizzy fun! You Will Need * 1/8 tsp. brewer’s or bread yeast * 1/2 c. lukewarm water * 1 gal. water * 2 1/4 c. sugar * 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of soda extract in the fla ...more
To make your own laundry soap you will need washing soda, borax, and a bar of pure soap. Any bar of soap will work. You just don't want to use a moisturizing soap or other soaps with added ingredients. Take your bar of soap and grate it into a storage container using a cheese ...more
Want to have a green Thanksgiving this year? You can make a classy, lovely Thanksgiving centerpiece with your children out of recycled materials! This project uses empty glass soda bottles, a few paints, flowers and some old jewelry or colored beads.
If you get looks of exasperation whenever you stammer out a drink order, take this crash course in bar-speak. Step 1: Learn this neat terminology Learn the correct terms to specify your drink’s temperature. Ordering it “neat” means the liquor will be served right out of the b ...more
Watch and learn with the GOMI crew. This instructional arts and crafts video shows you how to turn your empty cans into cool, beautiful flower bouquets. Recycle cans and make a fun flower design for your bedroom, dorm room or front porch. Place the aluminum flowers in a recycl ...more
Home chemistry is great, but what happens when you forget to label your chemicals? How do you know if you turned a clear glass of ammonia into a clear glass of unobtainium? Chemists have a tool for just that. Litmus paper are small bits of filter paper saturated with a reacti ...more
Oh, boy. A stopped-up drain. It'll inevitably happen with any home plumbing system and your kitchen sink is no exception. That clog won't go away on its own and will require immediate attention to keep any standing water from rising. But you don't have to resort to calling an ...more
Have you always admired tie dye shirts but didn't know how to make those fancy patterns? This tutorial will give you step-by-step instructions on how to make the V pattern on a shirt. Start by soaking the shirt in soda ash to get it ready to accept the dye. Next you'll learn h ...more
Science-fiction writer Jules Verne predicted many scientific breakthroughs, including the moon landing, tasers, and nuclear submarines. In his 1874 book The Mysterious Island, Verne writes: I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which ...more
In order to make Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent, you will need the following materials: A dutch oven or a large pot, a grater, a spoon, ¬O cup of Borax, ¬O cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, a bowl, a measuring cup, 3-5 gallon cleaning bucket, empty plastic detergent bottles ...more
...Or just a little tipsy. Rhubodka = Rhubarb vodka, the perfect summer drink. Very easy to make, recipe courtesy of Apartment Therapy. You Will Need: 1 1.75-liter bottle of vodka (bottom shelf cheap vodka is fine) 4-5 sticks of red rhubarb (not green) 1/3-1/2 cup sugar ...more
Preserving the environment is not only the right thing to do—it can result in significant cost savings for your business. Step 1: Educate yourself Educate yourself about the local, state, and federal environmental regulations that apply to your business. Step 2: Evaluate you ...more
Nothing ruins a romantic fresh air picnic like the buzzing of angry yellow jackets—especially since, unlike the useful honey bee, they can use their stingers over and over again... Learn how to deal with bees without getting stung. This instructional video from Howcast offers ...more
In this video, GoPlanetEarth.com shows viewers how to make bath bombs. The ingredients needed are: a half cup of Epsom salt, a half cup of citric acid, one cup of baking soda, one teaspoon of liquid glycerin, one teaspoon of water, three teaspoons of oil (the fragrance for you ...more
Best quotes: "A supply of tea with milk and sugar would be nice. If it is tea I really like, I like it without milk and sugar. With milk and sugar, any kind of tea is fine. I always bring tea bags with me, so if we use my tea bags, I will certainly like that tea without milk ...more
Commercial hair conditioners aren’t just expensive, they’re loaded with chemicals. Why don’t you whip up something more natural at home? Step 1: Use green tea Green tea is rich in compounds that make hair shiny and silky. Pour two cups boiling water over two tea bags and stee ...more
Unless you're a high-schooler building a nuclear fusion reactor, the hardest part of a science investigatory project often is coming up with a good idea. You want it to be cool yet feasible, novel but still useful. That's why Ai-ni Bautista's science project on making liquid ...more
Alas, today we continue on the journey to a more environmentally conscious way of being with part 2 of How to make your beauty routine more eco-friendly. Check out part 1 here. Greening your beauty routine is not actually a selfless decision. In fact, when you cut back on pla ...more
Do you do last minute cramming before you go to the dentist? No, I don't mean reading up on orthodontia in hopes of having an intellectual conversation about crowns with your dentist (how you can talk at all with all those tools in your mouth is beyond me, though dentists alwa ...more
Recycling your garbage is noble and, in many places, mandatory. But it also can be very confusing. This guide will clear up the rules. Step 1: Check Laws Check the local laws regarding recycling in your town. Step 2: Rinse Rinse glass bottles, plastic containers, and alumi ...more
Don’t wait for your next headache to pull out that bottle of aspirin. Aspirin can be used as a topical home remedy for some medical problems, and as a handy fix to remove stain, keep your flowers fresh and even start a car battery. Aspirin is not only used for health benefits ...more
From poison oak to allergies, irritants can cause an irritated area that can itch for hours. Itching is annoying and distracting, but you don't have to go to the store to find relief. You can make a topical cream to alleviate itching with things you have at home. Stop the itc ...more
If you're a Febreze fanatic, you're well aware that the "odor eliminator" can be pretty pricey, and that's reason enough to stop buying it. There are cheaper ways to stop smells from invading your home, from using lemons to de-stink a litter box or garbage disposal, to using ...more
Tonic water, seltzer water, club soda, and mineral water: these 4 types of "bubbly water" are often, erroneously, used interchangeably. But the truth is that each possesses unique qualities and uses that set them apart from each other. Most experts can tell types of bubbly wat ...more
Holidays are a time for good food and good drink, but more often than not, we substitute good drink for, well, cheap drink. However, cheap wine doesn't have to be bad. As the international wine industry grows, it's becoming more common to find decent bottles on the cheap, and ...more
While seltzer water is commonly consumed as a beverage (and a healthier alternative to carbonated soda), it is less known as a fantastic addition to many familiar recipes. The bubbles in seltzer water expand when heated, and when added to certain foods, it instantly allows the ...more
The drinking straw isn't just there to help you make annoying noises when you get to the bottom of your soda. That little tube of plastic is extremely versatile and can make your life a lot easier with a little know-how. Curious? Read on to find out more. Bendy or straight, th ...more
Unless you're a bartender or a hardcore drink aficionado, understanding the different types of carbonated water and their best uses can get confusing. This is especially true since most people use the terms "club soda," "sparkling water," and "seltzer water" interchangeably wh ...more
Bill Beaty's at it again! Our favorite crackpot physicist presents a backyard solution to that emergency need for cryogenic fluid. Sometimes you can't wait to freeze daisies. Recipe: dry ice, soda bottles, and rubbing alcohol. The alcohol does not freeze to solid state. Inste ...more
Just because a problem is small or superficial doesn't mean it can't annoy the living crap out of you. Others may think you're overreacting, or even have the audacity to roll their eyes, but you're in your own personal hell. First-world problems, white whines—call it whatever ...more
While walk-in closets are nice, not many of us actually have one. Instead, we're stuck with tiny wall closets or those oddly-shaped spears. Add a roommate or girlfriend and you have yourself a classic dilemma—"Where in the French toast do I put all my damn clothes?" No matter ...more
In this Quick Clip, I'll be showing you how a supercooled soda is transformed into a slushy "slurpee" in under 4 seconds. I was inspired to do this little soda trick by The Super Effect's video on YouTube from a few years ago. Video: . To get this effect, I put 4 bottles of 50 ...more
The following are 10 simple yet effective pranks you can set up around the house, school or the office on April Fools' Day. You'll won't need any special tools or materials to pull these off. Video: . Step 1: 10 Simple Household Pranks For this first prank, head over to the r ...more
Most of you probably spread ketchup all over hamburgers and fries. Some of you may even drink it straight. But did you know that tame (and slightly addictive) condiment in your fridge is also a powerful cleaning agent? Melissa Ibbitson, 19, consumes 3 bottles of ketchup every ...more
With the upcoming Memorial Day weekend serving as the unofficial start of summer, Pepsi is turning to Instagram to help sell its soft drinks to quench the thirst of beachgoers and BBQers. This week, Pepsi kicked off its #Summergram (yes, with the hashtag symbol) campaign with ...more
Most wood furniture is long-lasting, durable, and resistant to great wear and tear over the years. However, set a single sweaty, wet cup or bottle on the surface of your favorite wood dining table, or your prominently placed wooden coffee table, and you'll end up with a round ...more
It feels great to wrap up in a big, fluffy towel after a steamy shower, but it's frustrating when that towel isn't quite up to the job. Over time, towels lose their ability to hold water and dry as needed thanks to daily use and the biggest culprit—laundry detergent. Why Laun ...more
The best sangria I ever had in my life was made by a Spanish friend for my birthday party. The ingredients included a giant box of Franzia red, one bottle of Bombay Sapphire Blue, one cup of sugar, a liter of 7-Up, and some cinnamon sticks. She put everything but the 7-Up in a ...more
Here's how to build a sexy looking water-fuel generator that will convert your tap water into an extremely powerful, clean burning gas! Video: . An oxyhydrogen generator, like this one, uses electricity from your car battery to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gasses. Toge ...more
Everyone has a junk drawer in their kitchen. It's like an unspoken rule. The junk drawer is full of all the strange bits of what not that accumulates in your home over time. Everything in there is useful, and you never want to throw any of it away for fear that you might need ...more
Even though smartphone audio quality has improved in recent years, the tiny built-in speakers aren't always loud enough. But if you want to turn the volume up to 11, all you need is a few household items to make a rig that will amplify your phone's speakers throughout the whol ...more
Since the dawn of time—well, that maybe a slight exaggeration, but let's roll with it—sly entrepreneurs have been swindling the general public with inferior products for the sake of saving a few cents. Nothing is sacred when it comes to saving money: caviar, cheese, or even ba ...more
When we tell folks how often we use apple cider vinegar, they are baffled and bewildered. "I've had a bottle sitting in my pantry for 10 years," is the response we encounter most. And "I never use it!" Some have never even used apple cider vinegar at all in their lifetime, bel ...more
After a few years, your cinnamon, paprika, and saffron begin to lose their vibrant hues, and the aromas that once filled your kitchen are barely distinguishable when you open their jars. These are telltale signs that your spices need to be replaced sooner rather than later. D ...more
Bees are the key to pollination and healthy vegetation, and wasps may help by assisting in pest control, but despite their benefits in the world, they're still a real pain in the ass if they're in your face. This would probably warrant an expression stronger than "pain in the ...more
I was just 16 when I poured my first beer. It was my first restaurant job and a customer ordered a pint while the bartender was busy. I'd seen her do it hundreds of times, and she made it look so easy. Besides, it couldn't be that different from filling a cup from the soda mac ...more
How many of us actually drink enough water? It's one of the easiest ways to improve your health, but most people don't get nearly as much as they should. We've grown so accustomed to soda, coffee, and sugary juices that water just seems bland by comparison. That's why drinks l ...more
If you want to start the party out right, you have to impress the crowd with your awesome bartending skills. While lighting cocktails on fire is a nice way to warm up the crowd, it's been done by thousands of bartenders across the globe. Plus, if you're not careful, you could ...more
Maybe you've had a long day... or maybe you just want to treat yo' self. So you head to your local watering hole for some tasty, tasty liquor. Your current fave on the cocktail list is a drink of something strong with bitters; you don't know what bitters are, but damn if that ...more
Whites are the hardest color to keep looking bright and new after just a few months' time. Your sweat and oils quickly become stains, and colors from other clothes will eventually bleed into the fabric, discoloring your bright whites into something merely whitish. But before y ...more
Coconut oil must be sent from the gods themselves, because this stuff is made of miracles. If you ever wondered why your mother always has it around, it's because she's smart enough to know the countless uses for it. Whether you need a beauty remedy, help with weight loss, or ...more
Throwing a party means making sure everyone has fun, but that pursuit can quickly get out-of-hand. Before you know it, you're once laid back get-together has received so many RSVPs that it becomes obvious you're throwing the party of the century. With an over-abundance of beer ...more
If you've got a birthday party to plan for a young budding scientist coming up, a little nitrogen should do the trick. In this project, I'll show you 10 "super cool" tricks with liquid nitrogen that you could try, but probably shouldn't! Video: . WARNING: Adult Supervision Nee ...more
All day I dream of eggs: scrambled, poached, over easy, hard-boiled, fried, baked, raw... Okay, the last one is a joke (unless you're Gaston, which means that you eat five dozen of them and you're roughly the size of a barge). But eggs are freaking good in just about any cooki ...more
Your freezer is no one-trick pony. While it does excel at keeping your food fresh for as long as possible, it has a few secret talents it doesn't want you to know about. Like making soda slushies and pyro-friendly smoke mix, as well as reviving dead hard drives. Even better—it ...more
Baking is one of life's greatest joys. There's something truly magical about taking a half a dozen humble ingredients, mixing them until they're an odd-colored sludge, tossing them into an oven, and watching them emerge as something elegant and delicious. One of my favorite t ...more
My years in the restaurant business have taught me many things. Some of those things are best left unsaid and other things require a PhD in vulgarity, but the one thing I learned that I keep coming back to night after night is that you do not have to spend a lot of money to dr ...more