How to make Peanut Butter Pine Cone Bird Feeders

One of the best parts of cooler weather in the winter is Bird Feeding! Here, "Mommy points" Blog shows how to make Pine Cone Bird Feeders out of peanut Butter, Birdseed and an old pine cone! One of the comments says if your kid has nut allergys use shortening!

How to make a Lighted Bottle Decoration

These are super easy to make all you need is

a small string of mini LED lights (I used a small string of Battery operated LED's)LED's dont not get hot!

36" of ribbon

a Glass Drill bit

First step, drill a 3/8" hole in the bottom of the bottle, then string the LED lights through it.
then pull the lightd out the mouth of the bottle, and wrap ribbon around the string of lights
Then push the ribbon and the lights back in
There you have a unique bottle ornament. This looks good with frosted wine bottles. Also can be done with glass blocks, forget the ribbon, just put the lights in the block after drilling the hole, then hot glue the ribbon on like a christmas package.
HINT: It drills so much easier if you have a drill press. If you don't just be very careful with your power drill.


This post is part of Trash to Treasure Tuesday on ReInvented blog

I discovered another BLog for the DIY'er- Reinvented She has lots of great Idea's and giveaways- so arm yourself with a hot glue gun and get busy!

Another Man's Treasure Now Open

I opnened my own store on Etsy. Called "Another Man's Treasure". I hope y'all will stop on an take a look around.

I plan on featuring Up-Cycled items, a few crafts and some bling.

LOL - retirement-here I come!!!

How to make Gift Card Envelopes and Holders

Are you like me and gift cards are part of your christmas? Well, why not make your gift cards special and have a hint of homemade gifts- make your own gift card envelopes and holders. One way I do this is take apart a small envelope, carefully - dissect it at the glued seams, and when it is apart you have a template! Just trace this onto some old paper (I use pages from those damn Christmas catalogs that are sent to me. Or you could get fancy and use these templates to make really nice holders

Gift Card envelope template

Tool box gift card holder

Artists Trading card/Credit card size Gift Card Envelope Template

Different Envelope Templates

Cool thing is you can make a gift card very personal- and have some hand made in it as well. Or you can make a cd envelope and give cd's with a personal selection of music on it. Or photgraphs on CD.

Make a Soap Stand

I saw a soap stand on Ikea Hacker- made from a heavy candle stick and a pie plate- Not wanting to waste what could be a perfectly good Pie Tin (In hopes of pie for later) I started scavenging the thrift store up the street- Here is what I came up with: I found a great small round metal platter and a brass candle stick. I simply super glued the candle stick to the metal platter and spray painted in my mom's bathroom colors! (Or what I perceive them to be). Next step is to find some handmade soaps for the tray. This could be a perfect gift for aunt or a friend or someone who likes baths with fancy soaps I guess.

How to make your own dog food

I so miss the Natural Pet Food pantry, but they won't make the dog food and put it in my own containers. So I got my creative freak on, searched the internet and came up with this version of my own Dog stew. I used hamburger rather than chicken because I had 2 pounds of ground round in the freezer. Had tomatoes too. And yes, I added a good doggy multivitamin/mineral to romeo's portion. I must admit to trying a bowl myself minus the supplement- although I maybe I should have added it to mine as well- I always wanted a shiny coat! I made enough to freeze for the rest of the week! Might have to try making my own Cat food next.

Doggy Stew- Rob's Version
2 pounds hamburger,browned ( the original recipe calls for 1 cup of boiled chicken
½ cup cooked brown rice
½ cup boiled mixed vegetables ( I used carrots and peas)
1 can of chopped tomatoes or 1 cup of chopped tomatoes (my own addition- my dog loves tomatoes) Red Icculus made a comment that he thought tomatoes- or rather the acid in them causes kidney stones in dogs. I don't know, but both my dog and cat love tomatoes- So ask your vetrinarian or use them at your own risk. This recipe is great with or without them!
3 to 4 Tbsp unsalted chicken broth

Stir together and serve at room temperature. A good doggy multivitamin/mineral supplement (I use Missing Link)may be added for good measure. Be sure to store unused portions in a covered container in the refrigerator and discard remains after 3 days. Or just freeze and thaw.
Find more recipes for dog food at Suite 101

How to Make a Season Extending Cover for your Garden

I figured this out by trial and error. Mostly Error. I have a canopy frame that I want to make a greenhouse out of, but there is where the error comes in. I also have a book on self-watering garden that has something similar to these.

1st take some 1/2" PVCor CVPC, 10 foot lengths- 2each
then fold them over as in the pic, anchoring them to your raised beds or find some spikes that they will fit in. I prefer anchoring buy getting 1/2 " pipe hangers, and securing them to the sides of my raised beds. You might want to wrap the top of the pvc with duct tape to keep them from sliding-

Get a giant clear plastic bag and slip it over the frame. You should be able to find big plastic bags at most hoome imporvement stores.

Remember to anchor down the bag. Youcan use bricks, rocks. I used my trusty staple gun, and cut a slit to open for access and ventilation. I keep the slit closed with some spring clamps.

Give a personalized clock for Christmas

Very easy to do. Take a clock (the one I used is "TAJMA" clock from IKEA) and basically you use the clock as a frame! Remove the clear plastic cover by releasing the tabs on the back of the clock, carefully remove the hands, take off the clock face. Then I printed this logo on some glossy photo paper, used the old face as a template, trace the circle size on your picture, cut carefully, punched a small hole in the center, put my pic in and put the hands back on and put the cover back on. This clock is for the coffee shop I frequent every morning. A cool Christmas gift or any time gift... my car club even had me make some up for Car Show awards one year! The winners got a picture of their car on the clock! If you are like me you have some of these plastic bodied clocks lying around- so here is a re-use/recycle for you. too!

Make your own Instant Oatmeal!

Instant Oatmeal is expensive- so I suggest you make your own- here, from the Cheap Like Me blog is a recipe to make your own instant Oatmeal- super cheap, super tasty!

Cheap Like Me Instant Oatmeal
6 cups rolled oats, divided use
1/2-1 cup light brown sugar (or to taste)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Generous pinch table salt
1 cup powdered milk (optional)
Process 2 cups oats to a powder, then set aside in a bowl large enough to hold all 6 cups. Combine 4 cups of oats with remaining ingredients except powdered milk and process in two batches with two or three 1-second pulses, just so oats are slightly broken. Add to bowl with powdered oats. Add powdered milk. Stir or shake it up.
(Rob's Note; I don't add the powdered milk to the recipe: I use real milk when it is made- just a personal preference)
To serve, place about 1/2 to 1 cup of oatmeal in a bowl and stir in enough boiling water to get the consistency you desire (it may need a minute to thicken). Add any fruit, nuts, maple syrup or other flavorings you want.

Make A bed for Your Pup or Kitty

I was perusing the internet tonight and found this great site Savvy Houskeeping with a lot of cool ideas for reuse, among them this neat bed for a kitty or a small to medium pooch. Looks like it would be super easy to make.

How to make a Bucket Drip Irrigation System

I search all over the Interweb thingy for simple instructions on making a bucket drip irrigation system. A little late in the season I know but I think the following is good info. Simple instructions on making a Bucket Drip Irrigation System: I am thinking about adapting a system to my Vertical garden using these principles.
Bucket Drip Irrigation
For more information or to see where this came from, click here

HOW TO SAVE TOMATO SEEDS

Picture- Marie Iannotti

I thought you just dried them and that was it- Turns out there's a bit more to it -here, Marie Iannotti shows step by step how to save tomato seeds

How to make Your own Organic Potting Soil

My friend Red-Icculus of Red-Icculus Blog has a sure fire organic potting soil recipe. Take a peak at RED-ICCULUS' POTTING SOIL RECIPE.

Make a Bar Table out of a Stop Sign

I was trying to think of an idea for some plumbing pipe... and I was going to do a table with a tray and do mosaic tile... but then I was looking around the garage and it came to me! A stop sign! So I simply mounted it to a piece of plywood and mounted that to a flange fitting
and mounted that to the pole- I have a bar height table for the porch! Now if you do this remember to get your stop sign legally- they do sell them. Don't take one of the corner of the street! Bad Junkers! Of course I need to fo the bar stools next Hmmm.... there are some "road closed signs down the street! (Okay I won't do that)

Rolling BBQ! How to make a BBQ out of an old Wheel

Ever wonder what to do with those old truck wheels? You know the ones sitting in your yard? Well here is one thing I made- A bbq! Here are the steps:

Find an old pick up wheel (I got mine on Free-Cycle), Pick up a package of Ikea Capita legs- the 8" legs would have been better ( I had the 6" legs sitting around). Then take the leg mounts and put them on the deep side of the truck wheel, screw the legs through the other side, pick up agrill top (mine is for a weber grill- 18") or take one off an old bbq, Use some hardware cloth (fencing) Inside the deep end for an ash catcher. And you are done! Happy BBQ'ing!

Note: You might want to add some small C-Clamps to keep the grill centered orwhat I did is put some nuts and bolts through the top of the grill to act as a stopper!

DIY COLD FRAME

Why do all the cool ideas come after spring, when I should be all planted and rested? Here is a cool Cold Frame hacked from some Ikea Gorm Shelving and using some styrofoam, found on Ikea Hacker. A person could save styrofoam- but I never think of saving it. Hats off to Lorene and her DIY COLD FRAME

Easy to make Vertical Garden

Found this on instructables. Some folks are so creative! Especially at instructables. Why pay a fortune for a vertical garden- this version is much cheaper and keeps the cats out! Vertical Garden instructions

How to dehydrate Banana Chips

Whether you use an oven or a dehydrater here is a DIY vid that shows how to make delicious nutritious Banana Chips:

Home "Tweet" Home

Well never say I don't follow through! On Junk Market Style, I had put up a couple of pics of planters I made from License plates, and threatened to make a birdhouse- here it is, One birdhouse made from three license plates- I bought a metal bender and used some pop rivets to attach the pieces together

How to make frozen Yogurt pops

Photo by Jehrev

I was looking around the blogs and Lifehacker had How to make your own frozen yogurt pops. And it came from family education.com. Whether or not you make your own yogurt, it is an easy recipe. And just in time for those hot summer days.

A new Chair - from the dumpster

I found this chair next to a dumpster- I wish I had taken a before pic so you could see how ugly the orange naugahyde was- normally I don't mind naugahyde but really it was fugly.

Anyway a remnant of upholstery cloth, staples and some new upholstery tacks and it is as good as new!

How to ReUse Clamshell Containers to start seeds!

Photo by My Urban Garden

I enjoy the Patio Farmers Guild website and blog. Written by an intelligent Patio Farmer, she shows how to grow things in containers on her Patio (thus the name). Anyway, I toured her website and joined the guild immediately, Since I basically do the same here. Well today I looked at the Guild website, and there was an article submitted by My Urban Garden, a Patio Farmer Guild member, on how she re-uses plastic clamshells to start plants- Now I am not saying go out to Trader Joes and O-D on berries in plastic clamshells, But I am saying That if you have some this is a good re-use for them. I am going to try it tonight when I get home!

Planter made from junk

I made a planter out of two old license plates. I like the look:
My cars will live on in one form or another!

Self-Watering Planters- an update to EarthTainers™

This is an update on How to make an EarthTainer™, or self watering Planters (SWP's) after the official SWP'S or EarthTainer™, is the version I make from 5 and 3 gallon buckets

Amazing what you can find on the internet. Here is a self watering container for gardening found at TomatoFest. I have seen similar containers in the stores for $35-$50. It only costs between $18-$25 to make one of these yourself- and here they are giving away the secret for free!
How to make an EarthTainer™ planter as seen at TomatoFest.com
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
And the printed instructions
All that Gary from TomatoFest and Ray, the EarthTainer™ Inventor ask is that you make a voluntary contribution to the Feed The Children organization http://www.feedthechildren.org/
UPDATE: I made an EarthTainer™ out of two five gallon buckets- Those are FREE! I simply followed the same design principle and voila! My first EarthTainer™ I promise I will post a pic in the near future!

Photo Update: my EarthTainer with garlic scapes!

A few have commented on my SWP's, and a few more have sent me emails asking how to make them. Well luckily I had one more Pepper to transplant so I needed to make one. The actual idea comes from Gary Ibsen's Tomatofest website, where they are called EarthTainers™. He and his friend Ray,(the original inventor of the EarthTainer™) ask that if you use their design that you simply make a donation to Feed the Children. Since I basically use the same directions- no problem. I just wanted a free or cheaper way of making the SWP's instead of buying roughneck totes to make them. Cheap Veggie Gardner should appreciate this stinginess thriftiness.
Anyway if you don't want to look at the videos, here is how I make SWP's
First I get 2 buckets in this case a 5 gallon and a 3 gallon bucket. You can get these from restaurant type places- just ask! (Thanks Wah Kue Café!)

Then in one bucket cut a hole big enough for a plastic planter or a tomato can to fit in this case I am using a galvanized steel planter I had laying around. If you have access to hole saws this is easy. Or use a jig saw. A jab saw or drywall saw will work as well, This time I used a jigsaw.

Then make a hole towards the side of the same bucket big enough to fit a piece of PVC Tubing through.

Then drill some holes in your tomato can or planter.

Most buckets will fit together leaving about 2" of room between the two buckets- I don't have to worry here as I am using a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon This is good as the bucket will have some room between the upper bucket –or planter and the 2nd bucket or “reservoir”. If it doesn’t HAve this lip or the top bucket goes all the way down simply insert a brick or a couple of rocks in the bottom bucket to raise the top bucket.

That done, drill a hole in the bottom bucket, taking note where the top bucket’s bottom is. Drill the hole just below the bottom of the top bucket. Put the PVC tubing in the hole you made for it.

. . Now fill it with about two cups of soil into your tomato can/planter, fill with water.
Fill the rest of the top bucket with soil and make sure to water a bit between layers of soil or compost. Until it is full and wet. Some times I rip up old t-shirts and make a “wick” throughout the planter. But I have seen no evidence yet in the planters I have done this to that it is any better than letting the soil “wick” the planters. Then plant your plant or seeds in it. When watering fill the bottom bucket through the PVC tube until water comes out the drain hole you drilled. You now have a Self watering planter! Very nice if your forget for a day to water or you go out of town for a weekend. Saves on water as well. If you like you can cut the lid to the bucket, leaving only a ring, then take a garbage bag or you can use a plastic shopping bag put over the bucket and snap your ring on- works as a mulch cover!

How to make Italian and French Sodas

This is from The Wisegeek Website:

"Customers at gourmet coffee shops may notice a cold beverage option called an
Italian soda, also known as a creamosa or French soda in different parts of the
world. An Italian soda is a refreshing combination of flavored syrup and club
soda or seltzer water mixed in a cup of ice. The addition of half-and-half or
milk turns an Italian soda into a creamosa or French soda. Some coffeehouses add
a dollop of whipped cream to an Italian soda to create a creamier texture."

First take some sparkling water or seltzer water, some ice in a glass, and about 1/2 to 1 jigger of your favorite flavored syrup
Pour the water into the glass. Leave room to add the syrup. Some like adding the syrup first. It is a matter of taste!

Add the syrup!

Add a jigger of cream or milk ( or in this case Rice milk) to make it a french soda aka a "creamosa"

How to make Your own Snocones!

Summer is here and time for a refreshing treat. To me summer means street fairs, and snowcones. I recently was playing around with my Cuisin Art and crushed some ice. And I had been watching a shaved ice vendor at the Burien Farmers' Market. I put two and two together , and came up with this recipe- You don’t need and Ice crusher or any other fancy gismos. All you need is a Cuisin Art or a blender and some syrup:


About 2 cups of Ice cubes
Some type of flavored syrup

Put ice cubes into a cuisine art or blender.
Pulse for about a minute.
Until Ice is crushed smooth

Scoop ice into a martini glass or cup.
Pour syrup (about 1 jigger or one ounce) over the top. Enjoy!

Note: I used TORIANI SUGAR FREE SYRUP (raspberry flavor), I would imagine you could use any flavored syrup. But using sugar free makes it a guilt free treat!
TOMORROW- Italian and French Sodas!