31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero | Get Fearlessly Crafty {Day 16} by Ruth Soukup on October 16 This is the sixteenth day of my 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. To read all the posts in order, start with Day One or visit the Overview Page. I love me a good DiY project! Nothing makes me happier than completely losing myself for an hour or two while I create something new. There is something about getting crafty that is just good for the soul. But I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Not everything I make turns out wonderful. A few months ago I co-hosted a cute-as-a-button baby shower for my goddaughter. The Nester’s motto for the home is “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful,” and I would like to point out that this truth also applies to DiY projects. Today I rounded up a whole bunch of absolutely darling DiY projects from some of my favorite blogs (and my own) that can be made using supplies you very likely have already lying around the house. Clockwise, starting in top left corner: Not Pictured: {Go to Day 17}
The Drought Fighter - Craftsmanship Magazine Topics: Climate Change, Drought, Farming, Fertility, Food, Organic Agriculture, Science, Soil Health, Urban Farming Locations: California, Sebastopol Materials: Bugs, Carbon, Compost, Plants, Soil Masters: Paul Kaiser: Drought Fighter Could a controversial farmer in California have found the most effective way to grow food in a warming world? By TODD OPPENHEIMER On Singing Frogs Farm, a relatively minuscule, 8-acre operation in Sebastopol, California, Paul Kaiser says he is grossing more than $100,000 an acre just by harvesting vegetables. One afternoon last March, on a small vegetable farm that Paul Kaiser runs in a particularly chilly valley in Sebastopol, California, a group of agriculture specialists gathered around a four-foot steel pole. The group successfully repeated the exercise, over and over—for photo ops, and to be sure that Kaiser really had accomplished the various feats he talks about, which he does almost incessantly these days. This is a big deal. “What creates life?”
12 Awesome Books To Get You Off The Grid 12 Awesome Books To Get You Off The Grid Please Share This Page: Google + stumbleupon tumblr reddit If you are a first-time visitor, please be sure to like us on Facebook and receive our exciting and innovative tutorials and info! This fantastic collection of books provides tutorials on many aspects of the off-grid lifestyle – including building your own eco-home, harvesting water, generating your own power and growing your own food! If you’re planning on going off-grid, downsizing, homesteading, survival prepping or simply living a more “down to earth” lifestyle, it’s great to have access to information and tips from people who have already done it. (Note – off-grid is an Amazon Affiliate and makes a small commission on sales). Earth-Sheltered Houses: How to Build an Affordable Underground Home Earth-sheltered houses utilize thermal mass in order to create a low-impact dwelling. Projects to Get You Off the Grid: Rain Barrels, Chicken Coops, and Solar Panels I like the “realness” of this book.
33 DIY Fire Pit Ideas One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to invite friends and family over, and gather around the fire pit. They’re great for making s’mores and they give you that great outdoors feeling in the comfort of your own backyard! I’m definitely planning on making my own this year. What’s YOUR favorite fire pit idea? ---------- Sponsored Links ---------- #1 Paver Fire Pit #2 Large Square Fire Pit #3 Deep, Round Fire Pit #4 Different Sized Paver Fire Pit #5 Propane Fire Pit from Copper Fittings and a Flower Pot #6 Fire Pit on a budget #7 DIY Better Homes and Gardens Fire Pit #8 Adorable Fireless Fire Pit (perfect for a kid’s room!) #9 Fire Pit with Fireplace Glass #10 Fire Pit in a Bowl #11 Rectangular Stone Fire Pit #12 Fire Pit Planter #13 Eco-Friendly Fire Pit #14 Fire Pit from an Old Washing Machine Drum #15 Brick Fire Pit #16 Upcycled Fire Pit #17 Recessed Fire Pit #18 Gas Fire Pit #19 Concrete Fire Pit Bowl #20 Brick and Cement Fire Pit #21 Fire Pit Table #22 Table Top Fire Pit #23 Concrete Fire Pit
Rainwater Harvesting Basics Ironically, water use in developed countries often is highest in the places where rain falls the least. Rainwater harvesting is one easy and low tech solution in reducing domestic water use. How to utilize rain water The easiest rainwater source is that which falls in our gardens. Proper placement of plants, trees, and water collection areas can turn the site into a water efficient capture system. Store the rain in cisterns and barrels An obvious source of rainwater collection is the roof. Indoor use All around the world it’s becoming more common for people to use rainwater indoors for non-potable uses.
5 BEST Reasons To Live Off The Grid Why do you want to live off the grid? Everyone, I think, has their own reasons and ideas for wanting to move off the grid. Boiling it down, these are the top 5. 1. If there were a collapse of the financial system -which is the most likely “doomsday” scenario- then the grocery stores, hardware stores, and the big box home improvement stores would be the first to be wiped out of supplies. In the biggest cities in the world, this leaves millions of people without the supplies needed to survive. People like the feeling they get when they don’t have to depend on others, and they can support their families and enjoy their lives with their friends on their own land, in their own home. 2.: Sense of Accomplishment: There’s a certain satisfaction on a job well done. 3. 4. 5. They call it “The American Dream“, but I think that’s a rather narrow-minded and selfish way of phrasing it, since most people in the world want the same things. It’s all about being happy. Comments comments
Mums make lists ...: Christmas Gift Tags 130 Gift tags on Christmas presents are the simplest thing. But with just the teeniest bit of thought and effort they can transform the look of a gift and the spirit in which it is received. When we were kids my mum always made the Christmas gift tags from last year's Christmas cards and I love that frugal tradition of home made tags. This year I've been exploring a whole load of gorgeous ideas for home made Christmas gift tags from printed linen to tea stained "vintaged" tags via photo tags, adorable little herb rings and fabulous printables. I am not quite sure which we are going to go for yet but I am sure you will find this collection as inspiring as I have ... ... and if you're looking for more Christmas inspiration do check out all the other brilliant Christmas links from other bloggers at the bottom of this post ... ... and feel free to share your own ... A little extra ageing with tea staining from Eco Salon ... Seriously beautiful handwritten printables from Finnish blog Hey Look ...
Alnarp Cleanwater Technology Technology - Potato power: the spuds that could light the world With a simple trick, the humble spud can be made into a battery, so could potato powered homes catch on? Mashed, boiled, baked or fried? You probably have a preference for your potatoes. Haim Rabinowitch, however, likes his spuds “hacked”. For the past few years, researcher Rabinowitch and colleagues have been pushing the idea of “potato power” to deliver energy to people cut off from electricity grids. Hook up a spud to a couple of cheap metal plates, wires and LED bulbs, they argue, and it could provide lighting to remote towns and villages around the world. They’ve also discovered a simple but ingenious trick to make potatoes particularly good at producing energy. The idea may seem absurd, yet it is rooted in sound science. While Rabinowitch and team have found a way to make potatoes produce more power than usual, the basic principles are taught in high school science classes, to demonstrate how batteries work. Super spuds Still, zinc is quite cheap in most developing countries.
How to Make Elderberry Wine How to make elderberry wine – it’s something I’ve wondered about since watching Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail many years ago. :-) (“Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”) Now that I’ve gotten into wildcrafting and learned that elderberries are loaded with antioxidants (they’ve made it into the superfood category), I thought wine would be a great way to use the abundance of local elderberries. (I’ll also be making more jellies and syrups this year, too.) The wine isn’t done yet, but people have been asking for the recipes, so I thought I’d share my experience to date. How to Find Elderberries Elderberries like moist soil, so you’ll find them in ditches, along the edges of wet woodlands, near lakes and rivers, and other damp ground. We went foraging for elderberries along country roads here in northeast Wisconsin. roadside elderberry patch Be careful to make sure you have a positive identification. elderberry leaves In the middle of an elderberry thicket
The Rainwater Harvesting Community :: About the Team All proceeds generated by the site through sponsors is used to build awareness and support the website through direct research and new articles. If you are interested in writing an article for the website, please drop us a note. We gladly welcome articles, but please no product endorsements. The HarvestH2o Team Doug Pushard founded HarvestH2o.com over 10 years ago as a personal expression of his interest in the subject of rainwater catchment and water conservation. Doug, designs and works with home-owners and local contractors to install small-to-large residential water management systems. Doug also peforms Rainwater System Healthchecks on existing systems as well as performing onsite water audits, both indoors and outdoors. Doug is an ARCSA Accredited Professional and an ex-Board member the American Rainwater Catchment System Association (ARCSA) and was the co-chair for the ARCSA National Conference for 2008, 2009 and 2010. Christian Sarkar was convinced by Doug that this is a good idea.
16 Year Old Builds Tiny Home to Guarantee Mortgage-Free Future 16 year old Austin Hay built this tiny house for only $12,000! This should be an inspiration to us all. 16 year old builds tiny home to guarantee mortgage-free future Below is a followup video of the finished tiny house. Teen tiny house builder Austin Hay finishes dorm on wheels You have no excuse why you can’t build one too. Austin Hay is still in high school, but he’s building his own house. A follow-up video with Austin Hay with his finished home: For more info & links, original story here: Comments comments