#lifehacker
People don’t often look back on the early 1900’s for advice, but what if we could actually learn something from the Lost Generation? The New York Public Library has digitized 100 “how to do it” cards found in cigarette boxes over 100 years ago, and the tips they give are so practical that millennials reading this might want to take notes.
Back in the day, cigarette cards were popular collectibles included in every pack, and displayed photos of celebrities, advertisements, and more. Gallaher cigarettes, a UK-founded tobacco company that was once the largest in the world, decided to print a series of helpful how-to’s on their cards, which ranged from mundane tasks (boiling potatoes) to unlikely scenarios (stopping a runaway horse). Most of them are insanely clever, though, like how to make a fire extinguisher at home. Who even knew you could do that?
The entire set of life hacks is now part of the NYPL’s George Arents Collection. Check out some of the cleverest ones we could find below. You never know when you’ll have to clean real lace!
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DIY ideas that’ll impress your guests!
#1 Glowing Beverages
Did you know that tonic water naturally glows under black light? All you need to do is to install black lights around your home. Another decorative glowing trick is to break open a highlighter pen, put the tip inside a bowl of water to allow the highlighter ink to mix in. Then pour the water into any type of container you want to “light up”. DO NOT DRINK HIGHLIGHTER INK.
#2 Sterro Hack
If you don’t have a sound system to play dance tunes, simply make one by cutting a notch in a toilet paper roll and slipping your phone inside. Another idea is to drop your phone into a glass or bowl for the same effect, it’s an amazing way to amplify sound… not to mention it’s ultra clever.
#3 Chill Beverages With Berries
You can avoid diluting drinks and “pretty” them up by replacing ice cubes with frozen berries. It’s not only attractive and colorful, but will lend drinks an extra yummy flavor.
#4 DIY Potpourri
Unlike the synthetic store-bought stuff, this is completely natural and won’t make your place smell like a doctor’s office. Just throw some fruit into a slow cooker, and then add bay leaves cloves and cinnamon. What type of fruit? Lemons, apples, oranges will all work stellar!
#5 Trick Wine Opener
If you can’t find the corkscrew, but have an power drill… no problem! Also doesn’t uncorking wine this way look more suave than the other trick of beating the back of the bottle with the heel of your shoe?
#6 DIY Disco Lights
Transform your Xmas lights into a disco celebration by cutting a hole in the bottom of some Solos and placing them over the bulbs like lampshades!
#7 Preserve Good Scotch
Here’s a solution for when you’ve got a super expensive and special scotch tucked away at the bar, but a friend would like to have some. It would be awkward to say “no”, but you can polish the rim of his glass with a napkin and bit of scotch on it. The glass will smell of strong scotch, as you pour him a watered down version.
The shit remaineth the same.
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