Home How-To Recipes

BUG REPELLENT

Bug Repellent
Ingredients
✣ ½ cup apple cider vinegar
​✣ ½ cup witch hazel
✣ Essential Oils (eucalyptus, lemongrass, citronella, tea tree or rosemary) - 40 drops total 
​Materials
✣ 8 ounce glass spray bottle
Directions
1. Mix together witch hazel, apple cider vinegar and essential oils in the 8 ounce glass spray bottle.
To Use
Spray over the body, avoiding repellent in eyes and mouth. If using a citrus essential oil, avoid sunlight.

Use caution if you have sensitive skin and stop use if irritation occurs.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste
Ingredients
✣ Organic Coconut Oil – 2 Tbsp.
✣ Baking Soda – 1 Tbsp.
✣ Organic Peppermint Essential Oil – 20 drops
Materials
✣ Small Glass Jar
​Directions
This one’s easy –
1. Stir together the coconut oil, baking soda and essential oil in the glass jar!
To Use
Scoop out a small amount with a spoon onto your toothbrush. If the taste really bothers you, you can add a small amount of xylitol to sweeten it up. Coconut oil melts around 76 degrees F, so the texture might change accordingly. If your toothpaste melts, you can put it in the freezer, and if it’s completely solid, hold it under warm running water.

Use caution if you have sensitive teeth and gums, and stop use if irritation occurs.

DEODORANT

Deodorant
Ingredients
✣ Raw Shea Butter – 3 Tbsp.
✣ Arrowroot Powder – 3 Tbsp.
✣ Organic Coconut Oil – 2 Tbsp.
✣ Baking Soda – 2 Tbsp.
✣ Essential Oils
​Materials
✣ Small Glass Jar
​Directions
1. Add the coconut oil and shea butter to a glass jar. Set glass jar in a pan of boiling water until the two ingredients melt together.
2. Remove from heat and add in the arrowroot powder, baking soda, and essential oils (use as much or as little as you like). We have used tea tree and lavender for the essential oil component of the deodorant due to their anti-microbial properties, but you can use any essential oils that you like.
​3. Stir, and pour into a smaller glass container. Set aside to cool and solidify.
To Use
Scoop a pea-sized amount and apply under each arm. If this is your first time using aluminum-free deodorant, your body may take time to detox built up chemicals from years of standard deodorant. But don’t worry, it’s totally worth it! After a short while, you will end up smelling even better.
Original recipe appears on Six Figures Under

Use caution if you have sensitive skin and stop use if irritation occurs.

dish soap

Dish Soap
Ingredients
✣ Castile Bar Soap – ¼ cup grated (tightly packed)
✣ Liquid Castile Soap – ¼ cup
✣ Boiling Water – 1 ¼ cups
✣ Washing Soda – 1 Tbsp.
✣ Essential Oils (optional)
Materials
✣ Refillable Soap Dispenser
​Directions
1. Stir grated castile soap into boiling water until dissolved.
2. Continue stirring mixture while adding washing soda.
3. Next, stir while adding liquid castile soap.
4. After the mixture cools, add essential oils and store in a refillable soap dispenser. If the mixture is too thick, add a small amount of warm water accordingly.
To Use
Use as standard dish soap.
Original recipe appears on Nature's Nurture

Use caution if you have sensitive skin. Try wearing gloves and stop use if irritation occurs.

VINEGAR HOUSEHOLD CLEANER

Vinegar Household Cleaner
Ingredients
✣ Distilled Water – 1 cup
✣ White Distilled Vinegar – 1 cup
✣ Essential Oils (optional) – 15 drops
Materials
✣ Refillable Spray Bottle
​Directions
1. Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle (use a glass spray bottle if using citrus essential oils).
2. Gently shake and store at room temperature.
To Use​
Use as you would any multi-purpose cleaner.

*Do not use on marble or granite since it has been known to etch away at the stone.

SHAMPOO

Shampoo
Ingredients
✣ Pure liquid castile soap - 1 cup
✣ Brewed green tea - 1 cup
✣ Organic olive oil - 1 Tbsp.
✣ Organic raw honey - 1 Tbsp.
✣ Essential Oils (optional) - 20 drops ​
Materials
✣ Glass Jar
​Directions
1. Brew the green tea for 30 minutes
2. Add all ingredients together in a bowl and stir.
3. After the ingredients are mixed together, pour into a mason jar or other sealed container.
To Use
​Wet hair, pour out one to two tablespoons of shampoo in hands and lather into scalp and hair. Rinse out with cool water. 

Cedarwood, lavender, and rosemary essential oils work best for volumizing. Lemon, lavender and peppermint essential oils are best for a dry itchy scalp. Tea tree oil works well to keep the bugs away.
Original recipe appears on lifesanity.com​

Use caution if you have sensitive skin and stop use if irritation occurs.

FaCE WASH

Face Wash
Ingredients
✣ Coconut oil - 1 cup
✣ ​Baking soda - 1 Tbsp.
✣ Lavender essential oil - 5 drops
✣ (For dry & some combination skin) Frankincense essential oil and Lemon essential oil - 5 drops each oil
✣ (For acne prone skin) Tea tree essential oil - 10 drops
​​Materials
✣ Small Glass Jar
​Directions
1. Melt the coconut oil in a pan over low heat or using the double boiler method.
2. Remove from heat once melted and mix in remaining ingredients.
3. Keep in an air tight glass jar and store in a cool place.
To Use
​Scoop out about a pea-sized amount with hands and massage into face. Rinse off with warm water and gently pat face dry with a towel.
Original recipe appears on draxe.com​

Use caution if you have sensitive skin and stop use if irritation occurs.

Mouthwash

Mouthwash
Ingredients
✣ Baking soda - 2 tsp.
✣ Filtered or distilled water - 1/2 cup
✣ Tea tree essential oil - 2 drops
✣ Peppermint essential oil - 2 drops
Materials
✣ Glass jar​
​Directions
1. Fill the glass jar (we use a mason jar) with ingredients.
2. Shake before each use to distribute essential oil and baking soda.
3. It is best to make small batches to prevent changes in flavor and effectiveness. 
To Use
Swish about 2-3 teaspoons of the mouthwash in mouth for one to two minutes.
Original recipe appears on diynatural.com​

Use caution if you have sensitive teeth and gums, and stop use if irritation occurs.

Sustainable Project Tutorials

DIY SELF-WATERING PLANTER

DIY Self Watering Planter
Materials
✣ Water cooler (ask local businesses if they have one you can recycle)
✣ Drill
✣ Self-watering potting soil mix
Instructions
1. Drill holes around entire sloping top (around the spout) about 2 inches apart from each other.
2. Cut the bottle into two pieces. The bottom piece should be about 10 inches tall (enough for the spout to touch the bottom piece when flipped upside down).
3. Drill a hole toward the top of the bottom piece (for drainage).
4. Flip over the top piece of the bottle and fill it with soil and plant (note: add tomato cage prior to planting if needed).
5. Cover the outside of the bottom piece with paint or duct tape to prevent algae growth from the sunlight.
​6. Water soil accordingly, and the bottom piece will act as a water reservoir.
Image retrieved from bucolicbushwick.com

DIY MASON JAR PLANTER

DIY Mason Jar Planter
Materials
✣ Quart Mason Jars
✣ Heavy duty all stainless hose clamp (get one clamp for each jar)
✣ Boards
✣ Potting Soil
✣ Rocks or gravel
✣ Nails and screws
Instructions
1. Attach clamps to the board using preferred method.
2. Mount the board on the wall if planter will be hanging up.
3. Add rocks to bottom of jars and some potting soil.
4. Then add the plant and more soil.
​5. Place jar in clamp and tighten.
Image retrieved from notjustahouswife.com

GROW FOOD FROM SCRAPS

Grow Food from Scraps
Lettuce & Celery
1. Place about an inch of the lettuce or celery base in a bowl with a bit of water in it and place in a sunny spot.
2. Be sure to mist lettuce leaves once in a while.
3. When roots and leaves begin to appear, after 3-4 days, transplant the lettuce or celery to a pot with soil.
Avocado
1. Wash an avocado pit and stick two toothpicks through the middle of it, one on each side, to suspend over a bowl or jar of water that covers the bottom inch of the seed.
2. Place the bowl or jar in a warm place, but out of direct sunlight, and maintain the water level.
3. A stem and roots will appear in about six weeks.
4. When the stem reaches 6 inches, cut it down to 3 inches.
5. When you see leaves, transplant your avocado to soil, leaving about half of the seed above ground.
Image retrieved from tasteofhome.com

DIY THREE-BIN COMPOST SYSTEM

DIY Three-Bin Compost System
Materials and Use
✣ Dividers and base - top & lid rails: 12-foot cedar 2x4
✣ Dividers and bin construction - 16d galvanized nails (3-1/2")
✣ Front slats - 8-foot cedar 1x6
✣ Front runners - 6-foot 1x4 lumber | center runners - 6-foot 1x6 lumber| | back runners - 6-foot 1x2 lumber
✣ Lid - 10-foot 2x2 lumber, 6-foot 2x2 lumber, 3" zinc plated hinges, flat 4 corner braces with screws, Flat 3" T-braces with screws
✣ Lid construction - 8d galvanized casing or finish nails (2-1/2")
✣ Lid cover - clear corrugated fiberglass panels, horizontal closure strips (or wiggle molding)
✣ Attaching corrugated fiberglass roofing - Gasketed aluminum nails
✣ Attaching hardware cloth to dividers and bin - Poultry net staples or 1" galvanized staples
✣ Attaching base and top boards to dividers - 1/2" carriage bolts 4" long, washers for bolts, nuts for bolts
Instructions
1. Cut 2x4s
2. Build dividers
3. Attach hardware cloth to dividers
4. Set up dividers and build bin
5. Attach runners and front slats
6. Build and attach fiberglass lid
View entire plan and instructions here | Image retrieved from Backyard Feast

HOW TO SOAK & SPROUT NUTS, SEEDS, GRAINS & BEANS

How to Soak & Sprout Nuts, Seeds, Grains, & Beans
Materials
✣ Nuts, seeds, grains, or beans
✣ Glass jar (optional glass bowl)
✣ Cheese cloth & rubber band or sprouting screen
✣ Celtic sea salt (optional)
Instructions
1. Place nuts, seeds, grains, or beans in the large glass bowl or mason jar and cover with warm, filtered water (about 1:2 ratio) and about 1/2 tsp. of Celtic sea salt. Cover with cheesecloth and set aside. Soaking times can be found here. 
2. Drain and rinse about every 8 hours (if soaking that long). Food soaking times can be found here.
3. Invert the jar at an angle to ensure that excess water drains and air can circulate (you can purchase stands for the jars or simply prop up against a surface.
4. Rinse a few times a day while sprouting. Food sprouting times can be found here.
5. In 1-4 days you will see sprouts of about 1/8-inch to 2-inches long.
6. When ready to eat, rinse sprouts well, drain, and store in sealed jar in refrigerator. Eat within 2 to 3 days.
​Image and sprouting times appear on vegetariantimes.com

DIY Low Flow Shower Head

DIY Low Flow Shower Head
Materials
✣ Your standard shower head
✣ Crescent wrench (to unfasten and refasten shower head)
✣ Rubber washer without a hole in the middle that is a diameter similar to that of the pipe connecting to the nozzle
✣ Shears (also known as snips)
Instructions
1. Remove the shower head from the waterline using the crescent wrench or your tool of choice.
2. Using the shears, cut little wedges around the edge of the rubber washer starting from the outside and stopping before reaching the center.
3. Insert the now cut up washer into the shower head as far as possible, and refasten the shower head to the waterline.

If the flow is too restricted, cut closer to the center of the washer. If it is not restricted enough, begin again with a new washer, and be sure to cut smaller slits. This cost-effective technique will reduce your flow by about 75%.
Image retrieved from VNExpress

DIY INDOOR COMPOST

​DIY Indoor Compost
Materials
✣ A container for your compost in desired size
✣ Tray to fit under your container with enough room to contain spills
✣ Small bag of soil
✣ Old newspaper for shredding
Instructions​
1. Choose a location for your compost bin. Under the sink may be best for safety around pets and children.
2. Choose your container. It can be plastic, metal, or a garbage bin.
3. Punch holes in the bottom of your container (every few inches spanning the entire surface).
4. Cover the spill tray with newspaper and place your container on it.
5. Add about 4 inches of soil to your container.
6. Add a layer of newspaper.​
To use
Add food scraps as you get them. Since this is an indoor compost, it is likely best to make the scraps as small as possible.
- Maintain a wet/dry balance by adding small handfuls of newspaper when you add scraps.
- About once a week, mix the compost and add half a scoop of new soil.
- Keep a small scoop or hand shovel next to your bin for ease of mixing.
- Investigate which foods can and cannot be composted indoors.
- If the bin starts to smell it means your compost is unbalanced. You may need to add more newspaper or drill extra holes.
- If your old bin is full and not completely broken down, it may be handy to create another bin for rotating.​
​Original instructions and image appear on apartmenttherapy.com