Problem: Article: For this project, you will need 24 shells of relatively uniform size, string or fishing line, the inner wood hoop from an embroidery hoop, a power drill with a 1/32 in (0.8 mm) or smaller drill bit, and a pair of scissors. You can stain or paint your embroidery hoop if you wish to change the color of the wood. . If your seashells were gathered from a beach, it is best to clean them before using. Mix 1 part bleach with 3 parts water in a large bowl and soak your seashells in the mixture for several hours. If necessary, use an old toothbrush to remove grime and calcium buildup from the shells. Rinse them thoroughly with warm water and allow them to dry completely. Place the hoop on a flat surface and use a pencil to mark out 24 evenly spaced points around its circumference. Do this by marking 1 point each at the top, bottom, left, and right areas of the hoop. Then add 4 more points at the midpoints between the first 4. Finally, fill each remaining space in with 2 equally spaced points. Fit your drill with a small drill bit and create 24 holes in the hoop where you marked the points. The holes should be large enough to pass your string or fishing line through. Drill a small hole through each shell using the same size drill bit as before. To help prevent the shell from cracking, you can cover the hole's location with a strip of masking tape before drilling. Remove the tape after making the hole. The hole can be placed anywhere on the shell, keeping in mind that the position in which the shell hangs will be dictated by the hole's location. Cut your string into 24 separate pieces that are about 12 in (30 cm) long. Tie one end of each piece of string through the hole in each seashell using a triple knot. Cut off any excess string to neaten the appearance. Begin by tying the first seashell to a hole in the wooden hoop using the full 12 in (30 cm) of string. Tie the next shell to the loop, this time positioning the knot so that the new shell hangs just higher than its neighbor. Make sure that each seashell is hung closely enough to its neighbor to strike against it in the breeze. This may require using greater or fewer than 24 shells depending on the size of your shells and your embroidery hoop. Hang each one slightly higher than the last. This will create a pleasant cascading appearance. Once all of the strings are tied to the loop, you can cut off the excess string using your scissors. You can use the same string or fishing line to hang the wooden hoop from a hook. The string can be looped through the same holes used to hang the shells if the holes are wide enough. If not, you can drill 4 new equally spaced holes to suspend the hoop from 4 pieces of string.
Summary: Gather your materials. Wash your seashells Mark 24 holes on the embroidery hoop. Drill 24 holes in the hoop. Drill holes in the shells. Tie string to the shells. Hang the seashells from the embroidery hoop. Repeat this process for all 24 shells. Hang your seashell creation.

Problem: Article: Turn the hot plate on and let the beaker heat up gradually so that the thermal shock doesn't cause it to shatter. Wrap the mud in the towels and soak the mud in alcohol. The mud will take on the appearance of metal and will be 99 percent pure if you performed the process correctly. You can then take it to a jeweler or to a precious metals dealer to exchange it for cash if you desire.
Summary: Place your beaker onto a hot plate. Continue heating the mud until it develops a powder-like consistency. Pour the mud onto multiple layers of paper towels. Place the mud into a graphite crucible and melt it. Pour the gold into an ingot mold.

Problem: Article: Let the water drain back into the urn so only the corn is left in the bucket. You can make the tray yourself out of wood or buy an aluminum tray at the store. Make sure the sides of the tray are tall enough to keep in all of the corn. You want the temperature to be between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit (22 and 28 degrees Celsius) while the corn is germinating. If the thermometer reads too high of a temperature, move the tray to a darker, cooler place. If the thermometer reads too low of a temperature, place a portable heater or small heat fan that allows you to adjust the temperature near the tray. Check the thermometer regularly to make sure the tray isn't overheating. This will keep the grain moist and prevent heat buildup that naturally occurs during germination. The shoots are the long, root-looking parts of the corn that emerge during germination. You can start the drying process once 70 to 80 percent of the corn has shoots that are twice the length of the kernels.
Summary: Remove the bucket of corn from the urn. Pour the corn into an eight gallon (30 liter) tray. Place a thermometer in the tray to monitor the temperature. Rinse and stir the corn every 12 hours while it's germinating. Let the corn germinate until the shoots are twice as long as the kernels.

Problem: Article: Most pinto beans will reach this stage between 90 and 150 days. Bush beans mature at once, giving you a single harvest. Pole beans yield several harvests and should be picked regularly so that more beans can grow. Note that mature beans can barely be dented when bitten. If the weather starts getting damp before the seeds fully dry, pull the entire plant after most of the foliage has already died and hang it by its roots in a well-ventilated, dry location. The bean pods can finish drying this way. You can shell pinto bean pods individually by hand or in batches. To shell the beans in batches, place the pods in an old pillowcase and walk on it for a minute or so, crushing the pods open. You can remove the chaff by pouring the beans back and forth between two containers or by letting them sit out in a breezy area. Place the beans in a freezer-safe container and let them sit in your freezer for several hours before transferring them to long-term storage. This added step can help prevent problems with weevils and similar pests. Place the shelled, cool beans in airtight jars and store them in a dry, cool place, like a pantry or cellar. Dried pinto beans will usually last at least one year if stored properly but may last even longer.
Summary:
Wait until the beans dry out. Shell the pods. Freeze the beans temporarily. Store the beans in a cool location.