Friday, April 9, 2010

How to Make a Travel Size Craft Kit

How to Make a Travel Size Craft Kit


How to Make a Travel Size Craft Kit

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Many crafts travel easily.
Many crafts travel easily.
Do you hate to sit still? Do meetings, long flights, or commutes get on your nerves? Here's a quick way to bust that boredom and stay sane. Use those tedious times to make some small craft item by packing your purse with something that can keep your hands busy.

Steps

  1. This bracelet requires only a button, cord or string, a needl, and scissors.
    This bracelet requires only a button, cord or string, a needl, and scissors.
    Choose crafts you like that require minimal tools and supplies. Things like Braiding, Macrame, Origami, German Ribbon Stars, small Sewing Projects and Ribbon Bookmarks are perfect for this sort of craft kit.
  2. Decide where you will carry your crafts. If you regularly carry a backpack or you can leave items in your car, you have more options than if you are carrying a tiny purse or have only the space in a pocket.
  3. Consider the volume of supplies needed. You can't exactly take along an entire afghan, but you may be able to take along just enough for a few squares at a time.
  4. Pincushion Supplies
    Pincushion Supplies
    Collect the supplies for the craft you chose.
    • For example:
    • A small pincushion would require only fabric, a pinch of stuffing, a needle and a spool of matching thread.
    • A ribbon star requires only the knowledge of three folds and a spool of ribbon.
    • Macrame Jewelry would require only a spool of jute and a bag of beads.
    • Origami requires only paper and instructions. (folds flat! Great for stuffing down the side of your purse for a boredom emergency!)
    • Dollar bill origami uses the cash in your pocket instead of origami paper, and is a great way to leave a creative tip and kill time while waiting for the check in a restaurant. All you need is small bills and instructions.
    • A spool of quarter-inch ribbon is all that is needed for a Ribbon Bookmark.
    • Two or three skeins of embroidery floss will make any number of friendship bracelets. Pocket-sized embroidery kits are available to make tiny ornaments.
    • A crochet hook and a small ball of string or yarn is enough for a granny square, motif, or other small project or part of a larger project.
    • Use your imagination. there are lots of fun things to do that take up less than a quart bag in volume.
  5. Condensed supplies.
    Condensed supplies.
    Fold or compress your craft supplies, taking care not to crush things.
  6. Bagged Pincushion supplies
    Bagged Pincushion supplies
    No need to bag a roll of ribbon.
    No need to bag a roll of ribbon.
    Place the supplies in the quart bag.
  7. Who would guess?  There's easily two hours of happy entertainment in there!
    Who would guess? There's easily two hours of happy entertainment in there!
    Keep several bagged crafts handy to throw into your purse at the last moment. You never know when you'll have a spare 10 minutes to fill!
  8. A small notebook.
    A small notebook.
    Don't forget drawing and writing, if you enjoy those activities. A small notebook and a pencil can keep you busy for hours, and you might just create (or conceive) your next masterpiece while waiting in line. You can also use your notebook to dream up and sketch larger projects.

Tips

  • Quart size Ziploc Freezer bags are sturdy and re-usable. Avoid the smaller and thinner bags.
  • Make your own bags if you prefer. It will make your projects that much more personal and inviting.
  • Keep it small. You don't need a sewing machine or hot glue gun to do a lot of fun things.
  • Travel scissors and/or thread clippers are more than enough for most small projects. Leave the shears at home.
  • Choose crafts you like and can use.
  • Choose crafts you can do on the go, without a lot of instructions.
  • Present a small handmade craft, such as a bracelet, bookmark, paper crane, or ribbon star to somebody else who is waiting with you. It will brighten their day and it might just start a conversation, leading you to another way to pass the time.
  • Know someone who likes to do crafts? Give them a travel-sized kit with enough pieces to get them started on a project or even a new craft!
  • Do you a favorite craft? Choose or make a more permanent bag or pouch for it. Then, simply replenish any supplies you consume (yarn, paper) as you go.

Warnings

  • Read the rules before flying. TSA now allows small scissors (under 3 inches) and sewing kits, but you should leave your sewing shears at home if flying commercially.

Things You'll Need

  • Craft supplies
  • Quart Size Freezer bags

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How to Understand Syllogisms

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Diagramatic depiction of subject, predicate, and middle terms in syllogisms
Diagramatic depiction of subject, predicate, and middle terms in syllogisms
A syllogism is a logical argument composed of three parts: the major premise, the minor premise, and the conclusion inferred from the premises. The following steps will help you understand syllogisms.

Steps

  1. Know the basic structure of syllogisms. A syllogism has three parts: major premise, minor premise, and conclusion. Each part is composed of two categorical terms, linked in the form "Some/all A is/are [not] B." Each of the premises has one term in common with the conclusion: the major term in the major premise, which forms the predicate of the conclusion, and the minor term in the minor premise, which forms the subject of the conclusion. The categorical term in common in the premises is called the "middle term". For example:

    Major premise: All birds are animals.
    Minor premise: All parrots are birds.
    Conclusion: All parrots are animals.

    In this example, "animal" is the major term and predicate of the conclusion, "parrot" is the minor term and subject of the conclusion, and "bird" is the middle term.
  2. Think of each term as representing a category. For example, "animal" is a category composed of everything that can be described as an animal.
  3. Understand each part is expressed as "Some/all A is/are [not] B," with four possible variation. The universal affirmative (symbolized as A) is expressed as "all A is/are B," abbreviated as AaB. The universal negative (symbolized as E) is expressed as "no A is/are B," abbreviated as AeB. The particular affirmative (symbolized as I) is expressed as "some A is/are B," abbreviated as AiB. The particular negative (symbolized as O) is expressed as "some A is/are not B," abbreviated as AoB.
  4. Determine the figure of the syllogism. Depending on whether the middle term serves as subject or predicate in the premises, a syllogism may be classified as one of four possible figures:
    • First figure: The middle term serves as subject in the major premise and predicate in the minor premise. Thus, first figure take the form:

      Major premise: M-P..........e.g., "All birds are animals"
      Minor premise: S-M..........e.g., "All parrots are birds"
      Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "All parrots are animals".
    • Second figure: The middle term serves as predicate in the major premise and predicate in the minor premise. Thus, first figure take the form:

      Major premise: P-M..........e.g., "No foxes are birds"
      Minor premise: S-M..........e.g., "All parrots are birds"
      Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "No parrots are foxes".
    • Third figure: The middle term serves as subject in the major premise and subject in the minor premise. Thus, first figure take the form:

      Major premise: M-P..........e.g., "All birds are animals"
      Minor premise: M-S..........e.g., "All birds are mortals"
      Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "Some mortals are animals".
    • Fourth figure: The middle term serves as predicate in the major premise and subject in the minor premise. Thus, first figure take the form:

      Major premise: P-M..........e.g., "No birds are cows"
      Minor premise: M-S..........e.g., "All cows are animals"
      Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "Some animals are not birds".
  5. Determine whether a given syllogism is valid: by checking to see if it fits into one of the valid forms of syllogism for the given figure. A syllogism is valid if and only if the conclusion necessarily follows the premises, i.e., if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true. Although there are 256 possible forms (4 possible variations (a, e, i, o) for each part, three parts (major premise, minor premise, conclusion), and four figures, so 4*4*4*4=256) of syllogism, only 19 of them are valid. The valid forms for each figure is given below, with their mnemonic names (each containing three vowels specifying the form of the part (a, e, i, o) in order of major premise, minor premise, conclusion):
    • First figure has 4 valid forms: Barbara, Celarent, Darii, Ferio
      • Barbara (AAA): for example,
        All birds are animals.
        All parrots are birds.
        All parrots are animals.
      • Celarent (EAE): for example,
        No birds are foxes.
        All parrots are birds.
        No parrots are foxes.
      • Darii (AII): for example,
        All dogs are animals.
        Some mammals are dogs.
        Some mammals are animals.
      • Ferio (EIO): for example,
        No dogs are birds.
        Some mammals are dogs.
        Some mammals are not birds.
    • Second figure has 4 valid forms: Cesare, Camestres, Festino, Baroco
      • Cesare (EAE): for example,
        No foxes are birds.
        All parrots are birds.
        No parrots are foxes.
      • Camestres (AEE): for example,
        All foxes are animals.
        No trees are animals.
        No trees are foxes.
      • Festino (EIO): for example,
        No restaurant food is healthy.
        Some recipes are healthy.
        Some recipes are not restaurant foods.
      • Baroco (AOO): for example,
        All liars are evil-doers.
        Some doctors are not evil-doers.
        Some doctors are not liars.
    • Third figure has 6 valid forms: *Darapti, Disamis, Datisi, Felapton, Bocardo, Ferison
      • Darapti (AAI): for example,
        All men are fallible.
        All men are animals.
        Some animals are fallible.
      • Disamis (IAI): for example,
        Some books are precious.
        All books are perishable.
        Some perishable things are precious.
      • Datisi (AII): for example,
        All books are imperfect.
        Some books are informative.
        Some informative things are imperfect.
      • Felapton (EAO): for example,
        No snakes are good to eat.
        All snakes are animals.
        Some animals are not good to eat.
      • Bocardo (OAO): for example,
        Some websites are not helpful.
        All websites are internet resources.
        Some internet resources are not helpful.
      • Ferison (EIO): for example,
        No lepers are allowed to enter the church.
        All lepers are human.
        Some humans are not allowed to enter the church.
    • Fourth figure has 5 valid forms: Bramantip, Camenes, Dimaris, Fesapo, Fresison
      • Bramantip (AAI): for example,
        All pigs are unclean.
        All unclean things are best avoided.
        Some things that are best avoided are pigs.
      • Camenes (AEE): for example,
        All trees are plants.
        No plants are birds.
        No birds are trees.
      • Dimaris (IAI): for example,
        Some evil doers are lawyers.
        All lawyers are human.
        Some humans are evil doers.
      • Fesapo (EAO): for example,
        No meals are free.
        All free things are desirable.
        Some desirable things are not meals.
      • Fresison (EIO): for example,
        No dogs are birds.
        Some birds are pets.
        Some pets are not dogs.

Tips

  • Understand the distribution of terms. A categorical term is said to be distributed if all individual members of that category are accounted for, for example, in "all men are mortal", the term "men" is distributed because every member belonging to that category is accounted for, in this case, as mortal. Note how each of the four variations distributes (or not) the terms:
    • In "All A are B" propositions, the subject (A) is distributed.
    • In "No A are B" propositions, both the subject (A) and the predicate (B) are distributed.
    • In "Some A are B" propositions, neither the subject nor the predicate are distributed.
    • In "Some A are not B" propositions, the predicate (B) is distributed.
  • Drawing out or visualising Venn Diagrams can help in understanding distribution of terms in determining whether a given syllogism is valid or not.
    • The universal affirmative (A) is represented as one circle (the subject) entirely within another circle (the predicate).
    • The universal negative (E) is represented as two mutually exclusive, non-overlapping circles.
    • The particulars (I, O) are represented as two intersecting circles, each with area in common and area not in common with the other.
  • In order for a valid conclusion to be made, the middle term must be distributed in at least one of the premises, to allow the major and minor terms be linked. Avoid the fallacy of the undistributed middle. For example, from "All dogs love food", and "John loves food", it does not follow that "John is a dog".
  • In order for a syllogism to be valid, at least one of the two premises must contain a universal form. If both premises are particulars, then no valid conclusion can follow. For example, if "some cats are black" and "some black things are tables", it does not follow that "some cats are tables".
  • In order for a syllogism to be valid, at least one of the two premises must be affirmative. If both premises are negative, then no valid conclusion can follow. If both premises are negative, the middle cannot establish any link between the major and minor terms.
  • Note that if either of the premises is negative, the conclusion must also be negative. If both premises are affirmative, the conclusion must also be affirmative.

Warnings

  • Beware of the fallacy of the illicit major, where the major term is undistributed in the major premise but distributed in the conclusion. An example of this is in the form All A are B; no C are A. Therefore, no C are B. For instance, "All cats are animals"; "no dogs are cats"; therefore, "no dogs are animals": this syllogism is invalid because the major term "animals" is undistributed in the major premise, but distributed in the minor premise.
  • Beware of the fallacy of the illicit minor, where the minor term is undistributed in the minor premise but distributed in the conclusion. An example of this is in the form All A are B; all A are C. Therefore, all C are B. For instance, "All cats are mammals"; "all cats are animals"; therefore, "all animals are mammals": this syllogism is invalid because the minor term "animals" is undistributed in the minor premise (because not all animals are cats), but distributed in the conclusion.

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How to Make a Paper Battleship

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This boat may not float, but it looks awesome and is a good way to show off to friends.

Steps

  1. Take a square piece of paper and fold it in half on the diagonal.
  2. Unfold and fold on the other diagonal.
  3. Fold each corner in so they touch the center point.
  4. Flip it over and fold the corners in again.
  5. Flip it over and fold the corners in again.
  6. Flip it over again. Take one of the four little squares on top and place your index finger under the flips. Gently lift it up.
  7. Crease it down into a rectangle outside of the "square".
  8. Turn it 180 degrees and repeat it for the square diagonally across from the first rectangle.
  9. Position the rectangles, so they are vertical and the other two "squares" turn into diamonds. Take both of your thumbs and place each of them underneath the diamonds. Use your index fingers to pull them away from each other (as if you're opening a two-sided door). The rectangles should come together to form the smoke-stacks.
  10. Tape the bottom of the boat if you wish to.

Tips

  • Use the back of your fingernail or a Popsicle stick or something like that to flatten the edges better.
  • Take your time, it will look better.
  • It may take a couple tries to get it right, just stick to it.

Things You'll Need

  • Square paper
  • Tape (optional)

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