INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Plastic-cutting blades have a higher tooth count than a standard wood-cutting blade. This allows for a smoother cut without having jagged edges. It also helps prevent kickback if you're using an electric saw. Ensure you're using a blade meant for cutting plastic. Use a thicker blade so the plastic does not melt and stick back together. If you are trying to cut out smaller windows in larger sheets or making small handheld crafts, use a craft blade to chip away small bits of plastic. Drill holes to use as starting points for the blade and shave away the plastic until you reach the guide lines. Clamp a piece of straight wood across the plastic with the line you intend to cut hanging slightly over the edge to cut a straight line. Guide the saw through the plastic sheet, keeping your hand on the wide portion of the saw shoe. Jigsaws allow for better mobility as you make curved cuts into the plastic. Using a blade with 10 teeth per inch, turn the plastic to make the shapes you need. Drill holes in the plastic along the guide lines so your blade has places to start and stop easily. Make straight relief cuts from the outside of the plastic to the curves. This will help prevent the plastic from warping and shortens the cutting distance. Leave room between the guide lines you've drawn and where you cut. You can always file these down later. This type of saw makes cuts only when you pull it, unlike other hand saws that cut when you push and pull it. A pull saw helps make a cleaner, smoother line in your plastic and may be easier for making shorter straight cuts than an electric saw. Use your thumb to guide the blade when you make the initial cut. From there, place the saw into the line you've made and pull the saw through.

SUMMARY: Use blades meant for cutting plastic. Use a craft knife to make smaller cuts. Cut long, straight lines using a handheld circular saw and straight-edge. Create curved cuts by using a jigsaw. Make short, straight cuts using a Japanese-style pull saw.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Developing your mixed voice is a complex task that is one of the most complicated vocal techniques in singing. Many classically-trained voice teachers cannot do it! If you're determined to learn how to do it, find a vocal coach with experience in this area to guide you. Chromatic scales are composed of notes in sequence, like the keys of a piano. Start with a scale a few notes below the break point in your registerthe moment you normally switch from chest voice to head voice. Sing 5-note chromatic scales above, through, and below the break, in ascending and descending patterns. Keep your tone even, and go slowly. Don't rush the difficult notes. You will naturally blend your head and chest voices if you sing below and above your register break without changing your tone. Play along on a piano as you sing, or sing along to a recording of vocal exercises. You can easily find free recordings of 5-note chromatic scales for vocal exercise online. While warming up, sing short scales. Rather than singing each note distinctly, "slide" your voice from one note to the next. Sing up and down a scale. Go slowly and do not allow yourself to vary your speed, so that you don't skip over your register break. Yawn widely to stretch your lips. Purse your lips and say "buh-buh-buh" while singing a scale. Try to make a good clear noise, not releasing too much air. If your lips keep losing the trill, stop and yawn, or put a finger in each cheek on either side of your mouth. Use this exercise regularly. The beginning of your routine is a good time for it, as it warms up your mouth. Do your trills for a scale longer each time. When singing using your chest voice, focus on not straining your throat.

SUMMARY: Find a vocal coach to help you learn this technique. Sing 5-note chromatic scales. Slur your scales. Practice lip trills.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Ingredients for candles may be purchased at arts and crafts store. Quantities for each ingredient will vary, dependent on the size and amount of candles you plan to make. However, half a pound of wax equals to 10-12 small candles, and candles only require one wick each. You should check your mould tray for a point of reference if you're unsure about quantity. Paraffin wax. Half a pound of wax should serve you well for a home set of candles. If you're feeling thrifty however, you can melt down old candles into fresh wax. Drops of essential oil. These are essential, and can be used if you want to give your candles a scent. Only a couple of drops per candle will be needed to get the scent. Baking tray mould. The size of your mould will determine how large the candles will be. Small muffin candles will burn for approximately one hour. Large muffin tray candles will go on for about three. Tart moulds and cookie cutters can be used as well for this, so long as there's a moulded slot for a candle to settle in. Pretabbed candle wicks. Making sure to get pretabbed wicks can take some of the hassle out of adding them into the wax. Dye chips. Dye chips are specifically made for use in homemade candles. They're small, but effective, so you'll probably only need around one per candle. You can eyeball the effects of the dye chips as you add them. Dye chips will give your candles a pleasant colour. One dye chip per pound of wax should be enough to ensure a bold colour. It's important to add your dye while the candles are heated. That way, they'll be able to disperse throughout the wax with stirring. Dye chips are designed specifically for use in DIY candle-making, so they tend to mix with wax very well. Mix it in with a wooden spoon to ensure the dye is consistent in the candles. Essential oils are added for the sake of scent, and should be added to the pot as soon as you've turned off the heat. Paraffin wax needs to be 150 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be ready for pouring. If you have a thermometer at hand, place it in the wax and gauge the temperature. Check the consistency periodically. You can do this by placing a wooden spoon in the boiler pitcher and gently stirring the wax around. If you don't have a thermometer, wait until a thin film forms around the edges of your pitcher. If you don't coat your mould with cooking spray or petroleum jelly before hand, your candles will put up a hassle when you try to take them out. Because you'll ultimately be taking them up held by their fragile wick, you'll want to minimize that resistance early on. Excessive spray isn't necessary. Just make sure the bottom of each mould slot is evenly sprayed. Being thorough at this stage prevents hassle later down the road. Once the wicks have set, candles take up to two hours to harden completely. Set them aside, and occupy your time with something else while they settle.

SUMMARY:
Gather your ingredients. Introduce dye chips while heating. Heat the wax. Coat your tray with cooking spray. Allow the candles time to harden.