DIY Life

A newspaper is a great way to pass the time when on a bus or a subway, or sitting in the coffee shop. The problem is, a broadsheet-style newspaper (which is to say, most of them), is awkward. You don't want to be the obnoxious guy (or gal) with their arms spread wide, blocking the view and crowding the fellow sitting beside you.

There is a way for you to catch up on the news without catching your neighbor in the eye with the paper. Check out the four easy steps on Real Simple. A matter of a few simple folds, and you'll be able to scan, flip through, read, and store your paper within a minimum of space, and without annoying the people around you.

Stumbling on this page was like finding some great secret. We've been making paper airplanes since we were young and are forever perfecting the design in search of the perfect plane. My airplanes are sadly the ones heading straight for nose dives, but my brothers could create some pretty spectacular flying machines. My husband folds airplanes for our boys. He tweaks the nose and wings trying to get things just right, but in the end, it's just a paper airplane and as good as any other, until now. This airplane design models a real plane and is sure to be the best flyer you've tried.

Everything is considered in this design, managing the placement of the center of gravity, taking into account wind variations and preventing wingtip vortex. This is one of the most complicated designs I've seen, but the instructions are carefully detailed, or you can use the video tutorial.

Once you've built the plane it's ready to take it's first flight. Here you'll learn about the pre-flight inspection, flying techniques and fine tuning your plane. Your new paper airplane design is sure to catch some attention. Do you think this is in fact the best paper airplane design or do you have another secret? Let us know what designs you favor or how you'd modify this one.

Are you one of the millions of Americans celebrating Veteran's Day today by flying the flag? There's more to properly displaying Old Glory than just running it up the flagpole, so here's a refresher course on what you need to know.

• Learn the proper way to fold the flag. Once you take it off the pole, you can't just wad it up and stuff it in the closet. Grab another person and take a minute to fold into in the familiar triangular shape you've probably seen over the years. If there's no one else around to help you, lay the flag on a clean flat surface (not the floor), and fold.

• Contrary to popular belief, it's not necessary to destroy a flag that has touched the ground. It's possible to wash or dry-clean a flag that is dirty or soiled.
  

• Though many people prefer not to fly the flag during inclement weather, many flags are made of all-weather material these days. They're meant to be used during rain, sleet, snow. Just remember to take your flag indoors during high winds so it doesn't become tattered.
  

• A damaged flag must be disposed of properly but burning it isn't always practical. Simply take it to your local VFW post or American Legion hall and they'll make sure your flag is disposed of properly.

• Flying your flag at night? The Flag Code specifies that it should be "properly illuminated" but doesn't offer specifics. A strong porch light or a spotlight on the ground underneath should suffice.
  

• If you're displaying more than one flag, make sure the American flag is always higher than any other.

• Teach your kids about the American flag with any of the great resources from these sites. Feeling creative? Make your own flag.
  

I have never been on a Carnival cruise, but I know that it is common practice for a guest to enter their room and find their towels shaped into friendly animals. These cute animals are known as "towel origami." Guests love returning to their room and finding their towels shaped into everything from a peacock to an elephant.

Leslie Millet is a busy stay at home mom who makes towels into animals and has a free video that shows you how to make them. She demonstrates how to make Eddie the Elephant with a large towel and a hand towel. She takes the large towel, folds each side in about 4 inches, and then rolls each side into the center to make the legs. Then she takes the hand towel, puts it in her mouth, and rolls each side to make his head. I don't know about you, but now I want to see how to make all the other origami towel animals so that I can turn all my towels into fun shapes. What do you think?

Origami is one of those crafts that requires real skill. Some people just get it while others don't. I am definitely in the don't when it comes to folding origami. These instruction detailing how to make an origami flying bird, take you through all the folding steps. There are 20 steps and it is recommended that you keep your folds as clean and precise as possible, making the whole project easier.
Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Table or hard surface
• Two hands
• Paper
• Reading skills
• Patience
• Scissors

I suspect my main reason for failure is that I never bring enough patience. Still, if you think you can tackle it, this is one of the neatest origami projects I've seen. This isn't the traditional Japanese peace crane, it is a bird with flapping wings. The simple fact that it's animated will be a huge hit with the children.