norseofcourse
Herd Master
Here's the place to share tips and tricks for making do, stretching resources, re-using and re-purposing things.
We all know the 'typical' thrifty tips, like saving leftover vegetables for soup, making stock with chicken and turkey carcasses, and using baling twine for tying... well, everything! There's plenty of ways to be thrifty around the farm and home/homestead, and there's lots of creative and inventive folks here. Share your ideas!
I'll start off with a couple.
First - I get hay in small square bales. I cut the baling twine near the knot, so I get the maximum length of useable twine. But the stuff seems to multiply faster than anything, and I really hate throwing it out. Then I came across this:
http://www.dutchhollowacres.com/2010/02/09/how-to-make-a-recycled-baling-twine-rug/
I don't crochet, so I showed it to a friend who does - she loved it! So we made a deal - I gave her a printed out copy of the instructions, a bunch of baling twine, and she'd make me a rug, and make as many as she wanted for herself. A couple more bags of twine to her, and I'll have it all cleared out! (for now....).
Second - I was carrying firewood to the house in five gallon buckets, but that got awkward. I thought about making a log carrier out of some sturdy cloth, then I looked at one of the square plastic cat litter buckets a friend saves for me. Now, you'll have to imagine this, it was too dark for pictures. I took my sawzall and cut the bottom off the bucket. Then I cut off one of the wider sides. That gave me a kinda U-shaped plastic holder. I drilled a couple 1/2" holes near the top of each upper edge, spaced wide apart for stability. Then I ran some plastic baling twine through the holes to make handles, running the twine all the way around the holder (so the twine takes the strain of carrying the weight, so it won't break at the holes). Regular baling twine would work if you don't have plastic, it just might need replaced every so often. A nice sturdy log holder/carrier for free!
We all know the 'typical' thrifty tips, like saving leftover vegetables for soup, making stock with chicken and turkey carcasses, and using baling twine for tying... well, everything! There's plenty of ways to be thrifty around the farm and home/homestead, and there's lots of creative and inventive folks here. Share your ideas!
I'll start off with a couple.
First - I get hay in small square bales. I cut the baling twine near the knot, so I get the maximum length of useable twine. But the stuff seems to multiply faster than anything, and I really hate throwing it out. Then I came across this:
http://www.dutchhollowacres.com/2010/02/09/how-to-make-a-recycled-baling-twine-rug/
I don't crochet, so I showed it to a friend who does - she loved it! So we made a deal - I gave her a printed out copy of the instructions, a bunch of baling twine, and she'd make me a rug, and make as many as she wanted for herself. A couple more bags of twine to her, and I'll have it all cleared out! (for now....).
Second - I was carrying firewood to the house in five gallon buckets, but that got awkward. I thought about making a log carrier out of some sturdy cloth, then I looked at one of the square plastic cat litter buckets a friend saves for me. Now, you'll have to imagine this, it was too dark for pictures. I took my sawzall and cut the bottom off the bucket. Then I cut off one of the wider sides. That gave me a kinda U-shaped plastic holder. I drilled a couple 1/2" holes near the top of each upper edge, spaced wide apart for stability. Then I ran some plastic baling twine through the holes to make handles, running the twine all the way around the holder (so the twine takes the strain of carrying the weight, so it won't break at the holes). Regular baling twine would work if you don't have plastic, it just might need replaced every so often. A nice sturdy log holder/carrier for free!
I abhor waste. Between the dogs, chickens and pigs, NOTHING hits the trash.
