Starting seeds indoors is an excellent way to get a jump start on the gardening season so you can save money on the various foods you plant. Starting seedlings is a highly rewarding and enjoyable endeavor. We have been using the following growing system for many years now, and year after year it continuously produces reliable and excellent results. The components for this system are readily available at most hardware stores and can be sized to your specific needs and growing space. The three main considerations when starting seeds indoors are: read more »
Harvesting Sunflower Seeds and Other Helpful DIY Tips
by jasonw
Monday, July 1, 2013, 6:47 pm
Learn the simple process of harvesting sunflower seeds. Good for you and your animals.
*CAVEAT: THE LINKS PROVIDED ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES RELATING TO THE DIY PROJECTS PROVIDED ONLY, AND IN NO WAY ARE AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE SITES FROM WHERE THEY ORIGINATE.
Views: 1274
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Dawn Marie on
-
Making Your Own Soap
1. Decide if you prefer liquid or powder detergent.
Liquid detergent is easy to customize; you can include essential oils to give it the scent you love most. Powder detergent is easier to make, as it doesn’t involve using the stove, and easier to store, as you can put it in any box and don’t need a leak-proof jug or bucket.
2. Assemble your supplies and ingredients and start soaping!
To make powdered laundry detergent, you will need the following:
-2 cups of finely grated bar soap (Any brand will do, but avoid strong scents.)
-1 cup of washing soda
-1 cup of borax
To grate the soap, a food processor works well, or if you are feeling strong, try a cheese grater and some elbow grease. Mix all the ingredients well and store in a box or other container. If the container is air-tight, your soap will last longer. Use about two tablespoons per load.
To make liquid laundry detergent, you will need these ingredients:
-2 cups of bar soap
-2 cups of washing soda
-2 cups of borax
Boil one quart of water and add the bar soap, mixing until it has completely melted. Then pour the soapy water into a large bucket or jug and add the borax and washing soda, mixing until it is all dissolved. Add 2 gallons of water and mix thoroughly. Once the mixture has cooled, you can add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice for scented detergent. This soap does tend to gel when it cools, so be prepared to mix or shake it before you use it. Use about 1/4 cup per load.
-
Permalink Reply by Cathleen on
-
Just don't grate any cheese after you do your soap or you will end up with bubbly cheese! ;-D
Thanks for this, DM. I've meant to try a homemade laundry soap recipe. A friend has done something like this and loves it. She says it's much cheaper, and gets her hubby's clothes much cleaner too.
-
-
I have quite a few things like this. I'm gonna try and post a little each day. At least it will be a good reference for the do it yourselfers who might want to try these out. I'm thinking seriously of trying out the sunflower seeds one. :o
I heard that too about the laundry soap. I'm going to try my hand at it and I'll be sure to keep it away from the grated cheese LOL.
-
-
-
by Jason WiskerchenFriday, February 8, 2013, 2:26 pm
Now is the time to finalize plans to start your new beekeeping hobby and build some resilience for honey, wax and pollination. A video to get you excited.
-
-
by threemealsfarmWednesday, May 1, 2013, 5:43 pm
As any experienced gardener will tell you, having a greenhouse can be an invaluable tool in the food-growing toolbox. Having a greenhouse at one's disposal opens up many different growing possibilities and can be a huge season extender in areas where the number of good growing days is limited. Greenhouses make it easier to get new seedlings started and help to protect plants from spring and fall frosts. They are a wonderful addition to any resilient garden space. But they can be expensive to put in, and there are many things to consider before getting one set up. Check out the WSID articles on Selecting a Greenhouse and Winter Gardening to get a better idea of the styles and options available.We put a lot of thought and planning into the design and construction of our DIY greenhouse. With cost being one of the number-one constraints for this project, we did a lot of web surfing and idea gathering. Our research gave us inspiration for materials, styles, and what the end result should be. We found projects that people had built for under $50. At that price, we could build three or four and still be under budget. But we didn't think they would last more that one season or that we would find our greenhouse plastic in the next county after a spring storm. Then there were far fancier and much more well-built ones, but our experiences with major construction and the added cost kept us from these higher-end designs. So we used what we had on hand... read more »
-
-
by frank_fern
Friday, June 28, 2013, 10:43 pmThere is nothing like a piece of fresh-baked bread and some homemade butter: smooth, creamy and so very tasty. We have several milking goats on our homestead, and we use our daily supply to make a variety of dairy products. Cheese, yogurt, and butter are just a few of the ways we use our goat milk to supply us with nourishing and delicious food.Today it is time to make butter. We tend to buy very little butter – real butter, that is – but try to keep a pound or two on hand in case we run out. Butter is a product that stores in the freezer really well. read more »
-
-
Another set of reasons to get your bee operation going.
-
-
teehee
-
-
A great find by Brigitta, posting it here.
I'm so glad she found it, I had no idea about some of this stuff.
10 Everyday Fruits and Vegetables that are Poisonous
-
-
-
-
by jasonwFriday, July 12, 2013, 7:40 pmHere is a quick tutorial on how to make elderberry syrup.Check out other great tutorials and recipes from Hank Shaw if your get inspired or order his book: Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast for wonderful ideas on eating wild foods and preparing incredible dishes.Also check out and join the conversation about harvesting and using elderberries here at PP: http://www.peakprosperity.com/discussion/82322
© 2025 Created by Dawn Marie.
Powered by
