DIY Naturally Scented All-Purpose Citrus Vinegar Cleaners I've been on a quest to rid our home of toxic chemicals for both health and environmental reasons. Did you know? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be 10 times to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. One of the culprits is common household cleaners emitting toxic fumes. UGH! After my recent post about using fruit, herbs, and spices for making natural home fragrances, it occurred to me that I could use some of those same scent combinations for making natural cleaners with vinegar. These scented cleaners don't completely eliminate the vinegar scent when first sprayed. THESE MAKE COOL, INEXPENSIVE GIFTS. HOW TO MAKE NATURAL CLEANERSwith vinegar, citrus, herbs, and spices Assemble these ingredients: view on Amazon: essential oils, bulk pricing on cinnamon sticks, whole cloves Assemble these supplies: Jars or other sealable containers. view on Amazon:half gallon mason jars, quart mason jars, spray bottles,jar funnel, mason jar lid strainer, wire mesh strainer 1.
How to Make a Wind Chime Organic clay shapes strung up on branches make for beautiful art that brings melody and movement to the garden. Materials: dried branch or driftwoodclay shapesfishing linebeadsdrill 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Hang your wind chime on trees with contrasting foliage for a striking look that highlights a feature in the garden. I love the look of this peacock blue glazed wind chime with the turning leaves on my Japanese Maple ‘Bloodgood’. I made a second wind chime with a bamboo glaze that stands out well with the deep green leaves and thick branches of a Rhododendron. Thanks for visiting weekend project #50. style=”display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px” data-ad-client=”ca-pub-2008610541549994″ data-ad-slot=”5302597541″>
Natural Insect Pest Control: Safe, Non-Toxic Methods & Solutions Cymbopogon citratus, also known as Thai lemongrass, is a natural and effective mosquito repellent. It contains the natural oil, citronella, which is safe and effective; in fact, lemon grass citronella is considered more effective than true citronella as an insect repellent. You can buy Thai lemon grass at garden centers and supermarkets, and it grows readily into a clump about 15” across and about two feet tall. To use as a mosquito repellent, break a stalk off from the clump and peel off the outer leaves, until you find the scallion-like stem at the base. Bend the stem between your fingers, loosening it, then rub it vigorously between your palms: it will soon become a pulpy, juicy mass. Rub this over all exposed skin, covering thoroughly at least once. Cymbopogon citratus, also known as Thai lemongrass, is a natural and effective mosquito repellent.
Make Your Own Reusable Peppermint Kitchen Wipes In case you haven’t noticed, I really LOVE making my own homemade cleaning products. ;-) It’s just so comforting to know EXACTLY what is in the products I’m spreading around my home, and I get a thrill knowing how much time and money I’m saving as well! The Environmental Protection Agency cites artificial fragrances in cleaning products as an indoor irritant and pollutant. A single fragrance can include as many as 600 petrochemicals—all within the word “fragrance” on the label. The more I learn about, and experiment with, natural cleaning products (such as baking soda, castile soap, vinegar, etc.) the more I am convinced there really is no need to buy any of the expensive brand names that line the shelves of the cleaning aisle at your grocery store. The good old fashioned stuff our grandmothers and great grandmothers used is EFFECTIVE! Pairing these natural cleaners with essential oils only enhances their cleaning value and leaves behind a pleasant, natural scent.
Homemade Vanilla Extract I love the scent of vanilla in anything from candles to soap and the flavor of vanilla in baked goods and desserts is second to none. If a recipe calls for one teaspoon vanilla extract, I use at least two; but likely more and use a slow, heavy hand when pouring. All that pouring makes my food taste amazing but my wallet doesn’t like it. Homemade vanilla extract saves money and even if it didn’t, when it comes to taste and flavor, there is just no comparison. The only thing special that’s required when making vanilla extract is patience. To make vanilla extract you need vanilla beans. When selecting beans, they should be soft, pliable, tender, and flexible. Next, you need alcohol (at least 35% by volume) in order to extract the vanilla from the vanilla beans, thus the name, vanilla extract. Bourbon, rum, or brandy may be used instead of vodka. You need a glass jar that seals in which to make extract. I figured as long as this was a two-month project, I may as well extract in bulk. Notes
Fl0x - Bijoux 13 Natural Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away Want to be notified each time we publish a new blog post? Then make sure you like Natural Living Ideas on Facebook here where we share not only our blog posts, but the best natural living ideas from around the web. I’m sure everyone reading this right now has experienced the redness, the swelling and the uncontrollable itching that comes with a mosquito bite. Many people turn to store bought insect repellents to keep mosquitoes away, but these insect repellents often contain a toxic pesticide that is dangerous to human health. Heavy exposure to DEET has been linked to memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath in humans and is particularly toxic to children. Needless to say, this is a pesticide we do NOT want to be using – especially when there are so many more effective ways to keep mosquitoes away using natural remedies and ingredients. Homemade Citronella Candles Find out how to make these citronella candles here at GardenTherapy.ca
Homemade Liquid Dish Soap A lot of people seemed to be having problems with the original recipe I posted that I found on another blog. So I did some tweaking and the new results are much much better!! Plus it’s organic and antibacterial! Can’t get much better than that! Homemade Liquid Dish Soap Ingredients: 1/2 cup grated soap (I used Dr. Directions: Grate bar of soap. Side note: I used the citrus kind for the smell and because citrus helps cut grease! Thats it!!! This recipe will not create lots of bubbles! Are you as excited about this recipe as I am???? I party here…
How to Make Homemade Peppermint Extract Part of the reason that I decided to grow mint this year was so that I could try making my own peppermint extract. Jesse and I are pretty much obsessed with mint (especially mint plus chocolate) so we go through a lot of mint extract. Even though I buy my extracts through Azure Standard, they’re not exactly cheap, so making my own seemed like a great way to save some money. I finally got down to it last weekend. The extract has only been sitting for a few days so far so I can’t tell you how it came out, but I wanted to share the method now in case anyone else has an abundance of mint just begging to be used for something. How to Make Peppermint Extract I did a quick Google search and found a multitude of recipes, all of which followed the same basic outline. Harvest a bunch of mint leaves from your mint plant. Harvested mint leaves Remove mint leaves from stalks (if applicable) and pack leaves into a measuring cup to determine how much mint you have. Mint leaves ready to be rinsed
Lili Bio The Burlap Bag - High Quality Handmade Goods Shop - Austin Texas December 20, 2011 by Lauren (Check out our new ONLINE SHOP for The Burlap Bag!!) We have two cats. They get stanky. What you need: A container (we used these) Baking sodaEssential oil Foil (or a lid you want to ruin and poke holes in) This gets really complicated so pay attention…. 1. Oh. Well, add a lid if you want. Seriously the easiest thing I’ve ever done. Done. Follow us for instagram for updates! (p.s. we’ve had a lot of people email us asking where to get those jars! Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time. Making Glow Jars | The Gold Jellybean Yesterday Sydney and I had a major art and craft day, and also experimented with making glow jars. They have been floating around Pinterest for awhile now and look like so much fun! However, there is one tutorial that frustrates me. The image is clearly Photoshopped, and I think it’s very misleading. You will need a glass jar, glow sticks (I picked some up from the dollar store), rubber gloves to protect your hands, scissors, I recommend protective eyewear, and a piece of tulle (optional). If you are using the tulle, cut a piece slightly larger than the jar, and place inside. Now, put on those rubber gloves. Next, stir and shake the cut glow stick around inside your jar. Once you have the desired amount of glow material in your jar, replace the lid and shake it up. Here are all three jars we made. Now turn off the lights and watch them glow! And here is the jar with the white tulle. All in all it was a fun project.
26 Tips and Tricks To Simplify Life I have been collecting all kinds of clever tips to make life just a little bit more simple. Here are some of my favs! 1. Cord organization tips. I am SO doing this. {link} 2. 10. 19. Simple Lemon water. Want to be eco-friendly but not have to mess with cloth diapers? More From New Nostalgia: