Making a Planter from Repurposed Items

The vegetable gardens are full, and now my mind is turning to flowers. I don't plant a lot of flowers, but I do like to have a few planters around. I do have a few store bought containers to plant in, but my favorite planters are ones made from repurposed items. Those of you who've been around awhile may remember the planters I made last year from rotten logs. My mom uses an old fashioned cream separator for a planter. This year I planted herbs in an old wash basin.

You can make planters out of about any item that will hold the dirt. Here are a few tips for making a planter out of repurposed items.

1. Choose a container.
You'll want one proportionate to the plants you want to use. Just be sure to pick something that doesn't have any chemical residues that might kill the plants.

2. Do you need fill?
If the container is large you do not have to fill it all with dirt. Put plastic bottles in the bottom. I used shopping bags in the log planter. It takes up space and creates drainage, not to mention keeps your planter lighter.

3. You do need drainage.
Extra water can't be allowed to puddle in the container. You need a hole or two in the bottom. Put drier lint over the holes to allow water to flow out while keeping the dirt in. A layer of gravel in the bottom of the planter can help with drainage also.

4. Fill with dirt.
Use potting soil or your compost.

5. Put in the flowers.
Be sure to choose plants that will grow well in similar conditions and in the location you intend for the planter.

6. Enjoy.
Don't forget to water.

Planters can be made out of so many things. What catches your eye? Planters out of old wagons, bathtubs, or chipped pottery pieces are interesting. Maybe you could create a theme out of a hobby like using a golf bag or other golf equipment if you are an avid golfer. Just remember there can be a fine line between creative and just junky. Never could figure out why people planted in old toilets! What are some different items you've seen used for a planter?

Make Your Own Scrubber

Dishes, the never ending chore in this household. Well, dishes and laundry, and picking up toys, and cleaning up mud. . . oh they joys, but I digress. Back to the dishes.

The other night I was washing a casserole dish that had baked on splatters. The dish cloth wasn't cutting it. That handy little scraper tool that comes with stoneware wasn't doing the trick either, and the blue scrubby thing I had was shot. There were no more scrubby things in reserve. The pan was not getting clean.

Then I remembered a trick I read somewhere. I thought it came from the Tightwad Gazette, but I couldn't find it when I went back to the book to look for the reference. So I am not sure where I read about this tip, but this is what you do:

1. Find a plastic mesh bag.
The kind onions come in. My bag once held oranges.

2. Cut a strip of it off.
I cut about a 4 inch strip, but I think a little larger would be better.

3. Gather it all up into a ball and secure the edges with a rubber band.

It got those splatters right off my casserole dish. It is good for non-stick pans. It worked well on my flat top stove, and it would probably even do the trick on bar faucets. It is easy, free, uses recycled items, and works well. What more could you ask for?

Works for Me Wednesday

Planting Potatoes in Old Tires

If you've ever planted potatoes, you know that it is back breaking work. Last year we planted a fair amount of potatoes the traditional way. We dug, planted and mounded the potatoes. We fought potato beetles most of the season. We dug again to find there weren't a lot of potatoes. They were delicious, but we didn't get a good yield.

For several years now I've been reading about alternative ways to plant potatoes. Grandmother Wren's post Grow Potatoes in a Barrel convinced me to try something different this year. I've also seen several articles about growing potatoes in old tires. A good one can be found at Back Woods Home, A New Use for Old Tires. The article discusses using old tires for a variety of garden needs, including growing potatoes.

Since I don't have any barrels on hand, and we did have a few tires and a neighbor who has lots of old tires, I decided to go the tire route. If you don't live in the hills like I do, where old tires are in abundant supply, you can get old tires from your neighborhood tire shop. They actually have to pay to dispose of them, so they would be happy to give you all you need.

Here is what you need to do.

1. Lay out your tires. Create some drainage.
The article suggested digging up the soil to create drainage. Since the soil where I laid the tires is rock hard clay, I put some stone and broken block pieces in to create drainage. I also stuffed dryer lint around the edge of the tire. This isn't necessary, but I had the lint and it will help to keep the soil in while the water drains. (Remember 13 uses for dryer lint?)


2. Put in some dirt and growing material.
I covered the drainage material with compost soil. Then filled the rest with leaves. Be sure to stuff the soil into the sides. You can use soil, leaves, or partially rotted sawdust. We will be using a little of all three.


3. Get the potatoes ready.
You'll want to use seed potatoes, not just some that you've had to long in your cupboard. Seems the potatoes you buy to eat have been treated to not grow. Those that do start growing will not do well.

Cut them in pieces so that each piece has two eyes in it.


4. Plant them.
Put three or four potato piece in each tire, and cover with planting material.


5. Water



6. Wait
This is as far as I've gotten. Next I wait for the plants to be about 8 inches tall. Then I will add another tire, and enough dirt, leaves, or sawdust to cover all but two or three inches of the plant. When I get to this step I will post an update. The process will be repeated until there are four tires stacked. To harvest I will simply remove one tire at a time, and remove the potatoes. A four tire stack is expected to yield about 25 pounds of potatoes.

We started with five tires, but decided it was so easy we would do more. We now have the start for 13 stacks. I will post updates throughout the season.

Starting My Potato Beds

Stayed tuned for more information.

Wordless Wednesday

My Mini Greenhouses

I've got the garden bug; bad. I'm just itching to get out there and play in the dirt and watch things grow. Trouble is it has been too wet to get the tractor into the garden to plow. Two solid days of rain this week did not help that problem. Another problem is the fence that is to turn our chickens into pastured chickens from free ranged chickens is still a work in progress. I'll be darned if I'm going to put seeds in the ground just to watch the chickens scratch them all up. What is a girl with garden fever to do?

A few weeks ago I started two dozen plants indoors. Using cardboard egg cartons for pots, I filled the containers with soil from the compost pile. Then the kids and I put a few seeds into each little section. We started pie pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. They all sprouted nicely, and soon were needing a little more space and sun than I was providing.

I didn't want to mess with potting them in larger pots just to put them in the garden shortly. We are almost past our frost date, and some of the seedlings are cold hardy. I just wanted to put them directly in the garden, so I did. I hand dug two small rows of holes for the plants in the back of the garden. When the ground is ready for the tractor, it can be tilled from those rows forward. For protection from the chickens and any late frost we may have, I created mini greenhouses for the seedlings.

To create the greenhouses I used some juice and milk jugs that I had been saving. I simply cut the bottoms off of them, and put them over the seedlings. The clear juice jugs, as shown in the top picture, work the best. In the milk jugs I cut in some "sky lights" to allow more light into the jugs while still keeping the chickens out.

I also created a couple of new garden spots. I used some small banks in the backyard, and the space between two decks. We didn't keep up with these areas last year, and they were an ugly mess by the end of the summer. I planted some of the vining plants there, and mulched them with some hay/manure. I am hoping this will save space in the main garden, and create more attractive and manageable areas in the back yard.

I feel better to have played in the dirt a bit, and to have a few things growing in the garden now. If the weather cooperates this week we may yet get the garden tilled, and the fence finished. Then I can take the greenhouses off, and get more planting done!

Make a Natural Wreath

Today's post is brought to you from How To Me. Every Saturday find a how to post on this great site. Taking the kids for a nature walk and collecting items to make a wreath is a great project to do together.

I love to make wreaths for my home. My favorite base is made of scuppernong or muscadine vines. However, almost any vine or flexible branch will work (but make sure to avoid things like poison oak - eek). In the past I have even used pyracantha. This is how to make a natural wreath for your home.

Materials

• flexible vine or branches
• collected items from your yard
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• nail for hanging the finished product

Winding the Vine

After deciding what shape and size to create, I loop the first half of muscadine vine into that shape. Being about halfway through, I thread the vine through the center until the vines are bound to each other.

Decorating

Collect items from your yard that you love.

Starting with the largest item collected, I hot glue them to the vine base. It’s always important to use caution when using hot glue because it will stick to anything, including skin.

I like to vary placement of sizes and items along the front and sides of the wreath. This is an example.

I was really pleased with the way this wreath looked and would have left it alone, but I wanted some more color.

Adding More Color

So, I collected some hay and some holly leaves. Because I wanted to be careful not to knock off my hot glued items, I wound the hay around the outside edge and back of the wreath to add color and fluff.

The finished product is beautiful, the colors are great and I love it!

More Examples

After winding a grape vine wreath, I arranged some synthetic flowers from our wedding reception.

On another grape vine wreath, I hot glued dried roses, mixed flowers, eucalyptus, and spanish moss (all from bouquets my husband has given me over the years - aah).

The pyracantha bush grows quickly and has to be trimmed often. In early fall it is lovely. It has brilliant green and silver leaves.

The possibilities are endless when creating wreaths.

Frugal Green Crafting

This week I am vacationing from home, and catching up on some long neglected tasks around the house. I may pop in and out of here with a few quick things, but the majority of this week's posts will be provided by some special guests. You are in for a treat!

Today's guest is Cindy of MyRecycledBags. I first came in contact with Cindy back in 2006 when I posted All those shopping bags. I lamented that I didn't know what to do with all the shopping bags. She left me a comment that said I could craft with them. Really?!

I am not much of a crafter, but love to see what others create, especially when they are using recycled materials. Cindy consistently amazes me with what she creates from vcr tape, shopping bags, old jeans, and other recycled materials. Now, to hear from her.

Hello! My name is Cindy, but you may know me as RecycleCindy from MyRecycledBags.com. I have the honor today to provide a guest post for Stephanie - here at Stop The Ride. Stephanie was one of my first blog buddies, and I was drawn to her theme - frugal, simple and debt free living.

I love frugal things and especially love green crafting. What is green crafting? Well, green crafting is crafting and creating things from either recycled, reused, or repurposed materials. It is very frugal and a wonderfully eco-friendly way to craft. I promote the use of such items as plastic bags, vcr tapes, cassette tapes, old denim jeans and bed liners as materials for new projects.

Today I want to share with you how to make plastic bag yarn or plarn as many are calling it now. Plarn is created by cutting plastic retail bags into strips. I usually cut my strips about 1 inch wide. You then take the circular loops and intertwine them to make one long double strand of yarn. You just continue adding loops to make a ball of plarn. I have a step-by-step picture tutorial found here to help you get started on it.

Using your plarn, you now can crochet or knit many different projects. You can create multi-purpose bags by crocheting plastic bags together such as this reusable grocery tote bag show here.

Maybe you need a new lunch sack, if so check out this handy lunch bag crocheted from plastic grocery bags. Click here for the free pattern.

Or maybe you need a water bottle holder. Here is the pattern.

Needless to say, there are many frugal, green craft ideas and free patterns available. So I challenge all you crafters out there - go green. Try a recycled craft idea or take some useless item you have and repurpose it into something useful. Turning trash into treasure can truly be rewarding, both for your pocketbook and for our environment.

Best wishes and happy green crafting to you all!

Cash for Trash

Do you recycle? Would getting paid to recycle give you a little incentive?

Scrap metal prices are pretty high right now, and our neighbors have turned us on to scrappin'. One recent trip to the scrap yard yielded about $500, which was split up between the people who helped with the project. That particular project required a bit of equipment (which we already have,) some knowledge of metals (the neighbor's specialty,) and a good bit of time. It isn't a project for everyone.

Everyone can recycle pop cans though. Aluminum cans are currently bringing $0.70 per pound at our local recyclers. Saving pop cans is easy, and a great project for the kids to take ownership of. Simply put out a bucket, trash can or bin for the cans. When someone drinks a can of pop, they just need to rinse it out and put it in the container. As the container gets full, empty it into a trash bag some place you can store them until you make a trip to the recycling center. Here, they prefer that the cans are not smashed, but you might want to check with your local center.

When you are out running errands anyway, throw the cans in the back of your vehicle, and drop them off. Yesterday my dad and Kellen dropped off five bags of cans (not smashed,) and received a little over $20. Not big money, but easy money.

Recycling your pop cans just makes sense. You can even make it a project for the kids. Recycling your cans keeps them out of the land fill, gives manufacturers the materials they need to make new products, and makes you (or your kids) a little spending money with a very small investment of your time. What's not to like?



Photo credit: laurakaz

Thirteen Ways to Use Dryer Lint TT# 19

Had you walked into my laundry room this morning, this is what you would have seen on top of my dryer.


Perhaps you would have thought, "What in the world?" Yes, I am so cheap that I save my dryer lint.

Awhile back Butterfly Mama had a post about making a fire starter from your dryer lint. Today that is exactly what I did with mine. It really is an easy process that uses all recycled materials. The finished product.


I got to wondering, what else you can do with dryer lint? Here are 12 more uses that I found with links where explanation is needed.

2. Add it to your compost.

3. Put it in the yard for birds to pick up to use for nesting material.

4. Give it to your small pets like rabbits and gerbils for nesting material.

5. Use it to mulch around plants - You'd have to do a laundry wouldn't you?

6. Make lint paper mache.

7. Make lint clay.

8. Make lint paper.

9. Line the bottom of your houseplant pots with it. It helps to keep the soil in the pot while still allowing drainage.

10. Create artwork. I kid you not. Check it out.

11. Spin it into new yarn. Knit a sweater or some socks.

12. Use it as packing material.

13. Make a draft stopper for your doors.

Who knew you could do so much with your dryer lint?

Thursday Thirteen

I don't think you could use it to make a Dodge Charger accessory do you?

Using Scraps of Wrapping Paper

Wrapping paper just seems impractical to me. It always has, but it is just one of those things you are expected to use, so I have. I am considering some other options for the future, but for now I have quite the stockpile of wrapping paper to use that has been purchased on clearance in previous seasons.

In addition to wrapping paper itself seeming wasteful, another thing that has always bothered me is the scraps of paper left after wrapping a present. The paper never fits the box right. You always end up trimming off several inch strips. What do you do with them?

Perhaps this is an example of frugality gone over board, but I just can't stand to throw them away. When I was a kid we always used those scraps to make name tags. We'd cut the scraps into squares, fold them in half, write the two and from on the bottom half, and tape it onto the gift. It does work well, but it doesn't use up all the scraps.

I'm not even using the scraps for name tags this year because for some reason I bought a bunch of name tags last year after Christmas. When those run out, I'd like to try a prettier way to make name tags. Cut out the pictures of last years Christmas cards. Then take the picture, punch a small hole in the corner, write your to and from on the backside, and attach the whole thing with ribbon.

In years past, I've saved the larger scraps of paper for some future unknown small gift that needs wrapped. That hasn't worked out so well. How many gifts do you really have that require a small amount of paper? By the time I actually needed one, the paper was in shambles.

This year I've found a solution to my wrapping scraps issue: use it as packing material for packages I'm sending. I sent all my scraps through the shredder. You wouldn't have to shred them though. You could just wad them up to provide some cushion when packaging.

Then I lined the bottom of the box with the paper.


And put in the goodies. The shredded paper made a colorful and protective packing base. To my astonishment, I did not have enough paper scraps to finish the job, and had to use some other materials, but I was so happy to finally find a use for those scraps!

Do you have any other ideas for how to use up those scraps of wrapping paper?

My Early Christmas Present

Warning the following post contains mommy bragging.

I sometimes wonder if my children will learn to be frugal, and appreciate things like recycling and repurposing. If the current activities are any indication, our nine year old certainly is learning from our example.

For the past few days Kellen has been sneaking off to the storage shed when he gets a spare moment. I was told he was working on a present, and given strict instructions to not enter the shed.

Yesterday, he emerged from the shed with a gift wrapped circular object. When I inquired if it was a wreath he got a deflated look on his face. Instantly, I wished I would have kept my mouth shut. I made a joke of it, and said "What did you think I'd think it was a mini hula hoop?" That made him smile, and he responded, "Do you know how long it took me to wrap that?"

Then he told me that I needed to open it before Christmas. This is what I found when I removed the paper.

He made me a fresh pine wreath using only materials we had on hand. For the pine he used the branches we trimmed from our Christmas tree. To keep it all together he used twine from our hay bales. For the bow he found some ribbon in the Christmas decorations.

Now I know it is not the most perfect wreath ever, but he is nine, and he made it by himself. In my book that makes it better than any wreath I could buy or make myself. We did adjust the bow a bit, and added some florist wire in one spot that the twine was not holding well. It is now proudly displayed on my door while my fake store bought one remains in its storage box.

Making Christmas Green . . .

for your wallet and for the environment-

I've talked quite a bit about helping to keep your wallet green during the holidays, but what about the environment? Environmentally friendly and frugal often walk hand in hand; Christmas is no exception.

Here are some more ideas that are good for the budget and the environment:

1. Using LED Christmas lights
These lights use 90% less energy, are cool to the touch, and the bulb lasts for 50,000 hours. They are more expensive initially, but they will save you money in the long run.

2. Recycle paper for wrapping.
Using newspaper, especially the comics can be a fun way to wrap presents. Another idea is to recycle brown paper bags for wrapping. Let the kids decorate the paper with Christmas pictures or designs, then wrap the gift. This is a big hit with grandparents.

3. Decorate with biodegradable materials.
Popcorn and cranberries really do make pretty garland for the tree. It is a fun project to do as a family, and the birds will enjoy the leftovers (taken off the string) after the holiday. Make paper chains with the scraps of construction paper left from the kid's other projects.

4. Use recycled materials for packing.
If you need packing material in your box, use newspapers, shredded paper, or plastic shopping bags.

5. Avoid the disposable.
Use real plates and silverware for your gatherings. Washing the dishes really doesn't take that long, especially if you have a dishwasher. It is worth the savings.

Make this Christmas a green one; for your wallet and the environment. Feel free to share your favorite green and frugal ideas.

For more ideas at Stop the Ride, check the Christmas label.

Frugal Fridays

A Different Basket Planter

Earlier I showed you how I made my own basket planter. I also said that I made another that same day that I would share later. Well, it is still a work in progress, but I will share with you where it is at now.

At yard sale I picked up one of those three tier hanging baskets for my kitchen. I completely intended to use it for storing fruit and the like. There was already a hook where I wanted to hang it, and I thought it would be perfect. There was just one problem, I couldn't reach the baskets with out climbing on the counter; not exactly a convenient choice.

The baskets hung there, empty, for awhile. I didn't really have another place I wanted t to hang then, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. Then, as I was making the basket planter, I thought the three tiered baskets would be an interesting planter for the kitchen. I had some baby spider plants, some philodendron, and zebrina wandering jew; three plants, three baskets, perfect!

I tried using the plastic bags again to line the baskets. Since there is nothing to staple the bag to, I tried to overlap the bag on the top and staple it to itself. It did not look right.

Then I got some old feed bags. Our feed bags are woven plastic. I traced around the edges of the baskets to get an approximate size, and then cut out the circles.

I quickly found that assembling the planter was best done with the planter hanging, so I hung it from a nail on our deck to work on it. I placed the cut out pieces of the bag in the basket. Since the plastic is woven, it drains on its own. I added some dirt, and then the plants.

The plastic has a rough looking edge, that I'm not thrilled with, but I am hoping that as the plants fill out, it will hide the edges some.

I've been trying to think what would make a good substitute if you do not have feed bags available. I haven't come up with one yet. You could use old bowls or pots that fit in the different sized baskets. Another idea I had and may try myself is to line the baskets with moss. I'm not sure if the moss alone would be sufficient. Anyone ever try a project like that? I will update you if I try it. For now though, the repurposed baskets are hanging between my kitchen windows. The wandering jew is growing like crazy, and I'm wondering if I should have just planted the whole basket with that!

Using Shredded Paper

Very early this summer I picked up a paper shredder at a garage sale for $3. It has gotten a lot of use. I love how it helps cut down on the clutter. I open the mail right by the shredder. Junk mail is immediately shredded. Other mail is sorted into piles, and the envelopes and any inserts are shredded. No more piles of mail or overflowing trash cans.

Most of our shredded paper does end up in the compost pile, as I discussed previously in Paper in My Compost. We also have found other uses for the shredded paper. It has been used as mulch around plants in the garden. (Thanks for the tip Alexandra.) We use it for our rabbits' nest boxes, and will probably use it for their winter boxes also. It has been used as packing material when shipping books and other items. It is kind of messy to use as shipping material, but I recently read a great idea to help with that problem. Stuff the shredded paper into an old shopping bag. Tie the top of the bag and then use the stuffed bags for packing material.

Paper shredders are wonderful little items. They help you stay organized and recycle right in your home. There are many uses for that paper once it is shredded. I'd love to hear yours!


Links to more ideas for using shredded paper.
Pet Projects - these are mostly geared for rats and mice, but the ideas can carry over to other animals.
Make Scented Paper
A list of Ten ideas. - including one to use for a Halloween costume.
Or google "shredded paper crafts" and find lots of great ideas.

Do It Yourself Basket Planter

Over a week ago one of my house plants got dumped, and the pot broken beyond repair. At the time I didn't have time to re-pot it. The plant and the soil were quickly scooped up into the first pot we could find. The plant wasn't exactly planted, and the pot was not really suitable for the plant, but I was in a hurry.

I needed a different pot. While at the store the other day, I decided to browse through the garden section hoping to find something suitable on clearance. There was nothing on clearance, but the basket planters did catch my eye. I have some basket planters that I received as gifts. They have hard plastic liners. The planters at the store only had heavy plastic stapled to the basket. They were priced from $4 to $25. "Hello," I thought, "I could do that for free." and I did.

Materials
A Basket - If you don't have a basket of a suitable size try looking at a thrift store. They usually have lots of baskets very cheap.

Plastic Shopping Bag- or other plastic. The store bought baskets had a thicker lining than the shopping bag, but I used the bag with out cutting it so it was really a double thickness of plastic

Stapler

Plant(s)

Dirt

My basket was about 12 inches in diameter and about 4 inches deep. It was the perfect size for one shopping bag. If your basket is smaller, you may need to trim the bag. If it is larger, you may need two bags.






I laid the bag in the basket and started stapling around the edge about every inch or so. I kept checking the bag to be sure it was sitting nicely in the bottom.

The width of the edge of my basket allowed the staples to go in, but not through so they are not visible from the outside. If the staples were visible a piece of ribbon glued around the edge would easily cover them.

When I had stapled almost all around the basket, I came to the two handles. When they were overlapped they fit nicely in the basket, but I was concerned that the water would work its way between the bags at the handles. So I made a seam by rolling the two handles together, and "sewing" it up with staples. Seemed to do the trick.



All that is left is to add some dirt and some plants. (please ignore the sorry state of the plant itself. Remember it had been sitting half planted for awhile. It will soon bounce back.)

I had so much fun doing this that I made another planter out of some different recycled materials, but I will have to share that on another day.


Frugal Fridays

A New Clothes Pin Bag

I love drying my clothes on the line. I love getting out of the house for a few minutes of peace and quiet to complete a simple task in the sunshine. I love the stiffness of laundry dried on the line, and the super absorbency of the towels. In the summer my drier is hardly used. In the winter I still put clothes on the line on sunny days. My line, pins and bag get a lot of use.

My first clothes pin bag was purchased at the store. It did not pass the test. My next bag was a temporary fix, involving a plastic shopping bag that I have been using and replacing periodically for almost a year. I thought it might be time for something a little more lasting.

Do you recognize my new bag? You may have seen a similar bag from a recent Make it From Scratch carnival. It is a crocheted clothes pin bag made from plastic shopping bags. No, I didn't suddenly learn how to crochet, but if you would like the free how to, click on the link above.

This bag was special made for me by Cindy at My Recyled Bags. If you are not familiar with this site, Cindy creates lovely and functional items using recycled materials. Some of the materials may surprise you. If you are skilled in the yarn arts, she provides patterns and instructions free so you can create your own items at home. For those of you like me, yarn challenged, her items can be purchased. She has some stock, but takes special orders also. This bag runs around $17.

Thanks so much to Cindy for this wonderful bag. It will make one of my favorite household tasks that much more enjoyable!

Kellen Repurposes

Remember these? They were my rain barrels before we made a rain collection system. Kellen thought they made a good place to be on a hot day. Soon they were all in it!

Wordless Wednesday

Blackberry Freezer Jam

Yesterday morning I went out picking again. I love to go first thing in the morning. I get up early and go before Tim has to go to work. I'll go out just me, the dog and the wildlife. Time alone and peace and quiet are hard to come by around here. It is worth getting up for.

I decided to try Blackberry Freezer Jam with the day's harvest. I've made strawberry freezer jam before, but never blackberry. Freezer jam is faster to prepare, and I think keeps more of the fresh taste than cooked jam. It does set softer, and of course requires space in the freezer. The recipe was in the Sure-Jell box.

3 pints blackberries (6 cups)
5 1/4 C sugar
1 box Sure-Jell

Mash berries with a potato masher one cup at a time. Add sugar to crushed fruit. Stir and allow to sit for ten minutes. Put pectin and 3/4 C water into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Add mixture to berries and stir for about three minutes until sugar is dissolved. Pour into containers. Allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Keeps in the refrigerator for about three weeks or up to a year in the freezer.

I don't have freezer boxes. I freeze most things in bags. I've used freezer bags for freezer jam before. What a mess! This time I used recycled cottage cheese containers. Now does that surprise you?




recipes, wild foods

More Repurpose, Recycle TT#10

Last week I shared some of the things that we repurpose around the homestead in Repurpose and Recycle TT#9. As promised, here is another list.

1. Last week I talked about our back decks. This is our side deck. Near us are some large TV towers. This is a platform used to ship part of one of the towers. Yes, we had permission to take it.






2. Another old tire makes a great swing for the kids.











3. Pardon my clutter. These shelving units and several others we have, came from my husband's former employer. When they shut the local location down, they were going to throw all of these away.






4. This is also from the TV tower. A shipping crate. If you enlarge the picture, you will see the call letters from the TV station. We are using it to store feed for the animals.






5. Sometimes we will get Whale- a- Pail type ice cream for parties or what not. We use these buckets for a number of things. Here one is serving as a compost bucket until the scraps are taken out to the pile. They also work well as little cleaning buckets for the kids, to freeze large batches of things like sloppy joes for parties, to carry animal feed, and to store crayons. Of course, you want to keep separate buckets for those you use for food and those you don't. Don't want your sloppy joe tasting like Pine Sol!

6. & 7. Tomato stakes made from scraps of boards from other projects. The best ties for your tomatoes are old pantyhose cut into strips.










8. An old coffee container holds Homemade Laundry Soap. Don't worry it is labeled on the lid. No chance of mixing the two up! Wouldn't that be a morning eye opener?!










9. Shopping bags are perfect liners for small trash cans.








10. We can't seem to manage to keep a full set of drinking glasses for more than a few months. Canning jars make great glasses. Tim actually prefers them, and no one has ever broken one!






11. I buy most of my spices at the bulk food store. They come in these containers which are perfect single size storage containers after the spices are gone. We use these a lot for baby sized servings, packed lunches, and packing dips for picnics.








12. This is Mamaw's, but since we live on the same property, I thought it was fair game for this post. This is an old time cream separator being used as a planter.









13. This is Mamaw's too, but one that I need. It was a sauerkraut
jar and is now brewing sun tea. I could use a few more gallon glass jars. Not sure I could talk the family into eating a gallon of sauerkraut though. Pickles maybe?

Thank you for joining me for this Thursday Thirteen. The meme is celebrating its 100th edition this week. Many thirteeners are sharing their thirteen favorite Thursday Thirteens. Should be good!

Repurpose, Recycle TT#9

Some have called it White Trash Ways. When we lived in the city we called it "neighborhood ingenuity." Now, we just call it smart. Reusing, Repurposing, Recycling, call it what you want. Finding ways to use things longer, or in a different way is good for the pocketbook and for the environment. Here are the first 13 things I found on a short walk around my house.

1. An old dish tub. This is supposed to be for fresh drinking water for the animals, but the ducks like to use it as a mini pond. That is why it is dirty.








2. Our back decks. The steps are new. Everything else was taken from decks on another house. They were moving the house and didn't need the decks anymore. Someday we will stain them so they are all the same color.






3. Garden Frame. One of the decks had gates that we didn't use. I turned one of them into a frame for a small garden spot with herbs, zinnias, and three large volunteer tomatoes.







4. The roof of our rabbit hutch. The decks in #2 also had a roof that we did not put back on. The metal was reused for our rabbit hutch.







5. Play ground equipment. An old tractor tire becomes a place to hide in and something to climb on.











6. Storage. This is not the prettiest of your repurposed items, but it is very functional for a low cost. Can you guess what this storage building was in its former life?







7. Water bucket for the goats. Previously starring as a laundry detergent container.











8. Feed scoops. Old sour cream or cottage cheese containers are the perfect size to scoop feed out of the bags. They also are easily replaceable.







9. Flower pots. Rotted logs become something pretty and functional. To see how I made these; Not your average flower pot.











10. Rain water collectors. With our extremely dry spring, we have seen the necessity of collecting rain water. There are more permanent plans in the works, but for now, two old barrels positioned under the spouting are doing the trick.









11. Chicken feeders. I saw this in a magazine I think. Take an old milk jug and cut the sides out enough for the chickens to get their head in. Tie to the wall. The chickens can get to the feed to eat, but can't dump it all over the ground. It is working well.









12. Flower vase. Old jars make lovely containers for flowers, especially jars that are colored glass.











13. Plant waterer. Do you know what this is? It is our favorite tool to water the plants in the garden, well at least when are we watering by hand. We fill a large bucket (of the laundry detergent variety) with rain water and carry it into the garden. Then we scoop it out with this. It is a perfect size. The kids actually were the ones that came up with this idea. Still don't know what it is? It is the cup from our potty seat. Good thing Vivian (1) isn't potty training yet.


Thanks Phelan for the idea for this post. After starting this I thought of many other items that we use that are repurposed or recycled. Perhaps a second list will appear in the future.

Thursday Thirteen

recycling, reusing, homestead