Put a Cork in It Vials

I'd seen these test tube vials around Cons and costume circles before, but I'd never really known where to get them.  made of high-density plastic, they are great for steampunk costumes or LARPs, where you don't want to be carrying around glass.

It took a while for it to don on us, but we finally figured out that they are soda bottle pre-forms.   You can find these for about $1/piece on Amazon.  You can use them straight out of the box to hold liquids to work as screw-top test tubes, but we went a few extra steps. 

For safety reasons, I filed the nubbin at the bottom off.  These can be a bit sharp, and the extra step is a nice touch.

Next, I removed the threads from the top of the preform with a hacksaw.  A bandsaw can also be used here.  It is very helpful to clamp these down when using a hacksaw.

Afterwards, I went at the cut with a Dremel and some sandpaper, to try and clean up the edges.  Just try to remove the burrs. 

The corks used were medium size #9 tapered corks. #10 can also be used.

Now I have a bunch of threads.
No clue what to do with them.

Congratulations! You now have some plastic alchemy test tubes.

My Favourite Elf Ears

I just want to take a moment to talk about my favourite brand of ears.

As a disclaimer: No, I'm not being paid to advertise this product. I receive no benefit from reviewing this product. I just really freaking love these guys, they make a quality product, and  want the world to know this.

Aradani Costumes makes a great pair of ears.  They are comfortable, they last forever, they can be painted to match any skin tone.  I've purchased both an unpainted and a painted set, and was extraordinarily happy with both.

More than that, I've visited their booth at the Georgia Renaissance Festival and at Dragon*Con, and they are just really nice people.  They showed my how to properly apply the ears I was wearing, before realizing I had purchased them from Aradani.  I had a bit of a mistake in my online order (on my end), and it was fixed within hours of my email.  They are just the sort of people you want to support.