Tag: DIY (page 1 of 3)

Fast, easy no sew blanket you can do in an hour. #NoSew Grace Garden And Homestead

Make Your Own No Sew Blanket

December 22, 2017 / / 1 Comment
Fast, easy no sew blanket you can do in an hour. #NoSew Grace Garden And Homestead

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting this site.*

 

In our home, we make presents for each other, in lieu of worrying about what to buy for everyone—which often leads to gifts that just fill a box instead of leaving a lasting impression on a loved one’s heart.

A popular one this year was the no sew fleece blankets.  Kids as young as 7 in our home were making these.  It’s the perfect gift for those little hands as well as bigger ones that don’t sew.

And who wouldn’t want a soft, fuzzy blanket to cuddle up to?

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Building a homestead root cellar. What goes into the planning. What supplies are need, along with a financial breakdown, and then how to get the job done.

Building A Root Cellar: A Homesteader’s Bank Account

July 7, 2017 / / 9 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting this site.*

 

A couple years ago we knew we would have to build a new root cellar.  Not only was the current one letting the mice in, but we actually worried it would soon collapse in on itself.

We began drafting plans for the new root cellar, making a supply list, and pricing those items.  We knew we’d save on costs by building it ourselves, and we really liked that idea anyway–we’d get exactly what we wanted.

I’m not going to lie to you–it’s not as easy as you might think.  You’ve got to consider the water level, the frost line, drainage, and air flow, among other things.  It’s not quite as simple as it may first appear.

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Fixing a frozen water pipe out in the corral.

Repairing A Frozen Water Pipe On The Winter Homestead

February 27, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Every winter it happens–we discover a frozen water pipe.  It’s just a fact of life here.  This isn’t the first time we’ve repaired a frozen water pipe, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

If we hadn’t repaired this pipe as soon as we noticed it was broken, it could have warmed up and made one huge muddy mess once the ice inside it melted and the water started spewing out.

Luckily, repairing this frozen pipe was easily done with tools we had on hand.

In order to fix this frozen pipe, we needed:

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Easy, fast, and super frugal way to make your own foaming hand soap. You'll never buy foaming hand soap at the store again!

How To Make Your Own Foaming Hand Soap Cheap And Easily

February 6, 2017 / / 1 Comment

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting this site.*

 

Homestead’s are dirty–there’s no way around it.  When you live on a homestead, you’ll find that you are washing your hands every chance you get.

You can spend a lot of money making multiple trips to the store to purchase your own soap, or you can make your own.  If you are anything like me, you prefer to make your own.

Once a year I make all the goat’s milk soap our family will use during baths and showers.  The rest of the time, we use foaming hand soap for it’s convenience–and I make that too.  I make foaming hand soap about twice a week.  Around here, it sells for $2.50-$3.00 a bottle, so that means I’m saving $25.00 a month on this one essential household item.

In less than one minute, you can also make your own foaming hand soap with just a few ingredients you probably already have on hand.

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Dear Farmers: 7 perfect gifts for the FarmHER in your life (Valentines Day is coming).

7 Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Gifts For The Farmer’s Wife

January 25, 2017 / / 0 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting this site.*

 

Each year men everywhere wonder what to get for their wives as gifts.  Be it their birthday or Valentines Day, many men get flustered at the idea of trying to find the perfect gift for their wife.

While chocolate and flowers are the standard, the farmer’s wife may be a bit more picky–and thus easier to shop for, really.

Here are some ideas to help you farmers out there find the perfect gift for your wife this year.

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10+ super cute homemade Valentines Day ideas just for farmers. | Grace Garden And Homestead

10+ Homemade Valentines To Make For Your Farmer This Year

January 23, 2017 / / 3 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting this site.*

 

I don’t know about you, but I love making little tokens of appreciation for my Farmer–especially for Valentines Day.  And wouldn’t you know it, my homemade Valentines generally always have a farm theme–because farming isn’t just a day-job, it’s life.

So many of my Valentines to him over the years have had a farmer theme–although finding farmer Valentine inspiration is a bit hard to do.

Here are some Valentines I’ve made for the Farmer.  Feel free to copy my ideas for your own farmer.

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How I make goat's milk soap for my family every year.

Making Goat’s Milk Soap (And Two Different Molds To Try)

December 26, 2016 / / 2 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting this site.*

 

Each year I make two batches of goat’s milk soap.  I find that in order to make the most moisturizing soap I can, goat’s milk is simply the best base (though I do like to dabble in other soaps simply for a “crafty” experience).

Two batches will last our large family for an entire year and there are still some left over for gifting to others.  This year I did one batch of lavender, and one of lemon.  Last year I did a rosemary and an orange.  In general, I like to do one batch of whichever scent will be most potent in my home for the year, and then a citrus for the second.

I pick a comfortable day and choose a time when either the younger kids are sleeping, or when the Farmer is able to help me, to make my soap.  I do this not only for their safety, but also so I can move along fairly quickly as making goat’s milk soap does take some time.  It’s best to pull all your hair back and out of the way if it’s long, and wear clothing that covers everything.

If you aren’t familiar with lye, read up on it first so you know proper precautions to take to keep yourself safe.

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We're down to grocery shopping only twice a year, and hope one day it's only once a year. Here's how we got here.

My (Abbreviated) Journey Toward Grocery Store Independence

October 17, 2016 / / 2 Comments

When I got married and moved to this secluded homestead, I maintained a job at the nearest trauma hospital—60 miles away.  I actually bought a house there, and knew the town well.  Although I knew my new husband was born into and had always lived a life of self-sufficiency, I was very honest about what I was and was not willing to do.

I understood that the garden he currently grew would need to be bigger in order to now feed two of us.  I knew that would likely be my job.  As a trauma professional, I knew I would work 40-60 hour weeks traveling 2 hours each day that I worked.  A garden was out of the question.

I had never eaten a wild animal, nor one that I knew personally in any way prior to butchering.

The two of us understood that I preferred to buy food rather than try to put in the tremendous amount of time and emotional attachment that it would take to be self-sufficient.  He understood I wanted to buy food.  I understood that he was fine with this as long as I made the money to do that since he was not used to having the kind of bills associated with that kind of lifestyle.

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A complete library of resources to help your family live a more self-sufficient and healthier lifestyle in one totally manageable place.

My Favorite Parts Of The 2016 Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle

September 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

I told you I would share my favorite parts of the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle 2016, but I wanted to wait a few days so you had the opportunity to form your own preferences and opinions.  While I don’t want you to be overwhelmed with all the products in this library (I mean, come on, 83 resources plus all the freebies?), I did want you to look around and find your own appreciations before telling you which products rock my world.

With all these resources, and all these freebies, we’re all going to be interested in different ones.  I’m sure what you’re looking forward to is different from what I’m looking forward to.  And when you’re done looking through my choices, I’d love for you to tell me in the comments what you’re looking forward to most.

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Help your family to live a more self-sufficient and healthier life. This library of resources is designed to help you start (or continue) on your journey to health and independence.

Help Your Family Live A More Self-Sufficient & Healthier Life

September 23, 2016 / / 2 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting this site.*

 

Do You Want To Help Your Family Work Toward Self-Sufficiency And A Healthier Lifestyle But Don’t Know Where To Start?

Do you crave a life where you become less and less dependent on a system, and more dependent on yourself?  Would you like to ditch processed foods and products as much as possible?

Perhaps you have a plan to put it all in motion.  Or perhaps you’re swamped in all the resources out there and just don’t know where to start.  Which videos do I trust?  Which book do I read first?

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