Why Not Do It Yourself: Follow up on Hanging Gardens post.
Alright since I have put up the Hanging Gardens post a number of people have messaged me asking what types of plants to put into the gardens. Here are a few of the plants that do the best in shallow gardens like that:
• lettuce
• red radishes
• spinach
• scallions
• herbs
• garlic
• strawberry
Now lettuce might be a stretch as obviously there isn’t much room in the gutter gardens for that. What I have found works amazingly are herbs. In addition I love the taste of fresh herbs in cooking! I am also including here a guide called : How to Grow Herbs and Veggies in Small Spaces. I have used this guide personally and I love it. You get all kinds of bonuses with it but the reallity is that the guide is worth the price all by itself. Plus you don’t have to run out to the store to get it! Just Click Here!
Why Not Do It Yourself: Chicken Coop
Alright so some of you are aksing yourself….”Really a chicken coop?” Well here is why. We just recently moved out to the country into a huge house with 2 1/2 acres of land. Since I was a kid I wanted to raise chickens like my great grandfather had and now I have the land to do it. The problem is that I had no idea how. At first I tried to make the makeshift coops that you can find for free all over the web and none of them worked very well at all. I was getting tired of it so I decided to buy one instead. While looking for a place to get one though I came across this site that had a guide and video tutorials on how to build a REAL chicken coop. The cost was only $26.99 and it was worth every penny! Especially considering I was looking at $300+ for anything any good out there. Anyway you get the full blueprints and step by step video tutorials on how to build your own chicken coop. The plans are easy to modify and easily adjust for larger chicken coops. What sealed the deal for me was the fact that you get a Chickens 101 guide as a free bonus. This guide is great for the beginner just learning how to get into this. It not only teaches you how to care for your chickens but where to get them in the first place! It really is, in my oppinion, a must have for anyone wanting to get into raising chickens. Anyway to get your video tutorials on how to build your own chicken coop and the free guide simply Click Here!
Hanging Shoe Rack to Store Household Cleaners!
Here is my why did’t I think of that idea of the day!
All you need is a hanging shoe rack and voila! Keeps things organized and away from the kids!
Hanging Gutter Gardens!
Materials Tools
1 – 8′ or 10′vinyl white rain gutter cut into 3 32″ to 40″ sections
Cordless Drill with drill bit set ( I use the 3/8 bit )
6 – vinyl white gutter end caps
2 – lengths of chain cut to desired equal lengths
Alright these are so much easier than you may think to make. I am going to tell you several ways to do these as I think they are great. So lets get started. The first thing we need to do is to make a straight line on all three of the lengths of gutter down the center. Now measure every 2 - 4 inches and make a mark. This is where you will drill holes for drainage. Most plants will simply die if the roots are left sitting in water, so this is very important. Now that the holes are drilled put in place and glue the end caps on each of the lengths of guttering. Now I have found that the best place to hang these if you have a back or front porch is on the outside edges. One really neat idea is to make several of these and sort of enclose the porch if it is open. Makes almost a “wall” of gorgeous flowers or herbs if that is what you choose to plant. Regardless you need to find a place to hang your garden where it will get plenty of sunlight. Once a spot is chosen simply screw in the hooks the appropriate length apart. IE if your gutter is 32 inches you will want to place the hooks about 28 inches apart. Now take the lengths of chain that you have and place 2 on each eye hook. Now for me it is easiest to start from the bottom and count the links from there. Take 1 bolt and nut and put it through both lengths of chain on one side and then the other. Now place your gutter in between the lengths of chain sitting on the bolts on both sides. tighten the nut until the gutter is sitting flat and being held by the chain. Now simply count the links again on both sides to make sure that you are placing the bolts evenly and repeat the process until you have all 3 lengths of gutter in place. Now simply add soil and your plants and you are ready to go!
Another idea if you do not have any space to “hang” anything is to take a pallet and remove all but the top and bottom cross beams. Yes this includes removing the center beam as well. What you will be doing is again spacing the gutters and putting them in between the two outside pieces of the pallet. You will need to measure the pallet to find out what length your gutter should be cut to. Remember to leave space for your end caps as you will still need them.
Yet another way to do this is to simply place the guttering on a wall. The exact type and method of attachment will depend on the material you are attaching to. It is best to get advice from the hardware store as to what will work best. (IE - if you are attaching to siding, brick, veneer, etc.)
No more excuses as to why you can not grow a garden. These take up little space and look great along fences or walls. Also as you are keeping the plants up from the cold ground and you can take advantage of the warmer sunnier parts of your house you can start some of your vegetables earlier!
Great Way To Save T-Shirts Splashed With Bleach
Here is my “Why didn’t I think of that!” idea of the day.
Materials:
T-shirt
Directions:
Simply draw your favorite design on the contact paper in whatever method you choose, freehand, tracing, or stencils. Then use an x-acto knife to cut out the design. Cut in a square around the design, this way you get the most out of the contact paper.
Now remove the backing of the contact paper with the design and place it on the t-shirt and press down.
Now for the bleach pen shake before use. Unscrew cap on chosen tip. Do not have both caps off at the same time. Squeeze and apply liberally. Replace cap after use. (Note: Using large quantities increases the chance of affecting adjacent colors.)Rub design area. Leave for one minute and dab off Bleach Pen® Gel with a paper towel. Then wash t-shirt. Voila….instant design!
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For All You Bird Lovers How About A Slinky Birdfeeder!
Alright here is one for all the bird lovers out there!
Materials:
Pliers
Slinky
Wire Hanger
Peanuts or Nesting Material
Directions:
Easy way - Take a wire hanger and stretch it out until it has a relatively round shape. This can be a little difficult but I used the pliers and did it fairly easily. A trick to this is to take a large pan like one used for pasta and put the hanger around it. Use the pliers to smooth it out.
Next you take a slinky and at one end put it around the hanger. You are basically going to spin the slinky around until it is over the hanger. Now take one end of the slinky and with the pliers make a U. Put the U over the top of the hanger. For a reference look at the picture above. Once around the hanger use the pliers and squeeze the U closed. Then take the other end of the slinky and stretch it around the hanger untill it reaches the top on the other side. Again make a U and put it around the top of the hanger. Then with the pliers close the U.
Finally fill the slinky with peanuts. The best way is to pour them in from the top of one side of the hanger.
The harder way is to cut the hanger and put the slinky over it. Then take the end and again make a U and place over the top of the hanger. Squeeze the U closed and continue with the rest of the process as above.
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Give Those Plastic Drawers A Facelift!
Here is a great way to give those plain plastic drawers a style that is uniquely you!
Materials:
Mod Podge or Spray Adhesive
Measuring Tape
Sponge Brush
Scrapbook Paper or Cloth
Directions:
Measure the insides of the drawer, sides, front and back if it is in a visible place.
Then cut the paper or cloth to match for each piece, sides, front, and back.
Take your spray on adhesive or Mod Podge and coat the inside area that you are going to do first. (I suggest doing this one at a time, front first, then the sides and back)
If you are starting at the front as suggested then don’t spray or coat the part where the handle of the drawer is as you will want to make a slit in the cloth or paper with the X-Acto knife and push it forward so as to go with the contour of the drawer. Once slit is made apply adhesive or Mod Podge and stick material to it. (Be careful if you are using paper!) If your drawer is like the one above then you can skip this part as the plastic inside goes straight across.
Use your sponge brush to smooth out the material.
Repeat for the rest of the drawer.
I found to give it a more clean look that when I used cloth it was best to add the measurements of the front and sides (I don’t do the back) and cut a single piece of cloth. I typically ad about 1/2 inch so that I have a little extra room when placing the cloth. Also you can do as in the picture above and line the top with the cloth or paper as well.
Voila…a set of drawers that matches your personal style!
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Great Use For Those Coffee Creamer Bottles
It has been a few days but here is my “Why didn’t I think of that?” idea of the day! My wife drinks a lot of coffee and she always has to have the creamer. Which is a lot of plastic that needs recycled. Here is a great way to do just that. Just remove the wrap and fill with whatever needs stored. From sugar to goldfish this works great. Spout is perfect for pouring and the lids easily screw off! Genius!
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Glowing Balloons! What A Great Night Party Idea!
Ready for my “Why didn’t I think of that?” post of the day!
Take a glowstick…the smaller bracelet ones work best…and put it inside a balloon just before you blow it up for a really cool result…..GLOW BALLOONS! These really do look cool for nightime parties!
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Give Those Old Wood Shutters A New Purpose!
This is so easy to do! Another “Why didn’t I think of that?” idea.
Just take some old wooden shutters and paint them to match the decor in your dining room, kitchen, or even home office. Screw them to the wall with your drywall screws and you have an instant organizer. Do like I did and put a notebook in it…no more lost sticky notes!
Source: marthastewart.com
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