How to Mold a Boiled Egg Into a Heart Shape

Garnishing food is fun... but have you ever considered molding anything other than cakes and Jello? Here's a cute and fun way to serve hard boiled eggs that is both delightful and delicious.

EditIngredients

• Eggs, as few or as many as you'd like
• Water for boiling

EditSteps

1. 1
   

    Hard boil the eggs.
   Hard boil the eggs. An easy method of getting them firm without turning the yolks green is to place the eggs in cold water, bring it to a boil, then cover it and turn off the heat. Leave the eggs in the hot water for 15 minutes.
2. 2
   Cool the eggs and remove the shells.
3. 3
   

    Create your egg mold.
   Create your egg mold. Use a 12 x 10 inch (30cm x 25cm) piece of stiff cardboard. Score creases every two inches (5cm) and fold these creases to create three V-shaped ridges. They should form a triangle tube with an extra inch (2.5cm) or so flap.
   • Tape a 12 inch (30cm) section of dowel (or wooden spoon handle) to the center of one of the sides of the triangle on the side that will face in toward the eggs. See the image for how it should appear.
4. 4
   

    Lay the peeled boiled eggs end to end on wax paper.
   Lay the peeled boiled eggs end to end on wax paper.
5. 5
   

    Roll the eggs up in the wax paper and twist the ends closed.
   Roll the eggs up in the wax paper and twist the ends closed.
6. 6
   

    Place the egg roll inside the cardboard "mold".
   Place the egg roll inside the cardboard "mold".
7. 7
   

    Wrap the cardboard mold around the eggs and secure it firmly with twine or rubber bands.
   Wrap the cardboard mold around the eggs and secure it firmly with twine or rubber bands.
8. 8
   

    Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
   Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
9. 9
   

    Remove from the fridge and slice the eggs in half to reveal the molded heart shapes.
   Remove from the fridge and slice the eggs in half to reveal the molded heart shapes. Serve and enjoy the comments of your friends and family.

EditTips

• These are wonderful additions to bento dishes, as well as being fun for kids and lovers alike!

EditThings You'll Need

• Saucepan
• 12 x 10 inch (30cm x 25cm) piece of stiff cardboard
• Craft knife
• Tape
• Dowel or wooden spoon
• Wax paper
• Rubber bands or twine
• Kitchen knife
• Serving plates

How to Pitch a Hammock Without Trees

A hammock, especially an ultralight like the sub-2-pound Hennessy Backpacker A-sym, makes life very sweet for backpackers. But in the desert, or on a beach, while you still get the "tent" benefits, you no longer enjoy the comfort of hanging suspended in the air, above the cold, hard ground. In addition, you have snakes, spiders, and scorpions to contend with, and you get the worst of the dust. For another twenty or thirty dollars, and a few more pounds weight, you can hang your hammock just about anywhere using this approach, and you don't need to worry about critters, nor bring your sleeping bag and pad.

EditSteps

1. 1
   Have a hardware store cut you two pieces of 1/16 inch (1.5mm) aircraft cable, each at least twenty feet long. Buy at least six (6) 1/16 inch (1.5mm) cable clamps while you're there, along with four (4) 1/2 inch (1.27cm) by 10 inch (25cm) lag bolts and two shorter lag bolts not less than 6 inches (15cm) long. Two pieces of one inch (2.5cm) round or square aluminum tubing, at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) long, are necessary also. If you don't have an assortment of hardware at home, buy two 1/4-20 x 2" (6.35mm x 5cm) bolts and nylock nuts, or two 1/4 x 2" (6.35mm x 5cm) hitch (or clevis) pins with hitch pin clips.
2. 2
   

    One end of a cable looped over a lag bolt in the ground
   Using the cable clamps, make a loop on each end of each cable. Three clamps for each loop are recommended for safety, but for reasons explained below, this overkill should not be necessary.
3. 3
   

    Clevis pin supporting finished assembly
   Drill a 1/4 inch (6.35mm) hole through one end of each tube, about 2 inches (5cm) from the end. Through each of these holes, insert a bolt with locknut, or a clevis pin with a hitch pin clip.
4. 4
   

    Layout as seen from above
   Using a ratcheting socket wrench, screw 6-inch (15cm) or longer lag bolts into the ground about 8 to 12 feet apart (points C and D in the drawing). Leave only about 1/2 inch (1.27cm) sticking out of the ground. The poles go over the heads of the bolts, and they keep the base of the poles from shifting position.
5. 5
   At point A in the drawing, screw in one of the 10-inch lag bolts. The distance, assuming 20-foot (6 meter) cables and 4-foot (1.2 meter) poles, would be about 9 feet (2.7 meters) from point C.
6. 6
   

    Zoom in to see both sides of loop packed into the V-notch
   Removing the nuts from one of the cable clamps, make a loop at about the midpoint of the first aircraft cable, just big enough to fit over the pole. Holding the pole upright, slide the loop so that the cable between points A and C is very tight. Screw the nuts back on tight.
7. 7
   Screw in a 10-inch (25cm) lag bolt at point B, securing the first pole. Have a friend hold it upright if possible while locating point B, otherwise use stones or some other means to make sure the pole is (close to) perfectly upright when the anchoring cable is tight.
8. 8
   Repeat the previous three steps for points D, E, and F, using the second piece of aircraft cable.
9. 9
   

    Two half hitches at point C
   Mount your hammock, using two half hitches at point C, and a taut-line hitch at point D. Slide the hitch until the hammock rope is very tight.
10. 10
    

     Close-up of taut-line hitch
    Sit in the middle of the hammock, and make sure your bottom doesn't hit the ground. If it does, adjust the taut-line hitch at point D. Practically speaking, there will be some stretch in the rope and fabric which will necessitate performing this step 3 or more times until everything is tight. If there is no more "take-up" room on the side with the taut-line hitch, loosen it; undo the two half-hitches at point C; and re-tie them closer to the hammock. Then you will have more room for adjustments. Ideally you will be only an inch or two above the ground when the setup is complete, meaning only a slight impact if something breaks or a lag bolt pops out of the ground.
11. 11
    

     With the working end of the taut-line hitch, tie another two (or more) half hitches around the cable, in case the wind lifts the hammock off the poles while you're not in it.
    With the working end of the taut-line hitch, tie another two (or more) half hitches around the cable, in case the wind lifts the hammock off the poles while you're not in it. Otherwise you'll be chasing it across the desert, then finally extracting it from a cactus or mesquite bush.
12. 12
    Enjoy sleeping in your hammock as long as you stay in this location.
    • Note: There is no need to remove the cable clamps when you break camp. The bolts or clevis pins may also be left in the poles; so the only thing necessary to do is remove the lag bolts and pack everything up.

EditTips

• The lag bolts may not work in loose sand. Research different types of tent pegs to find some that work in your target area.
• Two more 6 inch (15cm) lag bolts will enable attaching side adjustment cords, and rain fly, if necessary.
• Ignoring Hennessy's recommendation to install the hammock at "chair height" allows you to use the shortest possible lag bolts and only one clamp per loop, since the impact will be minimal if the setup collapses from only an inch (2.5cm) above the ground.

EditWarnings

• 

  
  Some hard-core ultralight backpackers will want to try using their telescoping hiking poles, which they're carrying anyway, to eliminate the long aluminum poles. They will most likely break, as seen here after one such attempt. A better alternative would be to make the aluminum poles double as your hiking poles, or as part of your backpack frame.

EditThings You'll Need

• During initial setup at home
  • Drill with 1/4" (6.35mm) titanium or cobalt drill bit
  • Small adjustable wrench, or socket to fit aircraft cable clamp nuts
• During setup and at campsite
  • Two (2) 1" x 48" (2.5cm x 18.8cm) pieces of round aluminum tubing
  • Four (4) 1/2" x 10" (1.27cm x 25cm) lag bolts
  • Two (2) 1/2" x 6" (1.27cm x 15cm) lag bolts
  • Socket wrench to fit lag bolts
  • Two (2) 1/16" x 20' pieces of aircraft cable
  • Six (6) 1/16" (1.5mm) aircraft cable clamps
  • Two (2) 1/4" x 2" (6.35mm x 5cm) bolts with locknuts, or clevis pins with hitch pin clips
  • Hammock

How to Cut and Gather String or Net Wrap Off of Round Bales

Feeding round bales to livestock always involve the necessary removal of strings (also called twine) or netting before the animals can properly feed from those bales. It's not an easy task if you don't know how to do it properly, so it's best to read the following steps below to know just what the most proper and time-saving way is for cutting and gathering strings (or netting) off of round bales.

EditSteps

1. 1
   Cut the strings or net wrap. Using a sharp utility knife, make a cut perpendicular to the flat areas of the bale that stretches from one end to the other at a height that is around chest-height to you or lower. You may have to make several cuts if the knife is dull or if the strings are buried deep in the bale. Double and triple-check that you've cut all the twine or netting that is attached to the bale.
   • With some bales, the string may be embedded a few inches (centimetres) into the bale, which may make it impossible to cut. You will need to use your fingers to find the string before making the necessary cuts.
2. 2
   Gather the twine or net wrap. Go to the opposite side of the bale and pick the strands off the bale a few lengths at a time, only taking enough that you can gather all the string in your hand whilst leaving most still on the bale. Most string is applied in separate groups of two to four strings set apart about two to six inches (5cm to 15cm), which makes it relatively easy to gather up in your hands if you've cut all the strands on the other side of the bale.
   • Netting is usually much easier to gather, since it is joined together and will come off without having to gather much up.
   • It is this point where you can tell if you missed any strings you cut. If this is the case, then go around to the side you had cut the strings and find the strand you missed, or you can simply cut the strand right where you are gathering them up.
3. 3
   Pull the string or net wrap from the bale. Once you've got all the strands in your one hand, pull out the strings from the bale, using your body weight and strength in your arms and legs, to free difficult strands. You can just pull the string as is, or form a simple knot to bind the string together and use the loop you formed from the knot as a means to help better pull the string off the bale on one fell-swoop.
   • If you are taking off netting, you can apply the same procedure as above. You'll find though, that older net wrap tends to tear easily than baler string does, which will make it a little more challenging to gather and pull off the bale.
   • During the winter time (especially if you are in an area where you get snow and ice) you may find it a bit more difficult to pull twine or net wrap off of the bale. Ice formed on top of the bale tends to hold the string or net wrap a bit more fast than if you were doing this in the spring or fall when there is no ice or snow to be had. You just need to use a bit more muscle force to remove the string, or if it's particularly stubborn, the knife to help free it.
4. 4
   Gather the string or netting in a bundle. This way you will be able to make sure no loose string is left behind for your livestock to accidentally consume. Start by gathering it into a loop, similar to that as a cowboy would gather a lariat or a lasso (diameter is best to be around a foot [~30 cm] or the length of your forearm from the space between your thumb and forefinger to underneath your elbow), except that you must leave a fairly significant portion of at least two to three metres (or over six to nine feet) of loose string trailing from this loop. Now take each side of this loop and pinch it together so that both edges of this circular loop are now held in one hand, forming loops both above and below your fist. Then take the trailing end and tightly wrap it around the middle of where you had pinched the loop together in your hand, and keep looping the trailing end until there is no loose string left. You have now formed a bundle of twine.
   • Do the same thing with net wrap for the same reason as mentioned above.
5. 5
   Repeat the steps above for each round bale you must remove the twine or net wrap from. Make sure you gather up the strings for each bale, and even keep an eye out for extra strings on the ground that you may have missed. It's a good idea to do a regular walk around the area where hay is strewn to pick up any stray string and dispose of it properly.

EditTips

• It's highly recommended you use gloves when cutting and removing string or net wrap. Plastic can, and will, cut through your skin, especially if it's older wrap or twine. However, be aware that you may need to remove your gloves in order to find a string buried somewhere in the bale of hay or straw.
• Always have your knife handy for cutting strings or net wrap. You won't be able to get any twine or netting off the bale without it.
• Make sure you get all the string or netting off the bale. Not only will it make it easier for livestock to access the bale, but also ensures that livestock don't ingest the netting or twine by accident. Livestock, particularly ruminants like cattle and sheep, have been known to die from getting too much baler twine or netting in their reticulum (the first stomach chamber of a ruminant), making it harder to properly digest feed. Moreover, livestock cannot remove the strings themselves, nor should you expect them to. If you have bales bound with sisal twine, you can leave the bale as is, but it would still be a good idea to cut the sisal twine to make it easier for the animals to eat the bale.
  • Sisal twine is twine that is simply made from sisal grass, which makes it much safer and easier for livestock to digest and also eliminates the job of having to gather the string off the bale before feeding.
• Cutting net wrap or strings in the winter (especially in areas where snow and ice is commonplace) is always a challenge. Ice and snow can impede your efforts to removing string or netting to the point where you will need to work harder to get the wrap or twine off. Thus, during such winter times, make sure you always have your knife handy and don't be afraid to use your muscles when tackling frozen bales in the winter.

EditWarnings

• Never have your hand behind the blade of your knife, nor cut towards your non-cutting hand, no matter what hand you use to cut with.
• Plastic string or net wrap will cut your hands if you don't have gloves on.

EditThings You'll Need

• Utility knife
• Pair of gloves
• Round bales

How to Fade One Image Onto Another in Photoshop

Photoshop is full of various techniques on how to manipulate photos. Here’s one basic technique you can learn about fading one image into another.

EditSteps

1. 1
   Find two images from the internet or from your personal file that you think go well together. Open both images in Photoshop and then copy and paste one image onto another image by using the shortcuts Ctrl+C for copy and Ctrl+V for paste.
   
   
   
2. 2
   On the image you've copied and pasted, add on a layer mask. Do so by clicking on the add layer mask icon. Also remember to set the background color to white before you click the icon.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Click on the layer mask of your pasted image. Add a black to white gradient on the mask. To apply the gradient, drag your mouse from the right to left; you will be able to see the image fade from the center to its left side.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Check out the final image after applying the gradient on the layer mask. It's ready unless it requires adjustments.
   
   
   

EditVideo

EditThings You'll Need

• Photoshop
• Two images