Roots of Simplicity: March 2013

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Simple Tip: How To Remove Melted Plastic From an Oven Rack

One of my bad habits is putting plastic containers and such in the oven to store them or dry them. Sooner or later I forget to remove the plastic before I preheat the oven, and the results are predictably disastrous. In the past, I have tried to remove plastic that I melted in my oven by reheating the plastic and scraping it off. But this releases more fumes, some of which are probably toxic. Chemical oven cleaner is another potentially toxic method of cleaning, and there is no guarantee that it would work on plastic, especially on a thick, hardened layer of goo.

I finally discovered better method of rescuing an oven rack. The first step is to cool the melted plastic so that it becomes brittle. In colder climates, all this requires is stepping outside. Or you can try fitting your oven rack into a deep freezer. Once the plastic is cold, you can use a hammer to break apart the plastic.

To avoid warping the metal too much, you can use a wrench or another hard flat metal surface to brace the other side.

Then use the hammer claw to scrape off the bits of remaining plastic. Voila! No more plastic on your oven rack.

Have you ever accidentally melted plastic in your oven? How did you deal with it?

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Tulip Napkin Rings {Made From Upcycled Cardboard Tubes}

Though I long for the warmth and colours of spring to arrive, the Canadian prairie is still locked in layers of snow and ice. While I impatiently wait for the weather to change, why not add some beauty and creativity to our tabletop indoors? Sandy Coughlin's ideas for creating a beautiful tabletop inspired me. Just in time for Easter and spring, we now have some cheerful floral napkin rings to grace our table. And you and your family can easily make a set too. From start to finish, this manageable project can be done in 30 minutes or less.

Materials:

Cardboard tubes (from paper towel rolls)

Scissors
Acrylic paint
Paintbrush or cotton swabs
Hot glue (and hot glue gun)
Cloth strips or binding tape
Green ribbon
Sugar snap peas, optional
Flat toothpicks, optional

Cut petal shaped ovals from the cardboard tubes. The length of each oval should be parallel to the length of the tube (so that the petals resemble large fake fingernails).
Paint each petal with a thick coat (or two) of acrylic paint, making sure the brush strokes form a grain that is parallel to the length of each oval.
Cut rings from cardboard tubes, trimming them until smooth and even in size.
Wrap each cardboard ring with about 24 inches of cloth strips. If using folded strips, overlap the edges so that the raw edges are concealed. Secure inside ring with hot glue.
When painted petals are dry, arrange them in groups of three to form a tulip flower and fasten together with hot glue. Attach the tulip flower to the cloth-wrapped ring with hot glue.
To add a stem to the tulip, cut an appropriate length of ribbon and attach it inside the napkin ring with glue, tape, or a pin.
Insert napkin and add sugar snap pea "leaves," securing the pea pods in a V-shape with a flat toothpick. Trim toothpick as needed.

I'm sharing this idea at these fun places.

Monday, March 11, 2013

March Holiday Activity Ideas

While three kids are at school and my one-year-old is napping, I am enjoying a quiet moment. It's a good time to make plans for the rest of the week and beyond. While the sub-zero temperatures (Celsius) here don't suggest that Easter is coming soon, the calendar says otherwise. I collected some colorful ideas for St. Patrick's Day and Easter that I hope will inspire me to create and celebrate these holidays with my children. Perhaps you will fancy one or more of these ideas too.

For St. Patrick's Day, March 17th: