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How to Make Mud Bricks (Video)

You probably know by now I’m a fan of all kinds of pre-industrial skills, and making mud bricks from mud and straw is one of the coolest skills for a homesteader to know. It might not be the most practical way to obtain bricks in our modern life, as they’re pretty labor-intensive, but it is a pretty foundational thing to know. You never know when you might be able to benefit from the basics of brick-making. After all, when you buy them from the hardware store, they have been made from hand somewhere, and there are still low-wage workers in third-world countries […]

You Need to Clean Your Chimney

When you live on a homestead, chances are good that you keep your place warm using a fireplace or a wood burning stove. They are important for your warmth in the winter, and you can even use them for cooking. However, they get dirty and need to be cleaned. Naturally, many people gravitate toward having the professionals come out and clean the chimney for them. Having it cleaned a couple of times a year might be necessary if you have fires often. Of course, when you are hiring others to do this job, the money just leaks from your pocket. […]

Seed Saving Tips (Infographic)

Seed saving is one of the most important skills to have for self-reliance. If done properly, one packet of seeds could last for generations. One of the biggest reasons to seed save is that if you choose the seeds from a healthy, productive plant, is that you are choosing the plant with the genes that will thrive in your particular environment, and, over time, it will become perfect for your gardening zone. “Heirloom” seeds are seeds that have been collected and re-planted each year by farmers for generations, and ideally you could create your own! Not every seed will be […]

Things to Consider When Choosing Your Homesteading Property

You are excited about the prospect of getting away from the city or the suburbs and onto your own homesteading property. You have been practicing various skills, such as planting and growing vegetables, sewing, and you have been learning as much as possible about keeping livestock, bees, and so many other things you are excited about for your homestead. You are almost there, but you still need to make sure you are getting the right land. Before you buy the first property you find, make sure you understand what you need and what you should be looking at. What Does […]

DIY Root Tone

Propagating plants through cuttings when possible rather than using seeds can save time and produce more predictable results. However; commercially produced root tone can be expensive, and some products are also unhealthy. To save money, and stay healthy, you can make your own root tone at home. Here are two methods that are so simple, healthy, and cheap you will never buy commercial root tone again. The first method is to make a solution rich in IBA from willow cuttings. IBA is a hormone found in high concentration in new growth on willow trees that promotes root growth. If […]

Keeping Busy in the Cold Winter

When the days get shorter and the temperatures get colder, you might find that you are getting a little bored in the homestead. You do not have as much sun, and if you aren’t careful, you and the rest of the family, could start to suffer from the effects of cabin fever. Fortunately, you can find plenty of great ways to stay busy through the winter and have fun. In fact, with some of these ideas, you might even be able to bring in some extra money later in the year. One of the things you might want to consider […]

How to Cultivate the Homesteader Mindset

Let’s be honest. People like the simple things in life. They enjoy when things are nice and easy, and if given a choice between an easy path that leads to an average life and a more rigorous path that leads to true joy, people will take the easy path. They live the fast food lifestyle. Everything is instant. People gorge themselves on Netflix and never bother getting out and having real adventures any longer. They have forgotten how to do many simple things. It’s a shame. You do not have to live that way though, and since you are interested […]

Reducing Your Electric Bill

If you have an electric dryer you may be able to reduce your electric bill this time of year and still stay warm. This video demonstrates and explains how get heat and a comfortable level of humidity in your home using a simple device that you can manufacture yourself at home. The only material you need is a 5-gallon bucket with lid, dryer hose dock, and hose clamps. The only tools you need are a box cutter and a drill. The basic premise of the device, called a dyer lint box or lint bucket, is to use the hot air […]

How to Homestead When You Live in An Apartment

For many wannabe homesteaders, an apartment probably seems like the last place you’d be able to homestead. And of course, you won’t be able to grow (very much) food of your own, raise livestock, or live off the land. There are however, many things you can do to make your apartment a mini-homestead. While you’ll still be reliant on the outside world, the truth is, most homesteaders still are too, and no matter what your living arrangement, there’s always something you can do to be more self-reliant. Here are some tips for apartment homesteading that anyone can do: 1. Grow […]

5 Ways to Increase Your Garden’s Productivity

If your garden just isn’t meeting your expectations or productivity don’t get discouraged, there are plenty of things that you can do that can increase your production of food this coming growing season. Here is a list of 5 things you can do that will increase the amount of food you can produce in your garden. Interplanting Interplanting different crops together (not all crops grow well together so check individual crops for what will work and what will pose its own problems) will allow you to grow more food in the same space. The “3 sister” method is […]

22 Ways to Use Beeswax

Beeswax is amazing. It is the only naturally occurring wax, and is produced in special wax glands of female honeybees. It takes 8 pounds of honey to produce 1 pound of wax! Vegetable waxes are rendered from fruit or leaves, while soy and paraffin waxes are produced by a toxic chemical process. Only beeswax is wax in its natural form, and simply can’t be produced in a lab, even in this day and age. But if you keep bees, you can essentially grow it in your own backyard! It has been used for centuries in many different ways, and there’s […]

The Off-Grid Winter Pantry (Video)

When most people think of living off-grid, there are usually two major challenges that come to mind: winter, and food storage. Well, this video shows us that with the right amount of supplies and planning, you don’t have to worry much about either! It is seriously one of my life goals to have a pantry like this one day. YouTubers and off-grid homesteaders An American Homestead shares their well-stocked winter pantry, with preserves made from their harvest for the year. Their viewers kept asking to see what they had, so they give us a tour of their impressive pantry, ready for […]

Crops that can Earn you Money on your Homestead

When most people think of growing crops to earn money on their homestead, they think of growing extra vegetables to sell to their friends, neighbors, or at local farmer’s markets. While there are plenty of people who do make extra money through this, it can be difficult to produce enough fruit and vegetables for you and your family let alone enough that you have extra to sell. These are just a few plants that I have personally seen grown easily in small, backyard operations that earned money. Herbs Vegetables, especially fruiting vegetables can be difficult to produce in […]

How (And Why) To Cure Potatoes Before Storing Them

Potatoes are such a great garden crop, if you can manage to grow them. They can keep for months throughout the winter, and are a great source of nutrients and calories. While they keep well in a dark, cool area like a root cellar or even a garage, there is a very important step you must take before storage: curing. What is curing? Curing potatoes is essentially letting them dry out before storing away. There are several advantages to curing: All wet spots dry out that might otherwise contribute to rot The skins will harden, allowing the potatoes to keep […]

Super Simple DIY Body Wash

I thought I’d seen all the DIY replacements for ordinary personal hygiene items out there, but this one was new to me, and I knew I had to try it right away. Bodywash is kind of a modern, Western thing, for plenty of people a simple bar of soap is sufficient to get clean in the shower. But for whatever reason, some people greatly prefer body wash, especially if you like to use a washcloth or loofah. The thing about body wash, however, is that as effective and luxurious it is in the shower, it’s definitely not cheap. However, you […]

3 Ways to Get Rid of Moles Without Killing Them

Moles can be a destructive force in your garden. They burrow through the root zone of plants, and eat earthworms you depend on for healthy soil. But they are cute little things too, so if you can keep them out of your garden without having to kill them, it’s worth a shot. Here are 3 ways to get rid of moles that don’t involve killing them. Vibrations Moles are incredibly sensitive to the vibrations made by insects and worms in the ground. This is how they find their food. This sensitivity can be used against them. There are […]

Overnight Oats-5 Different Ways (Video)

I absolutely love overnight oats. They’re such a great, healthy way to have a quick, easy breakfast waiting for you in the morning. Overnight oats are a staple in Europe, they typically use muesli and let it sit in yogurt and/or milk overnight. Not only does the yogurt really draw out a delicious flavor in the oats, because it is acidic, it also breaks down the “antinutrients” in the grains, making them easier to digest. Grains are not inherently bad for you, they just typically need to have these antinutrients broken down using methods such as soaking, sprouting, or souring. […]

DIY $5 Funnel Solar Oven (Video)

I love off-grid cooking of all kind, and a solar oven is something I’ve been wanting to make for a long time. I always thought that it was fairly expensive to make, but this guy made one for only $5. It’s amazing how much you can cook in one, and it is the most bare-bones type of off-grid, renewable energy out there. The design is super simple and dirt cheap. Using two reflective windshield sun visors, he creates a funnel to concentrate the heat onto the oven. Check it out! I might try this when the days get warmer. If […]

Tips for Living Without a Fridge

Refrigerators are one of the great wonders of modern science, and can greatly improve your quality of life. However, we’ve also grown so dependent on them, we don’t even know how to live without them anymore. Many people in the world still live without modern refrigeration, and it’s certainly not impossible. There are many reasons you might find yourself living without a refrigerator. If you are a new homesteader, just getting set up, you might be completely off-grid or not have the infrastructure yet on your homestead to power a full-sized refrigerator. You also might find yourself stuck in a […]

3 Tips for Healthier Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the most commonly grown crops in back yard gardens. But it isn’t always easy to grow healthy, productive tomatoes. And it isn’t really worth it to grow tomatoes if they aren’t healthy and producing to their full potential. If you have had problems with tomatoes in the past, here are 3 tips you might want to try. Epson Salt Epson salt is made of Magnesium and Sulphur. Both of which are vital nutrients for growing healthy tomatoes. If you have had issues with tomatoes in the past try watering them with ½ tablespoon of […]