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Whether you're refinishing furniture, touching up moldings or embarking on a craft project, make sure to brush up on your sanding technique.

The goal of sanding in any woodworking project is to acheive the smoothest finish possible -- a process that's not always as polished as it sounds. You want to work carefully so that you end up with a seamless, even surface that's free of waves and dips. Let's explore the tricks to a perfect sanding job.

WHICH TOOLS SHOULD YOU USE?
It's important to stock up on the right tools for any sanding job. Here's how to choose:

Sandpaper: Not all sandpaper is the same. Each sheet of sandpaper is assigned a grade according to its coarseness. The range of sandpaper grades extends from a coarse 40-60 (for heavy sanding and stripping a finish) to a super fine 360-600 (for buffing out scratches and other light touch-ups). Refer to this chart of sandpaper grades to choose the right one for your project. You can use sandpaper manually, but for best results, load the sheets into a belt sander (see "power sanders" below).

Sanding blocks: These are a great alternative to sandpaper for manual sanding, and are great for shaping and detailing. Like sandpaper, sanding blocks vary by grade. Here's a guide to using block sanders.

Power sanders: Sometimes, your project needs a little power. Belt sanders or random orbital sanders are best for big jobs, as they sand more aggressively and remove a lot of material at once. A random orbital sander works best for lighter jobs. And a belt sander is variable; depending on the grade of sandpaper you outfit it with, it can deliver on both lightweight and heavy-duty jobs.

SANDING TECHNIQUE
If you're using sandpaper, you'll probably use several different grades over the course of one job. Work from the lowest number grit to the highest, and try not to skip any. For example, go from a 60 grit to an 80 grit rather than skipping straight to a finer 120 grit. Before you get to work, take a close look at the woos and the direction of its grain; you want to sand wood with the grain, not against it. It's important to wipe down the surface of the project with a tack
cloth in between sandings.

SANDING TIPS & TRICKS

To check the smoothness of your finish, pull a knee high nylon stocking over your hand and run it across the surface. The nylon will snag on any rough spots, so you'll know right where you need more work. Plus, the nylons will do double duty as a tack cloth removing dust from the surface as you're working!

To sand an item that's too small to hold on to, tack a piece of sandpaper to a flat surface, grit side up. Once it's in place, move the object over the sandpaper and you'll have more control, giving you a better finish.

To store your sandpaper cleverly, put it in yellow craft envelopes and label the front of each envelope with the sandpaper's grit. This type of storage will help keep your sandpaper from curling over time. If you don't like the idea of all of those envelopes, try a Pendaflex file folder. Put the different grits in different compartments and store the whole thing right on a shelf!


For more household tips and tricks, head over to my website, Mrs. FIXIT.


SEE ALSO:
Sanding 101 (Design*Sponge)
Sanding Tips (Video)

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Any time that you have a baby in your home you collect all sorts of baby paraphernalia, but what you do with all of it once the baby has outgrown or no longer needs all that baby stuff. Well, that's when it's time to baby your workshop, I have some easy ways to take unused baby items and put them to use in your workshop.

HORIZONTAL BABY WIPE CONTAINERS
Snap-top baby wipe containers are perfect for storing all sorts of items, from screws to screwdrivers. You can fill, label and stack them for instant organization that doesn't take up a lot of space. I also like to fill a baby wipe box with used dryer sheets, which are perfect to use as a tack cloth or to clear your safety glasses before you start a project. In fact, if your project is dusty the dryer sheet will eliminate static electricity, which could attract dust and obstruct your view.

VERTICAL BABY WIPE CONTAINERS
If you have upright wipe containers, you can use them to soak paintbrushes that are covered in latex-based paint. Remove the top, and then put your solution in the container. Push the handle of the brush up through the "X" in the lid and then slip the lid and the brush onto the container.

CRIB RAIL
The side rail from a crib makes a great hanging rack. Attach it to the back of a door, and you have the perfect spot to hang tools and supplies. "S" hooks will make it even more versatile.

NASAL ASPIRATOR
Use a nasal aspirator to blow sawdust out of the tiny crevices on a project or to remove excess liquid from another project. They're also great for giving a project a gentle rinse.

COTTON DIAPERS, CLOTHS AND ONESIES
Save cotton baby diapers, burp cloths, bibs and onesies. These soft cotton items make great staining rags, tack cloths, buffers, hand wipes and faux finishing cloths.

NAIL CLIPPERS
Little nail clippers are great for snipping wires and plastic tabs on packaging. Keep them right in your toolbox so you're ready in a pinch.

BOOTIES AND MITTS
Baby booties and little newborn mitts are great to cover the heads of chisels and other tools in the toolbox and protect them from dulling.

I hope these tips inspire you to put all of those unused baby items back to work...in the workshop! For more ideas like these, visit my website Mrs. FIXIT.

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Tape is always on my mind during the holidays! Do I have enough? Where is it?

But long after the last package is wrapped, I'm still thinking about tape. It's so handy all year round that I keep rolls and rolls in my house. From duct tape to masking tape -- you can use it all -- here are my favorite uses for tape all over the house!

Around the House:
o. If you're hanging a picture on a plaster wall put a small "X" of cellophane tape over the spot you need to drive the nail this will prevent your paint from cracking

o. When fixing a broken mug handle, use masking tape to gently secure the repair. Let the glue dry and the mug will be as good as new!

o. To clean cobwebs off of the ceiling all you need is some duct tape and some PVC pipe! Attach a length of PVC piping to the end of the vacuum hose and seal the seam with some duct tape. Now raise the new nozzle to the ceiling and turn on the vacuum cleaner. This will easily whisk away cobwebs and dust.

o. Tightly woven carpets look great in any home and they're really durable. But what happens if you get a snag in one of the loops? It's very easy to fix. Use a pair of scissors to snip the snag off of the carpet as close to the base as you can. Line each side of the run with some masking tape as close to the edge as you can to protect the surrounding carpet. Run a bead of carpet adhesive into the hole. Use an awl to carefully guide each of the loops back into place. You'll know where the loops begin and ends because there will be a little patch of the old adhesive along the length of the piece you're working with where each loop was originally connected. When the entire length of the snag is back in place, remove the masking tape from both sides and keep traffic off the area until the adhesive dries.

o. Pesky silverfish? Make a trap by running double-sided tape up the side of a glass and putting it upright where you spot the bugs. They'll climb up the tape and once they're in the glass they won't be able to climb out.

In the Workshop:
o. When you use a saw, you can end up splintering your wood. To prevent this, run a length of masking tape along your cut line, and this will keep the splintering in check.

o. Before you start a project with a sanding block, put a strip of wide tape on the back of your sandpaper. This will give you a cutting guide because it is just the right width and it will keep your paper from ripping on the block so it will last.

o. If you use a shop broom for cleaning large areas you know it is nearly impossible to get the mess into a dustpan. Well tape some newspapers to the floor, sweep the dirt onto the papers and then crumple the entire mess into the garbage.

o. If you need to do some serious nailing use some electrical tape to mark off your hammer handle at three, six, nine and twelve inch increments. This way you can hold the hammer handle against the wall and easily eyeball the next location of your nail.

o. If you're having trouble holding a screw when starting it, stick the end through a piece of tape and tape it to the screwdriver. This way you'll be able to drive the screw without dropping it and you can pull the tape off when you're done!

o. Wrap some tape around the metal rim of a paintbrush before you use it, the tape will prevent the paint from seeping up onto the rim, which is harder to clean. Simply peel the tape off when you're done.

o. Wrap tape around a new paint roller and then pull it off the loose fuzzies will end up on the tape not in your paint.

We've all been there, you pick and pick and you still can't find the end of that roll of tape, try a toothpick. Stick it to the underside of the end of the tape. It will do a couple of things, one, it will hold the tape so you can cut it and, leave it under the tip and you'll have a handy pull tab the next time you need the tape!

Now those are some tips you can stick with! I'm Mrs. FIXIT and it's just that simple!

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After all that holiday baking and eggnog-making, you may find yourself with an excess of empty egg cartons. Don't trash them - there are all sorts of ways you can use egg cartons around the house!

Gather up those excess egg cartons this Christmas and -- instead of trashing them -- reuse them with these resourceful tricks.

If you're sending a fragile item in the mail, use egg cartons to help cushion the item. Put the cartons flat side down in the bottom of the box so the egg cup side is facing up. Wrap the item as you normally would and stash it in the box. Use addition cartons to form a protective cushion all the way around.

1. Store small fragile tree ornaments. The individual compartments -- which were made to cushion fragile items -- are too small for most Christmas balls but suitable for smaller ornaments. Plus, the cartons stack easily on top of each other for storage.

2. Ship holiday gifts. Why buy bubble wrap or packing peanuts? Save up your egg cartons and use them to cushion packages for friends and relatives instead.

3. Start a cozy fire. Fill cardboard egg cartons with dryer lint, and then pour melted wax over the lint (use leftover candle pieces for the melted wax). Then tear apart the sections and use for fire starters in your fireplace (These are also great when you're camping.)

8. Organize the workshop. Tiny bolts, nuts and other fasteners always seem to pile up, and you're always looking for a convenient place to stash them. Egg cartons help keep your flat washers separate from your square washers, so that everything is accessible right when you need it.

9. Store earrings. Egg carton compartments are perfect for keeping pairs of earrings together. Save one compartment just for those elusive earring backings and you'll never have to dig around for them again.

10. Make extra ice. Too many guests and not enough ice trays? Skip a trip to the store by using empty egg cartons as ice cube trays in a pinch..

Now it's your turn -- tell us your brilliant idea for reusing egg cartons and we just might feature your trick in an upcoming article on DIY Life!

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Skip the store-bought Christmas wreath and go for something unexpected this season. We've got two innovative ideas that let you transform ordinary items like china and feathers into festive DIY wreaths that will wow your house guests.

Time sneaks up on you "during" the holidays. one day you're enjoying Thanksgiving turkey, and literally the next day you're trying to figure out where exactly you're going to come up with the decorations to transform your house into a festive nest. This year, I decided my home was worthy of something much more original than your run-of-the-mill wreath. So I rummaged around the house for things I already had; things that could easily be transformed into Christmas door decor. Here's what I came up with.

HOMEMADE WREATH #1: "CHINA PATTERN"

Mrs. FIXIT

An unfortunate moving accident left me with a bunch of broken dishes and cups, and rendered the rest of the china useless -- or did it? I loved the china pattern so I held onto the broken bits thinking I could use them for a craft project one day. When the holidays rolled around this year, I broke up the damaged china and turned it into an unexpected -- yet perfectly festive -- holiday wreath. Here's how.

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Fake Snow Recipe #1
My favorite recipe for the faux snow is a mixture of salt and baby powder. I like to use kosher salt because the coarser grains make the flakes look more realistic. Mix equal parts kosher salt and baby powder together in a bowl and sprinkle your homemade snow on Christmas tree branches, window sills, mantels -- anywhere you want to add frosty flair. When the holidays have passed all you have to do is vacuum the mixture up -- no muss, no fuss!

Fake Snow Recipe #2
Soap flakes are another good substitute for snow. Just sprinkle plain soap flakes around your display for an authentic look. A note of caution on the soap flake method: Make sure that you don't use them in an area where they could get wet. Like any other soap, add water and you'll have suds, not snow!

Fake Snow Recipe #3
If you're a parent, you probably have a few clean disposable diapers on hand. Pull out the fluff from the inside of the diaper and place it in a large glass bowl. Slowly add water until the diaper filling is drenched up and turns into the little moisture beads. The more water you add, the slushier the "snow" will look. Now, when you're using this type of fake snow in an indoor display, I recommend first covering the surface with clear plastic wrap and then building your display on a plastic tray so that you don't damage the underlying surface.

There you have it - a few easy and inexpensive ways to make faux snow for your holiday displays. It's just that simple!

Now, use some of this fake snow on to the wreath you can make in this video:

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Baby oil isn't just for babies. Yep, this household helper has uses that go beyond the nursery (and no, we're not encouraging you to use it when you sun bathe!). In fact, I use baby oil all over the house, from the laundry room to the bathroom. Here are some of my tricks.

Gooey Gummy Mess
Whether you've stepped in gum, dropped it, or your kids have made a major mess with it, grab some baby oil. All you have to do is saturate the gum with baby oil. Leave it on the surface for a minute or so and then wipe it away with a paper towel or comb it out. If you need to remove the oil, wipe with white vinegar to break up the oil!

Sticky Shredder Solver
If your paper shredder is sticking and isn't doing the job any more, don't but a new one, try this. Lay a couple of pieces of paper on a baking sheet and squirt it with a little baby oil. Let the oil soak into the paper and then shred. The oil will lubricate the shredder while it's shredding.

Bargain Baby Wipes
Cut a paper towel roll in half so you end up with two halves that look like toilet paper rolls. Put them in an airtight container, a coffee can or formula can is a great fit. Mix one and a half cups of water, and a tablespoon each of baby shampoo and baby oil. Pour it over the towels and let them soak. When they're good and wet, pull out the center core and pull your homemade wipes easily one by one out of the center.

Scummy Soap Build-Up Remover
You can keep nasty soap scum from building up on shower curtains and shower doors by coating them with a little baby oil. Be careful not to let any drip onto the floor, it's slippery! Now if you've already got soap scum, use some baby oil to break through that hardened scum. Just put some on a wash cloth and scrub the that scum away.

Dusting Helper
Apply a small amount of baby oil to a lint free dust cloth. , Working in a circular motion, apply oil to wood furniture. Once the oil has been worked into the wood, go over it again with a clean micro fiber cloth working with the grain of the wood for a beautiful, flawless finish.

Zipper Helper
Stubborn zippers are no match for baby oil; use a cotton swab to lightly coat both sides of the zipper. Then work the zipper back and forth several times; it'll work like new!

Dish and Glass Unsticker
If you have a dish or glass stuck to a wood tabletop, don't try to pull it off or you'll damage the finish. Instead, squirt some baby oil around the base of the dish and let it sit for a few minutes. A gentle twist and the dish should pull off easily without damaging the tabletop.

Paint Problem Solver
If you get paint on your skin, rub a little baby oil into it with a washcloth to easily remove those splatters from your skin.

Bandage Saver
To remove a plastic bandage without pain and without leaving behind a sticky mess, use a cotton ball to cover the bandage with baby oil. Leave it for a minute and then easily remove the bandage. This tip is great especially if you have little ones who tend to scream when you pull that bandage off.

Bug Deterrent
Rub some baby oil on exposed skin before you go outside to keep bugs at bay.

So, have I convinced you - grab a bunch of baby oil. It is a perfect, inexpensive solution for so many household problems - give it a try for yourself!!

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Last holiday season, my family received a huge bag of oranges as a gift from a friend in Florida. While nothing beats a Florida orange, there were just too many in the bundle -- certainly more than we could eat before they'd go bad. So I got thinking -- as I usually do when I have spare things around the house -- what else could I use these oranges for? Come to think of it, I had some lemons in the fridge too.

The citric acid in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits have special properties that make them a powerful household cleaner, disinfectant, and lots more. Their peels come in handy too.

Citrus Fruits for Cleaning
-- Cut a lemon in half, dip it in some salt and it will bring copper bottom pots back to their shiny glory. Dip the other half in some baking soda and you have a perfect, scrubber that cleans, freshens and won't scratch surfaces, try it on sinks, stoves and counters!

Citrus Fruits for Odor and Stain Removal
-- Rub cut lemons on your hands or your cutting board will get rid of garlic, onion and fish odors. It will also clean away stains left from slicing berries!

-- Lemon juice will brighten whites that can't be bleached! Just pour a quarter of a cup of lemon juice into the washer. If you have light stains that won't come out of those whites, pour lemon juice on them and spread the clothes in the sun to dry. The lemon juice will react with the sunlight and the stains will disappear!

-- Zest the rind of a citrus fruit and sprinkle it in your vacuum bag. The zest will keep the bag smelling fresh and will spread the scent around the house as you work.

Citrus Fruits for Pest Control
-- Use a blender to grind up 2 lemons and a liter of water, strain out any solids. Fill a spray bottle and spray under doors, and sinks and anywhere else you've seen ants, they hate the citrus and will head in the other direction!

-- Zest an orange and put it in a bowl on the table at your next picnic. It will keep flies away from the food. Orange peels in the garbage will keep flies out of there too!

Citrus Fruits as Kindling
-- Orange peels make great kindling for your fireplace. Just spread them on a cookie sheet and let them dry in the air. Then toss them in your fire. They actually smell good, they burn longer and they produce less creosote than paper!

Citrus Fruit as Sugar Preservative
-- You can also put a slice of orange peel in your bag of brown sugar. The moisture in the peel will keep the sugar from hardening.

SEE ALSO:
Eliminate the Top 10 Household Odors
Quick, Easy Ways to Clean Your Mirror
Clean Your Entire Kitchen With One Lemon

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"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" Well, who can tell with all those toothpaste splatters and fingerprints everywhere? Mirrors can get messy fast. If yours seems like a magnet for every droplet, particle, and print possible, reflect on these green mirror cleaning tips.

Daily Mirror Cleaning
Regular day-to-day mirror cleaning is a cinch -- and totally green -- if you use a little rubbing alcohol on a soft, lint-free cloth (I like microfiber); it'll wash away all sorts of spots and smudges. Plus, alcohol disinfects while it cleans and it evaporates as it dries so it leaves nothing behind but a streak-free shine!

Fresh out of rubbing alcohol? Try an antiseptic mouthwash, which has the same effect as the rubbing alcohol when applied to a lint-free cloth and used to buff the mirror.

If you don't like the smell of the alcohol or mouthwash, brew yourself a cup of tea and leave half of it to cool in the fridge for a while. Then dip a lint-free cloth into the tea and scrub the mirror. It's tea for two -- you and your mirror!

If these mirror cleaning solutions are all a little too drippy for you, try gel hand sanitizer to clean and shine all of your mirrors in seconds flat.

Removing Water Spots from the Mirror
Grab the baking soda from your pantry -- or keep an extra box in your medicine cabinet. A little of the this go-to green cleaning powder on a dry cloth will buff unsightly water spots away without leaving streaks behind.

De-Fogging the Mirror
One of the biggest problems with the bathroom mirror is that it gets all fogged up with steam from the shower. To de-fog the mirror quickly and with zero streaks, aim your hair dryer at the glass. The dry heat will dissipate the condensation in no time.

To prevent the haze from coming back, take a cloth and rub a layer of shaving cream or dish soap all over the surface. Keep rubbing it in with a lint-free cloth until it has disappeared completely. No more fogs for at least a week or two.


Bet you thought we were going to recommend vinegar as a green mirror cleaning product, huh? Nope, we know you DIYers are hip to that household hack already! Do you have any more tips to offer us?

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FLUFF UP CRUSHED CARPETS
We've all been there: you move a piece of furniture, and you have that ugly compressed carpet where the furniture used to be. The cure for a crushed carpet? Use a spoon to loosen the fibers up; then hold a hot iron over the area and let the steam fluff up the carpeting.

IRON ON VENEER
An iron is the perfect choice for applying iron on veneer edging or patches. The heat from the iron activates the glue on the veneer. All you have to do is cut the veneer to the size you need, cover it with a piece of heavy paper or a cloth to protect the surface and then press with your iron to activate the glue.

FIX DENTS AND DINGS ON WOOD FURNITURE
To fix dents on wood furniture, poke several holes in the wood with a pin, lay a slightly damp cloth over it and hold the steam iron just above the area. This lets in enough moisture to swell the wood to its original size.

REPAIR A LOOSE VINYL TILE
Vinyl floor tiles sometimes slip out of place. Cover the tile with aluminum foil and run a hot iron back and forth over the area; the heat will reactivate the tile adhesive. Then, just stack a couple of books on to hold the repair down for a couple of hours. Safety tip: Aluminum foil can get hot so don't get burned.

FIX BROKEN OR DAMAGED VINYL
The same iron that can help adhere a loose vinyl tile can also can help remove a broken one. The same principle applies: using heat to reactive the glue. Lay the aluminum foil over the tile and run the iron over it to loosen the adhesive. Then use a wide putty knife to remove the tile. A little vinegar will remove any adhesive residue. Then simply replace with a new tile.

IRON MORE EFFICIENTLY
Put a layer of aluminum foil under the cover on your ironing board, the heat from the iron will reflect off of the foil and help you iron twice as fast!

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Brass is striking -- but it's also a high-maintenance metal that can tarnish easily. Here's how to make your bras accessories gleam.

Summer is a great time to comb yard sales and flea markets for vintage treasures. Some of my favorite things to score at yard sales are old brass candlesticks, hardware, and lamps.

But I used to loathe cleaning those brass treasures when I got home. The process was so time-consuming. Fast-forward to today: I have found a simple solution that spiffs up old brass in no time, making it dazzle.

But hold on! Before you get started cleaning brass, find out whether it is solid brass or brass-plated. Over-cleaning plated brass can remove some of the finish. To identify which type of brass you're dealing with, place a magnet against the surface. If the piece is brass-plated, the magnet will stick. If it's solid brass, the magnet won't stick.

To Clean Solid Brass:

1. Clean your brass with hot soapy water and a soft cloth. An old toothbrush will help out in tight spots. (If you're cleaning a lamp: unplug it before you start, and keep water away from the cord and socket area). Never use anything abrasive -- no baking soda, wire wool, brushes, or acidic solutions -- on plated brass.

To Clean Solid Brass:

1. First, repeat the process above (for plated brass).

2. If the piece is slightly tarnished try a jeweler's cloth or wadding polish. These specially treated items will easy polish up smaller pieces or lightly tarnished pieces really quickly.

3. Add two tablespoons each of salt and white vinegar to a pint of hot water for more heavily tarnished brass. Then use an old washcloth to rub the mixture into the surface of the item. The chemical reaction between the salt and vinegar will power through the tarnish and leave a beautiful finish. When you're done, rinse or wipe the piece clean and dry well.

4. Before you place the item, put on a pair of cotton gloves and wipe the entire piece with a jeweler's cloth. The cloth contains trace amounts of oil, which will help keep tarnish away longer. Why the gloves? They will protect your clean brass from fingerprints, which will jumpstart the tarnishing process all over again.

Other All-Natural Brass-Cleaning Solutions:

A few other tried-and-true solutions for cleaning brass naturally include:

- Polish brass with a paste of equal parts salt, baking soda, and fresh lemon juice.

- Slather ketchup or Worcestershire sauce onto brass and leave it there for a few minutes, then wipe with a clean rag. The acidity of the condiments does the trick against tarnish.

- Simmer brass items in equal parts milk and water; the lactic acid helps remove tarnish. For this reason, a slathering of yogurt may work too.


For more unusual household tips, follow Mrs. FIXIT on Twitter!

Now that all your brass is clean, learn how to clean silver! Watch this video for the know-how:

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