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5 genius ways to use hot glue around the house

<p>If you’re the proud owner of a hot glue gun, then you’ll know this nifty little invention is worth its weight in art and craft gold. But did you know it can also be super useful around the house? Read on to find out a whole bunch of new and ingenious ways to use your hot glue gun.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Create sticky soles</strong> – If you’ve got wooden floors and your grandchildren are still getting the hang of walking, then this is for you! Create non-slip soft shoes for the little ones in your life by personalising the bottom of the shoe with their name or a pattern to stop any slips or slides in their tracks.</li> <li><strong>Keep your shirts in place</strong> – Silky shirts and tops have a bad habit of slipping of their hanger and onto the floor. Keep them in place by dolloping a bit of glue on the hanger to create enough friction to keep straps in place.</li> <li><strong>Breathe new life into a chair</strong> – If sewing and upholstery isn’t your thing, fear not. Give a chair a new lease of life by securing new fabric with your hot glue gun.</li> <li><strong>Plug a hole</strong> – Small hole in a grandchild’s favourite toy or even in your trusty airbed? Plug it with a dab of hot glue.</li> <li><strong>Hem a pair of pants</strong> – If you’ve ever been about to dash out the door only to realise that your hem has been knocked down and isn’t getting back up then this is for you. Use small dabs from your hot glue gun to temporarily repair the offending hem. You can either leave the glue on when you eventually hem the pants properly or peel it off easily.</li> </ol> <p>Are you a hot glue gun user? Have you ever used it for any of the above?</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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James Cromwell glues hand to Starbucks counter in support of animal rights

<p dir="ltr"><em>Babe</em> actor James Cromwell caused quite a stir in a Starbucks after gluing his hand to the counter in support of animal rights.</p> <p dir="ltr">The popular coffee chain recently announced an extra charge for plant based milk which has infuriated the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.</p> <p dir="ltr">Activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organised the protest, with Cromwell taking the lead and gluing himself to the counter, calling for the surcharge to be removed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Non-dairy products all over the world…France, they give these things away. There’s no charge for it. Here, there’s an exorbitant charge,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why, when it’s so important now to address climate change and to understand the violence to animals to go on to make dairy products that are served here? There’s no reason for it except greed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Police were called to the Starbucks asking the protestors to leave which they did with no arrests made.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement, Starbucks explained how customers are also slugged a surcharge when ordering other non-dairy milk with their orders.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Customers can customise any beverage on the menu with a non-dairy milk, including soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk for an additional cost (similar to other beverage customisations such as an additional espresso shot or syrup)," the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Pricing varies market by market."</p> <p dir="ltr">Police were eventually called to the Starbucks and asked the protestors to leave with no arrests made.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the video <a href="https://www.facebook.com/official.peta/videos/2237669893078098" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

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Get crafty with Mod Podge and make your own colourful bowls

<p>If you’ve never had the delight of working with Mod Podge, we’re about to make your world a little more fun. Mod Podge is a cool craft glue/sealant/varnish all in one. It will stick to just about anything so the possibilities are endless. Once you’ve finished your project, a light coat of the stuff will seal it all in with a nice sheen.</p> <p>So, now that you know what it is, what are you going to do with it? How about making a cool DIY bowl to hold your keys, jewellery, spare change, or even lollies. Here are three ideas to get you started.</p> <p><img width="500" height="343" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6471/leaf-bowl_500x343.jpg" alt="Leaf -bowl" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Autumn leaf bowl</span></strong></p> <p><strong>What you’ll need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Silk/fake autumn leaves (stems and veins removed)</li> <li>A balloon</li> <li>A bowl or saucepan</li> <li>Mod Podge</li> <li>A sponge brush</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Blow up your balloon until the larger end is the size and shape you want your bowl to be.</li> <li>Stick your balloon upside down (valve pointing down) in your bowl/saucepan and paint a light layer of Mod Podge onto the surface. Leave this layer to dry – it will form a sort of protective layer between the balloon and your leaves.</li> <li>Start sticking your leaves down, using your sponge brush to flatten out and apply more Mod Podge on top.</li> <li>Once you have a shape and size you like, add a couple more leaves to the bottom of the bowl to balance the weight evenly, and leave the bowl to dry for at least an hour (if it’s humid where you are, leave it for longer).</li> <li>When everything is dry, carefully pop the balloon with a pin prick near the tied end. Slowly let the air out and peel the balloon away.</li> </ol> <p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.hellolucky.com/wordpress/2012/10/25/diy-autumn-leaf-bowls" target="_blank">HelloLucky</a></em></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><img width="499" height="165" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6473/yarn-bowl_499x165.jpg" alt="Yarn -bowl (1)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Yarn bowl</strong></span></p> <p><strong>What you’ll need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Cotton yarn</li> <li>A bowl (for moulding)</li> <li>Large ziplock bag/plastic wrap</li> <li>A bowl (for holding the Mod Podge)</li> <li>Mod Podge</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Place the bowl you’re using to as a mould inside your ziplock bag/wrap it in plastic wrap to protect it and place it upside down.</li> <li>Pour some Mod Podge into your other bowl and add a little water to dilute it.</li> <li>Place your yarn, Mod Podge and mould in a line and dip the yarn into the Mod Podge. Use your fingers to pinch the yarn between your fingers and slide them along the string to squeeze off the excess glue.</li> <li>Slowly wind the string back and forth over the mould until you’re happy with the amount of coverage. Gently press down on the yarn to help them adhere to one another and allow everything to dry for at least an hour (overnight would be better).</li> <li>When everything is dry, carefully remove the bowl from underneath the plastic wrap/from the ziplock bag and gently peel the plastic from the yarn bowl.</li> </ol> <p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.thegunnysack.com/2011/04/gunny-sack-youngsters_21.html" target="_blank">GunnySack</a></em></p> <p><em><img width="500" height="225" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6474/button-bowl_500x225.jpg" alt="Button -bowl" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></em></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Button bowl</strong></span></p> <p><strong>What you’ll need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Flat buttons (smaller stick better)</li> <li>A balloon</li> <li>Mod Podge</li> <li>A sponge brush</li> <li>A bowl or saucepan</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Blow up your balloon until the larger end is the size and shape you want your bowl to be.</li> <li>Stick your balloon upside down (valve pointing down) in your bowl/saucepan and paint a light layer of Mod Podge onto the surface. Leave this layer to dry – it will form a sort of protective layer between the balloon and your leaves.</li> <li>Apply a second coat of Mod Podge and start sticking the buttons down, starting at the top of the balloon and working until you like the look and size. Keep the buttons as close together as you can fit them. Leave it to dry for 4 – 5 hours.<br /> NOTE: If you find your buttons are sliding down the balloon while they dry, turn the balloon upside down (knot in the air) for the drying.</li> <li>Once this layer is dry, add another layer of Mod Podge and allow to dry overnight.</li> <li>When everything is dry, carefully pop the balloon with a pin prick near the tied end. Slowly let the air out and peel the balloon away.</li> </ol> <p><em>Source: <a href="https://kristentool.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/create-a-unique-bowl-using-old-buttons/" target="_blank">KirstenTool</a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/05/button-bracelets/">Make colourful button bracelets with the grandkids</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/05/braided-paper-bookmarks/">Learn to braid paper into bracelets and bookmarks</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/05/ribbed-scarf/">Pick up your knitting needles and make this simple but beautiful ribbed scarf</a></strong></em></span></p>

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