Hot Home & Garden How-Tos

How To: Sand a hardwood floor

Aba Wood Flooring demonstrates how to sand between coats when working with water-based finishes on hardwood floors. When you use an electric sander, avoid overheating the surface when sanding between coats of a water-based finish. Accomplish this by replacing conventional sand screen pads with a Velcro triple head sanding plate and soft interface pads. The triple head sanding plate and interface pads offer better dust extraction and a more effective final sanding. This system also offers bett...

How To: Arrange a Valentine's tulip vase for your home

TheFlowerGod teaches you how to arrange a Valentine's tulip vase for your home. You will need a washing bowl, a clear glass vase and all sorts of flowers. If you bought a bouquet of tulips, open it up, clean the stems in the washing bowl and then add one to the glass vase. This should have a large bottom so you can clearly see the green color. Next you will add flowers with large leaves and you can also put in a fern or plants with thin leaves. Finally, add more red flowers and don't overcrow...

How To: Fold a fitted sheet for maximum storage space

This video shows the way to fold a fitted sheet for maximum storage. Folding a sheet can save a lot of storage space. The time taken for folding the sheet is less than the time taken for searching through unfolded sheets to find the right match. Start by holding the sheet lengthwise with the right side towards your body. Fold corner number one over corner number two. Slide down the edges and tuck corner number three and four in. Straighten the edges and place it on the table. Fold the sheet i...

How To: Replace a standard light switch with a dimmer switch

This video is from the Dummies video series. The video will describe the process of replacing a standard light switch with a dimmer switch. First you must pick a dimmer switch that has the capacity to control the light fixture you would like to dim. Add up the wattages of all light bulbs in the fixture and make sure it is less than the rated capacity of your dimmer switch. Next turn off the power to the existing switch from the breaker panel and test with a voltage meter. You will then remove...

How To: Cut nested crown molding with a DEWALT miter saw

dewalttv teaches you how to cut nested crown molding with a DEWALT miter saw. The advantage of this position is that it doesn't require a bevel angle. The bottom of the molding should be placed against the fence. To cut the right piece, set the miter to 45 degrees to the left and make the cut. To cut the other piece, the left one, set the miter angle to 45 degrees to the right and cut. You are done. This technique is useful when you don't want to worry about setting up a level cut.

How To: Wear a tool belt to provide easy tool access

Danny Lipford demonstrates how to wear a tool belt to provide easy access to your tools. A tool belt is handy because you can keep your materials like nails and screws, in addition to tools, right at your fingertips. A nail apron is lightweight but can slide down because it has thin strings. To solve this problem, loop the nail apron strings around your belt loop. When you put the string around the hammer holder, loop it around a second time to securely keep the hammer in place. A tool belt t...

How To: Use a post hole digger as a measuring stick

Here is a simple technical to measure hole you dug with a post hole digger. Take measuring tape. Place it with the post hole digger from bottom to the end of the post hole digger. Mark each foot division on the post hole digger with a marker. So now you can measure depth of the hole you dug with post hole digger without the need of a measuring tape. If you want to dig 2 feet deep down the earth and you could not find a measuring tape to measure, but markings on the digger will help you to mea...

How To: Arrange a dozen red roses in a vase for your home

Are you looking for a simple floral design that will delight friends and family as a winter holiday centerpiece? Or perhaps you would like to do something a little more special with those dozen roses you bought as a romantic gesture? If so, look no further, because Jim Daniel, The Flower God, has a quick and easy floral arrangement to help make any occasion special! Useful tips such as including pine cones at the bottom of your vase to add more dimensions, as well as act as an anchor for the ...

How To: Plant dahlias with the Dahlia Guy

The Dahlia Guy is going to show you step by step how to plant dahlias. First, you want to bury your tubers at 2-4inches of depth and place a stick right next to the eye so you know exactly where the dahlia will be. Also, you want to place a timed release fertilizer in the hole and then cover it up with the dirt. Now, take a 16inch long stick and use that to space out the dahlias in your garden. Some tips to use are use name tags at the beginning of the of the planting and at the end of the di...

How To: Install a toilet with ease

First, apply wax to the toilet hole so it doesn't leak. Next install the supply line. Set the bolts on the flange and attach a wax ring onto the bottom of the toilet. Set the toilet over the bolts. Next, stick the gasket to the bottom of the tank and put the tank on the toilet. Tighten the bolts on either side of the tank. Then, hook the supply line up to the toilet. Attach the toilet seat to the toilet by screwing it into place. Finally, turn on the water supply. Your low flow toilet is now ...

How To: Make your lawn more environmentally friendly

Eric with Real World Green explains how to make your lawn more environmentally friendly. First, let your grass go dormant in the summer and don't water it as much. When you mow your lawn, consider using a push reel mower. A mower with a gas engine pollutes more than modern cars do. If you are going to use a gas engine mower, keep the blades sharp for a more efficient job. Use a mulching mower, because yard waste takes up a lot of space in landfills. Consider tearing up some of your lawn and p...

How To: Arrange a dozen roses for a fall themed vase

In this video, the viewer will learn how to arrange a dozen roses for a fall-themed vase. You start out by putting warm water into the vase. Next, you weave the stems of various green foliage pieces and place them in the vase. Allow the green foliage to cascade over the edges of the vase for a decorative look. Once the green foliage is in the vase, you can begin adding your roses. Before adding to the roses, all thorns should be removed and the stem of each rose should be cut under water. Pla...

How To: Bleed a towel radiator like a professional

This video shows you how to bleed a towel radiator like a professional. The radiator is hot at the bottom and cold at the top, which means that there is air in the system and the system will have to be bled. To bleed the system, you will have to open the bleeder valve with a key or flat screwdriver. Turn off the system first, so that no more air can be drawn into it. Open the bleeder valve slowly by turning with the key or screwdriver until you hear air and then stop. If the air stops quickly...

How To: Cut crown molding using a ladder and sawhorse set up

This is a how to video that explains how to do the difficult task of cutting crown molding and how to do it with tools you have laying around, a ladder and a saw horse as a support, and a miter saw. The author of this video explains that if the molding sags then it will not cut straight and your seams will not line up properly. The author is using an extension ladder and explains that you can cut very long pieces using this process. He also explains that you will need more than one brace to s...

How To: Make a simple spring themed flower bouquet

In this video it is demonstrated how to make a simple spring bouquet with tulips and daisies. First take a transparent glass pot and fill it with water. Take some green soft thin stem, roll it and put it into the pot to make a base for the bouquet. Take some yellow tulips and put them into the pot in a clockwise manner and put some seeders in between the tulips. Add some lily grass to it so that the bouquet looks bigger. Now add a dragon fly floating at the top. As time goes by, the tulips wi...

How To: Clean your clothes dryer & make it hot again

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a dryer machine produce heat to dry clothes. Sometimes the dryer machine doesn't produce enough heat to dry clothes. To begin, users should clean the filter if it's full of dust. Check the discharge tube and make sure it is clean and doesn't have anything inside. Users should also open the back of the dryer machine and clean up all the excess dust located in the machine. The build up of dust clocks up the passage way and prevents the machine f...

How To: Choose accent & dining chairs

RSVPstyle This video teaches us to choose accent and dining chairs. All chairs look good from the front but not all chairs look good from the back. The first chair in the video is same at the front and back. This can be useful to put against the wall. The second chair has a definite pattern in the front but has a woven paneling at the back which is different from the front. The third chair in the video is completely different at the back. It has a beautiful design at the back. This is the cha...

How To: Make a wet dry vacuum more mobile

Most often when cleaning, using your wet dry vacuum cleaner, you tend to pull at the hose while towing it around. This invariably leads to the hose being pulled off very often. In this video, Joe demonstrates how you can overcome this problem and thereby make your ‘Wet Dry Vacuum’ more mobile. Sealing the hose pipe to the cleaner with a duct tape doesn’t help much, especially when you need to put the cleaner back for storage. So Joe shows an innovative and effective way out. He drills a hole ...

How To: Strengthen your career path with feng shui at home

Elizabeth Chamberlain with Space Lift demonstrates how to strengthen your career path with feng shui at home. First, find your focus room with your energy map by laying the energy map on top of your home floor plan. The career area is in the front center section of your home, along the line of your front door. In feng shui, all the energy enters through your front door. Encourage the energy up to your front door with your front yard. Feng shui means "wind water" which is the best way that ene...

How To: Use a wood router

DominickDiy teaches you how to use a wood router. You figure out what and how you will use it for by looking at it and adjusting the blade. Then lock it into place and you're ready to cut. The piece of wood you'll be working on should be on top of a piece of rubber mat, so that the wood doesn't slip. You also don't want the router to slip, as it might injure you or cut a wrong way. You go from a rip to a cross cut, when going from one side to another, via a corner. So one time you will be pus...

How To: Fold a fitted sheet like a pro

Fitted sheets can be quite a hassle if you are unsure how to tame the elastic edging and odd form. Cure Wrinkles, with Erin Bried, teaches you how to fold a fitted sheet correctly. Start by having the sheet inside out and place one hand in one of the corners and the other hand in the corner closet to the first corner. Then put one of your corners into the other corner so that one hand has two corners and the other is free. Watch the rest of the video to learn how to turn that clump of a sheet...

How To: Recyle old furniture

D. Gulley with The Discount Trendsetter Show demonstrates how to recycle old furniture. To recycle coffee tables, stack them on top of each other to create a bookcase or a display shelf. Go to your local fabric store and purchase nice but inexpensive fabric to give your sofa a new look. If you don't want to cover your sofa to give it a new look, concentrate on the pillows to pull the new look together. To update pillows that you already have, buy some inexpensive fabric and tuck it, pin it or...

How To: Turn your TV into art

YOUTUBE A gentleman describes how to convert your flat screen TV into a piece of art. Using his Sanyo flat screen hanging on the wall, he demonstrates how entering a DVD into the built-in DVD player using a Detour brand DVD can improve the overall look of the room. The DVD plays the program "Wall Flowers", a high quality image without sound, that constantly changes in patterns and images. He then closes by showing how the TV images can add to the decor of a room. After watching this video, yo...

How To: Preserve your lampshades

This video is from FusionNW.com - Fusion: All about the Northwest home. In this video we learn some tips about preserving your lampshades. Bea Searles from Naomi's Lampshades & Lamps joins us to give us some advice. Lampshades come all wrapped in plastic and you may be tempted to leave the plastic on because you think it will protect your lampshade. But, actually, you always want to take that off, because the plastic holds the heat in and, while you think you're helping them, you're actually ...

How To: Make compost for your herb garden at home

Compost is a very important part of your garden. In order to create the compost you need five very important ingredients: air, water, heat, nitrogen and carbon. You can introduce air circulation by crossing branches. Water your pile so it does not dry out, but you do not want to water it too much so that it gets mushy. your compost pile has to be warm in order for it to compost. You can get nitrogen by using green things from your garden like weeds and grass, and you can get carbon by using h...

How To: Remove & replace warped vinyl siding on your home

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to remove and replace vinyl siding. Users will need a siding removal tool (zip tool). Insert this tool beneath the bottom edge of the overlap and pull down while sliding the tool horizontally. Remove the nails underneath and simply pull down the siding. Now measure the length of the siding. With the new siding, connect it on the exterior wall and reinforce it with some nails. This video will help those viewers who need to learn how to replace a vinyl ...

How To: Design a fall themed pumpkin arrangment for your home

Take a pumpkin that is round and not oblong, to make the arrangement look its best. Cut the pumpkin strait across at the top, below the stem but far enough down so you have a wide opening. Clean all the seeds out and guts in pumpkin so that the pumpkin will not decompose. Cut your floral foam piece to fit snugly inside the pumpkin so it won't move. Take it out, and soak it for a few minutes in water so it will absorb lots of water. Choose fresh flowers that would look nicely in pumpkin arrang...

How To: Make a leaf cover out of a tarp and wooden dowel rods

This video from Danny Lipford explains how to make a cover for raked leaves so that the wind won't blow them away. Get a tarp and cut it to the right size. Get two wooden dowel rods and put them along two ends of the tarp. Turn the tarp edge over the dowel rods and tape them down with duct tape. The cover can be used to cover leaves that are in a wheelbarrow or on the ground. You can also lay the tarp on the ground, rake the leaves into the tarp, drag them where you want them and pick up the ...

How To: Convert a sponge mop into a sanding pole

In this video Danny Lip ford is showing how you can convert an old sponge mop into an inexpensive pole sander for your household purposes. For this, take an old sponge mop and remove the sponge from it by loosening the screws. Then cover the rectangular sponge fully with the sheet of sand paper. Now screw back the sponge with sand paper to the head of the mop. You can do your sanding in the wall very easily now. If you were to use just a sheet of sandpaper and sand the wall, it would take a l...

How To: Keep your outdoor deck in top shape

Keeping your deck in shape involves a number of steps. You can't just go out and start staining the deck. It must be cleaned first. Composite decks or PVC decks can be pressured washed but if you use too much power on a wood deck you will curl it or cause the fiber on the deck to peel up and roll back. There are some key products to use to clean the deck. Corte Cleaner is an excellent eco-friendly cleaner. One gallon mixed will do 200 square feet of the deck and it won't hurt the plants or an...

How To: Tile a diagonal cut tile

Tile RIGHT demonstrates how to tile a diagonally cut tile. First set the Measure Right Pro to the appropriate setting, extending it from corner to corner along your tile. Account for your grout line and the space up against the wall. Then, lock the tool. Next, place the tiles you're going to use on top of your set tiles. Slide the Measure Right Pro along the wall and mark the tiles. Place the sections in the appropriate place. Then, cut your tiles. Lay the tiles where you've previously marked...

How To: Design a wintery holiday centerpiece for your table

In this video the author describes how to design a centerpiece for your table with a holiday or winter type theme. The author uses different types of foliage including cedar, pine, sugar pine cones, roses, and twigs to accomplish this masterpiece. This is a step-by-step video and is easy to follow along with. The author starts with floral foam and explains the process from start to finish with enthusiasm and detail. The finished product would decorate a large table for a party or gathering an...

How To: Design a tropical flower arrangement for your home

This fast paced video shows the creativity and uniqueness you can bring into your home through a simple flower arrangement. The following video used Birds of Paradise and other exotic flowers to give your flower arrangement that special touch. The arrangement features bold and exciting colors that can be used for any occasion. With a keen eye and a flare for spacing, anyone can create this flower arrangement with simple instructions from this video. This video is presented to you by The Flowe...

How To: Design a Grecian flower urn

This video is a demonstration of how to create a Grecian style flower arrangement in an urn. He starts with a green urn on a pedestal and puts in some craft foam. He uses two different kinds of green foliage, one with large leaves and one with lighter green smaller leaves around the base. He then adds some pale beige stalks that drape down on all four sides. He adds some big fluffy deep yellow flowers and smaller red ones, keeping the arrangement in a low round shape. He puts in white roses a...

How To: Wash pillows

Remove all those dust mites and pet dander from your pillows on a regular basis with a good wash in hot water. Pillows can be a little trickier to wash than other linens so keep you pillows fresh and new by following proper washing instructions.

How To: Build a compost pile for dummies

The video starts out with the narrator explaining the benefits and uses of a compost pile. He then begins to demonstrate the steps to start a compost pile. He lists the ingredients and demonstrates how to mix it up with a pitchfork and shovel. He advises to put brown organic matter such as wood chips, leaves, sawdust, etc. as the first layer in the pile. Then add a layer of green organic matter such as grass clippings. A layer of kitchen scraps or manure can be added. He then shows how and wh...