Q: Use additional layers of tissue paper if you want a fuller poppy. If desired, use more than one color to create variety and depth. Trace around the lid with a pencil, then use scissors to cut out the circle. Use a small cup or another object about 2 inches (5.1cm) in diameter as a pattern. Draw around the circle, then cut out the black tissue paper. Poke a green pipe cleaner up through the middle of the stack. Leave about an inch of pipe cleaner extending above the paper. Bend the pipe cleaner down in a hook shape, then pull the bent part of the pipe cleaner through the paper so the hook is hidden in the poppy. Secure the pipe cleaner to the paper poppy with a small amount of white craft glue. Place the poppy in a vase or other decorative container. Repeat the steps for each tissue paper flower you wish to make.
A: Lay three pieces of red, orange, yellow, pink or gold tissue paper on your work surface. Put a round plastic lid, such as a lid from a cottage cheese or margarine container, on top of the folded tissue paper. Lay three pieces of black or brown tissue paper on your working surface. Place the stack of small black circles on the center of the stack of larger circles. Spread the layers of tissue paper to make a ruffled poppy.

Q: If you need to ignore the noise the person is making, put on headphones and listen to music. Consider listening to soothing and calming music to destress. If you want to feel upbeat or positive, listen to lively and upbeat music. If they are really loud, find some noise-canceling headphones. Think about how you are going to physically ignore the person. For example, use separate bathrooms and avoid rooms they tend to be in. If they are watching television in the living room, spend time in your room and vice versa. For example, if your roommate takes over the space on a shelf, designate shelves for each person and make it clear that they are only to use their own shelves. If they tend to sleep in, get up early and go to work early. If they stay in on the weekends, go out. You can even make small adjustments to your schedule. For example, while the person is in the bathroom brushing their teeth, you can keep sleeping or eat breakfast. Learn the person's schedule and try to avoid too much overlap, especially if you share a bedroom. Go to bed or wake up at different times. If you share similar schedules, make some adjustments, such as taking a morning run so that you're awake and out of the house before you interact with them. One of the best ways to create distance between you and the person is to get out of the house more. Instead of coming straight home after school or work, stop and see a friend, take a walk in the park, do some shopping, or go to the gym. Spending less time at home can help you clear your head and can ensure that you won't run into the other person. Plan activities for after school or work for most nights of the week, especially if you know they will be home. This can help you keep a vibrant social life as a bonus! If you're a student, find clubs or activities before or after school. Join a study group, play a sport, or find an extracurricular that you enjoy. Find other activities to do instead of what you do together. For example, if you and the person tend to watch television together, watch your show at a friend's house instead. If you do laundry together, take your laundry elsewhere. Take a break from the shared activities you do. If this person counts on you to be there (for example, to give them a ride), let them know that you won't be available and they need to figure out another plan. If you and the person share friends, you may need to take a break from that friend group for some time.
A: Put on headphones if they are loud. Create physical dividers. Follow a different schedule than them. Spend more time outside of the house. Avoid shared activities.

Q: Place a cloth underneath the bat so the bottom does not get damaged. Use a table clamp to secure the bat so you can strike it easily with a mallet. Slowly test how much power you need to use so you don't damage your bat. Swing the mallet with enough power to leave an indentation in the middle of the hitting area. If it's difficult to see an indentation on the bat, loosen the clamp and hold it up to a light to see if you've made a dent. Repeatedly hit the entire flat area of the bat since a ball may be hit anywhere on the surface. Use the same amount of power you used to make your initial indentation across the face of the bat. The entire process should take about 6 hours. As you increase power, continue making the surface of the bat even so it is flat. Split your time knocking the wood into 10 or 15 10-minute sessions so you don't get burnt out. Test the wood with your fingernail occasionally. At first, your fingernail should leave an impression in the wood's surface, but after you've knocked it in, it will be harder to press. Ask a friend to toss gentle pitches to you with an old cricket ball so you can hit them back with the bat. This helps you detect if any sections of the bat hit unevenly. If they do hit unevenly, go back and strike the areas with a mallet again. Using a new ball could damage the bat if it is hit improperly. Alternatively, put the ball in a sock and tie it to a rope. Put the rope over a tree branch to make a swing. Hit the ball as it swings back and forth.
A:
Clamp your bat down so the flat edge faces up. Hit the middle of the flat area so it dents. Strike the flat face of the bat until the surface is even. Repeat the process with harder hits until you've struck it 20,000 times. Practice hitting soft pitches with the bat.