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.

Reuse birdseed bags into hiking or biking bag

You know those birdseed bags that are like woven plastic cloth (called woven polypropylene)? I wanted a bag to carry my phone, keys and water bottle when I go hiking or biking and so I came up with this. Is it particularly attractive??? No. But super useful for carrying and waterproof if I get caught in the rain! I first cut out enough of the bag to easily fit around the water bottle. I sewed this wrong sides together into a tube shape. I folded up the bottom and hand-sewed it shut with a curved tapestry needle. Next I made the straps by using a zigzag stitch on strips that I folded in half. I measured it so the water bottle would be at hip level. I hand sewed some hair elastics to either side of the bag and then looped the straps through and sewed them this allows the bottle to pivot easily in the straps as I walk or bike. Next I made a simple pouch for my phone with a flap that comes down and over. I cut a rectangle out of the middle top of the pouch so that when I open the flap I can easily get the phone out. I sewed velcro to either side of the triangle and the soft velcro part to the flap. This will protect it from getting wet. I then sewed this pouch onto the water bottle holder down the middle of the back of the pouch using the curved needle again by hand. Almost done! Next I sewed the sides of a triangle together to make a cone with another flap on top to close. This is to hold my keys. I sewed velcro onto the outside of the cone and the inside of the flap so my keys will also stay dry. I sewed this cone onto the other side of the water bottle holder. Done!! My only suggestion is to use perhaps metal rings or multiple elastics for the loops that the straps go through. One hair elastic doesn't look like it will be strong enough. Happy sustainable hiking and biking!!

Grow your own cat grass

If you have a cat, you likely know their penchant for chomping on houseplants. I just tried growing a pot of cat grass and it was so easy I am now starting trays for all my friends and family that have cats. To start, just cut down a waterproof container to a few inches deep or use a pot that you have sitting around. I cut the top parts off an almond milk container and a pint of ice cream. Put in soil to near the top. Add the seeds to the top (I used oats from my local Farm Service bulk seed section. They were $.50 a lb. You could also use wheat or rye seed). Give it enough water to feel moist but not saturated. Cover with a clear plastic bag to keep the moisture in. Look daily to be sure the dirt still appears moist (again not wet). Add a few sprinkles of water if it looks dry. Mine took 3 days to sprout. Once it sprouts you can take off the plastic bag and within two more days it was as high as you see in the picture. I just used old potting soil and reused containers so it cost maybe $.05 for the seeds. You routinely see these at pet stores for $5 or more. My cat nibbles on it whenever he passes it and started chomping as soon as I gave it to him! Also makes a great gift for cat lovers!

Check out these three new Thank You cards! Just paper, an old book and colored pencils.

Tea for a song!

It is cold. You want some nice hot tea to warm you up and feel all cultured! Most tea is extremely cheap. What you are paying for is the tea bag. Forget the tea bag and cut your price by probably 90%. Get thee to your local health food store that has bulk spices and such. Find the loose tea. My store had probably 15-20 types to choose from. Most women I know probably have 50 tea bags of questionable vintage at any given time. That's because you might want to try a new type but that means buying 10 or 20 teabags. Then next month you want to try another kind leading to another 10-20 teabags. Buying it loose means you just buy the amount you feel you will use in the next 6 months or a year. Tonight I decided to try two new kinds. I got enough for perhaps 7 or 8 cups of each and spent a grand total of $.38. Give the interesting sounding varieties a whiff and if they appeal to you buy as much or little as you want. You just need a reusable tea ball or other delivery device. This costs a few dollars and if you drink much tea it will pay for itself in no time! It also allows you to control the strength of your tea unlike a one size tea bag. In hot weather you can also brew a very strong cup and once steeped you can pour it over ice water to make equally inexpensive iced tea. No more bottles of store bought iced tea!!! Total waste of money! You can also make your own tea bags using coffee filters that you sew shut with cotton thread on the sewing machine (cute gift!). But honestly...you can't really get easier than a tea ball. If you want to get REALLY creative you can even make your own tea blends by combining favorite kinds or adding a dash of cinnamon, rosehips, ginger or lemongrass. Now get steeping!

Your best DIY cookbook

We all have our own organization for our recipes. Most of my recipes are printed off of the internet. I figured out the best way to organize them that doersn't require writing them out. I bought one of those photo albums that have clear plastic sheets over each page. I was able to find one at the Habitat Resale shop for like a dollar. Cut out the recipe you want to save. Add any notes for how you changed the recipe. Lift the plastic sheet in the book, position the recipe and lay the plastic sheet over it. This keeps them neatly organized. I organize in sections with blank pages between for expansion. Entrees and then desserts. I eventually got a second book for desserts because this method works so well. If you spill on the recipe while cooking you can just wipe it off. The book can be stored with your other recipe books. Ideal!! If you have a small kitchen like me buying a used music stand to put your recipe book on and placing in a doorway while cooking allows you to reserve all countertop space for creating your culinary masterpieces. Happy cooking!!!