Problem: Article: Card stock paper in colors, patterns, and textures of your choosing A pencil and good-quality eraser A thumb tack Scissors or a paper cutter Double-sided tape A styrofoam or foam board (for poking holes) Design stencils (optional) You’ll be making this lantern by drawing on a piece of card stock, poking holes in it, taping it into a tube, and placing it over a candle. Before drawing on the card stock, decide on your lantern’s size and, if necessary, cut the paper to size.  You may want to choose the size of your lantern based on the candle you plan to use. You can also choose the size of the lantern based on the card stock you have or where you want to use the lantern. Use a pencil to very lightly sketch in your desired design right at the center of the card stock. This will be the front of your lantern.  You don’t have to limit yourself to the front of the lantern. You can also do a larger design that goes all the way around, or off to the side. It’s up to you! It may be tempting to get ambitious with your design. Just remember that the more holes you poke, the more time it’ll take you to make your lantern! Remember to sketch lightly so that it’s easier to erase the pencil markings once you’ve poked your holes. Try to keep the space between holes as even as possible. Do this until the design is complete.  You’ll want to place the card stock on a piece of styrofoam or foam board for this step, so that the thumb tack has a firm surface it can fully sink into. One to two millimeters between holes would work well, but it doesn’t have to be exact — you can eye it! Use a good, soft eraser to remove the pencil marks along your designs. A thick, soft white eraser will work well.  Be sure to press gently as you erase the pencil marks, and do not hold the paper against a hard surface as you erase them, otherwise the holes you’ve made may close up a bit. If the holes do close up a bit as you erase the pencil marks, it’s not a big deal — just use a thumb tack to gently push them outward again. To fasten the sides together, place double-sided tape on the back of one side of the paper, and on the front of the other side so that when they overlap they’re extra secure. If you have a large candle, you can wrap the card stock around the candle to get the shape you want. Place a votive into a glass votive holder and light it, then place the cylinder over the lit votive. To reduce the fire hazard, you can use an electric candle.
Summary: Gather your materials: Decide on the size of your lantern. Draw your design on the card stock paper. Use a thumb tack to make holes along the lines of your design. Erase the pencil marks. Roll the card stock into a cylinder and fasten its sides together. Place your paper cylinder over a lit candle. Enjoy your lantern!

Problem: Article: Pull the drawstring down and away from the blind with your hand so the blades go up and lock into place. Once the blades are all the way up, let go of the drawstring. Standard brackets have a piece that clips into place over the front-facing side of the blind. Starting with one of the brackets, wedge the tip of the screwdriver between the clipped piece and the blind. Then, pull the screwdriver away from the blind to release the clipped piece and open up the bracket. Repeat on the other bracket. Grab a hold of the blind with both of your hands and gently pull it toward you. Now that the brackets are lifted up, the blind should easily slide out and away from the window. Once the blind is off, set it aside. Press the reverse switch on your drill so the drill bit will spin counterclockwise. Then, position the drill bit in one of the screws attaching the brackets to the window and press and hold the on switch. Once you’ve unscrewed the screw and bracket, place them in a small plastic bag so you don’t lose them. Repeat with the screw on the other bracket. Hold the brackets with your free hand as you're drilling so they don't fall once the screws are out.
Summary: Use the drawstring to lift the blind blades all the way up. Use a screwdriver to lift up the bracket on each side of the blind. Slide the blind out of the open brackets. Unscrew the brackets from the window using a drill with a Phillips drill bit.

Problem: Article: They need to be your size or bigger than you. If you don't have the perfect pair, take a trip to the thrift shop! Jeans, khakis, chinos, slacks -- all types will work. If the pants are too big, you'll need to rip up the side seam, cut out the unnecessary fabric, and sew it back together to match your waistline. Make sure it lies flat; you don't want any material bunching or bubbling -- it should naturally lie flush to the table.  If your cut isn't perfectly straight, that's fine! As long as it's a clean line, it doesn't matter what angle it's at. In fact, a steeper angle can give your skirt a more refined, less patched-together look. If you want to use the legs for the rest of your skirt (right now it's too short), don't throw them away just yet! You probably want another six inches (in width) or so of fabric, if not more. If you have some scraps lying around from an old project, use those! Or you can use the pant leg of the ones you just tore up. Does the thigh or the calf give you the width you'd like?  Cut 1/2" (1.25 cm) wide than you need for a seam allowance. Make sure the fabric is long enough to wrap around the entirety of the skirt. If you're using your old jeans, you may need to rip out the seam that meets the skirt -- otherwise that's a lot of thread going on in one place. And because of the cut of the jean, make sure the fabric lines up (width-wise) front and back. Using your 1/2" seam allowance, pin your fabric to the edge of the skirt, leaving the extra on the inside, rendering it invisible. Flip the skirt inside out and begin either hand stitching or blazing through with a sewing machine.  If your fabric requires it, create a seam on the bottom edge, too. Just don't make it too short! If your fabric is giving you any guff, iron it flat. It'll be much easier to work with then. Your skirt's done! But if you want to make it more "you," add a ruffle, some fabric paint, or a bit of material along the sides. And then there's always dye, glitter, iron-ons, ink transfers, and screen printing!
Summary:
Grab a pair of pants you no longer wear. Cut off your pant legs at the crotch. Cut a strip of another fabric to fill out the length of the skirt. Pin the fabric to the edge of the skirt and sew. Add any final, stylized flairs.