by Anne on February 22, 2010
What do you do with your favorite clothes when they get too ratty to pass down? You know the ones – the sweatshirt with the dingy cuffs, the shirt with the ketchup stain on the front, the jeans with gaping holes where the knees used to be.
Sure, you can turn them into rags. But how many rags can you use in a year? And besides, a lot of that fabric is still perfectly good. It seems a shame to throw it away.
Women have been solving the very problem you face by turning old clothes and quilts into scraps for generations. Why not you?
Starting Your Recycled Quilt
All you need to make a quilt besides your fabric is a pair of scissors, needle and thread and some imagination. The simplest quilts are simply large squares of different fabrics sewn together. The squares can be any size, but the bigger they are the less sewing you’ll have to do. Or you can sew smaller pieces together to make larger squares.
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by Anne on February 7, 2010
Wheeeee!
Remember sledding when you were a kid? That hill back of the school, or behind the barn, or at the end of your street? The long trudge up and the thrilling reward when you finally reached the top and pushed off, speeding down that hill so fast the wind whipped tears from your eyes?
Where’s that old sled now? Gathering cobwebs in your shed? Well, if you live where there’s snow it’s time to dust it off and polish up the runners. Because I have good news for you. Sledding isn’t just for kids. In fact, if you want to save gas and your back, your old Flexible Flyer could turn into one of your most useful wintertime homestead tools.
How many times have you fired up the four wheeler in order to carry a load that was just a little too heavy or awkward to haul around in your arms? A sled lets you pull a surprisingly large load with little effort, without the use of fossil fuel. It’s great for bales of hay and straw, hauling firewood, and of course for that little spruce tree you cut for Christmas, or for hauling home that prize buck.
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by Andy Greene on January 14, 2010
Swing. Thwak! Swing. Thwak! Swing. Thwak!
Chopping wood is time-honored tradition on many homesteads. You’d think there would be more complaining about the intense work involved. But if you ask seasoned wood choppers, most will shrug, and smile a little as they admit, “I like to chop wood.”
Take a few minutes to watch one of these masters at work. There’s a ritual involved that’s as inspiring in its way as watching a martial artist bow onto the mat and perform his routine.
He selects a log, placing it almost reverently upon the block. Then, hefting his axe in both hands, he takes a deep breath in and in one fluid motion hoists it up over his head and down upon the very center of the log. Steel hits wood, and the two halves fall neatly apart to hit the dirt with a satisfying thud.
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by Andy Greene on December 24, 2009
Looking for a special, budget-busting way to introduce a little holiday cheer? Try making your own holiday wreaths!
Nearly every homestead has abundant raw material to create striking and unique holiday decorations. Of course the old standbys of evergreen boughs and grapevine spring to mind, but if those are scare at your place don’t despair. Just look around. Twigs and small branches, straw and dead weeds all make great wreath-making material. Or use your imagination and raid your junk pile for inspiration. Have fun! How about a wreath crafted from scraps of electrical wire and decorated with spark plugs to grace your machine shop door?
Start your wreath with several lengths of sturdy material like grapevine or twigs. Twist them together, then bend into a circle and secure with binding wire. Use this as a frame to attach other material like pine branches or weeds. Weave them in securely or use more binding wire to attach.
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by Andy Greene on December 11, 2009
When it comes to winter food storage without using up lots of electricity or other fuel, root vegetables are king. After all, their whole purpose is to last until spring! Storing your root vegetables doesn’t have to be complicated. Just keep these few rules in mind·
- Keep them some place cool, but don’t let them freeze. A root cellar or cool basement is ideal. If your winters are mild, you can even leave them in the ground all winter. Just cover with a thick layer of mulch to keep out the frost, and be sure to use them before it warms up and the plants start to sprout.
- Most root vegetables like high humidity. Pack them in damp sand, newspaper or peat.
- Don’t wash your veggies before storing. You want to handle them gently to avoid small nicks and bruises that could lead to rot.
- You know the saying, “One bad apple spoils the bunch.” It goes for root veggies, too. Be vigilant against rot. Use any damaged roots as soon as possible after harvest. Check every week or so and promptly remove any veggie showing any sign of going bad.
- Potatoes take slightly different handling. Keep them dry, and don’t expose them to light. Light will trigger the formation of toxic compounds. Do not eat potato sprouts or any part of the potato that has turned green.
With proper handling, you should be able to store your root vegetables all the way through ‘till spring – if you don’t eat them all up first!
