Howcast
The best source for fun, free, and useful how-to videos and guides.
Learn basic plumbing principles and repairs from Master Plumber John Wood in these Howcast videos.
Learn how to fix many bathroom plumbing problems yourself with the step-by-step instructions in this Howcast video series about bathroom repair.
You, too, can become a mattress professional — and get a good night’s sleep — with the advice in this Howcast video series.
Get all your questions about Christmas trees and Christmas decorations answered, and pick up a few new tricks, in this Howcast video series.
Whether you’re a cigar aficionado or just take the occasional puff, you’ll find something of interest in this cigar video series from Howcast.
Whether you’re a certified hoarder or are just messy, get things put away, organized, and under control with this Howcast series.
Stay safe on the road with the important information in this car and driver video series.
How does your garden grow? Everything — plants, flowers, vegetables — will grow better if you heed the gardening tips in this Howcast video series.
Whether you’re a beginner gardener or an experienced one, there’s something to learn in this Howcast video series about gardening tools and equipment.
Learn how to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle with these Howcast videos featuring Alegre of Green and Greener.
Learn all about guns — from handguns and shotguns to Uzis and AK-47s — from Police Officer Keith Charley in these Howcast videos.
They say it’s your birthday! Have the most happy birthday ever with the tips in this birthday celebration video series from Howcast.
Get the lowdown on home appliances in this Howcast video series.
Check out all the ways you can make your home more beautiful with the home decorating advice in these videos.
If you’re a homeowner, you should educate yourself about home heating and air conditioning; this Howcast video series makes it painless.
Attention, homeowners: Don’t pay another repairman until you check out this video series on simple repairs you can make yourself.
Don’t wait until you’re burglarized or suffer a home invasion to check out the home security and safety advice in this Howcast video series.
Learn all about hot water heaters — gas, electric, tankless, indirect, solar-powered — from Winters Plumbing & Heating in this Howcast video series.
Learn how to do things better and faster around your home and garden with the tips and tricks in these Howcast videos.
Make house cleaning faster and easier with the tips and tricks in these videos.
Forget the car wash! Do your own car detailing using the car cleaning secrets in this Howcast video series.
Make your kitchen and bathroom sparkle with the cleaning tips, tricks, and techniques in these Howcast videos.
Turn your walls into works of art with these Howcast painting tutorials led by decorative artist Aliya Riaz.
Learn how to drive safely with the driving lessons in this Howcast video series.
Learn how to fold napkins into beautiful and creative shapes with the napkin folding instructions in these Howcast videos.
Bed bugs, stink bugs, pantry pests — whatever crawlers are creeping you out, entomologist Jeff White tells how to kill them in these Howcast videos.
Got a home infestation on your hands? Before you call the exterminator, try these solutions to rid yourself of insects, rodents, and more.
To save the planet, start with your house; this Howcast video series gives you tips on how to keep a green home.
Learn how to make your garden grow with the gardening tips in this video series from Howcast.
Make your life more eco-friendly with the green living tips in this Howcast video series. The environment will thank you!
You’ve got mail…that you need to pick up, send out, package, and so much more. These tips will help you get it done more easily.
Learn how to fix a leaky faucet and how to make many other plumbing repairs from master plumber Tim Flynn in these Howcast videos.
Learn about gun ownership in this Howcast video series about guns and ammunition.
Learn how to paint walls, ceilings, trim, molding and more from Brushed Interiors founder David Sartori in these Howcast videos.
Learn how to make a quilt with the quilting tips and techniques from Cathy Izzo in these Howcast videos.
Whether you want to keep a few chickens or start herding cattle, this Howcast animal farming video series will get you started.
Go green by learning how to reduce, reuse, and recycle just about anything; it’s all in these videos.
Learn about soldering irons, soldering guns, circuit boards, and more from Jeff Koskulics in these Howcast videos.
Learn how to take care of every kind of fish tank — saltwater, freshwater, reef — with the help of expert Joseph Caparatta in these Howcast videos.
Learn how to maintain your lawn and plant flowers, shrubs, and trees with the help of landscape designer Patrick Weisel in these Howcast videos.
Learn how to weld properly and safely with the step-by-step instructions from sculptor DeWitt Godfrey in these Howcast welding videos.
Stay safe during severe storms and hurricanes with videos on assembling emergency kits, building storm shelters, and more.
Create your own indoor Garden of Eden — or at least keep that fern from dying — with these container gardening videos.
Learn about home improvement and home decor from professional interior designer Blanche Garcia in these Howcast videos.
Spruce up your kitchen and bathroom with the easy and affordable renovation ideas in these videos.
The grass is always greener — in your yard, once you’ve discovered the lawn care tips and tricks in these videos.
Learn carpentry and how to do simple woodworking projects from furniture maker Robin Mierzwa in these Howcast videos.
We’ll get all your stuff boxed up and out the door in no time at all.
Make packing a bag less stressful with these tips, tricks, and checklists.
Brighten up a room with these painting and wallpaper tips.
Learn how to do lots of everyday tasks in a better, faster, and easier way with these creative shortcuts.
Start your own vegetable or flower garden today with these gardening videos on seeds and planting.
Make this annual chore less daunting with the cleaning tips and tricks in these videos.
No matter what you spilled on your clothes or furnishings, we can tell you how to get it out.
Don’t host another Thanksgiving without these tips and tricks.
Get your vegetable patch started with these gardening tutorials.
Learn how to choose wedding flowers and how to make some of the arrangements yourself from floral designer Sarah Brysk Cohen in these Howcast videos.
Whether you need a knife for hunting or cooking, Plaza Cutlery owner Dan Delavan helps you pick the right one in these Howcast videos.
Jazz up any room in your home with a little window dressing.
Transcript Hi, Dave here at Brust [SP] Interiors. We’re going to go over some basic tools to get you going on a paint job. There’s often overlooked hand tools that I just want to mention. We have here the Five in One which is a scraper, paint opener and basically five uses in one. Very …
Transcript Do you need a primer to paint? Depends on your application. With the modern paints, a lot of times the answer is no. They are marketing all these self-priming paints, and they work pretty well. However, if you’re doing a large plaster patch on the walls as we did here, you can go ahead …
Transcript Hi, this is Dave with Brush Interiors. Choosing a paint color. It doesn’t have to be a long stressed out situation. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a designer. This is something you can do yourself if you have the time. You have many, many tools at your disposal. Lots …
Transcript I’m Dave with Brush Interiors. All the paints I have here are latex or water-based. Most of your modern paints are water-based, and that’s totally okay. Once in a while you run into an application of using an oil point, the only difference is you need to have paint thinner or mineral spirits handy, …
Transcript Hey this is Dave, now question is, how much paint do you need? This Regal select for instance, 400 to 450 square feet. Okay so you could measure your room, you know 10 feet high, overestimate, 40 feet around, and your going to get your 400 square feet. However, your walls might be very …
Transcript Hi I’m Dave with Thrush Interiors. Let’s talk about different kinds of paint. There’s a lot of brands available out there. In major metropolitan areas, you have your Home Depot. You had your Lowe’s. You’ve got your Ace Hardware on the corner. You’ve got Benjamin Moore outlets, Sherwin Williams outlets. All these companies are …
Transcript Talk about these old New York apartments. Look at this. These are old wires, this was installed by Thomas Edison and Company, American telegraph and telephone pole and it’s all painted in years ago. This old cable, phone cable, it’s actually a coaxial cable but it’s still a big mess some going to tear …
Transcript We’ve got a new your character here. This wall has been the ages of time, you can fill the history. We’ve got some sample colors on here but looking closely at these cracks and we have got to handle these cracks. The screen color is what is finally chosen for the wall and it’ll …
Transcript Alright let’s take a look at this wall. We could have just slapped paint on this wall, but to really do a good job let’s take the time and learn how to fill the nail holes and smooth out the blemishes and make a really smooth nice finish. These here are you mud knives. …
Transcript It is a good idea to remove your electrical cover plates prior to a paint job. It’s much better to take the time to remove these than try to paint and cut around and get a perfect line or anything else because if you want to change it, the design later, you don’t have …
Transcript Okay, we’re here to protect the floor. Rather than just throwing down a drop cloth and making due, we’re going to put down construction paper, and we’re going to use a two part process. Plastic and then the construction paper. Now these are the tools you want to have handy, I’ve got our blue …
Transcript Hi, this is Dave. We’re ready to paint an accent wall, in this case an accent ceiling. Same concept, though. And I’m going to introduce you to the delicate blue tape. This is a little more expensive at the store. It has some writing on it here. The 3M says Edge Lock. There may …
Transcript Hi folks, I’n John Wood with Hub Plumbing Mechanical of New York City. We’re located in Manhattan’s historic West Village. I’ve been a licensed master plumber for over 20 years and I’m here to share a few tips with you about how we’re going to do some plumbing repairs you might find in your …
Transcript I’m here to talk now about how to become a New York City Master Plumber. Becoming a Master Plumber really varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It can vary across the country. I personally know that New York City and California have the most restrictive policies for becoming a Master Plumber. New York City because …
Transcript At the risk of having a contract taken out on my life by the home centers, I’m going to give you a few tips on buying new plumbing fixtures when you’re doing your bathroom over or replacing a faucet or replacing a shower valve. A lot of people have a terrible mindset of to …
Transcript OK, folks. I’m going to go over, for a few minutes, what some of the most common plumbing tools are. On my left here, I have channel locks. Also, in other parts of the country, referred to as pumps, for some reason. I think it was because they had used them on water pumps, …
Transcript We’re gonna talk about why basement toilets seem to smell bad, worse than other toilets in the home. Okay? There’s only one real reason. That’s because the basement may have suffered a clog in the past. Now when a clog happens, the water is going to back up out of the sewer into the …
Transcript There are a few things that every homeowner should always know, no matter what. One of them being, where the shutoff valve is for the water. I can’t tell you how many times in my career, I’ve gone out to an emergency call in the small hours of the morning, and there’s water, absolutely, …
Transcript I also want to talk about three no-no’s in the plumbing world, okay? DIY is fine. Repairing your own home is fine. Being a cowboy is not, and it’s for a very good reason. Everybody wants to save a buck, including myself. I’m actually intimidated by electricity, so I won’t work beyond replacing a …
Transcript Okay, so today I’m going to try to talk a little bit about how a toilet tank works. A lot of people are completely mystified as to the very simple machinations of the toilet tank. You can save yourself a lot of money trying to tackle some of these very simple repairs yourself, with …
Transcript Unfortunately like death and taxes, clogs are pretty much inevitable. Clogs occur for a number of reasons, long hair, greases and lipids in the line and then most commonly of the burbs is roots. Roots can be a real bug bear for the average homeowner and they can be extremely expensive to correct. So …
Transcript Okay. So I’m going to talk for a few minutes about how to fix some of the most common plumbing leaks that you might see in your home or business. Okay. But first, before I go into that I should talk about the types of joints that you have. When we say “joints” in …
Transcript Okay, folks. So, today, I’m going to show you how to fix a kitchen sink drain. This is a very common repair, because they rot out quickly. The material that you most commonly see under a kitchen sink is this brass, here. This is 17-gauge brass, which is actually referring to the wall thickness …
Transcript Okay. Let’s talk about fixing water lines. Depending on what region of the country you’re in, you may see PEX tubing, which is a type of plastic or something, but in the five boroughs of New York City it is exclusively copper. If it’s not, you’re not legal. So this is what we call …
Transcript This is the cardinal’s hat, and of course we chose and selected a red napkin for this one. We’re going to start off and create a triangle shape. We’re going to take our left and right corners and fold them up to the center. Then, we’re going to flip over. We’re going to fold …
Transcript For the birds of paradise, we are going to take our yellow napkin here. We are going to fold it in half, and then half again. You are going to want to make sure that your points and your edges that are loose are facing up. Then we are going to fold it in …
Transcript So now we’re going to start folding the tuxedo napkin and this is a really fun, exciting one, because we have even a little dress shirt that we can insert in to complete the whole look. So we are going to start off with our square and we’re going to fold a triangle. Then …
Transcript So now we are going to fold an elf hat. We’re going to fold it in half and then from the center point and from this angle, we’re going to start rolling and creating a cone shape for the hat. I’m going to roll from one end to the other. And then from here, …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold the fleur de lis. Take our square napkin, this s a pretty blue, we’re going to fold it in half. Then we’re going to take both corners, you’re going to see the center line here, you’re going to raise them up until you create a triangle. Then we’re going …
Transcript Hi, I’m Jessie Kaye and no, I am not a professional napkin folder but I do have a love for origami, and I apply that to napkins. My husband and I love to entertain and have guests over and I love to dress up table settings, so that was a natural segue into combining …
Transcript For a simple envelope, we’re going to start off with a square, and we’re going to fold it into a smaller square. You’re going to fold horizontally, then across again. Then you take it towards you. We’re going to fold up the corners to the center. You’re actually going to take the left-hand corner …
Transcript Now we’re going to make an origami folded t-shirt. What we’re going to do is, we are going to fold up the corners, to a square. And now, this is diamond shaped, and we’re going to fold it in half. And then half again, so both these flaps come in to the fold in …
Transcript Now we’re going to create a bow tie. We’re going to take our napkin, and we’re going to fold it in thirds from either side. And then we’re going to fold the top and the bottom into the center evenly. Adjust that. And then we’re going to take a ribbon; and again, if you …
Transcript So now we’re going to fold the iron lily. So we’re going to take our yellow napkin here. We’re going to flip it over, and we’re going to create a triangle. We’re going to take our two corners from the left and the right and fold up to the center to create a diamond …
Transcript So, for the pyramid, we’re going to fold it over to a triangle. And then we’re going to take the two corners, on the left and the right, and we’re going to fold them up evenly to the center. Then, we’re going to flip our napkin over and we’re going to fold it in …
Transcript We’re going to fold an open book, and it’s actually going to have a menu and a place card. Okay, so what we’re going to do is take your square, and we’re going to fold two-thirds of the way up. And then we’re going to fold, I would say, about two inches up. And …
Transcript So we’re going to make a modern bunny fold, and this will be perfect Easter or a fancy dinner where you want to just dress up your plates. So we’re going to start out with a classic white napkin and we’re going to fold this in half and then in half again, so you …
Transcript So this is the Bishop’s Mitre, and it’s a formal hat that we can sit on your dinnerware. What we are going to do is fold in half towards you and then each corner, this right-hand corner we are going to bring down to this center point. Then from the top point we are …
Transcript So now we’re going to fold a single pocket fold, and this is a very simple napkin fold, so if you’re in a hurry, or you want to just do something quick and easy. A lot of the folds are based off a square, and this is actually a rectangular shape. So what we’re …
Transcript So, you’re having a party and you want to treat your guests like royalty. So, let’s create a crown napkin fold. We’re going to fold it up diagonally, and then we’re going to take the left and right corners and fold upwards to create a diamond shape. Then we’re going to fold onto itself …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold a turkey, which will be great to put on your place-setting for Thanksgiving. What we’re going to do is fold this in half down and half over to create a smaller square. We’re actually going to insert a piece of aluminum foil. The tin foil will make the beak …
Transcript For a festive addition to your place setting, we can make a Christmas tree. So what we’re going to do is take your square and we’re going to fold it in half. And then we’re going to fold up the triangles on the top and the bottom. You have to give it a good …
Transcript We’re going to fold the heart napkin. And a way to impress your loved one or your valentine, this will be great to put on your place setting. We’re going to start off with a square. And then we’re going to angle this up to a triangle. You’re going to take your left and …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold a pinwheel. You’re going to take your napkin here. You’re going to create a diamond shape. And you’re going to fold up all the points to the center, so they all meet in the center here. And then we’re going to fold halfway up, until you meet that center …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold a candle. We’re going to take your napkin on a diagonal, and this is a beautiful silver napkin that will give us a nice glow to our table. We’re going to fold it in half, to create a triangle. And then we’re going to pull it back, and fold …
Transcript Now we’re going to learn how to make a necktie. So what we’re going to do is start off with this slate gray elegant napkin and we’re going to turn it around to the underside. Actually, let’s turn it on to its diagonal. To create the tie shape, we’re going to fold diagonally in. …
Transcript Okay. Now we’re going to learn how to make the standing fan. We’re going to fold your napkin in half. And you’re going to start at the bottom end, and you’re going to fold about a one inch fold. And we’re going to accordion fold it all the way to the top. What we’re …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold a napkin pouch, and this is a perfect way to display some fresh flowers on your place setting. What we’re going to do is, take our napkin here, and we’re going to fold it in a diagonal, and then we’re going to rotate it 45 degrees, so that it’s …
Transcript So, now we’re going to fold the tulip and it’s going to be the top portion of a flower. So, we are going to turn on the diagonal, and fold a triangle, then you’re going to take your top tip and you’re going to move it down, to the bottom edge. You’re going to …
Transcript So you have those white paper napkins that you use, and you want to do something a little bit more fancy with them. We’re going to make a paper swan. So we’re going to start off with your paper napkin, and those ruffly edges could be towards you. And we’re going to fold it …
Transcript So, now we’re going to learn to make a beautiful lotus flower. And, I like to use a beautiful, white, crisp napkin for this one. So, we’re going to start off with your square. And, you’re going to angle up to the corner, the right corner to the left. You’re going to crease that …
Transcript So this is the double roll and acts great as a place card holder for your guests for your next dinner party. So what you’re going to do is you’re going to start off with your square here, and you’re going to fold up and down into thirds. So you have a long rectangle …
Transcript Now we are going to learn how to make the Double Diamond. This will utilize a beautiful silver napkin for your next event, and we can insert chopsticks in the end. What we do is, we turn it on a diamond angle, we fold up to the center so the two ends meet each …
Transcript Okay. For a whimsical addition to your next party, we can make a clown hat. You’re going to start off with your square napkin, and you’re going to fold it in half. Then you’re going to find the center here, and you’re going to start rolling from this corner to the right, to the …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold a pendant, and this is a beautiful way to dress up your silverware on your dish. We’re going to fold the bottom edges up, to the center line. And the top edges down, to the center line. And they meet right here, in the middle. And then you’re going …
Transcript This is a traditional table setting, and this is called the French pleat. We’re going to start off with your white, crisp napkin. We’re going to fold it in half, and then we’re going to fold it in half again, to create a square. Then you’re going to take this corner, and you’re going …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold a leaf, and basically achieve this with really crisp edges and veins of the leaf. We’re going to create an accordion fold. Right now, I have this pre-ironed and starched. Start at one end, and you accordion fold upright. You’re just pinching, folding forward and back as you go …
Transcript So the inspiration for the next fold is a rose. And as you can see here our beautiful yellow roses that complement the napkin. So we’re going to start off with folding our napkin in half, make a nice crease here. And then we’re going to reopen it and then we’re going to fold …
Transcript Now we’re going to fold the lover’s knot. And how adorable is this cute pattern? It has little strawberries on it. It’s so sweet. We’re going to take your underside of the napkin, and then you can get your diamond shape. You’re going to fold this to the point, in half. And what we’re …
Transcript Now we’re going to learn how to make a fortune cookie. And it’s a great idea to turn into a place card for your guests for your next Asian-themed party. So you’re going to take your square napkin, you’re going to turn it so it’s a diamond shape. And you’re going to fold the …
Transcript We’re going to fold this scarf napkin now, and I actually chose this napkin because it reminds me of a beautiful scarf with Spring colors, so it’ll really dress up your fork for your table setting. We’re going to actually flip this pattern over, to start on the underside. We’re going to fold it …
Transcript For your next sushi inspired dinner we’re going to make a sushi roll. It has two parts, the first part is the inside of the roll. We are going to take your square napkin and fold it in half, then you’re going to fold it in half again, and one more time so you …
Transcript So now I’m going to show you a variation on the sushi roll. This is just a different roll. And we’re going to take your square. You’re going to angle it like a diamond. You are going to fold it over. You’re going to fold it over, from the long end to the top. …
Transcript Now we’re going to learn the ice cream cone, and this one’s a lot of fun. I selected this yellow napkin that kind of resembles a cone. What we’re going to do is, we’re going to flip it to the underside. We’re going to fold it in half, and then half again. And we’re …
