The diaphragm is the main muscle involved in respiration, and it is located deep within your belly. Inhale and exhale deeply so that you increase the volume of air in your lungs. Focus on your belly: let it expand as you inhale air, and contract as you exhale. Speak as an exhalation of this deep breath to give more force to your words. This technique is similar to singing from your diaphragm. Whether you are singing or speaking, the amount of breath that you have available is highly dependent upon the way that you are breathing. Relax your shoulders and keep your back straight. Standing up straight allows your lungs to expand to their full capacity, which gives more weight to your voice. Good posture will also help keep your diaphragm open so that more air can flow through more quickly. Take a nice, deep breath, and use this air as fuel for your voice. Do not speak quickly or madly, releasing all of the air into one phrase. Let your lung capacity sustain you through an entire steady sentence. Make sure that you aren't speaking from your nose. When the air comes through your nose, it can result in a high, reedy pitch that is hard to pick out from the crowd. Try to be conscious of your exhalation. It may take some work to master the technique – but be patient. Take the time to tune into your body and critically engage with your breathing pattern. Be conscious of how your throat, your lungs, your diaphragm, and your belly when you speak. Try it out in a room of people and see whether people take notice.

Summary: Breathe through your diaphragm. Keep a comfortable, upright posture. Speak evenly. Practice breathing deeply and projecting your voice.


A leather jacket is a timeless piece that instantly makes you look like you have a casually cool attitude. Look for a jacket that’s well-made, with sturdy stitching and heavy-duty leather. If you’re worried about the price tag, check local consignment stores or opt for a vegan leather. If you want to look like you could hit the skateboard at any moment, pair skinny jeans with a casual t-shirt and a pair of skate shoes or Converse. To really up the bad-boy look, stick to all-black. If you love the clean look of preppy style, take your outfit to the next level with a pair of bold corduroys. Pair them with a slim-fitting button-down shirt or a sweater worn over a t-shirt. Street style is all about the kicks. If you love the effortlessly cool hip hop vibe, find clothes that coordinate with your coolest pair of shoes. Once you narrow down your own style, start adding in accessories to make your look more unique. For instance, you might add buttons to your jean jacket to add a 90s rocker vibe to your streetwear look, or you might add a bold, funky watch in a bright color to an otherwise buttoned-down preppy look. Sticking to one bold accessory at a time will usually have the greatest impact.

Summary: Wear a leather jacket if you’re going for a casual rocker vibe. Wear a pair of skinny jeans for a skater look. Try a pair of corduroys in a bold color to upgrade your preppy style. Match your outfit to your sneakers for a street style look. Add your own touch with accessories.


You will need a ruler, a hobby knife, markers or pens, and a sheet of paper or cardstock. You may also use other types of paper. Just make sure that the paper is thick enough to hold a shape (unlike tissue paper) and easily folded (unlike thick cardboard). Start by folding the paper in half widthwise. Then, make two additional creases by folding each half the same way but towards the opposite direction of the original crease. For example, if you folded the first crease down, you would fold both of the new creases up. The folded paper should look similar to two steps on a staircase. The letters can be any style you choose, as long as they are thick. Additionally, make sure that each letter's top and bottom edge lines up with the creases. If they are letters that don't typically have straight top and bottom edges, like C or O, cut them off slightly. Decorate the letters with markers or pens. Use a ruler to make the lines go completely across the quarter page above them. Try to make these lines thin using a pencil or a pen instead of a marker. You don't need them to be visible on the final letters. Use the hobby knife to make the cuts. Cut the entire outline for each letter, starting with the straight lines above and work your way around the sides of the letter. Make sure not to cut the bottom or top edges of the letters. You may cut out the center white space of certain letters (like R) or leave them in. Fold the sheet into a box with the letters as the front side, the strips above them as the top, the quarter you originally drew them on as the bottom, and the quarter the strips were cut from as the back. The top and bottom quarters can be folded under the box and secured with either tape or glue.

Summary: Gather your materials. Fold the paper into long quarters. Write your chosen letters or word on the second quarter from the bottom. Draw straight lines upward from the top edges of each letter. Cut out your pop ups. Fold and secure your sheet to show off your pop up letters.


If you removed your shutters earlier, pick 1 to start with, and position it against the wall. If you are using pintle hinge shutters, slide a pintle under 1 of the top hinges on your shutter. Start with the top holes in your hinge or shutter, then do the bottom holes. Once you finish the first shutter, move onto the second shutter.  For hinges, drill the screws in until they meet with the surface of the hinge. For a seamless finish on stationary shutters, drill the screws until they are about 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) below the surface of the shutter.  If you are using shutter fasteners on stationary shutters, lightly tap the fasteners in with a hammer or mallet. Cover the brick wall around each shutter with strips of painter's tape. Apply your desired paint or wood stain, then let it dry. Once it dries, peel the tape off.  If you screwed the stationary shutters in rather than using shutter fasteners, fill the holes in with wood putty first. Let the putty dry before painting the shutter. If you used shutter fasteners, you should paint over them so that they match the rest of the shutter. Some window shutters contain extra items, such as holdbacks. Once you have the shutters installed, you can add these extras. Remember to mark the pilot holes with pencil first, and to drill the holes into the brick with a hammer drill and masonry bit. You can add these accessories to stationary shutters too, but they are not necessary.
Summary: Replace the shutters or pintles against the wall. Insert the screws or shutter fasteners. Paint or stain stationary shutters, if desired. Add other accessories for hinged shutters, if needed.