Have you run out of confectioners (powdered) sugar and the stores are closed? Don’t despair. You can make the amount you need if you place some granulated sugar in your blender and blend it for a couple of minutes.
To prevent granulated sugar from hardening, keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place to keep it free of moisture. If the sugar in the paper bag has hardened and become one solid block, you can place it in a warm oven for a couple of minutes.
Brown sugar hardens because over time, the moisture evaporates that’s why it should be kept in an air-tight container. To put the moisture back in the sugar that has hardened, you can place it in an air-tight container with a few slices of an apple or a slice of bread for a couple of days. Once the sugar has softened, you can remove the slices. Or place the brown sugar in the microwave together with a small container of water beside it. Microwave for one minute and then check the sugar. If it is still hard microwave for a further 30 seconds until the sugar is soft. Be careful when handling it because the sugar will be extremely hot. However, as the sugar can harden again as it cools, microwave the amount of sugar you need. Finally, you can place the sugar in a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth and then cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil so that the cloth remains damp. The sugar will absorb the moisture and will soften in about two days.