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HOW TO MAKE SMALL GIFT BOXES FROM CHRISTMAS CARDS

This is a wonderful way to use Christmas cards. With a piece or two of candy or a cookie or two, they'll dress up a small gift which anyone will receive with pleasure!

Materials: Christmas cards (at least 4 5/8" square or larger); ruler, scissors, pencil.

PREPARING THE SQUARES:

Using a ruler, measure and cut out one 5" square and one 4 5/8" square from Christmas cards.

For each square, do the following:

  1. Use ruler to draw a straight line diagonally from corner to corner. Do the same for the other 2 corners.
  2. One at a time, fold each corner of the square to the middle where the 2 diagonal lines meet. This should form a square.
  3. Keeping corners folded in, fold one side of the square so that the edge sits where the diagonal lines meet. Do the same for the pposite side.
  4. Unfold the folds you made in step 3 so it lies flat. Repeat step 3, folding the other 2 sides the same way.
  5. Unfold all folds so that square is competely open again.
  6. Turn the square so that one of the diagnonal lines is pointing towards you.
  7. Find the first fold to the right of the diagonal line and make a cut (parellel to the diagonal line) up to the last fold before the other diagonal line.
  8. Repeat Step 7 to the left of the diagonal line.
  9. Turn the square 180 degrees so that the opposite end of the same diagonal line is facing you now.
  10. Repeat Step 7 and 8.

    FOLDING THE SQUARES IN TO BOXES:
  11. Keep square in same position as in Step 10 above (diagonal line pointing to you with cuts to right and left).
  12. Fold in corner on the right side so that the corner touches where the diagonal lines meet in the middle.
  13. Repeat Step 12 for the left side.
  14. Now there will be 4 small triangles (one above and below both of the 2 parts you just folded in). For the small triangles on the top, fold them down once to make a square and then fold the square down once.
  15. For the triangles on the bottom, fold them up once to make a square and then fold the square up once. After this step, the "square" should now look like a rectangle with an arrow pointing up and down.
  16. Fold the right and left side of the "square" up to form the right and left sides of the box. Let the second fold you made in Step 14 and 15 (the square you folded up or down) unfold to form the inside part of the box for the other 2 sides.
  17. Fold the bottom side of the "square" up and over the inside part of the box you formed in Step 16. The outside corner you are folding in should wedge up against the other two corners already folded in.
  18. Repeat Step 17 for the top side of the "square".

FINISHING: If you've folded evenly, the 4 corners inside the box will wedge against one another so that they stay secure. If not, you may need to tuck one corner under another to secure them. The larger box should fit over the smaller box although if the thickness of the card you use is different for top and bottom, some may fit more snuggly than others.

Source: http://home.wideopenwest.com/~sag55/xbox.html

 

ORGANIC?

Do consumers who buy organic foods really know what they're buying? The FDA will make sure they know what they're buying this fall. Up until then a crazy quilt of state and private regulations means that consumers face inconsistent standards across the country. A new Federal label, such as USDA Grade A eggs or USDA Prime beef, will be affixed to organic products. The new Federal regulations will standardize the procedures and materials, such as natural pesticides and fertilizers, that can be used in producing fruits and vegetables, livestock and poultry, dairy and processed foods that are marked "organic".

Currently, organic foods are those described by states as food grown in soil untouched by synthetic chemicals(fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides(for at least 3 years. Organic processed foods are to be prepared without chemical additives or preservatives. Organic livestock and poultry are to be raised without preventive antibiotics or hormones used as growth enhancers. Farms that are organic have soil enriched with things such as compost or manure, and fight pests with beneficial insects.

Organic food sales are expected to jump from $2.5 billion annually now to $10 billion by 2002 according to the USDA.

HALOGEN LAMPS RECALLED

40 million halogen torchiere floor lamps have been recalled for in-home repair by the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. At least 189 fires and 11 deaths involving the halogen torchiere floor lamps have been reported since 1992. Catalina Lighting, one of the main manufacturers of the lamps is leading the recall. All lamps manufactured before February 25 will be supplied with a free fire-preventing wire guard.

The $750,000 recall cost will be split among manufacturers and retail stores selling the lamps.

The free wire guards are available at Home Base, Home Depot, Ikea, Kmart, Lowe's, Montgomery Ward, Office Depot, Target and Wal-Mart.

BONES FILTER ENGLISH WATER

Vegetarians are horrified to learn that an English utility is filtering some of its water through the bones of cows. The bones have been burned into charcoal. The Yorkshire Water Utility says it uses only bones from India, where cows are considered sacred and allowed to live out their natural lives. The cows' old, brittle bones make perfect raw material for charcoal filters. The company assures that because the bones are imported, there is no way any of Britain's mad cows could end up as water filters, and states that the water meets all safety standards.