Category Archives:DIY

19
Sep

Water Conservation: A DIY Washing Machine

water conservation diy washing machine

Your washing machine is a big water hog, and finding alternative ways to wash your clothes is a great way to help with water conservation at home.

The average washing machine uses 40-55 gallons of water per load, and even the most efficient washers still require about 18 gallons to get your clothes clean. Reader Norman sent me a couple of videos where he demonstrates his DIY washing machine that uses only two gallons per load. Talk about water conservation in action!

The other cool thing about Norman's washer? It uses no electricity. When it comes to water conservation, cutting back on your electricity usage makes a big impact. That might not seem obvious, but it takes a lot of water to keep electrical plants running, because they use water as part of their cooling mechanisms. That means that every time you turn on the lights or the washing machine, you're indirectly using hundreds of gallons of water.

This DIY washing machine looks relatively simple to build, and Norman gives a very thorough tour of both his two gallon machine and the larger 20 gallon version that he created for bigger loads of laundry. Check them out!

Water Conservation: How to build a washing machine

You will need:

  • a bucket with a lid that's 5 gallons or larger. You'll see that Norman has done a couple of variations in his videos
  • 3 piece of wood that are 1x1.5, planed to a bow (you'll see what I mean about a bow in the video)
  • drill
  • sheet metal screws
  • castor wheels - preferably ones that don't swivel
  • 1/4" bolt that's about 4-5" long
  • 3 washers and 2 nuts for that bolt
  • piece of conduit to cover the bolt
  • another piece of conduit, about 10" long, from the look of it
  • one 2x4

And here's the video for building a 20 gallon tabletop washer:

Thank you so much for sharing these videos, Norman!

Image Credit: Screenshot from Norman's video

Posted:   |   Categories: DIY, DIY washing machine, how to build a washing machine, how to conserve electricity, how to conserve water, Video, water conservation
0
10
Sep

Baby Cold Home Remedy: DIY Vapor Rub

baby cold remedy diy vapor rub

When your kiddo is sick, the last thing you want to do is slather him in toxic chemicals! Try this baby cold home remedy for your congested little one.

Is there anything more heart-wrenching than watching your baby struggle with a cold or flu? My little guy is just shy of six months old, and he got his first bad cold last week. At this age, I couldn't medicate him even if I wanted to, and we were using every baby cold home remedy we could to try to make him comfortable while he kicked those nasty germs.

There were a few things that worked well for us. We combined all three of these things at bedtime, and he slept through the night on his two sickest evenings!

  1. Saline nasal spray - This is sort of like a neti pot for babies. Darrol cried the first two times I used this on him, but after that he just kind of went with it. It cleared his congestion temporarily to give his little nose some relief.
  2. Humidifier - Fill 'er up with water, turn 'er on, and she makes your baby's room as humid as a tropical rain forest. This helps keep their little noses and mouths from feeling dry from all of that congestion.
  3. DIY Vapor Rub - You can buy vapor rub for infants, but the one we saw at the store had petroleum jelly and "fragrance" in it. No, thank you! Check out the stupid easy recipe below for making your own, and never buy that stuff again!

Baby Cold Home Remedy: DIY Vapor Rub

Not only is it easy to make your own vapor rub, it's cheap. The essential oil is an investment up front, but it only takes 5-7 drops to make a batch of vapor rub. Darrol was sick for 4 days, and I barely put a dent in the batch that I made for him. You can also use this mixture for grown up colds!

Ingredients and Supplies

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5-7 drops eucalyptus oil
  • small, clean glass container - I used an empty baby food jar

Directions

1. Combine the oils in your container, screw on the lid, and give it a good shake.

2. Dip your finger into the vapor rub and massage onto your baby's chest and back when he needs a little relief.

Caveats

  • Fun fact: vapor rub doesn't actually make it easier for your kiddo to breathe, but it makes it feel like it's easier, because it's cooling and soothing.
  • Never ever ever put straight essential oil on your baby's skin. That stuff is concentrated, and it can be very harmful. Always dilute in a carrier oil.
  • There are other essential oils that work well for congestion: peppermint, lavender, and rosemary are some to try. Just be careful with rosemary oil. It's strong stuff, so start with 2-3 drops in 2 tablespoons of carrier oil.
Posted:   |   Categories: DIY, DIY baby cold home remedy, DIY vapor rub, home remedies, home remedies for colds
0
05
Sep

5 Wood Pallet Crafts: Weekend Project Ideas!

wood pallet crafts: succulent table

Need a fun weekend project? How about some good ol' wood pallet crafts to keep you busy and revamp your decor or your garden!

Wood pallets are becoming popular as craft materials, and that's because we use (and discard) so darn many of them. The trick to wood pallet crafts is making sure that the pallets you choose are safe for crafting, and then disassembling them while preserving the wood planks.

Tracking down wood pallets for crafting doesn't have to be difficult, but you do want to make sure that the pallet you're using has outlived its usefulness in the shipping industry. Don't just grab a pallet that you see outside a shop - businesses reuse them! Instead, ask the store manager if they have any pallets that are past their prime. Big box stores are a good place to start, especially home improvement stores that get a lot of big shipments. Don't be shy about asking - if you take an old pallet or two off their hands, they don't have to bother with disposal. Most big businesses like that have to pay for trash disposal, so you're doing them a favor.

Wood Pallet Crafts

upcycled ottoman

1. Upcycled Ottoman

This plush, upcycled ottoman might not look like it's made from wood pallets, but that's part of the charm of this project.

2. Pallet Planter

Transform an old wooden pallet into a vertical planter for ornamentals or succulents. You can also use this method to create an herb planter, but you want to be 100% sure that the pallet you're using is made from untreated wood. Click here for details on how to tell if your pallet is made from treated wood.

wood pallet bookshelf

3. Wood Pallet Bookcase Makeover

Transform that an ugly, pressboard bookcase into an heirloom piece with some sweat equity and an old wood pallet.

4. DIY Succulent Table Planter

Pallet wood planks make a beautiful outdoor table with a planter embedded right in the center. Wouldn't this make a magical spot for entertaining?

5. Pallet Desk

Want to get in on the wood pallet crafts craze but aren't super good at wood working? This pallet desk is easy peasy and very fresh. No wood working skills required!

Have you done anything fun with old wood pallets? Tell us about your favorite wood pallet crafts in the comments!

Posted:   |   Categories: DIY, Furniture, Home+Decor, Living, wood pallet crafts, wood pallet DIY ideas, wood pallet furniture, wood pallets, Yard+Garden
0
03
Sep

Spotted: Wood Pallet Bookcase Makeover

craftRECYCLED logowood pallet bookshelf

Got an old bookcase that needs a little love? You can cover it in reclaimed wood pallets!

If your house is decorated with pressboard furniture, you know that that stuff doesn't really hold up to wear and tear. The finish gets scratched pretty easily, and unlike real wood it doesn't have that classy distressed look. It just looks terrible. Rather than replacing an ugly, boring bookshelf, Riccardo Tamiazzo of Padova, Italy did this beautiful wood pallet bookcase makeover instead.

He uses a piece of cut PVC to cover the top of his shelf, but if you want to use less plastic, you could just finish yours with a clear coat of resin or even a water-based wood finish to keep this project plastic free (aside from the plastic in the bookshelf you're revamping, of course). If that rustic look isn't your thing, you could also use some VOC-free paint to update your old shelf.

Tamiazzo shared the details of his wood pallet bookcase over at Ikea Hackers along with lots of additional photos. Click here for more!

When that cheap pressboard furniture starts to go, it's so tempting to replace it with new, cheap pressboard furniture, and I love that this project not only revamps an old bookcase but you end up with something unique and sturdier than what you started with. It's kind of an eco double whammy, right? This wood pallet bookcase uses reclaimed materials to divert waste from the landfill while avoiding a trip to the store to buy something new. Win-win-win!

You could also use this technique to re-cover other ugly pressboard furniture, like a desk, tabletop, headboard, or nightstand. I'm eyeing my boring sewing table right now. What furniture pieces would you like to reface with pallet wood? I feel like this project idea has endless possible iterations!

Posted:   |   Categories: DIY, Furniture, furniture revamp, Home+Decor, Living, wood pallet, wood pallet bookcase, wood pallet bookcase makeover, wood pallet craft
0
29
Aug

How to Conserve: 5 DIY Reusables

Reusable Snack Bag

Earlier this week, we talked a bit about Earth Overshoot Day and how to conserve, so you can cut your own footprint. One of my favorite ways to reduce my impact is to use my crafty skills not only to repurpose materials that would be otherwise landfill-bound but to make things that replace disposables in my life.

I'm a big believer that even the smallest changes can add up. Every time you use a cloth napkin instead of a disposable one or bring your own reusable to-go cup, you're making a difference. Imagine if all of the billions of people on this planet just made a few small changes. The impact would be huge!

Sure, you can buy all kinds of reusables, but there's a satisfaction in making your own, isn't there? I'm much more likely to remember a cloth napkin at meal time when the drawer in the kitchen is packed with ones I made myself, you know? Check out how to conserve with some DIY reusables!

How to Conserve the DIY Way!

DIY Mesh Grocery Bags

1.  DIY Grocery Bags

This is kind of like green 101, right? But store-bought reusable bags have to be made in a factory and shipped all over the world. That uses a lot of resources. Shrink that footprint by raiding your closet for some tees that are past their prime, and making your own grocery bags instead!

2. Mason Jar To-Go Cup

Who needs an icky plastic cup and straw, when you can bring your own super hip to go cup? You can make this even greener by using your cup with a reusable glass straw instead of a disposable plastic one!

DIY Cloth Pad

3. Make Your Own Cloth Pads

I know, reusable menstrual products come with a bit of an ick factor, but aren't those tons of bloody pads festering in landfills even more ick-worthy? How about the GMO cotton and petroleum products used in disposable pads? And that feeling that you're kinnnndd of wearing a crinkly diaper? Once you get the swing of reusable pads, you'll never go back. Promise.

4. Reusable Snack Bag

Be gone, wasteful plastic baggies! Check out this simple tute for making a machine-washable cloth snack bag instead!

5. Cleaning Wipes

Paper towels, schmaper schmowels, I say. Who needs to destroy virgin forests just to wipe up spills? Not you, my friend. Not you. You can whip up your own DIY cleaning wipes in a snap!

Do you have any DIY tips on how to conserve? Share your favorite homemade reusables in the comments!

Posted:   |   Categories: conservation, disposables, DIY, how to conserve, replacing disposables, reusables
0
23
Aug

Reuse Car Tires: 5 Crafty Projects

reuse car tires tire swing

Got a bald or busted tire? Don't send it to the dump! Check out these crafty ways to reuse car tires instead!

5 Ways to Reuse Car Tires

1. Tire Swing

Your kiddos will love playing with a classic, upcycled tire swing, and they're really not that hard to make, if you have some good instructions.

Click here for more!

2. Tire Ottoman

This project from Apartment Therapy uses an old tire in such a clever way that your guests will never know that they're putting their feet up on a reclaimed car tire.

 Click here for the tutorial!

3. Potato Planter

If you have a few old tires lying around, you can turn them into a potato planter. Check out the video above for deets.

4. Tire See-Saw

Feeling handy? Check out how to turn an old tire into a fun see-saw or rocker!

Click here for the tutorial!

5. Hanging Flower Planter

Paint your tire to create a stunning hanging planter for your garden. Choose flowers that will spill over the edge for the best results.

Click here for the tutorial!

Have you found any crafty ways to reuse car tires? We'd love to hear your ideas!

Posted:   |   Categories: Craft Recycled, DIY, how to reuse car tires, how to reuse tires, reuse car tires, tire crafts, ways to reuse car tires
0
21
Aug

Why Buy Handmade: The intrinsic value of hand-crafted goods

why buy handmade

Why buy handmade? It's better for the planet, of course, but it's also better for the people who produce the goods you're purchasing.

Back when I still sold my crafts, I once had a fellow and his girlfriend walk into my booth and exclaim, "Damn! These are expensive!" I was too taken aback at that moment to respond to him, but that moment speaks volumes about a big problem that almost all indie crafters who make a living from their creativity face: many consumers don't value handmade.

The man in my booth was insulting my aprons, which cost $30. Sure, you could probably go to Wal-Mart and get a made-in-China apron for one third of that price. The thing I think many shoppers don't understand is that when you buy made-in-China crap at a big box store, you're supporting a system that doesn't pay workers a living wage, from the people who produced the product in sweatshops to the associates who work in the store for barely above minimum wage.

The worst part? Those fantastic savings come at the expense of workers all along the supply chain, and every taxpayer is subsidizing those companies, because the workers there have to rely on so many public services just to feed their families and keep the lights on.

Let's take a look at how that $30 apron breaks down.

  • Fabric: $2-3
  • Vintage Button: $1
  • Ric Rac: $2

If we go with the low end for fabric, we are left with $25. Since I was running a legit business, the government takes 30% of that. Boom. Now I have $16.67.

One half apron took me about 45 minutes to make, so that's a wage of just under $17 per hour. And that's not accounting for other business expenses that I paid for out of money from product sales like booth fees at craft markets ($50-$300 per show), my rent at a local co-op ($85/month), application fees for markets ($10-25 apiece), and buying new supplies so that I could make more aprons. I was doing at least 5 or 6 shows a year, so those booth fees were a big part of my overhead.

What I'm saying here is that $30 is a bargain, and I was barely keeping the lights on at that price point, but folks generally aren't going to spend more than that for an apron. Believe me, I tried lots of prices. They sold best at $20, but basically that means I was giving away free aprons.

Honestly, this was one of the reasons I decided to stop selling my wares and start writing about crafts instead. I feel like the handmade movement needs advocates out there who explain the intrinsic value of hand-crafted goods.

That's why I love this video that I found on the blog Those Who Make. It shows the process involved in making a wooden spoon by hand. It's meticulous, time-consuming, and completely beautiful. Check it out:

Posted:   |   Categories: buy handmade, DIY, Etsy expensive, Living, why buy handmade, why handmade
0
09
Aug

Spotted: How to Make a Tire Swing

how to make a tire swing

There's something iconic about a tire swing, isn't there? What's even better is that there is no single, end-all "how to make a tire swing." You can most likely use tools and supplies that you have on hand. The only thing you need for certain is a used tire.

The best part? If you snag an old tire, you're doing your part to divert it from the waste stream, or even worse keep it from becoming litter. Tires might seem to big to be considered litter, but illegal tire dumping is terrible for the environment and for public health. Dumped tires become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, because standing water collects inside of them. Tires are also a lot larger than your typical litter, so when they do end up dumped by the side of the road, they're a terrible eyesore.

How to Make a Tire Swing

Over at Crafting a Green World, Julie Finn shares an incredibly helpful roundup of tire swing tutorials along with some tips that she has picked up from building her own tire swing. This is a quick, one-day project, so you can build and enjoy your tire swing in the very same weekend.

how to make a tire swing

The supplies you need can vary, depending on how you decide to attack your tire swing, but here are the basics:

  • reclaimed tire
  • length of chain or strong rope
  • eye bolts
  • S-hooks or locking carabiners

 Ready to get the details? Click here for the tutorials!

Posted:   |   Categories: Craft Recycled, DIY, how to make a swing, how to make a tire swing, how to reuse tires, Living, tire crafts, tire swing, Yard+Garden
0
02
Aug

4 DIY Alternatives to Plastic

DIY Mesh Grocery Bags

Do your part to reduce plastic pollution with these alternatives to plastic that you can make yourself!

Plastic pollution is strangling aquatic life and polluting our waterways. Sure, you can recycle a lot of your plastic waste, but each time plastic is recycled you end up with a lower quality plastic. That means that eventually that plastic water bottle or food container is headed to the landfill, even if it does make a few pit stops as recycled plastic products along the way.

Avoiding plastic can feel nearly impossible, though, can't it? The stuff is everywhere! Want to get rid of some of the disposable plastic in your day to day? Check out these DIY, reusable alternatives to plastic disposables!

1. Grocery Totes

Bringing your own bag to the store is like green 101, but I think it bears repeating, especially if you're considering buying reusable bags. Many of those reusable grocery totes at the store checkout are made from - you guessed it - plastic. Instead of shelling out cash for yet another piece of plastic, check out this tutorial for making your own reusable mesh grocery bag from an old t-shirt!

2. Produce Bags

Reusable shopping bags are pretty common, but when you're shopping for fresh produce you often end up with those flimsy plastic produce bags, which are not even recyclable. It's easy as pie to make your own reusable produce bags instead!

Reusable Snack Bag

3. Reusable Snack Bags

Disposable plastic baggies, no more! With super basic sewing skills, anyone can create simple, reusable snack bags for packing things like chips, nuts, pretzels, and even sandwiches (as long as they're not super messy). Head over to my personal site, Glue and Glitter, for my snack bag tutorial!

4. Mason Jar To Go Cups

Who needs disposable plastic water bottles or even soda pops with a plastic lid and straw? It's much easier than you might think to make your own to go cup from a simple mason jar. Instead of a plastic straw, pick yourself up a dishwasher safe glass straw for sustainable sipping.

What crafts have you made to replace single-use plastic with reusable alternatives? Share your tips and ideas in the comments!

Posted:   |   Categories: alternatives to plastic, DIY, Living, plastic, plastic alternatives, single use plastic
0
02
Aug

4 DIY Alternatives to Plastic

DIY Mesh Grocery Bags

Do your part to reduce plastic pollution with these alternatives to plastic that you can make yourself!

Plastic pollution is strangling aquatic life and polluting our waterways. Sure, you can recycle a lot of your plastic waste, but each time plastic is recycled you end up with a lower quality plastic. That means that eventually that plastic water bottle or food container is headed to the landfill, even if it does make a few pit stops as recycled plastic products along the way.

Avoiding plastic can feel nearly impossible, though, can't it? The stuff is everywhere! Want to get rid of some of the disposable plastic in your day to day? Check out these DIY, reusable alternatives to plastic disposables!

1. Grocery Totes

Bringing your own bag to the store is like green 101, but I think it bears repeating, especially if you're considering buying reusable bags. Many of those reusable grocery totes at the store checkout are made from - you guessed it - plastic. Instead of shelling out cash for yet another piece of plastic, check out this tutorial for making your own reusable mesh grocery bag from an old t-shirt!

2. Produce Bags

Reusable shopping bags are pretty common, but when you're shopping for fresh produce you often end up with those flimsy plastic produce bags, which are not even recyclable. It's easy as pie to make your own reusable produce bags instead!

Reusable Snack Bag

3. Reusable Snack Bags

Disposable plastic baggies, no more! With super basic sewing skills, anyone can create simple, reusable snack bags for packing things like chips, nuts, pretzels, and even sandwiches (as long as they're not super messy). Head over to my personal site, Glue and Glitter, for my snack bag tutorial!

4. Mason Jar To Go Cups

Who needs disposable plastic water bottles or even soda pops with a plastic lid and straw? It's much easier than you might think to make your own to go cup from a simple mason jar. Instead of a plastic straw, pick yourself up a dishwasher safe glass straw for sustainable sipping.

What crafts have you made to replace single-use plastic with reusable alternatives? Share your tips and ideas in the comments!

Posted:   |   Categories: alternatives to plastic, DIY, Living, plastic, plastic alternatives, single use plastic
0