Whether you live in an apartment, a tiny house, or a Harry Potter closet, small bathrooms can be a challenge, especially when you’re living with roommates, a significant other, or little ones. Not only do you have to coordinate shower and bath times, but storing away all your toiletries can get tricky. So before you […]
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20 Outdoor Showers for Your Lake or Poolside Home
If you live near a river or lake, you know how frustrating it is when sand gets tracked into your house. It makes a mess, it’s dirty, and once it’s made its way into your home, there’s no turning back. It’s there for what feels like forever, and let’s not forget about all the dirty […]
26 Affordable Shoe Rack Ideas To De-Clutter Your Space
The current shoe rack situation in my home is not ideal. Weโve struggled to find a way to store shoes in our tiny, awkward entryway. When my husband came home with plastic racks from the hardware store last year, I admitted defeat. The stackable plastic shelves are practical, but theyโre so utilitarian that Iโm itching […]
15 Creative DIY Garage Plans And Ideas
Your garage can be one of the unique spaces in your home. Most commonly, a garage provides you a secure place to park your vehicle and acts as a catch-all for tools and yard equipment, but there is a wide range of possibilities to improve your garage and maximize use of this space. Why Build […]
Off-Grid Heating Options & Alternatives
Last month, we debuted the first post in our series of Homesteading Questions and Answers. As we get questions from you, we try to formulate the best possible answers to help you on your adventure. This month is all about off-grid heating options. Sarah wants to know about “Heat alternatives that don’t require the grid, […]
Using Straw Bale for Construction
Straw bale construction is a relative newcomer to the world of alternative building methods. It does not have the millennia-long history of cob or adobe, but it certainly has a viable place at the table of natural building methods. Indeed, it has seen a surge in popularity in recent decades, and many people the world […]
Glass Bottle Walls
glass bottle buildings, glass bottle building inspiration
Driftwood Sculpture
Carved by wind, water and sand, driftwood makes a striking material for sculpture. Driftwood Sculpture By Andries Botha Andries Botha has created more than 20 elephants from recycled materials for his global Human Elephant Foundation, Nomkhubulwane. “What will we do to change how we live? What will accelerate our commitment to create a more sustainable […]
Treehouse Plans
Ah, to be a kid again. There is something about a treehouse that makes you want to throw on some worn-out shoes, grass-stained jeans, and a warm jacket (because your mom made you). Whether you had a treehouse as a kid or your neighbor friends did, the memories of spending all afternoon outside playing games […]
3 Surprising Ways To Conserve And Recycle Water
Happy World Water Day! Learn about three surprising ways that people and companies are conserving, sourcing, and recycling water.
How Energy Efficient is Induction Cooking?
Induction cooking is a promising new technology that could make food preparation much more energy-efficient (as well as time-saving).
Deer-Resistant Plants
Deer are graceful, nearly ethereal creatures. Their silent forest ways and magnificent appearance may inspire paintings and poetry, novels and songs. But for the hard-working gardener, they may more likely inspire enraged streams of cursing, because deer are also opportunistic jerks who readily translate the hard work invested in a garden into a free, all-night […]
Thank You – BUT YOU’RE NOT DONE YET =)
Thanks for signing up, but there’s one final step before we can enter you in our monthly giveaway. We just sent you a confirmation email –ย you need to open it up and click the confirm button. It looks like this: Click that button and *then* you’re done! Can’t wait to share great new content with […]
Silo Homes
Silos converted into houses.
Klinker Brick
Klinker Brick
65+ Gardening Gifts
‘Tis the season of gift-giving. Since colder weather has many of us stuck inside instead of in the dirt, we figured this holiday season is the perfect time to find the best in gardening gifts including gear, decor, reading โ and of course, donโt forget some of those extra homesteading specialties. Weโve compiled over 70 of […]
Eco-Friendly Playgrounds
Parents know the benefits of installing playgrounds and playsets. Beyond being a fun activity that gets children outdoors, playground equipment is important for a childโs cognitive, emotional, physical, and interpersonal development. A day in the backyard or at the park does wonders for kidsโ physical health, as well as improving their self-confidence and social skills, […]
Outdoor Planters
Choosing the right planters will infuse your personality and taste into your outdoor living space. Just treat it like you would the rest of your home! Choose outdoor furniture and accessories with the same care you’d take for indoor spaces. Select pillows and colors and lighting that you love and that reflect your personality. Look for […]
Installing An Interior Barn Door
Thereโs something mesmerizing about a heavy door gliding silently on a steel track, especially when itโs indoors. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Flooring Xtra (@flooringxtra) Recently, the Seattle based building outfit, Yellow Moon Construction, built an interior barn door using reclaimed materials found on the job site. Related Post: Recycling Old […]
Why Manure Is The Unsung Hero of the Homestead
When I lived in the city, I had the luxury of ignoring poop. If a neighborโs dog left it on my tiny lawn, it was a rude, unusual inconvenience. Aside from what I delicately flushed into oblivion with the touch of a lever, my experiences with poop were largely nonexistent. My suburban upbringing trained me […]
Floating Shelves
Shelving is a staple household decor item that can be functional, decorative, and necessary all at the same time. Whether your style is traditional, rustic, shabby chic, or modern, shelving units come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to suit any need. Floating shelves are no different. Their simplicity and functionality have made […]
Fairy Houses
Supply a home to our ethereal friends in your backyard, in a park, or in your city apartment. Great fun with kids, as the activity is usually outside in nature, and sparks imagination and creative play. Fairy Houses Fairy House on Monhegan Island, Maine.ย fairyhouses.com Fairy House. saras-toy-box.blogspot.com Fairy House by Aviary. pinterest.com Fairy House at […]
Upcycled Chairs
eco chairs, reuse chairs
Green Roof Resources
Inspiration Green. Green roofs and green walls. Organizations,info,photos,products and research.
Fresh Drinking Water Resources & Links
Inspiration Green Fresh Water Resources. Links to water associations and organizations. Info on conservation, data, water and climate change, fresh water research organizations and much more.
Upcycled Maps
Tear em, decoupage them, fold them, paint on them. Many Rivers, 2009 Inlaid maps, acrylic, on panel, 48 x 78 inches. By Matthew Cusick, mattcusick.com Bonnie, 2004. Maps on wood panel. By Matthew Cusick, www.mattcusick.com Matthew Cusick Rachael’s Wave, 2011. Inlaid maps on wood panel. www.mattcusick.com Geronimo, 2007 Inlaid maps on panel, 30 x 24 […]
Reverse Graffiti
Paul “Moose” Curtisย (the father of Green Graffiti) A 140 foot mural of plants indigenous to California. Commissioned by Green Works – Broadway tunnel entrance, San Francisco. Paul and team used brushes, a spray gun and green cleaners to remove the grime. Those painted patches are covering up painted graffiti. See video below. Dutch Inkย Durban, […]
Corded Electric Lawn Mower Reviews
A corded electric lawn mower is simply the cheapest, easiest, quietestโand most earth-friendlyโoption for power mowing your lawn. Yeah, it has a cord, and we’ll talk about that, but first the good news. Corded Mowers Are Your Least Expensive Electric Lawn Mower Option Let’s start with price. Corded electric mower prices range from $85-$250, much […]
Brahma
Description With a heavy brow that gives it a uniquely aquiline mien and fluffy feathered feet, this large bird will certainly turn heads. Donโt let itโs imposing size intimidate you, though! Few chickens are as gentle and willing to be handled as these huggable hens. Their incredibly calm dispositions make them a fabulously friendly addition […]
Cultivating And Harvesting Wild Rice
Wild rice (Zizania palustris) is known as the โcaviar of grains.โ Contrary to its name, wild rice is actually the seeds of wetland grass. Other common names include water oats, Canadian rice, marsh oats, and blackbird oats. A native, aquatic, ancient cereal grain that grows in isolated riverbeds, marshes, and shallow lakes across North America, wild […]
Lessons From Facing Death On The Homestead
As a small girl in my suburban neighborhood, dealing with death was something unusual. So when my pet fish died, tears were shed and a solemn, toilet-side funeral was held, complete with speeches! Any time I found a dead baby bird in the spring, my long-suffering father would kindly wrap it in tissues and bury […]
“Doing More With Less” Shows Businesses A New Path To Success
Insteading interviews Dr. Bruce Piasecki, author “Doing More With Less: The New Way To Wealth,” which hits shelves this month.
Homestead Stories: The Day I Butchered My First Duck
Our Pekin duck was a problem. Belligerent and lascivious, he had taken the peace of our small flock and turned it on its head. Our ducks had stopped producing eggs due to his voracious affections, and his โfavoriteโ had the bald spots on her head and the foaming eye to prove it. The rest of […]
Growing Peas
Every vegetable that bursts out of the ground is a gift to me. The wispy little feathers of emerging carrots, the blink-and-theyโre-there sprouts of lightning-quick radishes, and the first true leaves of a tomato plant โ heralding the impatient wait for it to grow and produce the fresh tomatoes of summer. Peas, however, are extra-special. […]
Grinding Your Own Flour
One of my favorite college coffeehouses was across the street from a milling company. I spent many hours sketching and sipping their various brews, the mood-lit ambiance of the cafe constantly underscored by the low hum of unseen machines turning grain into flour. Anyone who parked more than an hour on the that street would […]
12 Beneficial Plants That Attract Dragonflies To The Garden
Swat! My right hand slapped my arm. โOne down, zillions more to go.โ I wasnโt one for using bug spray, and these pesky mosquitoes were leaving their itchy mark — though Iโd tried herbal alternatives to the chemically-based bug sprays. Even the mentholated smell of Vicks VapoRub had a minimal effect on these pests. Besides, […]
How To Make the Most of Garden Failure
โOh, fiddlesticks! Another dratted hornworm has eaten a plant. How exceedingly grumpy I am.โ Youโd correctly guess these were not my exact words as I plucked the corpulent caterpillar from the stick formerly known as a lush jalepeรฑo pepper, but theyโre close enough for this article. I felt an understandable wave of schadenfreude as I […]
How to Find & Store Cheap Leftover Pumpkins After Halloween
I have been waiting for this day all fall. Specifically, Iโve been counting down the days until November 1. You see, now that the money-grabbing fall holiday has passed, the money-grabbing winter holiday is steamrolling its plastic, glittery way into place. Thereโs no room for the two to share. Thus, anything fall-themed absolutely needs to […]
Medicinal Benefits of Paper Birch
โIโd like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.โ -Robert Frost […]
Can I Compost Hair?
Hair have slow decomposition rate, gradually releasing nitrogen into compost. Small amounts of hair will benefit the overall composting process, but an excess of it has its caveats.
Bicycle Art
Every year about 109 million bicycles are produced, and 140 million people are born. That adds up to lots of extra bikes to make art with. Burning Man Festival 2007 by Mark Grieve and Ilana SpectorBikes reclaimed from garbage dumps and recycling centers form a 30 foot high archway.Pic: Jenene Chesbrough www.flickr.com Bicycle Shop GermanyChristian […]
10-Step Guide to Buying a Used Laptop That Works
Buying second-hand products is always green, but it’s easy to be discouraged by the stories of broken laptops from eBay or Craigslist. To quell these fears, here is a 10-step checklist on how to find a used laptop that isn’t just a high-tech lemon. Most wouldn’t flinch at the idea of buying a used car, […]
Plastic Bottle Schools
Plastic Bottle Schools
How To Build A Sauna
So, you’ve just gotten back from sweating in a friend’s sauna and you’ve decided you gotta have one too. Just how realistic is this goal? Well, it’s definitely going to take some time and effort, but as someone who has been helping a friend build a traditional yurt sauna, I’ve learned saunas are a surprisingly […]
How to Build a Raised Bed with Grass Sod Walls
Pictured Above: Here are our finished raised beds before planting. All together there are 7 beds, all roughly 5′ x 9′, totalling about 450 sq feet. It’s May, and I need to overhaul a large section of the yard to make way for this year’s vegetables.ย I have big plans in store for replacing the […]
Hundertwasser Architecture
Hundertwasser Architecture
Indoor Pizza Ovens
Dreaming! and completely decadent unless you also cook multiple items in the warmed-up masonry. If you are going to opt for a wood-fired oven in your kitchen, do investigate including a masonry heater, as they retain much of the heat from the fire. Most of the stoves featured on this page were built with pizza […]
Boathouses
boathouses
Homes on Stilts
Homes on Stilts
Salvaged Wood Sheds
Salvaged Wood Sheds