Tag Archives: Make-It-Yourself

FREE Biodegradable Seed Pots – Repurposing Cardboard Tubes

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 
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Over the years I’ve used various containers for starting seeds, including repurposed plastic yogurt cups & such. But I loved those little pots you can drop into the soil – pot, plant and all. How convenient!

But I wanted a free version. So I’ve started planting my seeds in repurposed cardboard toilet paper rolls. They’re biodegradable, the earthworms love the paper when it’s in the garden, and they’re absolutely FREE!

When it’s time to put my precious seedlings into the garden that the whole shootin’ match – cardboard tube & all – can be placed in the soil!

The cardboard will simply decompose and further enrich the soil. I like that!

Plant Seeds In Cardboard Tubes and you can drop seedlings - tube & all right in the garden! Cardboard will decompose and enrich the soil #TexasHomesteader

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Snowman Treat Jar Makes A Quick, Fun Gift

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by Texas Homesteader~ 

We’ve moved away from gifts of toys for our grandkids for Christmas. Instead we now give experience gifts to them. It’s been such a wonderful change.

We get to spend time with our grandkids and create memories for Christmas instead of giving just another toy to be broken & forgotten in no time.

But these excursions aren’t often on the schedule until AFTER the big day. RancherMan & I hate gathering for Christmas and having nothing other than a scheduled event to give to our beloved grandbabies.

So in addition to their experience gift, we usually give them a little sumpin’ on Christmas day. This year I thought it would be fun for that sumpin’ to be a snowman treat jar.

Last-Minute Christmas gift idea - Snowman Treat Jar - fill a repurposed jar with sweetened popcorn, peanuts, etc. Wrap a scarf & paint some buttons. #TexasHomesteader

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Natural Wax-Dipped Pinecone Fire Starters

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by Texas Homesteader~ 

I wanted to make a pretty basket of natural wax-dipped pinecone fire starters. These are for our own use, but they make wonderful, inexpensive and very functional gifts too.

My garden basket isn’t used in the winter months. And I had a supply of pinecones I’d gathered for decorative purposes and a couple of half-burned pillar candles that I couldn’t even give away.

Let’s DO THIS!

Waxed Pinecone fire starters made by dipping pinecones in wax #TexasHomesteader

 

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Homemade Dog Shampoo – Regular & Dry Skin Formulas

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by Texas Homesteader~
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I like to make my own products instead of buying whenever possible. And although dog shampoo is not expensive, I’d love to be in control of the ingredients. We’ve all heard the horror stories of cheap products with questionable ingredients that have harmed pets.

Our needs for dog shampoo are slight. We only have one small dog. But she’s a cutie, let me tell ya!

Meet Bailey, our beloved mini-Schnauzer.

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How To Make & Personalize An Oak Cutting Board

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by Texas Homesteader ~

This past Christmas our primary homemade gift to our children & other loved ones was homemade Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese. (Be watching, I’ll be sure to share our different flavor recipes including our trial-n-error steps)

But how to present the cheese to our gift recipients? When RancherMan & I were brainstorming about presentation ideas, we decided we wanted a cheeseboard to go with our gift. So we started looking online.

We were pretty surprised at how expensive even a very small cheeseboard was. Even at the discount shops.

Plus – as is our norm – we really wanted to personalize them anyway. So we decided to make the cutting boards ourselves.

How to make your own oak cutting board. We presented these cheeseboards with our homemade cheeses as a very personal homemade gift. #TexasHomesteader

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Arrowhead Collage In A Wooden Box

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by Texas Homesteader~

Many of you know we lost my brother very unexpectedly recently. It’s always so hard to grapple with the loss of a loved one in these circumstances.

My brother was an accomplished flint-knapper. He hand-made many arrowhead works of art. Of course he signed each and every one to differentiate between his perfection at his art and actual American Indian artifacts.

After his passing I wanted to make gifts for my parents from his beautiful work.

I'm showing how to make an arrowhead collage. This is the second one I've done with my brother's arrowheads. It turned out beautifully. #TexasHomesteader
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Arrowhead Cross Collage In A Shadow Box Frame

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by Texas Homesteader ~

I wanted to make a very sentimental gift for my mother. Y’all know I always prefer to make my gifts homemade. But I’m not really the creative type. So I struggle mightily with being able to figure out the perfect gift.

But this time I think my gift was perfect. You see, my brother, an accomplished flintknapper, had recently passed away.

So I took arrowheads that my brother had flint-knapped years ago and arranged them into a cross collage for her. Come see how I was able to fashion this gift using only supplies I had at home.

I made this sentimental gift for my mother using just what we had at the house. I designed an arrowhead cross to go into a frame that was painted & distressed #TexasHomesteader

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Easiest Self-Sufficiency Steps To Take NOW!

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

So many are now practicing voluntary simplicity. They’re trying to do more things themselves. And many are trying to figure out how to provide things for themselves that they used to be able to buy. Sometimes such a drastic change can be overwhelming.

But take a deep breath. Today I’ll share with you the simplest self-sufficiency steps you can take now to begin providing for your own home and family.

These were the easiest steps for me when I first started on the path to Voluntary Simplicity. And if you’re just starting out I think they can help you too.

Easiest Self-Sufficiency and preparedness Steps - Many are trying to practice self sufficiency these days. Come see how to save money on groceries, necessities, and make things yourself #TexasHomesteadery on necessities, and make things yourself #TexasHomesteader

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