Duct-tape cards in bag are handy

Dear Heloise: My friend and I travel quite often and have more than once found a need for duct tape. To solve this, I took an old department-store gift card that I no longer needed and wrapped a length of duct tape around it. When packing, I throw this in the suitcase so that when the need arises, I have it. — Joan N., New York

I love this hint, and when my friend John Duff told me about it, I said "Bingo!" I now have several "duct-tape cards" in my travel bag. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a wonderful hint for candles I can no longer burn because they are almost at the end of their wicks.

Instead of throwing them away, I put them in my cupboards. When I open the cupboard, the scent of the candle fills the air. Cinnamon candles are great in the kitchen cupboards. — Sharron Fisherman, Houston

Dear Heloise: Some people can't afford a security system, but they want one. I have a solution: If you can't buy a security system, make your own.

My hint is to put bells on your doorknobs or, if you have a tile floor, put a tin can in front of the door. Make sure you have a phone in your bedroom. If someone comes in while you're sleeping, you will be woken either by the sound of bells ringing or the tin can scraping the floor. Then you can use the phone to call the police. — Chelsea D., Grade 7, Tamarac Middle School, Troy, N.Y.

Dear Heloise: My mother is in a wheelchair, and transferring her from the wheelchair to the car has been a challenge.

I now put a large, plastic garbage sack over the cloth car seat. This allows her to slide onto the seat and position herself without sticking to the cloth upholstery.— Tracy H.

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