Home How-To Recipes & Tutorials
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Toothpaste Ingredients - Organic Coconut Oil – 2 Tbsp. - Baking Soda – 1 Tbsp. - Organic Peppermint Essential Oil – 20 drops - Small Glass Jar Directions This one’s easy – stir together the coconut oil, baking soda and essential oil in the glass jar! To use, just 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. Original recipe appears on Trash is for Tossers |
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Deodorant Ingredients - Raw Shea Butter – 3 Tbsp. - Arrowroot Powder – 3 Tbsp. - Organic Coconut Oil – 2 Tbsp. - Baking Soda – 2 Tbsp. - Essential Oils - Small Glass Jar Directions Add the coconut oil and shea butter to a glass jar, and set in a pan of boiling water until the two ingredients melt together. 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 their anti-microbial properties, but you can use any you like. 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 |
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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) - Refillable Soap Dispenser Directions Stir grated castile soap into boiling water until dissolved. Stir while adding washing soda. Next, stir while adding liquid castile soap. 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. Original recipe appears on Nature's Nurture |
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Vinegar Household Cleaner Ingredients - Distilled Water – 1 cup - White Distilled Vinegar – 1 cup - Essential Oils (optional) – 15 drops - Refillable Spray Bottle Directions Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle (use a glass spray bottle if using citrus essential oils). Gently shake and store at room temperature. 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. |
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Shampoo Ingredients - Pure liquid catile soap - 1 cup - Brewed green tea - 1 cup - Organic olive oil - 1 Tbsp. - Organic raw honey - 1 Tbsp. - Essential Oils (optional) - 20 drops Directions Brew the green tea for 30 minutes, then add all ingredients together in a bowl and stir. After the ingredients are mixed together, pour into a mason jar or other sealed container. 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 |
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Face Wash Ingredients - Coconut oil - 1 cup - Baking soda - 1 Tbsp. - Lavender essential oil - 5 drops - (For dry & some combination skin) Frankincense essential oil - 5 drops - (For acne prone skin) Tea tree essential oil - 10 drops - (For dry & some combination skin) Lemon essential oil - 5 drops Directions Melt the coconut oil in a pan over low heat or using the double boiler method. Remove from heat once melted and mix in remaining ingredients. Keep in an air tight glass jar and store in a cool place. Original recipe appears on draxe.com |
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Mouthwash Ingredients - Baking soda - 2 tsp. - Filtered or distilled water - 1/2 cup - Tea tree essential oil - 2 drops - Peppermint essential oil - 2 drops - Glass jar Directions Fill the glass jar (we use a mason jar) with ingredients. Shake before each use to distribute essential oil and baking soda. It is best to make small batches to prevent changes in flavor and effectiveness. Original recipe appears on diynatural.com |
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Sustainable Project Tutorials
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DIY Self Watering Planter Materials - Water cooler (ask local businesses if they have one you can recycle) - Drill - Self-watering potting soil mix Instructions Drill holes around entire sloping top around spout about 2 inches apart from each other. Cut the bottle into two pieces, the bottom piece should be about 10 inches (enough for the spout to touch the bottom piece when flipped upside down). Drill a hole toward the top of the bottom piece (for drainage). Flip over the top piece of the bottle and fill it with soil and plant (note: add tomato cage prior to planting if needed). Cover the outside of the bottom piece with paint or duct tape to prevent algae growth from the sunlight. Water accordingly, and the bottom piece will act as a water reservoir. Image retrieved from bucolicbushwick.com |
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DIY Mason Jar Planter Materials - Quart Mason Jars - Heavy duty all stainless hose clamp - Boards - Potting Soil - Rocks or gravel - Nails and screws Instructions Attach clamps to the board using preferred method, then mount the board on the wall if planter will be hanging up. Add rocks to bottom of jars and some potting soil. Then add the plant and more soil. Place jar in clamp and tighten. Image retrieved from notjustahouswife.com |
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Grow Food from Scraps Lettuce & Celery 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. Be sure to mist lettuce leaves once in a while. When roots and leaves begin to appear, after 3-4 days, transplant the lettuce or celery to a pot with soil. Avocado 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. Place the bowl or jar in a warm place, but out of direct sunlight, and maintain the water level. A stem and roots will appear in about six weeks. When the stem reaches 6 inches, cut it down to 3 inches. When you see leaves, transplant your avocado to soil, leaving about half of the seed above ground. Image retrieved from tasteofhome.com |
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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 Cut 2x4s Build dividers Attach hardware cloth to dividers Set up dividers and build bin Attach runners and front slats Build and attach fiberglass lid View entire plan and instructions here | Image retrieved from Backyard Feast |
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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 Instructions 1. Place nuts, seeds, grains, or beans in the large glass bowl or mason jar. Cover with warm, filtered water (about 1:2 ratio) and about 1/2 tsp. of Celtic sea salt. Cover with cheesecloth for specified time. 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 |
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DIY Cedar Tiered Planter Materials - 5-1/2" wide cedar fence pickets - 3 - 8 feet long 1x2 - 2 - Screws, nails, staples, or other fastening hardware Preparation Fill holes in wood with wood filler and let dry. Apply any additional needed coats of filler. Once completely dry, sand in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sand if available to remove sanding residue. Wipe wood clean with damp cloth. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed. Cut list to assemble 3 boxes - 5-1/2" cedar fence picket @ 15" - 3 for bottom of planter - 5-1/2" cedar fence picket @ 5-1/2" - 6 for ends of planter - 5-1/2" cedar fence picket @16" (cut last to fit) - 6 for sides of planter Instructions 1. Make three planter boxes with dimensions laid out in cut list and fasten. Order: bottom, ends, sides to fit. 2. Attach both 1x2 @ 24" boards toward the back of each side of the first and top planter. Wait to attach the other two. 3. Attach 1x2 cross support 6" from the bottom of the support 24" 1x2's. 4. Cut 2 1x2's @ 27-3/4" with both ends at 30 degrees. Attach at 30 degree angle to side of planter so that the top meets the other support 24" 1x2's and extends to the front of the planter. 5. Attach the other two planters to the support 1x2's prepared in step 4. so the planters are like a staircase. Original instructions and image appear on ana-white.com |
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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 |
