photo by decor8
Some tips aren’t a good match for my home, but they often inspire me to expand on the idea. The first tip wouldn’t work for me in the kitchen, but it could be great conversation piece on my seasonal porch for hanging plants. If you see tips in my column that are similar but not exactly how you use them, share them with me. They might inspire someone else.

HOMEMADE POT RACK: Use a ladder, or actually, part of a ladder. Recently, I was in a store that had all of their pots displayed on a ladder. It was very cute! They took part of a ladder and painted it white. Then they took “S” hooks and and hung them from the rungs. Then they added pots to the hooks. It hung from the ceiling with four decorative ceiling-light chains attached to the four corners of the ladder with eye hooks. — Ellise, e-mail

GELATIN FROZEN POPS: Because the pops have gelatin in them, they don’t melt as fast as regular ones. It is fun to experiment with different flavors of gelatin and drink mix.

Frozen Pops

1 3-ounce package gelatin, any flavor
1 packet of powdered drink mix, any flavor
1 cup sugar
2 cups hot water
2 cups cold water

Mix all ingredients, pour into molds and freeze. — Linda M., Florida

Quick Cake: Microwave a cake in minutes.

4 tablespoons cake flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
1 mug

Mix flour, sugar and cocoa. Spoon in 1 egg. Pour in milk and oil, and mix well. Put in microwave for 3 minutes on high. Wait until cake stops rising. Eat it in the mug, or tip the mug upside down so the cake is on a plate. — Missy, Colorado

Microwave Popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon popcorn salt
brown-paper lunch bag

Shake the popcorn with the olive oil and salt in the paper bag. Fold the top of the bag down. To “seal” the bag, cut four slits 1 inch apart. Then fold down the two center sections between the cuts. Place the bag in the microwave, and microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes. — Julie B., Iowa

SNEAK IN VEGETABLES: I hide vegetables in meals so I know my kids are eating their vegetables. I mash cauliflower into mashed potatoes and various pureed vegetables into soup and spaghetti sauce. — Sue, Ohio

BRIGHT WHITE DIAPERS: To clean cloth diapers for babies, I do a rinse in cold, then wash in hot using baking soda and All Free Clear. I rinse with vinegar and do a second rinse. All has been fine. No rashes, no irritations. You can use Oxyclean on them, too, but I prefer the clothesline to whiten them naturally. — MissyAli, Ohio

REMOVE INK: Rubbing alcohol or hairspray is good for getting out ballpoint-pen ink. Put some on a clean cloth, and dab and blot away at the stain using a clean section of the cloth every time you dab. — Tammy O., California

HOMEMADE GIFT IDEA: I make cell-phone FOBs (charms). These are cheap gifts for girls. It’s a pretty and personalized cell-phone chain. Just connect your beads or charms onto the lanyard (phone strap) by putting the charms on a key or jump ring, and it has a lobster-claw hook. If you can’t find the supplies locally, this Web site sells them: www.silverenchantments.com/Jewelry-Findings-Components.html. — Cricket, e-mail

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