Free portable gardening table

This is a great idea if you want a standing gardening table. Buy a used ironing board and it stays folded up in your shed or garage when you don't need it and up in seconds when you do! I paid $2 for mine. Just double check before buying that it assembles and collapses easily.

Silverware on the go

Do you hate the idea of every piece of plastic tableware you use outliving you on the planet? I certainly do so I just designed this portable set to keep in my purse. Nicer for me to use and better for the environment AND (added bonus) it wraps into it's it' cotton and reusable napkin. I bought the siverware used and cleaned them. I cut a napkin out of thin cotton cloth I had and zig zag stiched the unfinished edges. Next I sewed on two buttons on one corner and then marked and sewed 4 button holes so you can wrap the silverware up like a burrito. After each use simply re-wrap, take home, wash the silverware and toss the napkin in the wash! I will add a reusable straw and chopsticks to complete my set. These would make great gifts for the environmentalist in your life too.

Tablet case from old book

I recently bought a new tablet but didn't want to spend a bunch of money on a case for it so I made my own from an old hardcover children's book. Beginning with the title page, I laid the tablet flat and I traced around it including half circles so I could still access the volume button and power button and accommodate the cord if it is charging. I cut out that shape page by page using an exacto knife. I then glued all the pages together and let it dry, weighted down with my sewing machine, overnight. This creates a nest for the tablet. I used double sided removable tape on the back of the tablet to affix it to the book. If I did it again I would select a thicker book but it works well! Protects the tablet and it is easy to hold.

Old maps used as shelf liners

When I moved into my house a previous owner had the adhesive sheets of shelf liners in the drawers of my kitchen. These looked faded and ugly but I didn't feel like trying to scrap them all off so I just laid non-adhesive liners over and I made my liners from free maps. It looks nice and can be cut to whatever width you want quite easily. Some not for profits send them in solicitations. Whenever I get another one I can replace any that are starting to look worn. Easy Peasy!!

Cheap ways to insulate old windows

If you live in a house with double hung wooden windows you might love their classic look but not love the amount of cold air that seeps in between the upper and lower window or at the bottom of the window. I experience this problem even with the storm window in place, sometimes to the point of having frost. I wanted a way to decrease drafts without something ugly that mars the look of my windows (like foam, caulking or felt strips that always come off. I realized that if you simply take scrap paper or newspaper, tear it into strips and fold it longways two or three times (depending on the width of the gap) you can really cut down on the amount of cold air getting into your house. Simply fold so that it is perhaps a quarter inch wide. Slip into any gaps where your bare hand can feel cold air getting in including along the sill but most importantly the line between where the upper and lower parts of the window meet, where the lock usually is. You will probably find that each window needs three or four different pieces of paper because some places will be tight, some will need just a double folded piece and some require more. It seems too minor to make a difference but your house will be more comfortable, less drafty and you will save on your heating bill. Remember that one 3 foot wide window with just an 1/16th gap is the equivalent of a 2 inch square hole in the window letting in cold (if my dusty math skills are correct). The advantage to this system is it is free, uses supplies you have on hand and works. The disadvantage is that once you crack the window open in early spring... all those pieces of paper flutter out. It usually takes me less than an hour each fall to do my whole small house.

Uses for dehumidifier water

If you have a basement and live in anywhere but the desert then chances are you have a dehumidifier or two that run in warm weather. Now a dehumidifier pulls water vapor from the air and turns it into basically distilled water. It is not drinkable because it may have bacteria from the machine and the collection bucket. It is also not ideal for plants, especially edible plants, because it could have metals from the machine but that doesn't mean you need to throw it out. Many people will tell you to use it in your iron to avoid hard water deposits. I also use it for mopping floors since, unlike tap water, it won't leave any deposits. You could also use it to wash off stoops (something we do a lot of here thanks to free range chickens always peeking in the backdoor to see if any treats are coming). I mist my houseplants with a spray bottle of it when they start to look dusty. The fact that it is distilled water means it won't leave hard water deposits on the leaves. It's deposit free nature also makes it ideal for rinsing windows or a spot free shine on your car. I mop the floor of the basement with it once or twice a year. If you really want to save water you can refill the tank on your toilet bowl after you flush. And some people pre-soak especially dirty laundry in it. Remember to minimize contaminants and increase efficiency by cleaning any filters on your dehumidifier regularly. This will also increase the life of your appliance. With all these great uses you may find emptying the bucket to be slightly less of a hassle.

Reuse tiles for garden border

Super simple tip of the day! I wanted a border between my flower bed and my grass primarily so I will know when one is encroaching on the other. I hate how those plastic ones look and they seem unwieldy to install. I like to reuse or repurpose things instead of buying new so after perusing the local Habitat Restore I came up with the solution to use old tiles. I simply bought a bunch in cream to light pink colors at $.05 each. I used a hand trowel after a light rain to insert them on their corners halfway buried. I did this last fall and only needed to rebury a couple over the winter that had come out. They are on a slight hill so while the backs show some dirt the fronts stay fairly clean. I think it looks so much prettier that plastic and I didn't have any breakage from freezing this winter. Cheap, pretty and serves their purpose! If I do this again I will try to find more colorful ones and do a pattern.