You can cut cantaloupe into a variety of different shapes and sizes depending on your preferences. Cut cantaloupe into shapes with help from a classically-trained chef in this free video clip.
The ligustrum tree, commonly known as privet, is a quick-growing species often used for sculpting topiary designs. Japanese ligustrum, known scientifically as Ligustrum japonicum, is the most common variety grown, but any species of ligustrum is suitable for sculpting. To prune a tree-sized privet into a shape, you must decide upon a design and carefully sculpt the tree. Privet withstands heavy pruning, allowing you to remove as much as necessary in a single session, making it an ideal candidate for learning how to shape trees.
Second Life is an online virtual world that allows you to build objects with 3-D shapes. Blender is a free 3-D graphic design program you can use to create and import detailed “Second Life” shapes known as sculpties. To import a scupltie into Blender for editing, you must install the Primstar sculptie plug-in. This allows Blender to detect and load “Second Life” sculpt map files in the .tga, .obj and .dae formats.
Creating custom brushes in Adobe Photoshop offers a way to repeatedly paint the same image on your canvas in various colors and sizes. You can create custom brushes for any kind of graphic you use often, from decorative sparkles and textures to basic elements for digital scenery, such as leaves or blades of grass, directly from within Photoshop.
Bamboo is an ornamental grass that spreads quickly through rhizomes. A bamboo garden can be formed into any desired shape by limiting the direction in which the rhizomes can grow. Once the structure is developing, you can take your theme further by training the young shoots into shapes such as hearts.
Versatile juniper trees may be trimmed and trained into specific shapes, allowing you to give your landscaping a formal or whimsical look. Trimming juniper trees isn't quite as easy as envisioning the shape you want and cutting away. Pruning must be done at the right time of year, with the proper amount of finesse, to prevent damage to the juniper itself. With careful trimming, it's possible to create a wide variety of shapes with juniper trees.
Ornamental plants add visual appeal and interest to your yard. The Japanese boxwood, a popular ornamental, is actually a shrub, but, if trimmed properly, can become a small tree with a similar artistic aesthetic to a bonsai.
Birch bark has a pleasant color and falls off in thin strips, making it a useful component in many craft projects. Harvest and cut the bark into shapes to create a silhouette with the attractive texturing of birch bark. Verify that the tree you harvest is paper birch (betula papyrifera) before you begin. Paper birch is the best birch bark to work with because it’s the thinnest.
Square shapes of crocheted fabric can be used to assemble several items, including afghans and clothing. One common motif used to create squares is the granny square. While this simple technique can create squares of any size rather quickly, it limits you to what shapes you can have within the square. To be able to have a shape like a six-pointed star within a square, you must use a doubled center circle technique and build the square from behind the star.
Creating a wolf face with makeup puts the finishing touches on a wolf costume. Wolf makeup techniques are easy to learn, even if you are not artistically inclined. To achieve your lupine look, all you need are some supplies from your local Halloween store and a steady hand. In no time, you'll be able to create a striking wolf face.
Treadle snares, also called treadle spring snares, are a type of trap usually used for catching small mammals in the woods, though they can be used to trap birds and reptiles as well. These traps are often built as part of a survival course so the participants can feel confident in their ability to survive should they ever become lost in the woods. They can be built out of sticks, rope and other handy tools that should be kept in your survival kit.
Whether you want to fit into a dress for an upcoming party or improve your overall health, getting into shape takes time and commitment. Instead of spending a lot money on a gym membership, get into top shape at home. With the right exercise routine and meal plans, you can look your best without stepping foot inside a gym. Do not aim to lose more than one or two pounds a week. Losing more may effect your health.
Sensory objects are simply devices used to stimulate the five senses. These objects are especially important for young babies as they grow, along with children with special needs, including autism and learning disabilities. These objects facilitate the use of the five senses to explore, learn and grow. The child utilizing these tools will be able to understand eventually how his actions result in the corresponding reactions from the object. These sensory objects are considered toys, but they are really tools toward the overall development of the child's knowledge base.
Spinning class participants use stationary bikes to train for cycling endurance events, build lower body strength or simply develop their overall level of fitness. People who discover an affinity for the class may decide to pursue a career as a spinning instructor. Fitness instructors have relatively short workdays, make a living helping people and stay in excellent shape themselves. Some gyms or clubs may offer their own instructor training programs, while others may require employees to certify with Mad Dogg Athletics, the company that created the spinning program.
Drawing crayon pictures provides entertainment for your child while also encouraging him to use his imagination. Sometimes those crayons break into small difficult-to-grip pieces, tempting you to throw the whole crayon bucket away and purchase a new pack of crayons. Instead of buying all new crayons, however, you can recycle the little crayon bits. Turn them into new crayons in exciting new shapes by using the wide variety of silicone ice cube trays sold at department and home goods stores. You can turn those small crayon bits into star-shaped, heart-shaped or even car-shaped coloring tools.
Butter may be high in fat, but it has a distinctly satisfying taste that makes almost everything taste better. Since so many people are butter-conscious these days, many consider butter to be a self-indulgence. Tempt your dinner guests with butter by pressing butter into tasty shapes. Butter is easy to mold and a little goes a long way. For your next holiday dinner or special meal, create tantalizing pieces of butter that represent a fun theme. Your creativity will shine through.
The gardener's trug, a shallow basket with a handle intended to carry tools and produce to and from the garden, is traditionally made from steam-bent slats of wood. The original trugs were made in Sussex, England from willow and chestnut and date back to the sixteenth century. Modern trugs made from recycled materials are becoming popular. Making a trug out of discarded materials to create a tool you can use for years is very satisfying.
Maize, commonly known as corn in the United States and Canada, has been in cultivation for a centuries. Christopher Columbus came across cultivated "mahiz," or maize, in Haiti in 1492 and took it back with him to Spain. Researchers believe the crop was cultivated by native peoples in the Americas well before 500 A.D. There are now about 50 species of maize grown around the world, wherever suitable growing conditions allow for its cultivation.
Soda cans are abundant and easy to manipulate, making them ideal material for artistic projects ranging from metal sculpture to homemade cookie cutters. Making soda cans into art is a hobby that can be undertaken with little money and only minimal artistic skills. Bending soda cans is also an effective way to cut down on waste while exercising your creative side.
Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits have the same basic makeup. The only difference between these two types of fishing lures is the spinner blade, which is a key difference. It not only affects the amount of noise and vibration the bait puts out, but it also determines how deep the lure runs. Both spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are designed for bass fishing, but they are are good choices for fishing other predatory fish such as northern pike and muskellunge.
The Soloflex weight straps operate much like regular weights, except they are made of rubber and they strap onto two pins. This helps protect your ligaments from shock because the flexible rubber allows you to ease into each repetition. The ligaments connect your muscles to your bone. If you shock your muscles too much, these tendons may pull or release from the bone entirely. The rubber straps are particularly effective for people who are recovering from an injury.
A properly functioning blade on a spinnerbait rig helps you catch more fish than one that fouls. If the blade doesn't spin properly, it won't attract catch the attention of fish by reflecting light in bright flashes underwater. If you notice the spinnerbait's blade is fouling more often than it should, there are common causes can that are keeping it from working properly.
Spinnerbaits are the workhorse lure for many bass fishermen. That is because an angler can fish them in nearly any situation or time of the year. They are effective when fished shallow and when fished deep, and when burned along the surface or dragged on the bottom. Bass anglers can get the most out of their spinnerbaits by using techniques that have been developed and practiced over time.
Soloflex home exercise machines and equipment uses, essentially, pulleys and levers to create weight and resistance exercises that require specific, controlled movements. You can use a number of ways to plan your most effective Soloflex workout, and most equipment sets are packaged with a DVD that contains suggested exercises for all different fitness levels. However, doing a squat is a great starter move that anyone can master on the Soloflex, even right out of the box.
Stone arrowheads can be made from various types of rock, including limestone and sandstone, through a process known as flint knapping. This method of tool making is as old as human history itself. Many of the earliest known tools were made by flint knapping, in which a striking tool is used to flake off pieces of a stone in order to fashion it into a specific shape. This is a beneficial wilderness survival skill for any hunter or archer to possess. You can make your own arrowheads for use or decoration at home with a piece of sandstone.
If you've watched professional football in the past 15 years, you have more than likely laid your eyes on at least one Cheesehead. These hats were developed in 1987 by Foamation, a company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since then, Packers fans have been finding new and inventive ways to show their pride for the green and gold using the chunks of cheddar foam.
Easton makes a wide variety of sporting goods, including a batting net designed for use by baseball players. It's called the Pop Up Net, and it stores in a small bag, then unfolds and stands up like a tent. The ball player then stands in front of the net with his bat and the ball on a stand, and practices hitting the ball without having to chase after it each time he hits it far. The most complex part of the process is putting up the Easton Pop Up net, and even that will only take minutes.
If you are a woman looking to get into shape and you are over 50, getting fit can be very beneficial for you. Working out can increase your stamina, endurance, prevent certain diseases, and it may prolong your life. Besides losing weight and toning your muscles, working out will also release endorphins that will make you feel energetic and re-vitalized. By starting an exercise program and sticking with it, you can create a lasting change in your life, regardless of what age you are.
Swimming is a great way to exercise, but the amount of water that gets in your ears can cause swimmer's ear, an infection of the middle ear due to a buildup of moisture that causes bacteria and fungi to grow. Silicone earplugs prevent swimmer's ear by comfortably fitting inside of the middle ear, and are disposable to reduce the spread of germs. In addition to swimming use, silicone earplugs are suitable for reducing air pressure while traveling by plane as well as blocking noise while sleeping or attending concerts.
Many sailors rig their vessels with a topping lift in order to restrict the movement of the boom after the sails have been lowered. A topping lift is a wire rope attached to the masthead on one end and the end of the boom on the other--usually with a shackle or spring-loaded carbiner hook. To prevent chafe and wear to the boom end of the wire rope, a small teardrop-shaped metal finding called a thimble is secured to the end by means of a metal swaging oval. Performing this task requires a fair amount of upper body strength in order…
Soccer cards are collected around the world and are a way of expanding a person's knowledge of soccer stars. Children are particularly enthusiastic about soccer cards and will swap cards with friends. Making soccer cards requires household items, a computer, printer, photos and information of the soccer stars. Soccer cards can be made and given as a small gift and will mainly, but not exclusively, appeal to children and young adults.
The Easton sport net is a multisport training net. The net can be used for hockey, baseball, softball, soccer or even golf. The net is designed to stand upright and catch any balls or equipment used in specific sports. The net has the ability to fold into a compact size, making it easy to travel with. Folding the net up can take some practice, as there is a method that must be followed in order for it to fit into the included travel bag. It's important to learn the proper way to fold the net to ensure it can be…
Motor homes and RVs (recreational vehicles) are a great and comfortable way to travel across the country. While they are easy to drive on the open road, trying to negotiate city streets in a larger motor home can be challenging. If you are traveling and parking your motor home at a campground for a few nights, towing a small truck like the Chevy S-10 behind your motor home is a good idea. Bringing a second vehicle with you will make running errands easier, and having a small truck will be a benefit if you need to pick up larger items.
After having a baby, postnatal yoga training helps get muscles back into shape. Tone your postpartum body with the help of a professional yoga instructor in this free video.
Drink coolers are available in single and multiple-size holders. The fabric used to create a drink cooler is water-resistant and has an insulated lining. When making your own drink cooler, a zipper should be used to close the cooler's top. Although hook and loop fastenings can be used instead, this material does not hold up to general use as well as a zipper. Most single drink coolers fit snugly around the drink container, while drink coolers that hold multiple containers generally allow for a small space allowance around their edges for the addition of ice.
Saltpeter, otherwise known as potassium nitrate, is a common ingredient of most fertilizers, propellants and gun powder. This compound was also used heavily by military doctors to treat a variety of conditions such as asthma. Saltpeter is named as such because it was referred to as "Salt of Petra" in medieval times. Saltpeter can also be used to make homemade smoke bombs, for making a smokescreen if playing games such as paintball. Making a smoke bomb from scratch is much more cost effective than buying them from the store.
If you're trying to put up a swingset or a playground in your backyard, you need to start by building a frame. A solid, wooden frame you can use to hang swings or put up a slide. A basic A-frame set-up is the best way to start, and they are fortunately pretty easy to build. After you have all of the materials, it's a simple matter of putting up the A-frame, then adding the play pieces.
The first Soloflex workout machine came on the market in 1978. The original equipment used shock rings to add weight to the barbell arm. The shock rings are still used as of 2010. Weight straps are also used on certain models and are made of a durable rubber. The original Soloflex does not include a leg extension and butterfly attachment which makes assembly time faster and less complex.
A basic dock has a number of uses including a location to moor a small water craft, to fish from, and a platform to sit on and enjoy the water. You can make a dock with a simple shape from basic lumber and recycled plastic barrels. Damaged drums can be replaced, at relatively little expense when compared to other flotation devices. It is important to remember that a 45 gallon barrel will float about 440 pounds. Make sure that you use enough barrels for the size of your deck. An 8 by 8 foot square is a reasonable size dock…
Shooting competitions have evolved from using live birds, to glass balls to clay pigeons. From 1881 to 1887 disks or clay pigeons were created for a uniform target that is similar in flight to a bird's trajectory. Technically, clay pigeons aren't made from clay.
The trigger pull---the amount of pressure necessary to pull the trigger to the extent the gun fires---contributes to both the accuracy and safety of the gun. The effort to pull a stiff trigger can pull the gun off the target. A light trigger pull can result in the gun firing prematurely. There are commercial devices designed to measure the trigger pull, but the same results can be accomplished with some ingenuity and items found around the home.
Bicycling continues to grow in popularity. According to the League of American Bicyclists, nearly 60 million Americans regularly ride bicycles of some sort. BMX bikes are one of the more popular types of bicycles and most BMX riders focus on getting air and performing impressive tricks. A bike ramp can be used for tricks -- a basic bike jump is made of a launch ramp and a landing ramp -- or for loading bikes onto a vehicle, to transport to different places such as an exhibition. You can build a basic bike ramp with basic materials and by following a…
Hair wax is a tool for sculpting hair into a spiked, wavy or peaked look, or otherwise defining the shape of your hair. According to Virtual Hair Care, hair wax uses a sticky texture to bring strands together into individual clumps. It is most often used for short or layered hairstyles because it gives hair texture and helps control fly-aways.
During a survival situation, the bow and arrow create a formidable hunting combination, useful for killing ground animals, birds and fish. Any effective arrow requires a sharp point, which can be created in a variety of ways. Bone and flint arrowheads tend to be the sharpest and most durable, both increasing the chances of a kill and decreasing the likelihood of frequent arrowhead replacement.
For a gymnast, parallel bars are an integral part of training and development of routines. Because of their size and dimensions, having a full set of professional bars outside of a gymnasium is impractical. However, you can make your own smaller parallel bars to keep at home to practice and perfect your skills whenever you want. These compact versions, sometimes called Parallettes, are easily made and are a useful thing to have especially if you have a busy schedule and can’t always get to the gym.
In 2004, the U-lock manufacturer “Kryptonite” issued a mass recall of its bicycle locks due to a breach in the lock’s security, enabling people to pick the locks with the barrel of a disposable pen. Since this time, many U-lock manufacturers have changed the design of their locks, now using flat key locks, combination locks, or a combination of both of these locking mechanisms. How you open a U-lock bicycle lock depends upon the style of lock you have.
Deciding to participate in a fitness competition is a big step, and knowing what is involved and the level of commitment required will ensure that you are fully prepared and will perform to your highest level. Fitness competitors are athletes in every sense of the word whose training and attention to diet and healthful living is an inspiration to others.
Fletching an arrow involves attaching a material, most commonly feathers, to the shank of an arrow to increase the stabilization of the arrow's aerodynamics. The presence of the feathers on the tail make for more drag on the arrow, which leads to less tumbling and falling arrows. You can fit fletches onto an arrow yourself if you have the proper tools. Fletching your arrows yourself gives you more room to personalize and achieve the perfect arrow.
Flint knapping is an art and a skill as ancient as mankind. Knapping is the act of shaping one rock with other rocks, sticks and antlers to make a tool or utensil. Flint knapping takes practice, but once you've mastered the skill you always will have plenty of raw materials to make your tools. Making arrowheads from stone, flint, glass or obsidian is a time-honored tradition that can impress your friends, help feed your family or even save your life.
Anodizing pieces of aluminum allows you to add color in a cheap and durable way. Anodizing aluminum is a popular way to spruce up any aluminum-clad object. Paintball guns, decorations, model cars are three popular applications for anodizing.
The hardest part about assembling the classic Soloflex personal gym is getting it inside your home: The original Soloflex is quite bulky, especially the L-shaped frame piece. Beyond that, all but one of the pieces are detachable without the use of nuts and bolts and easy to hook up and remove. It fits together much quicker that traditional exercise benches or Universal home gyms, and it doesn't use weight plates.
Knowing the area of a pond is important for multiple reasons. You may want to stock the pond with fish, or you may want to add landscaping features around the pond. In order to perform these tasks, you need to know the amount of space that the pond covers. You can calculate the area of a pond by performing some basic measurements and calculations.
Horses have a longstanding and very important place in the lives of humans. These animals have been providing labor, transportation and companionship almost since the dawn of time. Riding horses requires some specific equipment and, over time, the gear for horseback riding has become specialized. One component of riding horses is having the right footwear. Paddock boots provide additional protection for the rider's feet and ankles, but must fit correctly.
Whether skydiving for leisure or parachuting into a remote wilderness area, properly packing your parachute is of the utmost importance for a safe chute deployment and landing. Knowing how to properly wrap your parachute cord corresponds to packing the parachute itself. Twisted or overlapped parachute cord lines will ultimately tangle, knot or twist during deployment. This must be avoided at all costs as it will result in a parachute failure, and the impact will most likely cause death or serious injury.
A racing fuel cell is a fuel tank that has an inner bladder to contain the fuel and keep it from rupturing if there is an accident or damage to the vehicle. They are made for automobiles, aircraft and boats.
Spinnerbaits are one of the most frequently used lures in bass fishing. This is probably because they are so easy to use, and they simply catch fish. You can slow roll them on the bottom, burn them on the top or bounce them off of cover. With so many options for custom spinnerbait molds and the endless combination of components, making your own spinnerbaits can be a very fun and time-consuming hobby.
A housing enables you to use your digital camera underwater up to a depth of about 12 feet. A homemade housing consists of a bracket to stabilize your digital camera and a large, clear plastic bag to protect the camera yet allow you enough freedom to use its buttons and controls to take your pictures.
A school logo says a lot about your school, your mascot and what you stand for. It may or may not include text, but often includes colorful designs with an image of an animal, bird or other symbol. It's a good idea to consult with your school administrator before designing a school logo, so you can get ideas for the design and colors. You can create a logo for your school for free using resources you already have or can access quickly.
Eskimo snow goggles, also sometimes referred to as Inuit snow goggles or Yupik snow goggles, are an important part of wilderness survival in the far north. Snow blindness from reflecting sunlight can be extremely painful, as well as debilitating. Eskimo tribes in northern Canada and Alaska have known for years how to counter this to avoid this potentially fatal injury (because of the extreme cold of the north) and avoid blindness. Eskimo snow goggles are often used in wilderness survival in arctic environments because they are easy to make and effective.
Shell casings for small arms ammunition begin as several hundred feet of brass sheet metal strips. Brought from foundries in massive coils, the brass strips are loaded by crane into an uncoiling machine. The metal first runs through a series of rollers to remove any curvature from the strip. Next, a hydraulic press cuts 2- to 3-inch-wide disks from the brass and stamps them into a vague "cup" shape.
The Soloflex home gym went out of production several years ago, so, if you're reading this, chances are you got a good deal on a used machine but the instructions were missing. Fear not: The Soloflex is one of the easier, if not the easiest, home gyms to assemble. It requires a single bolt, and there's only one general rule to remember when adjusting the main bar for different exercises.
Jumping on a trampoline is not just for kids. Exercise on a mini trampoline creates a fun and low-impact workout for all ages. Bouncing not only burns calories, but also helps reduce stress on the body and aids with relaxation. The intensity of workouts can be adjusted by the speed of the movements and the height of the bounce, making the mini trampoline appropriate for all skill levels.
Over the course of standard usage, a gun's barrel deteriorates from pitting and mild erosion. Sufficient damage can render the barrel unusable and ineffective. Measuring the bore of the barrel is the best way to keep track of the ongoing changes in the interior of the barrel and provide data to track the alterations in the size and shape of the bore.
Whether you bike for recreation or just to get around, bike baskets can help you get your stuff where you are going. Good quality panniers, racks and baskets can be expensive and may not meet your needs well. With a bit of ingenuity, you can come up with homemade bicycle baskets that can carry anything from your groceries to your dog. You can also tackle making traditional bicycle baskets by hand if you are looking for a new craft.
How you light charcoal briquettes will depend on the available materials or personal preference. If you use ready-light charcoal briquettes or lighter fluid, touch a flame to the briquettes, and they will light. If you prefer charcoal without an accelerant for health or taste reasons, build a pyramid of briquettes around an electric charcoal starter and plug it in. Unplug and remove the starter when the coals are red hot, then knock down the coals. Use a charcoal chimney if you're camping or don't have an electrical outlet nearby. It requires a little more effort but anyone can do it.
The cheesehead is a foam hat cut in the shape of a wedge of cheese that is worn regularly by Wisconsin sports fans. They are seen most frequently at Green Bay Packers football games, but they are also worn at Milwaukee Brewers baseball games and occasionally at Milwaukee Bucks basketball games. The hat is the Wisconsin sports fan's unique way of paying homage to their team.
Football receiver gloves need to retain their tackiness or stickiness to grip the ball. Manufacturers can promote their gloves as machine washable or recommend against washing. Regular hand washing and drying will extend the life of the glove and reduce the smell from accumulated dirt and sweat.
Pinewood comes from evergreen trees called pines. These trees have a wide range of commercial uses and are common throughout the world.
Kerosene lanterns produce light when you do not have electrical power. They are most commonly used for camping. In areas with extreme weather and frequent power outages, a kerosene lantern can be a reliable source of emergency lighting. Kerosene fuel is inexpensive and produces a flame that can hold up even in difficult weather conditions.
If you're looking to get some bugs out of your woodwork, you've come to the wrong place. A Termite Bomb is not something your exterminator might have in his closet, but your teenager might. It is a type of skateboard, and a very cool one at that. While you can easily purchase a finished product for around $150, you may choose to make your own skateboard at a fraction of the cost.
Whether you’ve lost the key or purchased a piece that came without a key, there are times you need to bypass a lock to get inside a drawer or room. It wouldn’t often be prudent to dismantle some pieces, so you can use a screwdriver to pick a lock.
Getting in shape after having a child doesn't have to be stressful, or impossible, no matter how much weight you gained during your pregnancy. Use this how-to to get started feeling better and to get in shape.
Cheerleading is a popular sport for teen girls, young women and little girls alike. But if you want to be a really good cheerleader or if you are preparing for a big cheerleading audition coming up you should be in top shape.
Wrestling is a sport that requires both physical and mental acuity. Regular exercise for the body should be accompanied by training for the mind. The holistic approach to athletic training is not new, yet is too often neglected by athletes and trainers alike.
Snow jumps will keep you active throughout the cold winter months. To make them, you can move the snow to a central location using shovels, plows or snow blowers. Or, you can cover a traditional ramp with snow to create a jump for sledding.
Horseback riding is an enjoyable form of physical activity and a great way to stay in shape. There are some helpful exercises you can do to prepare your body for horseback riding. Strong quadricep muscles are needed for horseback riding. Balance and flexibility are also important.
The snaffle horse bit is one of the simplest bits that requires only one set of reins. Using the snaffle bit requires some thought though because if it is used improperly it can actually teach your horse some bad habits.
Pitons are metal spikes used by climbers and rescue workers. They are driven into cracks into rocks or ice to provide secure holds for climbing equipment. Recently, the use of pitons has become controversial. Endorsers of "clean climbing" frown upon their destructiveness. While most climbers want to preserve the nature of their sport, using pitons is sometimes required and proper use is crucial for safety.
You might think that the only requirement for building a snow fort is snow. Actually, you need a few more things than snow. The snow must be a specific consistency, and you need a good quantity of snow to build the snow fort.