Candles can be pretty expensive, which is why most of you probably resort to flashlights during a power outage. But when your batteries run out, you're out of luck, unless you know one of these methods for making a DIY emergency candle out of household junk. In this video, I ...more
Originally made using whale fat, candles first appeared over 2,200 years ago as a means of illumination. From the 1st century up until the 19th century, candles were primarily made using beeswax or tallow, and aside from providing light, were used as a method of keeping time. ...more
Camping in the rain sucks. It's not enough to deal with your clothes and tent being soaked—it makes starting a fire nearly impossible if you're not carrying waterproof matches. You can buy them pretty much anywhere that sells camping gear, but if you've got regular matches and ...more
Ironing is a serious chore: hot, unpleasant, and frustrating all in one, but necessary if you don't want to look like you crawled out of bed just before work. While you might only turn to your flatiron when faced with wrinkled clothing, this little appliance packs the power to ...more
When I was moving into my current apartment, I had to store some of my things in my ex-roommate's garage for over a month while I was getting settled. One of those things was my dresser. Upon moving it into my new place, I realized something was horribly, horribly wrong—none o ...more
Winter is already here, and when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, he tends to nip on your wallet, too. That's right—between holiday parties, gift-giving, heating bills, and all the required snow and wet-weather gear you need, the winter months can get pretty expensive. So ...more
To prevent mosquitos from bombing your next outdoor summer party, make your own DIY citronella candles using soy wax, glass mason jars, citronella oil, candle wicks, and a little superglue. While making your own citronella candles take a little more time and effort than simpl ...more
Cheese is one of the most loved foods in the world, and there are hundreds of different types. Some prefer super expensive gourmet cheeses, others are fine with the cheaper processed stuff. Whether it's an imported wedge from the cheese counter or pre-sliced from the deli, yo ...more
Buying candles is easy and all, but making them yourself can be a fun project that you and others can take part in doing. So in this video tutorial, you'll find out how to easily make great homemade candles. It's easy to do and will give some nice, relaxing light to your rooms ...more
For those of us lucky enough to have gone on a hot air balloon, the sights you see are truly something spectacular. And unline hopping aboard a plane or a helicopter, hot air balloons are completely open air, which means you can enjoy the wind blowing in your face and communin ...more
Often, despite your favorite makeup mecca's rows and rows of endless colors, applicators, and brands, it's hard to find the perfect shade of lipstick—especially one at the price you want. Rather than resorting to what's available in stores, turn to your stovetop and a box of c ...more
Think a hot air balloon is something you can only read about in books? Think again. In this six-part science based tutorial, learn how to make your very own hot air balloon using science & the following easy to find materials: plastic bags, plastic drinking straws, thin candle ...more
The first day of Hanukkah is here, the day you start lighting the candles of the menorah. So, why not ditch the wax and light the "lights" this year? (Skip ahead to see the LED menorah) Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that lasts eight days from the 25th day of Kislev, which th ...more
In order to prepare Homemade Chicken Noodles for soup, you will need the following ingredients: 3/4 cup of flour, ¬O tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, a dash of pepper, and an egg. In a Cuisinart, combine 3/4 cup of flour, ¬O tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, a dash of pepper, and ...more
Making homemade fortune cookies is a snap, and your loved ones will get a kick out of their personalized predictions. Learn how to make fortune cookies with personalized messages. You will need: paper scissors a nontoxic pen a cookie sheet butter or nonstick cooking spray 2 la ...more
If you prefer glow sticks over candles during a power outage, then this how-to is for you! Although glow sticks are used as temporary light sources, there are other applications for them. Divers use them for night diving, fisherman use them to catch swordfish, and the military ...more
Christmas is just a few days away, which means everyone is out shopping for last minute gifts. But wait— you still need some Christmas cards! The stores are going to be packed and Hallmark's going to have huge lines— so now what? Luckily, WonderHowTo has some great videos to ...more
I am writing this quick post in response to the recent earthquakes and tsunamis that are affecting Japan. As soon as the news broke, and we began to hear of tsunami warning for our area, I immediately realized how under prepared I was for a natural disaster. The thing that dro ...more
Unlike typical waxing, which strips your skin of vital moisture, causing inflamed, dry, and itchy skin as well as ingrown hairs, sugaring is a slightly gentler way of removing hair. Because it's all-natural, made generally of sugar, water, and lemon juice, it irritates the ski ...more
Learn how to make relaxation candles using ice and wax.
When it comes to presents, take it from us: Homemade and coming from the heart is nice, but there's very little that can beat a brand new iPad sitting beneath the Christmas tree. While we do prefer our presents nice and shiny, homemade cards are another matter. Make your Chri ...more
This tutorial video will show you how to make a hand out of wax using some candles and water. This is a great idea for making props and various pieces needed to decorate a film set, or a halloween idea.
Amazing how easy it is to make a homemade candy lollipop. Next time when you feel like you need a candy, make one yourself. It doesn't taste like sugar if thats what you are wondering. It tastes like caramel and is best to eat when its still a little bit warm. Watch this how t ...more
When you can't quite figure out what to get someone for Christmas, turn to your inner creativity for a more personal, homemade holiday gift. To help give you some ideas, here are some DIY presents that never fail. You can never go wrong with homemade baked goods, especially i ...more
For on-the-go lighting of birthday candles (those surprise birthday parties really get you), homemade explosives (because making stuff explode is fun), and cigarettes, a cheapo BIC lighter is a totally awesome fix. But most BIC lighters run out pretty quickly and get tossed wi ...more
This video is a good demonstration of how to properly clean your ear and get rid of ear wax. Understand your ear's anatomy to better maintain your aural health. There are some other techniques to remove earwax, notably using an ear pick (curette). This is usually used by your ...more
Adam from Chemical Reaction wants to show you a little movie magic. This video tutorial will show you how to create, shoot and edit a time freeze effect for your homemade film. Stopping time is no joke, but doing it with a little camera skills and a little editing skills makes ...more
Adam from Chemical Reaction wants to show you a little movie magic. This video tutorial will show you how to create the Matrix stop bullet effect for your homemade film. To recreate the bullet stop effect from the Matrix without a lot of money, this is how you're going to do i ...more
Adam from Chemical Reaction wants to show you a little movie magic. This video tutorial will show you how to shoot and edit a cool dance effect for your homemade film. You will see how to position the camera, set up the scene, shoot it twice (once with your legs dancing and on ...more
Tempered chocolate has a glossy finish, which looks great on homemade candies or chocolate-covered strawberries. Find out how to properly temper chocolate. You will need high-quality chocolate, sharp knife for cutting chocolate, rubber spatula for stirring, double boiler and a ...more
Ingredients 16 ounces lump crab meat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into small dice 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 3 green onions, chopped (approximately 1/3-1/2 cup) 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 egg, ...more
This video demonstrates how to make lip balm. For this project, you will need the following: essential oils, lipstick, pure vitamin, beeswax, shea butter, flavoring, and sweet almond oil. To start, melt butter, wax, and oils, in the top of a double boiler. Mix ingredients well ...more
Why buy lanterns for your backyard when you can recycle empty jars into beautiful ones? This video will show you how to make lanterns out of old jars. Step 1. Wash and dry Wash glass jars in hot, soapy water and let them air dry. Step 2. Make templates Cut templates out of ...more
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills. Submit your best shot to our weekly competition for a chance to win an awes ...more
The joys of summer are many! If you, like me, live in a place where the summer is short, you’re going to want to maximize your fun in the sun by doing as many awesome things as possible before the sun goes back to wherever the hell it hibernates during the cold and dark times. ...more
The better the meat you use, the better your homemade beef jerky will turn out. You will want to go to your butcher and get as good a quality meat as you can afford and have the meat sliced really thin. Beef jerky is a great way to preserve your protein for a snack. This video ...more
In this series of arts & crafts videos you'll learn how to make your own decorative candles. Our expert Rachel Dayan offers tips on candle making at home. You'll learn what materials and supplies you'll need and tips on types of waxes, wicks and scents for your candles. Part 1 ...more
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honeybees and can also be used for your home. Commonly associated with making your own DIY candles, beeswax is the perfect DIY product for making your own lip balm, non-toxic crayons, mustache wax, and more. Other than making your own beau ...more
Pumpkin carving and decorating is a favorite October pastime. After you've carved an amazing design or face into a pumpkin or two, you want to show it off through your window or set it out on your porch for the neighbors to see. But, without knowing the tricks to save your ho ...more
With the abundance of colorful fall leaves in the autumn season, it would be a shame not to do something about it before it all disappears into the dead of winter. For a super-easy crafty project, you can simply gather a handful of colorful fall leaves, preserve them in wax o ...more
What can you do with your egg cartons after you are done using up all the eggs? The compartmentalized spaces used for storing eggs are also perfect to use as seed starters, DIY candle makers, paint palettes, and for storing similarly fragile or round objects like Christmas orn ...more
There are hundreds of delicious ways to enjoy caramel, from chocolate confections to sticky caramel apples and carnival bags of caramel corn. Caramel might be the special sauce that makes every dessert taste better, but it's also surprisingly simple to make. In about 7 minute ...more
When we were kids, snacks on-the-go or in our lunch box were often Kellogg's Nutri-Grain cereal bars. There were flavors like strawberry, blueberry, and our beloved apple-cinnamon. Don't Miss: Make These Easy Granola Bars with Only 2 Ingredients As we grew older, we realize ...more
The weather outside might be frightful, but heating bills are downright scary this time of year. Heat is absolutely essential during the winter season, but it's also really expensive. If you aren't blessed with a fireplace or unlimited disposable income, fear not, because you ...more
We've featured Temporary Services before, but we thought they deserved a full spread. In this post, we've included some of their How-To drawings and examples of recreated prison art. Temporary Services is: "... a project in collaboration with Angelo, an incarcerated artist. ...more
As a child, you probably spent some time trailing an adult at the grocery store. You lovingly eyed the aisle with brightly colored fruit snacks, reaching for the tempting boxes, placing them discreetly in the cart only to be told, "No! That's JUNK FOOD. You can't have it." Do ...more
The original Kit Kat was a mutton pie served at a political club in London during the 18th century, which is quite different than the chocolatey version we're familiar with today. Kit Kat bars have been around since 1911, are produced in 13 countries, and have been sold in ove ...more
If you grew up dying eggs for Easter, you've no doubt used or at least seen those boxed kits that turn your eggs neon colors. Admittedly, they're easy—just plop a dye tablet into some water, dunk the eggs, and wait for them to dry. But the one thing a lot of people don't thin ...more
With the warm summer months right around the corner, just the thought of having to bake anything in your oven may have you perspiring profusely. But you don't want to give up dessert, especially not luscious, layered cakes, so what's a sweaty sweets-lover to do? Icebox cakes ...more
Do you ever walk into a nice boutique, a friend's house, or a fancy restaurant, and think, “I wish my house smelled like this”? Because I sure do. The problem is that most people rely on candles to scent their homes and rooms. Don't get me wrong, I love candles, but they have ...more
Despite being disgusting, houseflies are actually beneficial to humans in a few ways. As scavengers, they help the environment by eating rotting organic matter, and make great food for pet tarantulas. Regardless of the advantages to their existence, having them in your home ca ...more
Being Jewish is kind of tough this time of year. Folks are putting up their lights, stringing popcorn and cranberries, and decorating trees. Those of us who don't celebrate Christmas start to feel a wee bit left out in the cold. Yes, some families give out presents on each of ...more
Granola bars are the perfect snack to have around: they're tasty, not messy, have nutritional value, are filling, and don't go stale quickly. And get this... they're easy to make! All you need is two ingredients, a microwave, and 60 seconds, and you've got yourself an awesome ...more
Like most food lovers, I adore sushi. And like anyone who is a living, breathing human being, I'm a pretty big fan of sriracha sauce. I guess you can see where this is going. Yes, sriracha sushi, which I've decided is my new favorite thing. I discovered how to make sriracha s ...more
Icebox cakes are some of the most satisfying, easy desserts to put together. This version made out of ice cream sandwiches takes the cake, literally, because the layers are almost pre-made for you. Simple and pretty when cut and served, it will be love at your first creamy bit ...more
Lemon peels have long been known for their ability to be home remedies for cleaning and medicinal needs. In the kitchen, they are equally as useful and can transform many common dishes and drinks into more memorable ones with just a hint of citrus. To give you some ideas, belo ...more
Kylo Ren, conflicted villain of the new Star Wars trilogy, will surely be a major presence again this Halloween, with The Last Jedi fast approaching. His costume, all black and layered, complete with dark-side helmet and crossguard lightsaber, seems quite perfect for Oct. 31 — ...more
A few years ago I went hog-wild trying to achieve a zero-waste lifestyle. I didn't succeed, but the experiment taught me that we throw away things we could—and should—be using more. In ye olde days of our forefathers, people generally used every part of the animal in cooking. ...more
The origins of vodka are shrouded in mystery, with both Russia and Poland laying claim to its invention. Some say Genovese merchants brought vodka (then known as aqua vitae, or the water of life) in the late fourteenth century to Russia. For many years, vodka wasn't just an al ...more