INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Stroke the copper item in a linear motion to give the metal an even grain so the patina will be smooth and not patchy. You may skip this step or experiment with cleaning portions of the copper if you are trying to create an art piece with a contrasting new and aged appearance. Remove soap, oils and film from the copper. Wipe and pat the copper item dry with a soft cloth. There are many possible solutions you can use to oxidize copper, depending on the final color you are trying to achieve. Several are listed here using common household items or items available at a drug or grocery store.  Warning: always wear rubber gloves and work in a ventilated area when handling ammonia. Safety glasses and a respirator mask are recommended. Be ready to wash your skin or eyes with running water for fifteen minutes in case of spills. To create a green patina, mix 2 cups (480 mL) white vinegar, 1.5 cups (360 mL) pure non-detergent ammonia, and 0.5 cups (120 mL) non-iodized salt. Mix in a plastic spray bottle until the salt dissolves. Use less salt to reduce the amount of green in the patina.  For a brown patina, mix baking soda in a spray bottle full of hot water until additional baking soda will not dissolve.  You may buy a commercial antiquing solution and follow the instructions on the packaging to achieve the desired color. Liver of Sulphur is commonly used for copper. Spread newspapers underneath it to protect the surface it is standing on from spills. Spray the copper with the solution and wait an hour to see if it develops. If it has, you can continue to spray hourly, focusing on portions where the patina didn't hold. Otherwise, spray twice a day until the patina becomes visible. Leave it outside during this time to speed up the oxidization.  If you want to have more control over exactly where and how the patina forms, scrub with a scotch brite pad, brass brush, or cotton swab after spraying. Wear gloves and safety glasses for this if your solution contains ammonia, acids or other dangerous chemicals. If you are in a low humidity area, place a plastic bag or sheet over the item to keep in moisture. Use a frame or drape it between larger objects so the plastic does not come in contact with the copper.

SUMMARY: Scrub the copper item with an abrasive pad and water. Clean the copper piece with a mild dish detergent and rinse the soap off thoroughly. Prepare a solution according to the color you want to achieve. Place your copper item outdoors or in an indoor area with good ventilation before treating it with the solution. Spray the copper piece at least twice a day.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Tilt your head forward while in a comfortable sitting or standing position with your feet planted firmly on the floor. Simply bend your neck forward to stretch the Semispinalis, Levator, Scapulae, Upper Trapezius, Scalenes, and Splenius Capitus (the muscles that are in your neck, connecting to your shoulders).  You want to comfortably bend your neck forward as if you are trying to touch your chin to your neck, but don’t stretch it so far that you are hurting yourself. Stretch the muscles until you feel a taut pulling sensation. Your first step is to apply the two vertical primary “I” strips that run vertically and mostly parallel to your spine. Place the strips starting just 1 centimeter (0.4 in) below the hairline.  You want to peel the strips as you place them down the neck as if you’re peeling a band-aid. As you pull down the vertical “I” strips, you want you to create a slight stretch of about 10 to 15 percent. This means pulling on the tape just slightly with the end that hasn’t been placed on the skin yet. Depending on if you are feeling pain in the center of your neck or on each side of the spine, you can create an upside down “V” or the fork of a “Y” with the strips or place them parallel. The tails should end near the trapezius muscle, which is just above the shoulder blade. Peel the tape and place it horizontally over the area of your neck where you are experiencing pain. You want to place the horizontal strip so that it forms a bit of an “A” shape with the other strips.  For the horizontal strip, you want something closer to 75 percent stretch. To do this, pull the strip to full stretch and then ease up slightly. Next, place the center of the strip on the skin first and even it out on either side, applying pressure until you get towards the ends, letting them stick to the skin without any stretch. To get the glue to become as adhesive as possible, you want to give it a good rub so that you ensure it sticks, and there are no bubbles in the tape.  When Kinesio tape is correctly applied, it it relieves pain by lifting the top layers of your skin, relieving pressure and allowing for better blood flow and muscle movement.  If your tape isn’t as adhesive as possible, you may not get the full effects.

SUMMARY: Stretch your neck muscles. Apply the vertical strips. Apply the horizontal “I” strip. Rub the tape to heat and activate the glue.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use a ruler to make the strips nice and straight. They can be all 1 color, or they can be 2 different colors. For example, you could have 4 pink strips and 4 blue strips. This will be enough to make a small, 4 in (10 cm) square basket. You can cut more strips to make a larger basket.  If you are making a larger basket, cut 2 extra strips for every 1 inch (2.5 cm) that you would like to add. Construction paper will work the best, but you can also use thin plastic sheets, cardstock, felt, or thin cardboard. These methods won't work well for reed or willow because you need to prepare those materials differently. If you used 2 different colors, arrange them in an alternating pattern. For example: pink-blue-pink-blue. Make sure that the strips are almost touching. You will be adjusting the strips later on to eliminate any gaps.  You want just a sliver of space between the vertical strips because this will make weaving the horizontal strips through them easier. If you are making a larger basket, then add more vertical strips. For example, if you want a 5 in (13 cm) basket, then use 5 vertical strips total. Take 1 of your remaining 4 strips, then weave it over and under across the 4 vertical strips. Try to position it as close to the center of the vertical strips as possible. Make sure that the horizontal strip is centered, too; you want an equal amount of paper sticking out to the first and last vertical strip. If you used 2 colors for your strips, be sure to alternate them here as well. For example, if you used blue in your previous row, continue with a pink-blue-pink pattern. If you are making a larger basket, then continue to add horizontal strips. For example, if you're making a 5 in (13 cm) basket, then add a fifth horizontal strip. Slide the vertical strips closer together so that they are all touching. Next, slide the horizontal strips so that they are halfway down the vertical strips; make sure that they are touching as well. You will end up with a grid in the middle of your woven strips. There should be an equal amount of paper on each side of the grid. Starting at the top-left corner, lift the paper to expose the strip beneath it. Put a dab of glue on the bottom strip, then press the upper strip back down. Work your way around the grid until you are back where you started.  You just need to do the corners for right now. Don't worry about the top, bottom, and side edges. A glue stick will work just fine for paper, but if you are working with plastic or felt, hot glue will be the way to go. Using the top edge of the grid as a guide, fold down the paper strips to crease them, then unfold them. Repeat this step for the remaining 3 sides of the grid. You'll end up with a sort of box shape. Some of the strips may peel away from the bottom edge of your "box." Glue these down so that the edge is seamless.

SUMMARY:
Cut colored paper into eight 14 by 1 in (35.6 by 2.5 cm) strips. Arrange 4 strips side-by-side vertically. Weave a fifth strip horizontally across the 4 vertical strips. Repeat the process with the remaining 3 strips. Adjust the strips so that everything is centered and even. Glue down the corners on the grid. Fold the strips towards the center to create a box shape.