92 replies to this topic

[PureCajunSunshine]

Are you a seed-saver? Here's another use for junk mail envelopes: cut into half, they make dandy seed envelopes. Fold over the cut edge and seal it with that new-fangled removable tape.

[PureCajunSunshine]

You know those hot pepper sauce bottles with the screw/flip caps that have a tiny hole for shaking out drops of the precious elixir? I clean and reuse them. They are great for holding a manageable amount of bleach to keep handy in the kitchen or bathroom. You can sanitize stuff in a hurry. Grab the bottle, shake out a few drops and go! No more lugging the big bleach bottle for small jobs...

I do the same with ammonia. A few drops sprinkled onto a sponge cuts grease in a hurry! A few wipes of ammonia makes short work of cleaning stovetops, too.

Edited by PureCajunSunshine, 09 April 2009 - 10:00 AM.

[Purdy Bear]

Turned some old towels into dusters, another one into a kneeling pad for the garden, and some for the dogs.


Id love to know what other people use them for.

[indy gal preps]

I cut up old towels in a size to fit my swiffer sweeper-when finished cleaning just throw them in the washer.Much cheaper than buying those refills.

[ROSARYCHAPLET]

here is what i do to save money. now that my daughter is practically potty trained it is no longer necessary to use a full baby wipe on her. therefore i am able to divide the sheet up to four squares. for my own personal use i do similarly. however there is always one week where i can not and should not use only one fourth.

when you open a can of tuna save the can. why? i found this in frugal living thanks to HILLBILLY HOUSEWIFE. out of electricity, gone camping, batteries are out? use that empty can of tuna to help light the way. pour a little oil in there. cut a thin strip of cloth and put it in the oil. leave a little slightly out after dipping; then light the cloth. i tried it this works. only i ended up cutting a soda can in half. well a tuna can would work better because you don't have to worry about jagged edges.

[Cat]

I think I would much rather invest in a cheap oil lamp with a glass chimney instead of having an open flame around children and/or pets. Open flames can be *so* tempting, and in an emergency situation, we may have other things to attend to and not watch closely enough.

I like to save my tuna cans for making fire starters... it can be hard to start a campfire outside. (Hmmm, need to find the link here... ) Or cut perfect biscuits or cookies with them.

[vigilant20]

I think I would much rather invest in a cheap oil lamp with a glass chimney instead of having an open flame around children and/or pets. Open flames can be *so* tempting, and in an emergency situation, we may have other things to attend to and not watch closely enough.

I was just thinking about oil lamps. I think I'm going to order a hanging ones from lehmans rather than get a table one. Even with just a cat I'm worried about a glass one on a table. Plus my house has at least 4 hooks in the ceiling in every room...lol...the previous owner really loved hooks.

[Cat]

I keep one always ready to use in my bathroom, on the back of the toilet. It's on a non-burnable surface, and it's where I most often need it, because our bathroom has no window. There are others I can bring out into other rooms.

[The Raven]

Save plastic cups from beverages at stores (such as 7-11 or fast food). These make great protective tents when a late frost is threatening your seedlings. They act like mini-greenhouses. Remember to remove the cup as soon as it is warm enough or you will scorch the plants.

I save my large plastic gatorade and juice bottles; I cut the bottoms out of them and they make good cloches for small plants. With some of the jugs you can remove the bottoms and tops, leaving the center ring. Press this slightly into the soil around the base of the plant and it creates a protective barrier around the stalk and lower leaves. For the cloches, as Momo said, remember to remove them as the weather warms so you don't burn your plants.

[GirlNextDoor]

I posted this someplace but, can't find it. I saw a link on instructables about folding plastic grocery store bags in the same way you would fold a flag at the end of the day. I have a gallon ziploc storage bag to store them in and am fast approaching quadruple capacity with more room to go as opposed to just cramming bags in.

I finally figured out how to load pics from my camera to my computer.

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[GirlNextDoor]

20 ounce soda bottles. I live in an apartment that will not allow bird feeders and I can't garden so mini green houses are out. When i am a big grown up homesteader I will be able to make free solar tube lights like this:


Here is a solar heater for daytime made of empty soda cans painted black: http://ecotechdaily....some-soda-cans/

[Momo]

A friend of ours got a new roof after the tornado came through here last spring. He offered my DH his old gutters if he wanted them. We picked them up the other day and DH installed them on the inside wall of our greenhouse a little above eye level. (He didn't want to tie up valuable normal height areas). These little "troughs" are perfect for cutting lettuce ar any other plants that don't have deep roots. You may want to plug the ends before you use them.

[Momo]

Recycle parts of your microwave. If your microwave bites the dust and it has a turntable, you can make a lazy susan out of the glass dish and the little plastic thing under it. Or you can use the glass plate for a serving platter.

[Momo]

Our gutter garden has been copied by all of our friends. We have mounted several of ours on our porch railing right outside the kitchen, so it is easy for me to get my salad cuttings.

[GirlNextDoor]

20 ounce soda bottles. I live in an apartment that will not allow bird feeders and I can't garden so mini green houses are out. When i am a big grown up homesteader I will be able to make free solar tube lights like this:


Here is a solar heater for daytime made of empty soda cans painted black: http://ecotechdaily....some-soda-cans/

http://videosift.com...-NO-electricity

[snapshotmiki]

I am definitely trying that Girl Next Door!!! Have to find a black film container and I won't hang it in the roof but it sure sounds good. Have you tried it?

[GirlNextDoor]

No. You have to hang it in the roof and putty it in. It's a low cost solar tube. LOL!

[snapshotmiki]

I might set it outside during the day and see if it glows at night.

[Christy]

I might set it outside during the day and see if it glows at night.

Lol, only if you catch fireflies in it Miki

[indy gal preps]

I went to Goodwills 1/2 off sale and bought some bedroom curtains and matching sheets. I tore these into 4 inch wide strips and am crocheting them into rugs. A lot of fabric for a little price!