Homesteading Archives - Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Easily Fix Old Drill Batteries (To Work Like Brand New!)

June 13, 2017

I have an old DEWALT cordless drill. The battery no longer holds its charge. I contacted DEWALT ages back about a replacement battery but they quoted $85 PLUS P&P… I am sad to say that my trusty old drill has sat unused since. I purchased a new cheaper drill for half the price.

But all is not lost as thanks to the videos below, I am now able to breathe life back in to my trusty old DWALT drill! I can ‘hot rod’ and repair the battery for less than $20! I am over the moon! If you have an old battery drill, or any other battery power tool that’s no longer charging or holding its charge, DON’T pay top dollar for a replacement battery, or a new tool. Hot-rod the battery pack and replace the battery cells. It’s pretty straightforward to do. Watch the video below.

UPDATE: I have since stumbled across another video tutorial. This one shows how to upgrade your old NiCad battery drills etc, to lithium battery drills! This means you don’t need to purchase a new drill, to take advantage of the newer, much improved lithium battery technology. You can simply upgrade your old drill’s battery by replacing the battery cells in it.

How To Hotrod a Cordless Drill Battery (Replace The Battery Cells!)

Upgrade Old NiCad Powertool Batteries To Lithium Batteries

190+ Homemade Seasoning & Spice Mix Recipes

May 2, 2017

Like most busy people, we always used to reach for a ready-made seasoning or spice mix to flavour our meals. A while back we made the decision to eat less processed foods and try to be a bit more healthy. One of the things we did was to start reading the ingredients on the foods we purchased. I think you need a chemistry degree to be able to interpret most food labels these days one of the things we found is that in lots of the seasoning and spice mixes we used, there is a huge amount of hidden sugar, salt and MSG.

At this point we decided to look into making our own homemade spice mixes and rubs etc. We found two things out WOW, freshly made home seasoning/spice mixes taste way better than store bought, and secondly, these homemade mixes are really quick and easy to make! Most of the dry mixes also keep for months when stored in sealed containers.

I searched online, and I discovered an amazing seasoning mix resource on the Budget101 website. At the time of writing, there are over 190+ DIY spice mixes, rubs and seasoning recipes for you to try. There literally is something for everyone! Check out the recipes themselves on the Budget101 website.

(Image from: Wikipedia)

How To Stay Warm: 25 Frugal Tips For Keeping Warm (UPDATED)

October 17, 2016

In the quest of saving money without sacrificing your comfort, many homeowners and renters alike are searching for ways to stay warm this winter without turning on, or turning up the heating at home. If you’ve been searching for how to keep warm on a tight budget, save on your energy bills this winter whilst remaining warm and cozy with these 25 effective ways of staying warm sans your heating unit.

If you heat your home via a wood fire or wood burning stove, be sure to check out our post: How to get totally free firewood to heat your home. I can honestly say that we have more than enough firewood to get us all the way through the winter, and it didn’t cost a penny. Combine free firewood with the ways to stay warm below, and you’ll be warm and cozy in even the worst weather.

How To Stay Warm This Winter: 25 Tips And Tricks

1.) Wear Multiple Layers of Clothes – now is not the time to strut around in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Dress in multiple layers to keep your core temperature comfortably warm.

2.) Don’t Forget Your Socks – according to the University of San Diego, if you have cold feet, you’re going to be cold. Keep warm by wearing thick wool socks

3.) Keep Your Oven Door Open – after baking, keep your oven door open to let its heat circulate throughout your kitchen. The smaller your home, the better this technique works.

4.) Eat Hot Soups – raise your core temperature by consuming hot soup on cold winter days.

5.) Don’t Skip the Coffee or Tea – along with the caffeine boost, hot coffee or tea keeps you warm from the inside. Want to avoid stimulants? Drink decaffeinated coffee or tea.

6.) Open Your Window Curtains or Blinds – during the day, open curtains or blinds to let warm sunlight naturally heat your home.

7.) Treat Windows to Capture and Safeguard Heat – install special window treatments to capture and retain heat within your home. Improperly treated windows can let a vast amount of heat escape into the cold winter nights.

8.) Close Window Curtains and Blinds at Night – prevent Father Winter from stealing your heat by closing window blinds and curtains at night when temperatures drop. Making some thermal curtains from an old comforter is one of the best low-cost ways to keep warm and stop heat from escaping from doors and windows.

Sure it’s a very simple solution, but often the simple things are worth talking about and focusing on. Sometimes things like making some DIY thermal curtains are so simple they are often overlooked, but if you have a cold, draughty house, some thick thermal curtains will make a huge difference if you hang some over your doors and windows. This is a good project to get working on now before it starts to get really cold.

Making your own DIY thermal curtains doesn’t really get much easier than this – an old comforter, a bit of sewing and a few hooks and you are all but done. You can pick up old comforters from Craigslist and thrift stores etc, you can probably even get them for free if you ask around… Check out a tutorial here: Cheap DIY Energy-Saving Thermal Curtains

9.) Stay Active – clean your home or exercise whenever you feel the sting of coldness. By staying active, you’ll naturally increase your core temperature.

10.) Increase Humidity in Your Home – humidity increases the temperature within your home. Therefore, skip your space heater and turn on an energy-efficient humidifier

11.) Reverse Ceiling Fan Circulation – instead of keeping your ceiling fan turned off, reverse its circulation to push warm air down into your living space. This is effective after you’ve run your heater for a little while.

12.) Buffer Hard Floors With Blankets – while rugs are best if your budget doesn’t allow for this purchase, place blankets on bare floors to keep them warm.

13.) Keep Bathroom Doors Open When Showering – let the warm, humid air seep out into the rest of your home while showering by keeping your bathroom door open.

14.) Don’t Run Bathroom Ventilation Fans – while ventilation fans draw out unpleasant smells after using the bathroom, it also sucks out warm air. Light a candle to eliminate smells to keep your bathroom warm throughout winter months.

15.) Use Towels to Block Chilly Air – roll up a towel and place along the bottom of a door to stop drafts and heat leaks. Alternativelly, you could make some homemade door snakes/draft stoppers.

Here is an excellent tutorial showing how to make your own door snakes/draft stoppers. These door snakes are an excellent way to reduce the draft and cold which can come in through the gap at the bottom of your doors. These draft stoppers are cheap and easy to make, so now’s a great time to get making and sort out those drafty doors.

Full tutorial here: How To Make A DIY Door Snake (Draft Stopper)

(Photo from: 17 Apart)

16.) Keep the Fireplace Flue Shut – prevent winter drafts by keeping your fireplace flue tightly shut.

17.) Enhance Your Bedding – change out your sheets for flannel and use a down comforter to stay warm during frosty winter nights.

18.) Warm a Bag of Beans – heat up a bag of beans in the microwave and place in your bed or against you while lounging on the couch. This is one of my favorite ways to keep warm and snug on a cold evening.

Another similar old school alternative is to use a soapstone to warm things up

Soapstone is an incredibly dense stone that is great for absorbing, storing and radiating heat back. It can be warmed up in the fire/oven and unlike a hot water bottle etc, it will radiate heat back and keep you warm for most of the night.

Unlike many rocks that hold moisture that can be dangerous to heat up, soap is so dense that it doesn’t absorb water, so it is perfectly safe to heat up, as demonstrated in the video above. If you don’t have heating, or your are lucky enough to have a cabin somewhere remote, this is a great way to warm your bed up and keep warm. Get some soapstone and give it a try!

(Image from: engineer775 Practical Preppers)

19.) Cover Your Head – much like your feet, heat escapes through your head. Wear a wool hat or beanie to keep your body toasty. It might seem strange to wear a hat indoors, but so much of your heat is lost through your head, so wearing a hat indoors is an excellent way to keep warm and retain your body temperature.

20.) Keep Door Shut – keep all the doors in your home shut. The smaller the space, the easier it is to keep warm.

21.) Stay Away From Windows – move furniture away from large windows to keep warm. Even treated windows emit cooler temperatures during the peak of winter.

21.) Stay Cozy – when lounging on your couch, cover with a warm blanket or sleeping bag.

22.) Wear Slippers – in addition to wearing wool socks, keep your feet extra toasty when doing chores by wearing slippers.

23.) Install Clear Shower Curtains Over Windows – allow your home to absorb heat, and keep it in, by installing clear shower curtains over windows that receive direct sunlight.

24.) Add Insulation in Your Attic – keep heat from leaking out of your home by adding insulation to your attic or crawl space. Your house loses heat through the attic in a similar way in a similar way to how people lose heat through their head. If you can afford it, insulating your attic is one of the best investments with regards to staying warm this winter, you can make.

25.) Light by Candles – along with saving on energy costs by keeping your light off, candles also produce a decent amount of heat. While not as warm as a fireplace, these small heaters can keep your immediate area warm. Candles can be especially good for warming hands.

500+ Money Saving & Frugal Living Tips (HUGE Resource)

October 6, 2016

This is a money saving and frugal living ’round-up’ post. I have gone through all our shorter posts on frugal living etc and consolidated them into this one huge resource on money saving. There may well be some overlap on some tips, but overall I am fairly certain there is around 500 money saving tips and tricks here.

5 Things You Can Do Today To Save Money And Be More Self-Sufficient

For millions, the notion of living a more financially self-sufficient life is nothing more than just that – a notion. Existing free from the bounds of debt and comfort knowing you aren’t relying on anything other than yourself is a concept many desire, but few achieve. While the road of being financially self-sufficient is different for every person, achieving financial security and sufficiency begins at the same point for all adults.

The following five tips are geared to increase your savings account while simultaneously boosting your financial self-sufficiency in the modern world. Use these topics as the foundation for your personalized plan to reach financial stability and personal reliability.

Switch to a Better Bank

There’s a disturbing trend in the modern financial industry – fees. Whether it’s debit card fees, minimum account balance fees or the always mysterious, maintenance fees, banking institutions love to charge its customers for simply existing. While this may be true for many banks, there are a select few who offer stellar financial services without charging a fee for every action.

Research and switch to a bank that is fee-free and one that offers a decent interest on checking and savings accounts. Take your time researching the best bank for you. Much like your financial life, banks are unique and cater to specific financial situations. You can also research and switch insurance companies and energy suppliers. We saved $800 a year switching to a better energy tariff…

Create a Daily Budget (In Cash)

For many, the word ‘budget’ is nothing more than a fancy way of setting unachievable goals. The art form of budgeting is not easily acquired, yet it’s necessary to truly save money and become self-sufficient. Take an afternoon and review your monthly bills and expenses on all items (including food, drinks, entertainment activities, etc.). From here, subtract this total from your monthly income. Subtract a little extra for unexpected expenses.

The remaining balance is your expendable income. To ensure you actually spend within this limit, create a daily ”petty’ cash envelope. In an envelope for each day of the week, place the amount of cash you’re able to spend for that day. This method is a relative thought-free way of staying within your daily spending budget.

Fatten Your Piggy (Don’t Be Quick To Dismiss)

Now that you’re conducting your daily spending with cash instead of debit or credit, you’re bound to end up with a fair amount of loose change. Focus on placing this change into your piggy bank. Did you know that by placing aside fifty cents per day for a year, you’ll be at almost 40% of the recommended $500 emergency savings account? Become diligent in saving loose change and leftover bills, and you’ll soon be sitting on a significant amount of cash.

Keep Your Car in Top-Notch Shape

It’s no secret that a well-maintained car lasts substantially longer than a neglected vehicle. However, did you know that by keeping your car tuned-up results in saving money and making you more self-sufficient? By keeping tires properly inflated and the engine maintained, it’s possible to save hundreds in gas purchases each year.

Not only does a properly maintained vehicle save you money on required maintenance and expenditures, but a reliable mode of transportation is among best ways to solidify your self-sufficiency. Take care of your vehicle and watch it care for your livelihood.

Weatherproof Your Home

Regardless of where you live, the weather has a tendency to become extreme. Whether it’s blistering heat or bone-chilling cold, you likely spend hundreds on annual heating and cooling costs. Reduce your monthly utility bills by weatherproofing your home. Because all homes are unique, the exact process to make your residence efficient can vary. Spend time researching various weatherproofing techniques and adopt a system to save you money and sustain the comfort and viability of your home.

46 Penny-Pinching Ways To Save A Lot Of Money This Year

The little things really add up. Admit it, there’s a small part of you that relates to the ladies on Extreme Couponing. I read a great blog on how to save money by doing simple DIY projects, tips on how to reuse old things and awesome ways of saving money by doing simple things to items you already have.

Also, remember, times will only get harder and items only cost more, so save money now to have more money for later down the road. This way of saving money will help you if an emergency were to happen and you had to cut back on spending or even if SHTF.

More here: 46 Penny-Pinching Ways To Save A Lot Of Money This Year

100 Painless Ways To Save Money And Live More Frugally

Times are hard, goods and services are expensive but money is short. The rich are still getting richer, and the poor are still treading water, trying to keep their head in the air…

The things is, you don’t have to be living right on the bread-line to be concerned with saving money and living more frugally. It makes perfect economic sense for everyone, no matter what their wealth, to not waste their money. To be honest, I believe that living a more frugal life is also better for the soul, it is a more satisfying way to live. If you’d like to save some money and live a little more frugally, check out the post below.

See: 100 Painless Ways To Save Money And Live More Frugally

(Photo from: Tax Credits)

50 Nifty DIY Tricks To Save Loads Of Money

Some of these ideas cost nothing, but they result in improved performance and reduced costs. Shortening your dryer hose for example – it costs nothing but will save around $25 a year and make your clothes dry 20% quicker. That said, if the weather is good, you should hang your clothes outdoor to dry for even bigger savings!

My point is – there are loads of free/low-costDIY things you can do that can save you big money. The link below contains 50 DIY money saving tricks in categories of how much money they will save you, $50, $150, $250 and $500 a year. Check out the list below.

Find out more: 50 Nifty DIY Tricks To Save Loads Of Money

(Image from: Alan Cleaver)

100 Great Tips For Saving Money

There are so many ways we can save money, but often we are so stuck in our old ways and routines, that we miss the most obvious ways to save money… For example – we have saved $1000s a year by sitting down once a year and reviewing things like loans, utility bills, and insurance. We get the paperwork out, check the numbers and then go online and use one of those comparison websites which help find the best deal. A few hours doing this once a year can save $1000s.

It’s not just the big things, though – a friend of mine was telling me how much debt he was in etc, but then later in the conversation he mentioned that he buys his lunch from a local deli each day on the way to work. I asked why he doesn’t pack a lunch at home to save money and he said he couldn’t be bothered and it wouldn’t save that much money anyway. This kind of thinking is crazy though as $10 a day is $50 a week (5 day week) and that’s over $2500 a year. Little things add up!

If you save some money, check out the post below which lists 100 genuinely useful tips, to help you cut your cloth to fit.

Read: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money

41 Green Ways To Save Money ($1000s Each Year!)

It seems quite obvious to me that we are screwing our planet up at a rate far greater than previous generations. Lots of people also seem to be struggling and a lot less well off now too. Therefore if there are things you can do that save you money AND save the environment, surely that’s a no-brainer? It’s a win, win.

The post below contains 41 little things you can do that will save you big money and enable you to do your little bit to help safeguard the planet. I am a parent and I believe it is especially important for our children to see us doing these little ethical things that help us and the environment. Just like if you get them to eat healthily at a young age sets lifelong habits, so can this. Set a good example now and they will carry it on in the future.

Read: 41 Green Ways To Save Money ($1000s Each Year!)

(Image from: Greatist)

27 Ways To Save Some Money

Money is tight for most people, and there’s no buts about it, times are getting tough…

If you are feeling the pinch (especially after Christmas), head over to One Good Thing By Jillee and read her excellent article detailing 27 (do-able) ways to save a bit of money this year. Great advice, make sure you check it out!

Find out more: 27 Ways To Save Some Money

(Image from One Good Thing By Jillee)

High-Deductible Health Plan: How To Cut Costs & Save Money

Ok so this is a break from the norm on Knowledge Weighs Nothing, but I saw this and I thought that with the 30,000 daily visitors to K.W.N, this can really help a lot of folks struggling with their high-deductible health plans. In fact, I guess unless you have an HDHP, you probably wouldn’t be here reading this. Anyway, we’ll see how popular this post is…

Anyway, the link below contains post written by Insure.com that includes lots of help, advice, and tips on how to cut costs and save money on your health care if you have an HDHP. If you just ignore the Insure.com advertising and free quote boxes, there is some great free information to be had here.

(Image from: Wikipedia)

Home DIY: How To Do Home Repairs Yourself To Save Money

So often when something at home breaks and needs repairing, we just phone a tradesman (or woman) and pay them to do the work for us… You shouldn’t be afraid to do a little home DIY, as many tasks are pretty simple and straightforward, especially with Google as your friend. A quick Google and you can often diagnose the issue, and a lot of the time someone has created a DIY tutorial for you to follow.

In the last year, with the help of Google, the home DIY tasks that I have done myself include: replacing a toilet, replacing a power-shower pump, laying a wood floor, building decking in the garden and fixing my computer and my wife’s laptop several time. My point is – you don’t always have to pay someone else to do the work, with the internet, lots of these tasks are easy to do yourself.

Here’s what I do –

If it is a broken appliance (washing machine, dishwasher, computer etc), I get the make and model and Google the specific issue. For example – ‘Sony Vaio S1 laptop not booting up’. When you do this you will usually find loads of posts and forum threads where people have had the same issue. They often also include the DIY repair and how to do it. A little research is all that is required.

If it is a home DIY task (fitting a new toilet, laying a floor etc), I simply Google how to do the task. For example – ‘DIY guide to laying laminate wood flooring’. Again you will usually find loads of guides and tutorials showing how to do the task you need to get done.

All that is up to you is deciding whether your level of DIY skill is up to the task of following the instructions you have found online. If it is, do the work yourself and save loads of money. If it’s not, bite the bullet and pay a professional to do the work for you…

(Image from: Wikipedia)

200 Tips & Ideas For Living More Frugally & Saving Money

Everyone likes saving a bit of money, but these days, most of us HAVE to save money each month, just to get by… Times are hard and the ability to be able to cut costs and live more frugally is becoming more important than ever. Living frugally doesn’t necessarily mean going without, often it can mean having more for less, gardening for example – you can grow and have more food for less.

There are so many things you can do to live more frugally and cut costs. In fact, almost every single thing you do each day can be evaluated to see if there is a cheaper, better way of doing it. Below are two posts from ‘The Parsimonious Princess’ that list 200 ways to live a more frugal life.

See: 100 Painless Ways To Live More Frugally & 100 MORE Painless Ways To Live More Frugally

(Image from: StockMonkeys.com)

9 Frugal Living Tips From The Great Depression

I read somewhere the other day the frugal living was going to be the new ‘in’ trendy thing for 2014. It’s nice for some to be able to play at having to live frugally, but for many of us, it is simply a way of life, not a trendy lifestyle choice…

Anyway, regardless of whether it’s a trendy choice or a necessity for you, below is a post listing 9 frugal living tips that folks had to rely on during the Great Depression. Actually, when I go through the list, I am starting to think that maybe choosing to live this way as a lifestyle choice (rather than having too!), isn’t such a bad thing after all. I think the world might be a better place if we took on some of these values.

(Image from: Wikipedia)

The Fine (and Frugal) Art of Repurposing Leftovers

Have you ever been really poor? I don’t mean “I can’t afford Starbucks until my next paycheck” poor. I mean “Should I buy food or pay the electric bill before the power gets shut off” poor. If so, this is a great article to read to make leftovers stretch your food budget. There are even some recipes on there so you can make leftovers even more “yummy”

Times get hard sometimes but if you are doing well with money, this is a great way to start preparing for an emergency situation because money will have no value or there will be no food to buy.

Find out more: The Fine (and Frugal) Art of Repurposing Leftovers

Picture Credit: Muffet

11 Couponing Tips That Will Save You Thousands

If you are not couponing, you are throwing money away each and every week. The mistake many people make is thinking that a coupon here and a coupon there, isn’t going to make much of a difference and therefore couponing is not worth the effort. The thing is – if you actively seek out coupons and shop wisely, you can easily save around $200 each month… A $2400 a year saving for a bit of couponing seems a no-brainer to me.

If you want to switch from cashing the odd coupon here and there, to being a couponing pro who saves big each month, I highly recommend heading over to ‘Live Like You Are Rich’ and checking out their couponing guide. I guarantee it will save you money!

(Image from: Live Like You Are Rich)

Feed A Family Of 6 For Less Than $400 A Month (Including Diapers!)

There are two lots of people reading this – one is going ‘blah feeding a family of 6 for $400 is easy’, and the others are going ‘how on earth do you feed a family of six for just $400 a month?’

The things is, if you eat low-quality food it is easy to feed a family on very little money, but the post below from ‘Womanhood With Purpose’ explains how Bernadette eats healthily, with lots of fruit, meats, and vegetables. The amazing thing is that her $400 a month budget also includes diapers and cleaning supplies. Find out how she does it below. I would also add that you could eat healthier and cheaper by also growing some of your own fruit and vegetables too!

Find our more: Feed A Family Of 6 For Less Than $400 A Month (Including Diapers!)

(Image from: Bernadette Veenstra via Womanhood With Purpose)

(Top Image from: 401(K) 2012)

23 Gardening Hacks, Tricks, & Tips (Plus: 3 Gardening Mistakes To Avoid)

September 30, 2016

For some, gardening comes naturally — for millions of others, it’s an endless array of trial-and-error. Whether or not you were born with an instinctual green thumb doesn’t mean you have to settle for a lackluster garden void of personality and beauty. If you’re searching for easy, innovative and amazing gardening tricks, continue reading for 23 insanely awesome hacks capable of turning your garden into an area of pride, beauty and fun!

The gardening tips, tricks, and hacks below are in no particular order. In fact, I think some of the best ones are further down the page!

Enhance Crop Yield with the Alaska Grow Bucket

There are few advancements in the art of growing that have gained quite as much attention as the Alaska Grow Bucket. This simple system utilized contained growing environments while delivering concentrated amounts of plant feed through a gravity fed vinyl tubing system. Moreover, this streamlined operation ensures plants are constantly watered, fed and drained through its self-watering irrigation system, which by the way does not require electricity. Through its unique design – and cost-effective materials – the Alaska Grow Bucket system can significantly improve the quantity and quality of crop yields without costing you an arm-and-a-leg.

Streamline Watering to Enhance Crop Yields

Tomatoes are one of the most common – and desired – vegetables for any home gardener. While these plants are relatively easy to cultivate, many find their annual yields disappointing. If you wish to dramatically enhance your overall yield, you must alter how you grow and water these delicious vegetables. This method, as outlined by Home Talk .

Begin by setting up a circular wire cage – typically for growing tomatoes. Next, drill three to five holes in large container, such as a garbage can, and place the container in the middle of the growing area. Plant your tomato plants around the can. Fill the garbage can with compost and fill with water. The water slowly leaks through the holes in the bottom of the container and feeds the root systems nutrient-rich water. Refill the container every two days and watch your tomato yield quadruple with this technique.

Grow Vertically – Simple and Yield Producing Strawberry Tube Planter

As strawberry season quickly approaches, many are looking for ways to maximise their fruit production. One of the biggest problems many gardeners face – especially those in urban environments – is space. However, with the vertical strawberry tube planter you can grow delicious strawberries within a fraction of the space required. How, you may ask? By growing vertically. With materials such as PCV downpipes, rubber tubing and duct tape, you’re able to create a stable vertical growing space ideal for strawberries. While these growing spaces are available for commercial purchase, making your own is cheap, easy and actually fun.

Grow Potatoes Anywhere with Huge Yields – Living Fence Posts

Potatoes are one of the most flexible vegetables, and also one of the easiest to grow. However, as many urban farmers and those with smaller yards understand, these delicious and versatile vegetables typically won’t grow in their allotted space. However, much like the strawberry hack listed above, you can grow a significantly potato harvest by choosing to go vertical.

The living fence post, as outlined by ~~Growing Lots Urban Farm~~ (unfortunately, this post is offline at the moment) showcases an easy and effective method for growing up to 25 pounds of potatoes within a wire cage no bigger than those used to grow tomato plants. By filling the cage with soil and surrounding it with hay, you can create the ideal growing environment for the potato plant. While this may be slightly on the advanced-side for new gardeners, after a few tries you’ll soon have a vibrant and successful potato harvest.

Vertical Barrel Planters – An Easy Guide for Maximum Crop Yields

For millions, the desire to maximize their gardening yield is very real; however, either due to space or financial reasons, they’re unable to plant the number of plants necessary for large harvests. However, the introduction of vertical gardening has literally changed the way countless gardeners approach gardening.

Vertical barrel planters are relatively easy to create, and due to its ability to maximize space, you can yield substantial harvests in a surprisingly little space. After reading this tutorial – watching its accompanying video – you’ll have the knowledge needed to delve into this effective way of maximizing yields, even in the smallest of yards.

Multiply Your Garlic Crop – With Only One Bulb

Transforming one garlic bulb into a thriving crop is far easier than you may think. Garlic is one of the most popular culinary ingredients; however, its use as a medicine is just as powerful – and supported by medical and Herbalism communities. Because of this, cultivating your own garlic crop should be a priority within your gardening list.

To start, simply take an organic garlic bulb and break it down to reveal its included garlic cloves. Each clove you see can be grown into a healthy garlic plant. Simply plant the garlic clove with the pointed tip pointing toward the sky. Now, cover the clove and watch your new supply of garlic grow!

Unleash Your Onions by Growing Vertically

As you can probably tell, vertical growing is one of the most effective ways to maximize harvests even in the smallest growing space. If you wish to increase your onion yields, then you should take a look at vertical growing as outlined by Fresh Organic Gardening. This method involves a plastic bottle filled with soil and onion sprouts. Throughout a simple process, you’ll soon have more fresh onions than you know what to do with.

Aquaponics System – An Easy and Effective Approach

Hydroponics is an advanced growing technique where plants thrive in water, not soil. If you’re looking to explore the next generation of farming, then this is an adventure for you. Aquaponic grow systems, as outlined by Five Gallon Ideas, is a fully organic way of growing almost any plant you can imagine. Because this method does not destroy soil, it’s a truly sustainable way to grow plants. While there are many hydroponic systems available on the open market, some of the most effective are those you make at home with common materials. Using the guide outlined in the aforementioned post, you’ll soon have a thriving hydroponic system without having to spend thousands on advanced products or technologies.

Biodegradable Planters Out of Old Toilet Paper Rolls

Looking for a way to enhance the appearance of your garden while simultaneously repurposing an everyday item? Click Here for step-by-step instructions on how to turn old toilet paper rolls into the perfect Earth-friendly planter.

Add Some Personality With Custom Moss Graffiti

For some, moss is a nuisance, while for many others, this small green growth can produce visually stunning results. Why not call upon the power of nature to invigorate your garden with personal messages or designs. All you need is a location with ample sunlight and an easy mixture of buttermilk, sugar and water (or even beer). Explore step-by-step directions Here.

Lemon Rind Seedlings

Wish there was an easy way to start a seedling without having to purchase additional products? You’re in luck! This simple guide shows you how to support healthy seedlings within a lemon rind.

Gallon Jug Watering Spot

Perfectly watering your garden can be difficult if you don’t have the proper tools. The most successful homesteading or urban farming ventures are those which repurpose everyday items – like a gallon water or milk jug. This simple guide shows you how to make the perfect watering can with gallon jugs.

Gallon Jug Transformation Into a Gardening Shovel

Need effective gardening tools, but you’re low on cash? No problem, A Farm of Your Home features a simple way to transform old plastic gallon jugs into gardening shovels, trays and plant tags.

Store Bought Basil Plant Cuttings

One of the most exciting qualities of freshly bought herbs is its ability to be replanted for homegrown herbs. None are as successful at this venture than freshly bought basil. This easy to follow guide clearly explains how to plant store-bought basil cuttings.

Shower Caddie Hanging Gardens

Don’t have a lot of space for traditional gardens? Time to go vertical! This guide details how to transform an everyday shower caddie into a vibrant and productive hanging garden.

Shoe Rack Vertical Gardening

Urban farmers and homesteaders must maximize every square inch of their garden. Vertical gardening is the way to go, and This easy-to-follow guide gives step-by-step instructions for transforming your shoe rack into a high-yielding vegetable garden.

Towel Garden Watering Technique

Going out of town for a few days (or feeling a little lazy)? Don’t let your plants suffer. This insanely clever trick helps keep your garden freshly watered while you’re away through the use of everyday paper towels.

Sweeten Tomatoes With Baking Soda

Taking the tartness out of homegrown tomatoes has never been easier – or more cost effective. The Gardening Cook offers a simple guide to sweeten tomatoes without the use of expensive, or toxic, ingredients.

Prepare Pots for Optimum Plant Health & Growth

So you’ve just bought several gorgeous planting pots to add a sense of drama and beauty to your backyard? Before you insert your delicate plants, it’s imperative to prepare the pots. Instead of using chemical treatments, reach for items you already have. Combine equal parts of water, rubbing alcohol and white vinegar into a spray bottle. Apply a liberal amount into the pot and thoroughly scrub to remove clay pot salt deposits. Place the wet pot in direct sunlight to dry. Once fully dry, insert your plants and watch them grow.

Protect Your Plants from Winter’s Frozen Grasp

Sudden frosts and freezing temperatures can literally destroy young and mature plants. While there are many ways to protect your plants from freezing temperatures, save time and money by using gardening items you already have. Simply place a bucket or clay pot over the plants to protect them from frost and freezing temperatures.

Feed Plants with Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soup is a wonderful addition to any Fall and Winter meal plan; however, did you know there’s an effective fertilizer derived from the very plants you wish to grow? Next time you boil your vegetables, don’t throw away the used water. Rather, allow the water to cool to room temperature and pour directly at the base of plants. The nutrients extracted from the boiling process work wonders to promote healthy growth and maximize fruit production.

Prevent Fungus With a Spot of Tea

Tired of fungus destroying your plants? Want an effective way to eliminate fungus without turning to synthetic and chemical treatments? If so, simply make a cup of chamomile tea. After brewing a batch of organic chamomile tea, pour the cooled tea into a spray bottle and apply directly along the base and branches of your plants. Perform this treatment once-a-week to ward off fungal growth. This is an especially effective gardening technique for young seedlings. Need a stronger anti-fungal treatment? Dissolve a single aspirin tablet in 1 quart of water and spray around the base of the plant or directly on fungus to immediately kill fungus spores while protecting the plant from future infection.

Keep Pot Soil Where It Belongs With Coffee Filters

If you’ve ever tried caring for potted plants, you’ve likely found the soil leakage to be a problem. If gone unchecked, essential nutrients can seep out of the pot holes, which results in weak and damaged plants; no good for any plant, but especially herbs and small vegetable plants. Prevent this situation with a common household ingredient – coffee filters. Place an appropriately sized coffee filter along the base of the pot before adding soil. The filter keeps soil in the pot while allowing water and wastes to easily drain.

BONUS Section: The Top 5 Gardening Mistakes

There’s a lot to learn about gardening, and while some people are naturally inclined with a green thumb, the rest of us learn through a never-ending series of trial-and-error. Although there are literally thousands of pages detailing what you must do to keep your garden healthy and happy, there aren’t very many resources detailing what you should never do.

If you’re just starting out in the world of gardening and wish to make this transition as seamless and productive as possible, then continue reading to uncover the top 3 most common gardening mistakes, which are guaranteed to ruin your garden.

Mistake #1 | Grand Visions Without Grand Knowledge

Perhaps one of the most common mistakes made by new gardeners is simply starting off too big. While you may have a grand vision of what you wish your garden to look like, without proper experience, equipment and knowledge, what starts off in good intentions will quickly lead to frustration, headaches and a garden that’s disappointing.

The best way to begin a gardening strategy is to start small within your first year. Use this as a growing opportunity, for not only your plants but also your knowledge. You’ll find honing your gardening skills to be far easier on a smaller scale. As you grow in your abilities, slowly add more plants and begin detailing the garden of your dreams.

Mistake #2 | Foregoing Sunlight Recommendations

Sure, there’s a little wiggle room when it comes to the exact amount of sunlight needed to grow healthy, vibrant plants. However, the most common mistake made by novice gardeners is to completely ignore light requirements. Every plant features unique light requirements, and if you do not actively work to satisfy these requirements, then you’ll soon find yourself standing among a garden of dead or ailing plants.

The first step in preventing this problem is to learn the layout of your garden. How much sunlight do specific areas receive? It’s only with this knowledge are you able to purchase plants and position them in the best location based upon their unique needs.

Mistake #3 | Over or Under-Fertilizing Your Plants

There are few mistakes capable of completely destroying the health and yield of your garden than over or under-fertilizing the plants. Although fertilizer is an essential component for a healthy and happy garden, misuse of its ingredients can literally burn plants at their core.

The variables that go into determining the best type of fertilizer are just as varied as the plants themselves. Too much, too little, incorrect timing and the wrong type of fertilizer will prove detrimental to the health of your garden. For example, all plants thrive on nitrogen to grow. Because of this, many fertilizers feature high-nitrogen content. While certain plants, such as lettuce, require high nitrogen fertilizers for optimum growth, the same amount of fertilizer will stimulate excessive top growth for other plants, which will reduce its fruiting potential.

Therefore, it’s imperative that you go easy on the fertilizer and do your research regarding the exact amounts needed for specific plants.

(Image from: Stacie)

Paracord Post Round-Up: Things To Make & Do With Paracord

September 28, 2016

Paracord: 101 Uses

You probably hear the word “paracord” a lot when you are studying survival training. It has achieved such an elevated status you would think paracord could single-handedly save a person and do the dishes all at the same time. While the material is pretty fantastic, it isn’t going to miraculously save anybody.

If you have done any research into survival training, you have probably heard numerous so-called experts touting the merits of paracord, including the fact there are over 100 uses for the strong rope. Unfortunately, those experts tend to only tell you or show you a handful. How much good does that do you?

For those who are sitting there thinking, “parawhat?” let me explain how valuable this tool truly is. You are probably familiar with the all-encompassing uses of duct tape. The same theory can be applied to paracord, which may also be referred to as 550 cord. The name comes from the idea the cord has a breaking point of 550 pounds.

So what is paracord? The cordage was originally used in parachute construction, hence the name. Because it was intended to be used as a strong, but some light-weight cord that is easily compacted and most importantly, reliable, it has become a hot commodity in the world of survival. It is so lightweight, you could literally carry 100-feet and never even notice.

Now, let’s get into what makes paracord so special. It is typically made of nylon. However, there are some types on the market that have been constructed with Kevlar. Seven inner strands are wrapped in a sheath to produce this highly-coveted tool. Each of those strands has a breaking strength of 30 pounds. Part of the reason paracord is so desirable is the fact you can separate the cord if needed.

Let’s refer back to the paracord’s strength. Keep in mind, breaking strength is not the same as working load. An easy way to remember this is a 5/1 ratio. If you need to lift 500 pounds, you would need cordage with a breaking strength of 2500 pounds.

As with almost anything on the market today, not all paracord is created equal and may not be constructed with the above-mentioned qualities, therefore making it a substandard product. Only buy military-strength paracord. If you are as excited about paracord as the rest of the survival community, check out the video to see 101 ways you really can use paracord.

How To Make A Paracord Survival Bracelet

Excellent video showing how to make your own paracord survival bracelet.

Do you know what? I am betting you are thinking it’s going to be difficult to do… If you follow the video you’ll see it is actually very easy to do. Surprisingly easy actually.

If you are going to bother making one, make sure you make it with official 550 paracord, as used in the military. Don’t use the cheaper stuff, get something you can rely on.

Make A DIY Paracord Watch Strap

I have done several posts about the uses of paracord and paracord bracelets, such as the review of the excellent: ‘Wazoo Survival Gear’ Minimalist Survival Bracelet. You can of course make your own paracord bracelet but if you are not into wearing an additional bracelet, how about making a paracord watch strap instead? If you are anything like me, you’re saying – why didn’t I think of that… A paracord watch strap, it is so obvious.

Anyway if you think it’s a good idea and you’d like to give it a go, head over to the Instructables website below and check out the detailed tutorial.

If you are going to bother making one, make sure you make it with official 550 paracord, as used in the military. Don’t use the cheaper stuff, get something you can rely on.

DIY Paracord Watch Strap

(Photo from: Strormdrane via Instructables)

Make A Paracord Belt With Carabiner Buckle

Everyone knows how useful paracord can be in a survival situation, but just in case, check out my earlier post: 101 Uses For Paracord (Seriously, there’s 101 uses listed here)

As a result paracord bracelets are particularly popular with preppers and those who practise survival skills. Paracord key-fobs and watch straps are also popular.

Whilst all of these a very useful, the amount of paracord you can carry is very limited. With this in mind, how about making a paracord belt! It’s a win, win, as a paracord belt can look really smart if you purchase a nice belt buckle (this belt is a bit more tactical and functional with a carabiner buckle) but the really great thing about a paracord belt is that it can hold over 100 feet of paracord! That’s right – 100 feet of paracord in one belt, that’s always with you.

If you are interested in making a paracord belt, head over to the Instructables website and check out mobiobi’s tutorial. Also, check out these great belt buckles and make a top notch belt!

Make A Paracord Belt With Carabiner Buckle

(Photo from: mobiobi via Instructables)

How To Make Paracord Handcuffs

A lot of us don’t carry handcuffs or even own any. If you were in an emergency situation and you needed to hold someone either for your family’s safety or to immobilize them so you could get away, chances are you will have paracord on you somewhere.

These are actually quite simple to make and i would carry a few ready made in my EDC kit or bug out bag. See how to make these below

How To Make Paracord Handcuffs

(Picture Credit: cooldog)

Make An Awesome Hanging Chair From Some Paracord & A Pallet

This is a brilliant idea, a great hanging chair made from a free pallet and a few dollars worth of 550 paracord.

I have done several posts about reusing old pallets for various things – The 5 Pallet Livestock Feeder and Recycle a Wooden Pallet to Use for Shoe/Boot Storage and a few other Facebook posts which didn’t make the website. I think this hanging chair might be the best of the lot though, as not only does it serve a purpose, it also looks awesome.

If you’d like to see how to build one yourself, head over to the Instructables website via the link below and have a look at the very detailed tutorial.

Make A Paracord Laced Pallet, Hanging Chair

If you are going to make one, make sure you use official 550 paracord, as used in the military. Don’t use the cheaper stuff, get something you can rely on.

(Photo from: Twotim221 via Instructables)

How To Make A Paracord Cross (Pendant / Necklace)

Everyone knows how useful paracord can be in a survival situation, and many of you have paracord bracelets, but today we’ve got something new to share…

These make excellent pendant style necklaces, or alternatively, you could hang one from your vehicle’s rear-view mirror. It’s a great way to keep 24 feet of paracord handy, just in case of emergency.

Check out the video below and get making. One of these would make an excellent gift for a loved one!