DEAR HELOISE: Do you have any hints for drying flowers? My daughter's wedding is coming up, and I would love to save her bouquet for her.
-- A Reader in Texas
DEAR READER: How wonderful to think about this now, rather than later. I do the same, and usually pick out a few flowers from the centerpieces, dry them, then give them to the bride.
The easy Heloise way is to hang them upside down somewhere that has air circulation, but is not hot or in sunlight. I string dental floss around the stems and have a few cup hooks in the ceiling to hang them up on. Depending on the flowers, it may take a week or two, or longer. If it's a big bouquet, you should either take it apart or stuff some paper towels in between the flowers to help air circulation.
I've also had luck with just putting the bouquet or a dozen roses in a big vase, setting them on a table and letting them dry. They keep the color, and as long as they stay upright, they come out fine.
P.S.: For only a few flowers (roses are perfect), press them between paper towels or newspaper, using a heavy book.
DEAR HELOISE: I am a senior citizen who recently has given up driving. I use a quad cane and would set it on the empty passenger seat when I drove. As a passenger, the cane remained in the front seat with me.
After a sudden stop, the cane hit me. Danger realized. The cane now resides in the rear seat when I am a passenger. It is more trouble to retrieve, but is no longer a lethal flying weapon.
-- Gladys in
New Hampshire
DEAR HELOISE: I have two adopted tomcats. They use the same litter box. When they do, they get litter all over the floor, making one big mess. I corrected the problem by getting a 19-gallon storage box. I cut a hole big enough for them to get in. Now when they use it and kick litter out, all of it will be in the box, which I dump back into the litter box.
-- Russell F., Temple, Pa.
DEAR HELOISE: I use a hair dryer daily, and had trouble with the cord getting tangled while using it. I placed a small ring hook on the wall about a foot from the outlet. I plug the hair dryer in and then run the cord through the hook. It keeps it from getting tangled. One little morning frustration gone.
-- Fran in Kentucky
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com
HomeStyle on 08/30/2014