HOW TO: Revamp Your Chairs

Get this: fabric, chalk, scissors, thread and needle, ribbon, iron
Do this:
1. Measure the back of the chair that you wish to cover: the height as well as the width. Cut a piece of fabric to double the length of the back’s height so that you can fold it in half to form the cover. Leave an inch on each side, depending on the thickness of the back.
2. Fold the fabric into a pocket with the patterned side on the inside. The crease should be at the top, leaving three sides open.
3. Draw two vertical lines on both the left and right sides to match your back’s measurements, and then do double stitches to close both left and right sides, leaving the bottom end open to slip onto the chair. When finished, flip it out so the pattern is facing outwards.
4. Tidy up the bottom ends by folding a 1-centimeter cuff, then double stitch them up.
5. Iron the finished product before covering your chair and decorate with a matching ribbon.

HOW TO: Clean Anything in Your House without any Cleaning Products

Electrical appliances: You can brush out the dirty stains with a toothbrush and toothpaste, then polish with a dry cloth to remove surface scratches.
Sink: If your bathroom or kitchen sink is clogged, drop in 2-3 tablespoons of salt followed by a small amount of boiled water with a few tablespoons of baking soda thrown in. You can also remove rust from your sink by scrubbing it with table salt.
Table stains: Alcohol can help you remove ugly stains on wooden furniture. Soak a piece of cloth in alcohol, then leave it on the stain for 2-3 minutes and it will magically vanish.
Coffee mug: Use approximately one tablespoon of salt dissolved in water to soak a sponge that you use to scrub out the nasty brown stains inside.
Toilets: To take away the bad smells from your loo, pour 2-3 liters of strong salt solution into the bowel. Wait a few minutes before flushing. To make the solution mix one part salt, with two parts water.
Kitchen: Sticky stains on the kitchen floor can be rubbed out easily by using a damp mop with a few drops of vinegar.
Glasses: If you have white residue on your glasses or your vases, dip them in water with a few drops of vinegar.
Trash: Place a few pages of newspaper under the trash bag in your garbage can to reduce the smell from your rubbish.

HOW TO: Make a Laptop Case

Get this: 27 x 16-inch piece of felt cloth, 27 x 16-inch sponge pad, 27 x 16-inch lining, needle and thread, big round buttons, pins
Do this:
1. Layer the felt cloth, sponge pad, and the lining fabric together, and then use pins to prevent the materials from moving.
2. Have the lining side up, and then close up all the ends with double stitches, leave the top end open.
3. Once you’re done, flip the case inside out. Sew the edge to tidy up.
4. Make button holes, and sew the buttons in.

HOW TO: Get a Ponytail that Won’t Make You Look Like an Auntie

Get this: 2 elastic hair bands
Do this:
1. Section off 2-inches of your hair at the top of your forehead.
2. Bunch up the rest and tie it up into a high ponytail with an elastic hair band.
3. Now grab the hair you sectioned off and tie it loosely to the main ponytail so that it stays bouncy on the top of your head.

HOW TO: Make a RUSTIC Wooden Tray

Get this: four 14.5” x 2” and four 10” x 2” pieces of wood, nails or screws, chalk, drill, sand paper
Do this:
1. Assemble all the wooden pieces together in the shape of the tray. Use a piece of chalk to mark where they will be screwed together: one screw wherever a piece from the bottom of the tray meets the frame.
2. Drill a pilot hole wherever you previously marked the wood with chalk. The drill bit should be a bit smaller than the diameter of your screw.
3. Put screws in all your pilot holes, joining the wood together.
4. Sand the finished product with a fine-grit sandpaper to make the surface smoother.

HOW TO: Get Rid of Your Old Stuff

Books

Stang Mongkolsuk Library Book Donation Center accepts any kind of books and will distribute them to those in need in the rural areas of Thailand. (P102, 1/F, Physics Building, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 272, Rama IV Rd., 02-201-5717. http://stang.sc.mahidol.ac.th)
Read4thai sends books to schools and libraries in Thailand’s rural areas on request. Unwanted books are sold online at cheap prices to encourage the people with less purchasing power to read books. The revenue goes towards supporting the project. (8/12 Vibhavadi Soi 44, Vibhavadi-Rangsit Rd., 02-941-4194. www.read4thai.org)

Clothes

Bannok Secondhand Clothes Project supports the poor in the North of Thailand, especially in Chiang Rai. So basically, the clothes sent here will be sold, and the revenue goes towards food and essential items for those in need. You can send your secondhands via post. (106, Moo 1, Maeyao, Chiang Rai 57100, 053-737-7412. www.bannok.com)
Ban Kru Noi. Although preferring clothes for the children, Ban Kru Noi also accepts adult clothes to support the older kids grew up in the shelter. (319, Moo 1, Ratburana Soi 26, 02-871-3083. www.moobankru.com/bankrunoi)

HOW TO: Make Candles

Get this: old candles, glass container, wick, string, decorations, essence oil (optional)
Do this:
1. Chop up a new or leftover candle into small pieces in order to melt it more easily.
2. Take your chopped up pieces and place them in a suitable container. Make sure your container is microwavable. Then put it in the microwave for thirty-second bursts, stirring between bursts until it’s fully melted. Make sure your container is microwavable.
3. Tie a piece of string that will serve as a wick to a toothpick and hang it over your selected container. If possible, have the wick hanging position exactly at the center.
4. Pour the melted wax in the mold until it’s almost full. If you want, mix essence oil with the melted wax before pouring.
5. Once the wax becomes solid, decorate your candle as you wish.

HOW TO: Make Good Use of Your Holiday in the City (2)