Living off the grid might seem like a dream come true for some of us. No longer tied to electricity or natural gas coming for a utility, we have greater choices for locations and saving money over the long-term. If you are someone who wants to set down roots away from the traffic and bustle […]
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Recycled Glass Bottles
Much of the glass we throw out is not recycled because different glass has different melting points and recyclers only melt the most common containers. Artists use old and new glass to create unique pieces of home decor. Glass Bottle Windows Hanging window composed of serving plates, wine bottle bottoms, stemware bottoms and faceted stained glass
Terrace Farming
Farmland shaped into terraces are built for long-term success. When it rains, instead of washing away the soil, the soil stays in place. Nutrients are also held in place or carried down to the next level. Terrace Farming In China Terrace rice fields in Yunnan Province, China. Rice paddy cultivation has been in use for
Recycled Glass Art
Repurposed glass dishes become an apple tree.By Alison Fox. alisonsstainedglass.com Repurposed glass. “A Sprite’s Garden” $595, 28 x 15″By Alison Fox. alisonsstainedglass.com ‘Downtown’ 27″ x 20″ repurposed glass.By Alison Fox.alisonsstainedglass.com Glass dishes and vase.By Alison: alisonsstainedglass.com A geode path with carnival glass, depression glass, a lamp base and a unique blue furniture coaster. 22″ x 19″ $595. alisonsstainedglass.com Vintage crystal window
Styrofoam Art
Expanded/Extruded Polystyrene Inspiration – (C8H8)n Styrofoam is a trademark name of Dow Chemical and is ‘extruded’ polystyrene (hard insulation). The white stuff used for packing and coolers is ‘expanded’ polystyrene, but often mistakenly referred to as styrofoam as well. Nurdle Beach. A nurdle is a pre-production plastic pellet or ground down particles which were formerly
Arthur Rackham’s Illustrations And Hugh Comstock’s Carmel Cottages
Illustration by Arthur Rackham. Alice was feeling bored while sitting on the riverbank with her sister, when she noticed a talking, clothed White Rabbit with a pocket watch run past. She follows it down a rabbit hole. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author
Tiny House Kits
It’s entirely reasonable to spend 800 or more hours to build a tiny house. That’s without counting overtime when things don’t go as smoothly as expected—which is inevitable for any building project. Buying a tiny house kit is a way to be involved in the construction process if you don’t as many hours, patience or
Porch Swings
After all the yardwork and chores are done, there are few things more relaxing than sitting in a porch swing with a good book or company. Imagine yourself swinging in these incredible porch swings, porch beds, and hammock chairs. Porch Swings Wine Barrel Stave Porch Swing A perfect porch addition for any wine-lover, this swing
Minnesota Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Minnesota used solar power, it would take 61 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover nearly half of
Oklahoma Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Oklahoma used solar power, it would take 107 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover 90% of the
Beekeeping For Beginners
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that our honeybees are in trouble these days. That should have everyone concerned seeing as how they play a vital role in the pollination of many of our crops. Plus, their honey, wax, and propolis are all incredible products that would be sorely missed if not
Greenhouse Plans
A greenhouse is one of the most well-known garden structures. Providing shielding from extreme sun, wind, and rain — greenhouses can significantly extend your growing season. These sunny buildings come in a variety of shapes and sizes too. Heated glass greenhouses can fight against snow and cold in severe climates. Plastic sheeting can help create
Best Jigsaw
A jigsaw is a powerful and versatile saw which allows you to make either straight cuts or curved ones, and it can be used on a wide variety of materials such as plywood, plastic, wood, metal, and particle board. It’s one of the easiest saws to manage, and is a very popular choice among do-it-yourselfers.
Best Faucet Water Filter
You can never be quite sure how clean and pure the drinking water is in your home – that is, unless you have a good water filtration system in place to remove contaminants and any bad odors. Not all public water supply systems have the same degree of purity, so if you really want to
Best LED Shop Lights
Fluorescent shop lights were standard in most workshops, but LED tubes have recently become a viable replacement. In fact, some new LED tubes work in fixtures designed for fluorescents. The upfront cost of LEDs is much higher than fluorescent bulbs, however, they have several benefits. Most importantly, they’re much more energy efficient than fluorescents, so
Best Miter Saws
No matter the project, a miter saw will make quick and accurate cuts to speed up your work progress. A miter saw is an essential power tool for any cutting job that requires repetitive and consistently accurate cuts. If you’re wanting clean miter and bevel joints, and also a saw to cut through a wide
Best Heat Gun
Heat guns are handy for paint chip removal, pipe bending and shrinking, fusing plastics, and removing adhesive tile, to name a few. They’re also useful for drying construction products. Whether it’s on a job site or in your home, there are many kinds of caulking, insulation and sealant projects that take an excessive amount of
Best Biscuit Joiner
A biscuit joiner, also known as a plate joiner, is the quintessential tool for joining two pieces of wood. The biscuit joiner carves a mortise into a workpiece for a biscuit to be placed inside it. Once the biscuit is in place and your inside edges are prepared with glue, another workpiece with a corresponding
Chicken Tractor Plans
When it comes to housing your flock of chickens, there are many options, but one of the most flexible is the chicken tractor. A chicken tractor is a portable coop that has many of the benefits of a stationary coop as well as a number of added benefits. Building the best structure for you and
Afghan City Builds DIY Internet Out Of Trash
An open-source project brings high-speed internet and an amazing sense of community and self-sufficiency to a village in Afghanistan. But the implications of uninhibited access could rock the developed world as well.
Lighthouses For Sale
Buying a lighthouse is more than a real estate transaction. It’s a lifestyle change that links you to a proud American tradition. The best way to find lighthouses for sale is via a U.S. Government lighthouse “property disposal”. These happen sporadically. When one is going on, the General Services Administration lists available lighthouses on this
Best Wringer Washer
Electric washing machines use a lot of resources. Even “high-efficiency” washing machines use at least 10 gallons of water per load and require 500 watts of electricity. And they take up a lot of space. Fortunately, there is a time-honored, sustainable, and smaller alternative. Hand-crank washers and hand wringers are easy to use and use
Frugal Living: Everything You Need To Know
It’s no secret that modern living is a bit of a morass of consumerism, waste, and debt. In a world where the latest smartphone debuts less than a year after its previous iteration, where the Joneses are always one step ahead of you, and where mountains of plastic are clogging up waterways and oceans, the
Picnic Table Plans
Picnic tables are not only a traditional backyard staple, but they’ve evolved to become so much more than a place for sandwiches and watermelon on a summer day. They’re a favorite gathering place for friends, the site of craft projects for kids, and even act as outdoor classrooms. Even for an amateur woodworker, tackling DIY
DIY Headboard: 25 Ideas To Tie Your Bedroom Together
There’s something about a headboard that ties a bedroom together. A set of fresh sheets, a fluffy duvet, and a decorative bed frame are important bedroom elements, but a headboard is the icing on the cake. Typically, though, headboards come with a hefty price tag: You can end up spending anywhere from $300-$1000 on a
Best Wood Arbors
You’ve finally put the finishing touches on your backyard oasis and want to add an entry that will make a statement. Or, maybe your daughter is getting married in your garden this summer, and you want an altar that’s both easy to put together and beautiful. No matter what your needs may be for a
10 Considerations For Your Backyard Duck Coop
When it comes to barnyard livestock, ducks are probably the easiest-going of the bunch. When there is a slight drizzle, the goats complain and run into the barn. When the north wind blows ice crystals across the fields, your chickens are floofed-up and hiding in the coop. Meanwhile, the ducks are blithely waddling across slush
A Guide To Organizing A Log Cabin
After moving to our mountain cabin, it took us over a year to find the best ways to organize it. We had to learn how to get creative with our space and think about storage in new ways. How you organize the space is key. If you do it well, you can maximize small corners,
16 Cheap Fence Ideas For The Suburbs And The Country
When buying a new property — whether in the city, suburbs, or country — you may also inherit broken-down, ugly, or absent fences. With a small patch of land, this may lead to privacy concerns. On a larger acreage homestead, bad or nonexistent fencing can lead to problems like your sheep escaping and eating the neighbor’s
23 Genius Epsom Salt Uses For Your Home, Garden, And Wellness
Epsom salt established its name 1600 years ago from the location where it was first discovered in Epsom Common, Surrey, England. It is most commonly marketed as bath products: powder, granules, crystal, flakes, and bath bombs. Although similar to common table salt in color and texture, Epsom salt and table salt are distinctly different. Epsom
20 Free Backyard Playhouse Plans
Treating your kids with a backyard playhouse is a fantastic way of providing them a safe outdoor sanctuary where imagination can run free. Unfortunately, a ready-to-use playhouse can be a costly investment. Fortunately, there are plenty of free plans — which is what we’ll help you find today. We’ve found 20 of the best free
18 Creative DIY Beehive Plans for Your Own Beekeeping
Here’s something to buzz about: Beekeeping! Not only do these pollinators bring more flowers, fruits, and vegetables to gardens, they also give us honey that can be added to everything from hot tea to homemade beauty products. Bees are important to the environment, and their numbers are threatened. For this reason, outdoor lovers, gardeners, and
18 Beautiful Gazebo Plans for Your Backyard
Almost any backyard can benefit from a gazebo. It’s the ultimate, shady chill place for you to have a glass of lemonade and read a book during the warmer months. Regardless of the size of your yard, there is a gazebo that suits it perfectly. However, going over to a store like Home Depot or
10 Off-Grid Projects You Can Finish This Weekend
Going off-grid is a huge endeavor and one that could take years to accomplish as you search for land, make the move, and set up your self-reliant system. If you’re just getting started, it can seem like an insurmountable task to think about all that needs to be done. And if you don’t have your
13 DIY Deck Railing Plans
Whether you’re concerned about safety, trying to get a little privacy from the neighbors, or just interested in a fun and creative way to make your porch look prettier, a nice deck railing is a great addition to any house. While you could hire a contractor to have one built for you, many homeowners and
How to Fix Stinky Compost
When I was fresh out of college, I worked as a guide at a wilderness retreat center. We hosted weekend retreat groups, encouraged participants to compost food waste in our big compost bins, and provided a pamphlet to help them do it correctly when one of the staff wasn’t present. One hot fall afternoon, I
Wattle Fence
Wattle is woven wood fencing. Hurdles are woven wattle fencing panels. Historically moveable hurdles were employed for pasture and livestock rotation. We have been wattle making (wattling) since Neolithic times. How To Weave A Wattle Fence The upright stakes are sometimes called “sales” and the saplings called ‘weavers’. Hazel, willow, sweet chestnut, plum, forsythia or any supple, long, straight, slender saplings make
DIY Teardrop Trailer for Camping and Survival
Watch as this man builds a DIY teardrop trailer from a generic pull-behind using simple tools and an old manual- a perfect low-budget bug out shelter that can be towed by just about anything!
Ten (More) Ways to Change the World Through Social Media
Blogging, social news, peer-to-peer philanthropy, microblogging, social networking, wikis, video sharing, and more. These are the new agents of change. Back in May, we penned the original 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media. Though most of those first 10 are still relevant, the pace of innovation and advancement on the social web
25 Free Rabbit Hutch Plans to House Your Furry Friends
Whether you’re raising meat rabbits or looking for walk-in rabbit hutch plans for your favored pets, making your own hutch can save you money and help our environment by reducing waste. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available to find what works best for you when raising rabbits. Important Details to Consider When Building a
White House to Plant Organic Vegetable Garden
ABC news’ Brian Hartman has reported what many have been wishfully waiting to hear for months: the Obamas will soon plant an organic vegetable garden on the White House South grounds. Following a 60 Minutes interview with Chez Panisse chef, renowned slow foodist and activist for improved national eating habits in the US, Alice Waters,
Sustainability 101: Wash Your Car Without Wasting Water
If you wash your car at home once a month, it can use up to 6,000 gallons of water a year. Here are 4 ways to keep your ride clean without the waste.
Non-Toxic Beauty: Do You Know What’s In Your Lipstick?
Don’t sacrifice your health just to look pretty for a few hours! Here are tips for avoiding toxins in your cosmetic routine.
Seed Companies
List of safe seed companies that sell non-gmo, open pollinated, untreated, heirloom seed. How to steer clear of Monsanto seed. Buying non gmo seed.
The Art Of Henrique Oliveira
The artist Henrique Oliveira uses old plywood, fencing and PVC as his medium. Recycled from dumpsters and landfills from his home city, São Paulo, Oliveira shapes plywood around PVC forms. Casa dos Leoes, 2009 Biennial, Porto Allegre, Brazil. Turning a house into a sculpture. www.henriqueoliveira.com Casa dos Leoes, 2009, detail. Brazil in Portuguese is Brasil.
Human Urine As Fertilizer
A study out of Finland has found that plants fertilized with urine performed four times as well as nonfertilized plants and just as well as plants given commercial mineral fertilizer. Urine plus wood ash (collected from a wood stove) produced as well, yet with the added benefit of reducing the acidity of the soil. The
How To Make Homemade Potpourri With Citrus Fruit Peels
If you go through a lot of citrus fruit, why not turn some of those peels into homemade potpourri before sending it to the compost bin?
Organic Codling Moth Control
In Western Washington, our apple trees have two major enemies: codling moths and apple maggots. While codling moths can be a nuisance (they don’t ruin the apple), apple maggots can leave the entire fruit bitter and unusable, even for cider. Yet some of the easy solutions for apple maggots don’t protect from codling moth. The
Stinging Nettles
Type: Perennial Region: Native to Western North America Used For: Food, medicine How To Forage Nettles Everyone is familiar with these forest plants, and most people do their best to avoid them. However, nettles are one of the first spring greens, and cultures around the world celebrate them as a gift and a harbinger of
Toys Upcycled Into Sculpture By Kris Kuksi
Unwanted toys, frames and plastic model kits are recreated into fantastic sculptures by Kris Kuksi. By turning old plastic soldiers, dolls and tanks into sculpture, all that plastic is kept out of the landfill, long term. The Deadly Sins, 2007, 40″ x 24″ x 8.5″ The Deadly Sins, detail. kuksi.com Kris Kuksi with Imminent Utopia,