Tag: diy
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DIY Dry Shampoo
Last week I wrote an extensive post about how to wash your hair using the “no-poo” method, and one method I mentioned was using homemade dry shampoo. This is a method of freshening up your hair that can go in conjunction with regular washing, or the no-poo method. You probably won’t want to use it…
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Soaking and Sprouting Times for Seeds (Infographic)
I shared an article last week on sprouting alfalfa, and I did mention that you can use many other kinds of seeds and beans as well, using this method. It is definitely true that the basic principle of soaking, draining, and sprouting applies to many seeds and beans, they vary, sometimes quite drastically, in ideal…
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The Simplest Way to Peel Garlic. Period. (Video)
Garlic is a homestead kitchen staple, but let’s face it; it’s more than a little tedious to fidget with the papery skin of each individual clove. Sure, you could smash your garlic with a knife or a mallet and make a big mess. If you have half an hour or more to spare, you could…
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How to Grow Alfalfa Sprouts
Spring will soon be upon us, and you might be eager to get your garden started. If you’re impatient to have fresh greens again, you might want to try sprouting as you wait for the seeds in your garden to germinate. Sprouting seeds is a great way to get quick, delicious nutrients you can throw…
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How to Make Probiotic Cream Soda
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love a good, old-fashioned cream soda. It’s such a great treat, and hard to find a really well-brewed one these days. Earlier this week we wrote about a ginger bug which is the base for many kinds of probiotic sodas, and cream soda is one of the delicious,…
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How to Make Raw Cat Food (Video)
Wait! I know this sounds pretty gross, but it’s actually really cool. If you’re a cat person, you probably understand the desire to feed your feline friends something nutritious and delicious. Cats are notoriously picky eaters, and part of the reason this may be is that the majority of the time, they’re being fed cooked,…
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Frugal DIY Nesting Box Ideas
If you want your chickens to provide you with lots of wonderful, nutritious, farm-fresh eggs, they’re going to need some cozy nests to get the job done! You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to trick your coop out with some nice, comfortable nesting boxes for your lovely egg-laying ladies. Here are…
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How to Make Almond Milk (and Almond Flour!)
I love recipes that kill two birds with one stone (come to think of it, if you know a recipe that does this literally, let me know!), and making almond flour out of the leftovers from almond milk couldn’t be easier, or healthier! It’s very simple, and all you need is almonds and clean drinking…
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DIY Pressure Cooker Water Distiller (Video)
If you’re a homesteader, you probably have been faced with the question of how to ensure your family is getting the best drinking water, or how to purify water in the event of possible contamination of your water source. There are a lot of different options out there for water purification, and distilling water is…
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How to Make Healthy Gummy Candy
Gummy candy is a great treat, but unfortunately, it’s usually loaded with dyes, preservatives and chemicals. Like many junk foods, there are healthy versions you can make at home, but DIY gummy candy has a unique quality among healthy alternatives to candy: it’s actually really good for you. The base of homemade gummy candy is gelatin, which is…
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Genius Ways to Use Lard
Lard is something many of us have considered unhealthy for years, but it’s making a comeback as nutritionists reveal the healthy, complex fats in lard are actually pretty good for you! It’s way better for you than vegetable or seed oils, and definitely better than margarine or imitation butter. If you fry bacon at all,…
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Dehydrating Food: A Beginner’s Guide
Dehydrating is a great option for preserving food for the long term, especially for gardeners or homesteaders. But even if you’re just an urban homesteader, it might be an excellent way to get started with food preservation. If you like to shop sales, frequent farmer’s markets, or grow veggies or herbs in your own little…
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The Easy Way to Make Milk Kefir
Kefir is a cultured dairy product made from milk which turns out similar in flavor to yogurt but with a thinner, drinkable consistency. Because of the culturing process, kefir is packed with beneficial bacteria and yeasts. To make kefir, you will need the starter culture (called “grains), which can be purchased online. Directions: Add…
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Beer Keg Portable Hot Shower (Video)
When I lived completely off-grid, with no running water or electricity, one of the biggest challenges was a hot shower. Paloma hot water heaters were coveted in the community I lived in, but most off-grid tent-dwelling hippies like myself couldn’t afford them. We tried everything. Sun showers, leaving long black hoses out in the sun,…
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A Simple Guide to Starting a Beehive (Video)
Last week, we shared the very cool idea to make a beehive using mason jars, so since it did not come with instructions as to how to actually start a hive, I thought I’d go ahead and follow up with that one. Bees are a wonderful thing to do on the homestead, or even in…
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How to Test Your Soil Using Only a Mason Jar
When starting a garden, it’s crucial to know what kind of soil you’re working with. It will help you determine what to plant and how to amend your soil. All soil is comprised of three basic components: sand, silt, and clay, and varying combinations of these three components determine what type of soil you…
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How to Make Hard Candy (Video)
This is a homemade recipe I’ve always wanted to try, and this fun and informative video on how to make your own hard candy at home is really great! Using simple tools and ingredients that you probably already have at home, (with the exception of a candy thermometer, not everyone might have that), they walk…
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DIY Tooth Whitening Recipe
We’ve shared a lot of DIY health and personal hygiene products on this blog, and for good reason. There are so many products out there that are full of chemicals and toxins, that can be easily made at home for a fraction of the cost. This whitening tooth powder is packed with beneficial ingredients you’ll…
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Mother of Four Builds House From YouTube Video Instructions
These days, we all rely on the internet for literally everything. I personally believe that YouTube instruction videos are one of the greatest inventions of all time (seriously!). It is such an incredible thing to be able to search for a video to help you out with a confusing or intimidating project, and homesteaders know…
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Ways to Recycle Sawdust
Woodworking projects and home repairs top the to-do lists of many homesteaders, but they generate a copious amount of a largely unwanted byproduct: sawdust. Before dumping your next shovelful of sawdust into the trash, take a look at this list of creative ways to make good use of it: Use for traction when you’re…
