Simple Ideas to Make Your Own Inexpensive Curtains

            When we decide to spruce up our house, one of the first things that come to mind is a curtain. There are many types of curtains on the market. Lots of fabrics, colors, designs and styles to chose from. But sometimes, regardless of the vast variety available, we simply can’t find what we’re looking for, and often times when we do, we can’t afford it. 
The truth is, you don’t need anyone to do it for you; you are as capable as it takes, to do it yourself! Let’s see how we can become designers of our own space using basic tailoring techniques. 
           Let’s start by the most prominent, the material. The fabric. Choose a fabric that you like. Avoid quilted fabrics as they can stretch or shrink over time. Fibers like cotton and linen and especially those with polyester and micro fibers, hold up better than others. Also avoid silk or silk blends, because they tend to rot and fade very quickly. Make sure you buy enough fabric; you don’t want your curtains to look poor. Double height of the window and three times width, should be fine. 
          In this article, we will examine the three simplest sewing and hanging techniques for curtains.
For curtains with rings, you need to stitch an approximately 3-inch hem at the edge of the curtain panels that are going to be hung. Now, sew each ring to each curtain panel leaving small distances between the rings so that the curtain is pulled easily. You can also use clip-on rings that don’t need to be stitched and are easier to apply. 
For tied tab curtains you will need to create the hangers. Simply stitch horizontal buttonholes at the top of the curtain panel. Now you can make the hangers using the same fabric as the curtains, or another but suitable fabric for a little diversity. Make threads and place through the buttonholes.
           

No Sew Curtains are also a smart and easy way to make curtains and decorate a window. In this case the fabric should be 3 inches more than double the height of the window and 2 inches more than the width of the window. Pull the fabric through the rod and fold evenly. Now stitch the two ends of the fabric at the bottom and at the sides together. When the curtain is ready, place a single fabric band in the center of the curtain or use two purchased tiebacks evenly spaced along the width of your window. Then adjust folds of fabric panel as desired.
Gather your supplies, fabric, scissors, screws, rings or ribbon, and use your imagination. In less than an hour you will manage to decorate that empty window effectively and inexpensively. But the most important thing is that you will have your own personal work to show off in your house.

3 Kinds Of Wood Used In Real Wood Furniture

          Real wood furniture is the most popular furniture in existence.  It's been around for hundreds of years and probably existed when the cave people got tired of squatting on the dirt floor of their caves and looked around for a better way.
The woods that are fashioned into furniture fall into three categories: 
1. Hardwoods 
2. Softwoods 
3. Composites 
Even the term 'hardwood' or 'softwood' is deceptive. Hardwoods aren't necessarily harder, denser material.  For example, balsa wood is one of the lightest, least dense woods there is, and it's considered a hardwood. Technically, lumber is classified based on how the tree reproduces. As a general rule, though, softwood trees are evergreen year round while the hardwoods create the gorgeous autumn foliage that we all love so much. 
Hardwoods are considered the highest quality and are the most expensive.  Their natural colors vary from the darkest woods to the lightest ones and and they can be stained or painted for even more variety. Hardwood furniture is least likely to warp or bend and is prized in all high quality homes. The five woods most commonly used in furniture production are cherry, walnut, oak, maple and mahogany. 
Softwoods are less expensive than hardwoods, but they require extra care. Because they are less durable, it's much easier to scratch or dent softwood furniture. In addition, they often don't have the beautiful grains of a hardwood, and therefore don't stain as beautifully. 
Pine is an example of a softwood that is commonly used for furniture. These woods are often used in construction as well so the choicest pieces are reserved for furniture. In construction, knots and splits are common. Lots of construction lumber will not accept paint and this kind of wood is used for shelves or packing crates. 
The softwood used in furniture is designated as "Appearance" lumber and includes most softwood lumber that has been custom milled to a pattern or otherwise surfaced on all four sides. 
Composites are the cheapest form of wood and are literally manufactured, rather than grown. 
1. Plywood: multiple layers of thin wooden sheets are glued together and pressed. Plywood is strong and resists swelling, shrinking and warping. There is some furniture made directly from plywood, but generally it is only used as a support when incorporated into furniture. 
2. Particle board: sawdust and small wood chips are mixed with glue or resin which is then shaped and pressure treated. When used for inexpensive furniture, particle board is usually covered with laminate or veneer. This is necessary because particle board splits easily and the laminate prevents splitting. However, the downside is that the laminate may separate from the wood because the particle board responds to temperature and pressure changes by swelling and shrinking. 
3. Hardboard: is made like particle board but it's placed under higher pressure so it's stronger. 
4. MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard: wood particles are bonded with resin and compressed. It is harder than particle board or hardboard, and can be cut like plywood although it isn't as strong as plywood. Some MDF is covered with melamine which is a durable plastic in a variety of colors. The exposed edges of MDF are rough and need covering with molding or some other decorative material. 
Technically, furniture made from all of these wood products is "real" wood furniture, even the composites. Prices and quality range from the hardwoods down to the composites. The higher you go up the spectrum, the more you can expect to pay for your wood furniture.  The good part, of course, is that with proper care hardwood furniture will last for decades or even generations. If you can afford it, always choose hardwood furniture.

3 Great Reasons To Buy A Portable Air Conditioner

1. Oprah said so.

2. It looks like the robot from “Lost In Space”.

3. Brad and Angelina are adopting one. 

For those of you who make your decisions based on real information, here are some cool portable air conditioner facts.

A goldmine of enlightening information can be uncovered by visiting forums. For instance, when I wanted to tap into the experiences of actual portable air conditioner owners, all I had to do was Google “portable air conditioner forums” and Voila!, I had instant access to pages of relevant information from 3 different forums.

I encourage you to try this technique. Just substitute any generic product or service description for “portable air conditioners” plus the word “forums”.

What I uncovered was concerns over energy consumption, how energy consumption impacts circuit load, noise level, venting, the disposal of water from the dehumidifying process, and of course, price. 

Portable Air Conditioner Energy Consumption
In the United States, the average air conditioner runs 750 hours each year. Since air conditioners use a lot of electricity, their efficiency has become a public issue. The EER, or Energy Efficiency Rating, is the ratio of the Btu's per hour to the number of watts the unit draws. 

EER ratings of 7 or 8 are at the low end of energy efficiency. Many units have ratings around 12 which are good. The highest rated portable air conditioner I could find was the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=alternatiheat-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPortable-Air-Conditioner%2Fdp%2FB000A8D7X4%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1153668635%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8">Amcor AL10000E</a> . It has an awesome EER of 16.6.

Portable Air Conditioner Circuit Load
Before you start your search for a portable air conditioner, check your breaker box for the number of amps available to the room you want cooled. If you buy a unit that draws 14.5 amps on a 15 amp circuit, you’ll have the additional but unintended cooling effect of sitting in the dark while enjoying your new portable air conditioner.

How Noisy Is A Portable Air Conditioner?
Most portable air conditioners that deliver 14,000 Btu’s or less have a noise level around 50 decibels. This is comparable to the loudness of most refrigerators. At 60 decibels, a 16,000 Btu unit is slightly noisier. Think of what it’s like to watch TV in the kitchen while the fridge is running.

Portable Air Conditioner Venting
There is some controversy as to whether a dual hose unit is superior to the single hose configuration. On one hand, a single hose unit will exhaust from the room some portion of the cool air it just produced. 

On the other hand, a dual hose unit eliminates this problem, but the warmer unconditioned air used to cool their compressors results in slightly less efficiency. They also use two internal fans which result in slightly higher energy usage.

Another hot topic at the forums that people are venting about is having to wrap insulation around the hose of their single hose unit. This is done to prevent the hot exhaust hose from adding heat back into the room. Personally, I can’t think of anything better than duct tape wrapped around insulation to brighten up a room.

Water Water Everywhere
Portable air conditioners offer three methods for disposing of the water extracted by the dehumidifier component. 

The most convenient is auto evaporation which eliminates the need for drains or reservoirs. The reliability of this method varies from unit to unit.

The second method is direct drain using a hose attached to the unit. This can be problematic unless the unit is located near a floor drain. Not much chance of that, so you’ll have to use a bucket. 

And finally, you get to empty the pan yourself. Just make sure the pan is large enough so the air conditioner doesn’t shut off in the middle of the night when the pan fills up. 

Price
I think price is a secondary consideration to efficiency. As usual, a higher priced unit that operates more efficiently will always end up costing less in the long run than a cheaper, less efficient model. 

Portable air conditioners are much less efficient than comparable window units and cost roughly twice as much. What you're paying for is the flexibility to roll it from one room to another or into a closet for easy storage. 

Another Option to Consider
For the price of a portable air conditioner you might be able to buy a window air conditioner AND a new window to put it in.

3 Benefits of Owning a Patio Awning

            More and more of us each year try harder and harder to enjoy the
outdoors and the warm days of summer without having to leave our
own backyard.  Back yard pools are becoming more popular as
prices become more affordable.  Even gazebos and sunrooms are
increasing in popularity.  These are all great ideas to enjoy
your backyard.  One idea that now is also becoming main stream
in household owners is the patio awning.  Below are the 3 top
benefits of owning a patio awning.

Protection

The number one benefit of owning a patio awning is protection.
Many properties have patio doors leading onto the patio or deck.
 Unfortunately, this area by most property owners is not being
used to its full advantage.  Basically, the area is useless when
it rains or if the sun and its harmful rays are not your cup of
tea.  Having a patio awning will eliminate both of these issues
and provide you with more enjoyable usage of your patio or deck.
 With the shelter that the awning provides, you may sit outside
and still enjoy the fresh air and sounds of the outdoors with
out getting wet or worrying about harmful UV rays from the sun.
Also, any patio furniture you own is now protected from these
weather conditions.

More Living Area

With the added protection as mentioned previously, you now have
just expanded your living area.  You may now be outside and
enjoy a nice dinner and entertain your guests without the worry
of a rain shower.  Your guests will enjoy the comfort of being
shaded from the sun and take in the beauty of your backyard.
The awning will basically give you a second dining room as well
as living room and you will be able to enjoy all your meals
outside under the protective awning canvas.

Price

A benefit of the patio awning is that you do not need to break
the bank to own one.  As opposed to getting a pool or gazebo to
add value and cosmetics to your house, choosing an awning can be
the logical choice if you are on a tight budget.  There are many
companies that offer pre-made awnings that come in different
sizes, fabrics, and colors that will probably more than suit
your needs.

A simple investment in owning a patio awning can make a great
difference in how you spend your days and evenings in your

backyard.