When making your own perfume, you must be aware of the fragrances that go well with your own bodily scent. People who sweat a lot should wear a subtle fragrance or the mixture of perfume and sweat will make the person smell pungent. On the other hand, folks who do not sweat much can wear strong scents since they don’t have to worry about the chemical reactions between perfume oils and their bodily secretions.
Materials Used:

• alcohol
• Lavender oil
• Bergamot oil
• water
• perfume bottle
• small jar

Procedure:

1. Purchase the oils from a reputable cosmetics shop. Never settle for the cheap ones so that you can produce perfume that has long- lasting scent.
2. Grab a used perfume bottle from your closet. If you do not have any available, you can use a small vial that is tipped with a spraying apparatus.
3. Fill a small jar with water.
4. Place 10 droplets of both oils in the jar.
5. Close the jar’s cover, then shake it until the components are completely mixed.
6. Open the lid. If you do not like the scent, you can adjust the amounts of both oils, until you get a fragrance that you like.
7. Store the jar in your closet for two days. Keep it away from sunlight to preserve the perfume’s scent.
8. After two days, get the jar and transfer some of its contents to the perfume bottle.

Making perfume initially may be a bit costly since you will have to experiment with the oils until you perfect your scent. Once you master the art though, you’ll be able to create scents that can rival the popular ones available on the market.

How to Make Scented Candles

Making a scented candle is largely dependent on three items:

• candle mold
• candle wax
• perfume

All three items can be found in any candle shop.

Candle Mold

The grooves on the candle mold’s surface will dictate the appearance of your candle. Candles are formed when the melted wax hardens on the mold’s shaping surface. The hardened wax then takes the shape suggested by the mold. You can buy several candle molds, enabling you to create candles bearing different patterns, shapes and sizes.

Candle Wax

Many materials are used for creating candle wax such as palm wax, soy wax and paraffin. Among the materials used, paraffin is probably the cheapest, while beeswax is the best material for making stylish candles. Choose a material according to your budget and candle preference.

Perfume

Ideally, the scent of candles are subtle and refreshing. You can opt for the floral-scented oils found in candle shops or you could use the designer colognes on your dresser. Make sure that the candle’s scent conforms to its theme, otherwise the aroma will be somewhat distracting.

Materials Used:

• candle mold
• candle wax
• candle wick
• perfume
• boiling water
• metal mixing bowl
• water pot
• potpourri pieces

Procedure:

1. Place the candle wax in a metal mixing bowl.
2. Set the mixing bowl on pot filled with boiling water. The wax will gradually melt inside the bowl.
3. Place the potpourri pieces and the perfume oil on the candle mold’s shaping surface.
4. Transfer the melted wax on the two halves of the candle mold.
5. Place the wick at the center of a mold half with a small piece sticking out of the mold.
6. Join the halves of the candle mold.
7. Remove your scented candle from the mold, when the wax has completely hardened.

The scented candle is both decorative and useful. It beautifies homes and provides illumination during power outages. With its quick and easy steps for creation, you might as well make a few during your free time.

Dry ice is your quick way to freezing cocktails or producing fog. It is made of solidified carbon monoxide, which can be produced through a CO2 tank. Its temperature is over 100 degrees below freezing point, making it hard to handle physically. You should wear all the proper safety materials when you make dry ice.

CO2 Tanks are Abundant

You can purchase a CO2 tank almost anywhere. It is used for diving, operating aquariums, and powering paint ball guns. Simply visit stores that supply those products and you can buy a CO2 tank. Just buy the smallest tank, unless you are planning to mass produce dry ice or any dry ice-based product.

Materials Used:

• CO2 tank
• gloves
• goggles
• ice bag
• thick jar (no lid)

Procedure:

Dry ice may be hard to handle but it is easy to create. You should just exercise the proper precautionary measures to avoid getting hurt in the process.

Compost is the combination of fertilizer, mulch and soil conditioner. When placed in your garden, it enhances and preserves the nutritional content of soil through the microorganisms that it releases. It also helps with the retention and the drainage of water, to control the water intake of plants.
A Simple Lengthy Process
Making compost is easy. You just need to mix the basic ingredients and have a sizable vessel where you will form the compost. The entire process may be lengthy but you will not have problems creating the mixture, if you have all the necessary tools. Just be precise when you are balancing the green and brown components.
Equipment Used:

• garden fork
• shovel
• hose
• compost bin

Materials for the Green Component:

• fruit
• coffee grinds
• grass clippings
• pieces of flowers

Materials for the Brown Component:

• straw
• stem pieces
• tree bark
• hedge clippings

Phase 1 Procedure:

1. Purchase a compost bin from a garden shop. The sizes of the compost bins vary. Just get one that can hold enough compost for your entire garden.
2. Gather the ingredients. Segregate them according to which compost component they belong to (brown or green).
3. Mix the ingredients of the green and brown components using your garden fork. Make sure that the components are throughly meshed.
4. Once both components have been mixed, use your fork or shovel to place the components in the compost bin. Place the components in this order: one forkful of the green component followed by two forkfuls of the brown component.
5. When the bin is almost full, add a layer of garden soil to start the decomposition process.

Decomposition Maintenance
The entire process of forming the compost lasts for about six to twelve months. You should keep an eye on the state of decomposition of your compost from time to time. Check its moisture levels and turn the composted material weekly to hasten the rate of decomposition.
Phase 2 Procedure:

1. After a week from the start of the decomposition process, go to the compost bin and touch the mixture inside. It should feel like a damp sponge if it contains the right moisture level.
2. Add water if your mixture is too dry or add more brown components if it is too damp.
3. Use your shovel to turn the mixture over inside the bin. Turning the mixture keeps air pockets from forming, which can slow down the rate of decomposition.
4. Do steps 1, 2 and 3 weekly ensure that your compost is decomposing properly.

You will know that the decomposition process is complete, when the compost’s ingredients are indistinguishable. Scatter the finished compost evenly on your garden. With the compost in place, you just did your plants a big favor. You shall be rewarded by beautiful summer blooms and total durability for all seasons.

Main Types of Resumes

The proper organization of facts is important when creating your own resume. A well-organized resume is easy to read and interesting to browse. Many companies prefer specific resume arrangements over others, depending on the nature of the job. You must know these arrangements to have an instantly competitive application:

• Chronological resume
• Functional resume
• Combination resume

The Chronological Resume

The chronological resume focuses on the chronological order of job experiences. The list of experiences must be arranged from the most recent to the earliest. Each experience listed should also bear supporting information such as:

• Company Name
• Office Address
• Nature of the Job
• Duration of Stay
• Reason/s for Leaving

Ideally, every experience should have a complete set of backup information but in some cases, applicants purposely leave some of the details blank so that they will have more things to say during the interview. Just weigh your conversational skills for interviews and the overall length of your resume. Remember, an ideal resume should have a maximum of two or three pages.

You should write a chronological resume if…

• You have much experience in your field. Since this resume gives a detailed account of your entire professional journey, it is the logical choice of experienced employees. Companies can judge your worth as an employee by simply looking at the companies that you have previously worked for and the duration of your entire professional life. Experienced HR officers readily determine the skills that you have acquired through your experience.
• You are playing it safe. The chronological resume is the most commonly used among the four general types. If you are not too confident with your job skills, you can simply create a chronological resume and aim for the job interview. HR officers can easily overestimate your skills based on your experience. Chances are, you may get into the next stage of the application process — the initial interview.
• You have an exceptional college career. For honor students, the chronological resume appears as a good choice. Indicate your GPA and your scholastic awards to show your prospective employers your tremendous potential. If you are applying for an entry-level position, your list of grades and honors can almost assure you of getting the job.

Writing a Chronological Resume

Writing the chronological resume can be a little tedious since you just need to list your job experiences chronologically. Word processors make the job even easier since they have templates for all types of resumes.

Materials Used:

• computer
• word processor
• printer
• bond paper

Procedures:

• Open the word processor on your computer.
• Look at the templates offered before creating a new document.
• Select the template of your choice for your chronological resume.
• Follow the format for all of your job experiences. Keep the information accurate.
• Omit unnecessary information or some minor experience if you feel that your resume is going to exceed three pages.
• Print your resume.

The Functional Resume

The functional resume prioritizes the job skills of the applicant. In place of the chronological events found in the chronological resume, the functional resume points out the primary strengths of the applicant and supports them with appropriate information. This type of resume is perfect for companies that have job openings for technical or specialized jobs.

You should write a functional resume if…

• You do not have much experience. If you do not have a great deal of experience, you can focus on your skill set as an employee. Instead of enumerating your work experience, you can list all of your skills and how you achieved them. You can also indicate in your resume the projects where you have used your skills. Build on your skills by showing how each of your characteristics contributed to the success of those projects.
• You’re looking for a technical job. Companies looking for technical jobs prioritize the ability of applicants to do special skills over one’s work experience. If you fail to properly demonstrate the level of your technical skills in your resume, chances are your slot will be taken by someone who has done more prestigious projects in the past. Examples of fields that require a functional resume are programming, graphic designing, and blue collared jobs.
• You are switching careers. A new career path means that you have limited experience compared to some of the other applicants for your coveted position. A well-written functional resume can work wonders since your probable employers can instantly see your strengths. Through proper skill documentation, you can get an edge over your rival applicants. Just be prepared to ace the skills test that is often included in the application process for technical jobs.

Writing a Functional Resume

The functional resume is simple. You just have to enumerate your professional competencies and personal traits. You will then provide information to build on your skills or competencies.

Procedure:

• Open a word processing program on your computer.
• View the templates and click on your choice to create a new document.
• Type in your personal information as stated by the template.
• List all of your technical skills that can help you with your application. If the job that you are applying for is computer-related, indicate all of the programs or programming languages that you have mastered.
• List your previous jobs where you used your technical skills and traits.
• Under each skill or trait, explain the extent of your capabilities. You can slightly exaggerate your skills if you do not feel confident with your current skill set.
• Make sure that the resume does not go over two pages.
• Edit then print your functional resume.

The Combination Resume

Having the characteristics of both the chronological and the functional resumes makes the combination resume your most versatile option among the bunch. You should carefully select the information that you’re going to include because you can easily go over the two-page standard for resumes. To make your resume more competitive, you can eliminate unnecessary information and a few minor details, if necessary.

The combination resume contains the detailed timeline found in chronological resumes and the comprehensive list of skills and traits seen in functional resumes. Normally, the resume shows the list of skills first, then it is followed by the chronological list of employers.

You should write a combination resume if…

• You are not sure what type of resume to write. Since the combination has the main characteristics of the other two resumes, you can submit a combination resume for any type of job. You must make the information concise so that the HR officers will not have a hard time reading it. Remember, resumes that are not readable often get tossed in the trash bin.
• You’re applying for jobs that need a perfect balance of skills and experience. Some companies are not satisfied with a clearly defined skill set. Sometimes they opt to check if an applicant knows how to get around rough situations, which is often displayed by experienced employees. A nicely written combination resume will show that an applicant has all the tools to flourish in his field.

Writing a Combination Resume

The trick in writing a combination resume is to know the sequence. Normally, the list of skills go first since it is the first thing that HR officers look at. The reversed chronological account of work experiences comes next. The list of skills are completely justified, if the chronological account is comprehensively written.

Procedure:

• Open a word processor on your computer.
• Select a resume template to open a new document.
• Follow the format for the personal information section.
• Enumerate your professional skills. Support each skill with the necessary information.
• Write the chronological account of your work experience.
• Remove some information from the chronological account if your resume will go over two pages.
• Edit then print your resume.

Your resume can boost your chances of starting a career. Make it your ally by making a perfect one. Otherwise, it will certainly doom your chances of nabbing your dream job.

Every holiday and season is marked by different types of themes and ornaments. Some holidays like Easter require very minimal decorations, while other occasions like Christmas and Halloween are often marked by a multitude of items and ornaments.

Anything sentimental is better made by your own two hands since you are conveying your own version of every holiday. You can personalize your holiday items so that your friends and family can relate more to your decorations and costumes. Ultimately, you will find all the holidays to be even more special as your loved ones thoroughly appreciate the holiday items that you have created.

On these pages, you’ll find ideas and instructions to make your holidays more fun.

The Makeshift Advantage

Makeshift toys and do-it-yourself board games will give you the same amount of fun as their retail counterparts with less costs. Some toys are made of processed plastic or fabric, while boards are made with cardboard or wood. All of these raw materials are cheap and chances are, some of them are even readily-available. You can simply manipulate the shapes of these materials with your scissors, saws or cutters; then stick them together with the specific adhesive for each raw material.

You are a Makeshift Toymaker

Since toys are pretty diverse when it comes to the materials used, you should first plan out the type of toy that you will create and finalize the specifications before you go shopping for materials. You could create an outline so that the specifications of your toy are well-organized. You can also sketch an alternative design for your toy in your outline just in case some of the materials are not available.

When you have done your outline, you can go to a plastic dealer, a bookstore or a textile store to gather the raw materials for your toy.

Plastic Toys

If you are working on a plastic toy, you will need to use a cutter for shape manipulation and glue to put the parts of the toy together. You will also need paint to provide colors and designs to your toy. For plastic toys with hard-to-create shapes or patterns, you can pay a plastic molding company a visit and have your plastic molded. Do not worry about the costs because the service is usually cheap, unless you plan to create large and intricate plastic toys.

Paper/Cardboard Toys

For paper-based toys, you will need basic art materials. The standard line-up of tools for making this type of toy is a pair of scissors, glue, and coloring materials. There are also cases where you will need a sewing needle and thread to provide a strong attachment to folded paper. Think of paper toys as slightly advanced versions of the art projects that you had when you were in elementary. You simply need to fold, cut and glue paper to produce a toy.

Fabric-Based Toys

You can create dolls and other fabric-based toys, if you have a basic sewing kit, fabric and some stuffing. At first glance, dolls seem hard to create because they come dressed with colorful garments. If you look at a doll closely, you will notice that you simply need to sew and stuff the doll’s body, before creating it’s tiny clothes. Some doll dresses come with intricate patterns, which seem hard to stitch. In this case, you can use a set of crochet or knitting equipment to take care of any intricate stitching pattern. You can also use a sewing machine to make every process a whole lot faster.

You are the Chairman of the Board Game

There are two basic materials used for board games, namely wood and cardboard. Normally, cardboard-based board games are easier to create than their wooden counterparts since the creation procedures are simpler and do not require carpentry. You will have to be quite adept at painting, though, because cardboard games are entirely dependent on their colorful and intricate playing surface.

Cardboard-Based Board Games

The standard set of tools for cardboard-based board games are a cutter, a ruler, a pencil, paint and glue. You will cut the cardboard in accordance to the dimensions of your board game, then stick it to another layer of cardboard to create a strong foundation. Once done, you will need to paint the playable surface of your board game. If you are not very adept at painting pictures and figures, you can ask some of your more artistic buddies to do the painting for you. When you have completed the playable surface, glue it to the cardboard foundation to complete your board game.

Wooden Board Games

Games like chess and checkers require a lot of precision with the dimensions of their boards and their playable surfaces. You will need to assemble a good set of carpentry tools to meet the requirements of these games. Some of the tools and materials that will be used heavily are the handsaw, mechanical drill, screws, nails, wooden planer, chisel, wood glue, measuring tape and varnish. You can get these tools from a hardware store but if you want to minimize costs, you can just borrow some of the tools from your neighbors.

Wooden board games are a bit tedious to build since wood is tiring to cut, shape and connect. You will have to be precise with the measurements of the board’s components to minimize errors. In a nutshell, you need to cut the two basic components of the board (border and surface), shape them, then join them with the use of your screws, wood glue and nails.

Toys and games are your one-two punch to beat stress. A few strokes on your nice toy can ease up a lot of tension. A few rounds of board games can be your avenue for some much needed escapism. As you can see, these items provide a balance for busy lifestyles. Go and make your own toys and games now.

Money Matters

Crafts are often bought and sold in reputable home improvement stores. Most of the time, crafted items are affordable given their usability and designs. Buying an item should not really pose a threat to anyone’s budget but completing an entire set of crafted furnishings is a totally different matter. You will spend nearly a thousand dollars to complete an entire salon set. Also, you will need to spend for the additional delivery charges since a lot of crafted items are too large to fit in an automobile, much less an entire set.

Labor + Advantages = Better Option

For the price of labor, self-made crafts offer a lot of advantages over retail items. The raw materials of crafted items are surprisingly cheap. You can get good quality wood for a low price from lumber shops. Metal can be secured from junk shops and plastics are generally cheap items when they are not yet processed. Raw materials are also easier to transport compared to crafted furniture, since you could easily slide planks of wood or pieces of metal and plastic at the trunk of your automobile. Remarkably, the delivery charges for raw materials are also a lot cheaper than the charges for retail items.

The Tools of the Trade

As for the labor, you must have some carpentry skills to construct nicely-crafted items. You will need tools like the handsaw, hammer and nails, drill and screws, planer, chisel, screwdriver, pencils and painting equipment to properly manipulate wood. For metals and plastics, you will need to visit smithies or molding companies to shape your workpieces

A Few Reminders

Crafting items may seem tough at first but once you get the hang of it, you will be producing mosaic tables, ceramic mugs and even beeswax candles in no time. You just have to be precise with the dimensions of all the parts of your crafts. The patterns on the items should also be consistent. If you are quite the artistic type, you will not have a lot of problems chiseling designs on work pieces since artists usually have steady hands.

When you intend to craft items, remember that you are not only a carpenter, you are an artist as well. A good balance of carpentry and creativity can yield very fine items. Who knows, you might be known as the Da Vinci of crafted furnishings, once you have mastered the world of crafts.

Love is Relative, So are Valentines Decorations

There are really no rules for Valentines decorations. In fact, you will feel better if you actually created an original set of Valentines decorations, not found in any retail store or shopping center. Your love for your significant other is best symbolized through your own collection of personalized items. Normally, the concept of love is relative, which is why most people have different ways of expressing love to their partners. You can use your self-made Valentines decorations to show your own concept of love to your lover and set-up a very sensual climax to your Valentines date.

Valentines Decorations are Like Figures of Speech

When you create your own set of Valentines decorations, be sure to characterize each piece with all the appropriate symbols. Imagine that you are writing a poem for your lover. The moment that you come up with similes and metaphors about your relationship, think about all the possible items and decorations that can stand for your figures of speech. You sketch all the items that you can think of on a piece of paper, then tweak each item to suit the taste of your lover. From that point on, you can select the items that will trigger mushy and sensual reactions from your partner.

Valentines Decoration Ideas

If you cannot seem to come up with anything for your Valentines decorations, here are some ideas that might help you:

• You can play safe and go for the old reliables. Get a bottle of champagne and set-up dinner for you and your lover. Cue your radio component to play a string of Marvin Gaye and Barry White hits. Once done, go to your room and check your curtains, beddings and pillow cases. Apply the red and white color combination to those items. Now, you can spread rose petals on top of your bed and light incense.
• You can buy red and white satin then create the most sensual Valentines decoration of all, Valentine lingerie.
• You can purchase dozens of candles then dye them to sport the Valentines colors. Spread those candles throughout the area of your room to give a mysterious and romantic vibe.
• If your lover is quite the poetic type, grab several random items that stand as symbols of your love, then make a romantic poem that will justify the meaning of each item.
• Make Valentine chocolates. Insert a romantic line inside each piece of chocolate to make your chocolates a whole lot sweeter without a bad aftertaste. Remember that your lines should stick out of the chocolate, otherwise your lover will be chewing on a lot of paper instead of fond memories.

When you have properly arranged all your Valentines decorations, your lover will be in for a very pleasant surprise. Pretty soon, both of you will have a lot of moments that are too beautiful for snapshots and paintings.

There is a fallacy that you need to spend handfuls of cash if you want to get textiles for your home or clothing needs. You will indeed spend hundreds of dollars if you go on a shopping spree for ready-made clothing or manufactured textile items. If you opt to just create your own textile products, you will spend only a fraction of what you usually pay for store items. You can get fabrics used for clothes, curtains and linens for a few dollars per yard, which is cheaper then a hundred dollar designer item.

Basic Equipment

To create clothes and textiles, you simply need to have:

• a sewing needle
• a sewing thread
• scissors
• measuring tape
• fabric

If you have a sewing machine at home, you can often create textile items in less than an hour.

The General Creation Process

• Cut the components of your textile item from the fabric.
• Sew the pieces together.
• Add on embellishments and decorations such as trim, buttons, and embroidery.

This process goes for all types of textile items, even the complicated ones like cargo pants and patterned curtains.

Some Reminders

By the way, all clothes and textile items are dependent on precise measurements since they are made to fit other things such as tables, windows and your torso. You should get the measurements of the things to be fitted with textile products before you start turning fabrics into clothes and linens. Also, you can sketch the outline of your finished product on a piece of paper, along with the dimensions so that you have a guide throughout the creation process. If you aren’t the type to draw your own designs, patterns can be purchased as well.

Clothes and textiles are quite easy to create. With enough sewing skills and the right sewing equipment, you can whip up a textile storm right in your own room, without necessarily thinning your wallet.