Container Gardening

 Container Gardening is very simple to do.  When you do not have space for a contemporary garden you can use any pot, bucket, planter, etc to grow your own fresh vegetables.  A corner of your deck can serve as a spot for your own tomato plant like this: 

Want to grow your own leaf lettuce?  Stick a couple plants in a large flower pot and set on your front porch. 










Fresh herbs can be grown in small pots in your window sill or setting around your deck.  This is a fresh sprig of parsley coming up.  It needs very little maintenance and produces excellent results!





So take a small space and turn it into a productive space!  Start Container Gardening today!  Don't let the lack of land stop you from produce your own healthier produce fresh from your back porch!

Beekeeping

Well the wife is right.  I have been a little slack updating the blog, but I have been extremely busy between work and trying to get ready for our new additions to the family.  Nooooooo it's not a baby,  well it is 12,000 baby bees.  That's right 12,000!  And they will grow to more than 50,000 by the time summer gets here.  I am getting into the world of beekeeping to help increase our garden and flower productions.  Also, as a by-product we will sell the honey and I will make beeswax candles and other products from the hive.  Here is a picture of our first hive!   Below you will see that I made our first batch of 5 votive beeswax candles and they turned out wonderful!  I will blog about how easy that is next and the next mold that I will use has EVERYTHING to do with our new beekeeping adventure!
Stay tuned for more adventures from the hive!





Chris

Update

I've been a little slack in adding anything (of course..I think hubby has too lol). Here it is 6 weeks after my 1st batch of laundry detergent. I have now made my second batch.  I read on the website I found it on there were some complaints of not cleaning really dirty clothes.  The writer said you can add more washing powder and borax so I tried it. Wellllll.....I had a bucket of congealed soap the next day lol! I added some hot water and stirred it alot and funneled it into my bottles.  I just shake the bottle real good before I pour my detergent and it's fine.  Since hubby loves to work outside and doesn't really care what gets dirty. I have pants and shirts with mud, potting soil, grass, paint etc from him, not to mention 2 girls who roll all over the ground, go outside in their socks and one of them always seems to come home from daycare with mulch in her shoes. So I have taken the writers advice and also started adding a 1/2 scoop of OxiClean.  So far I am enjoying using the homemade laundry detergent.  I have also made a natural multipurpose cleaner from water and vinegar.  We bought a dry erase/chalk board easel from the Goodwill store. It had marker all over it and not dry erase marker on the board lol.  I used my multipurpose solution and the marker came right off!  Stay tuned for upcoming projects.  I have several things I want to try such as make my own fabric softener sheets, hair detangler, natural weed killer and I want to dive into Fake It Frugal!  More on that next time!

Making a Rain Barrel in 30 minutes!

It is true!  I made a very nice functioning rain barrel and it took no more than 30 minutes to complete.  Here is the parts list you need and links to the items from Lowes.com.

1) 55 gallon plastic drum barrel  (You can find these for FREE if you ask around..  I did!)
2) NDS 8 inch Black Round Gate  Round Gate $4.67
3) 3/4 inch T-handle hose bib  Hose Bib (spigot) $5.33
4) 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch x 1/2 inch Male Garden Hose to MIP adapter  Overflow attachment $3.46
5) pipe thread tape

THAT'S ALL THE MATERIALS YOU NEED TO BUY!  ALL UNDER $15!

Here are the steps I took to make the rain barrel.

1) Take the round gate and put it on top of the barrel where you want the downspout to go.  Trace the circle that you need to cut out for the round gate.  Next, drill a pilot hole in the center of the circle you just drew.  Next step is to cut out the circle with a saber, jig, or another similar saw.  Make sure you hold onto the plastic piece so it doesn't fall into the bottom of the barrel when you finish the cut.

You may need to take a file and shave a little more plastic off the edges to make sure you have a good fit.  You can use silicone to seal it up tight around the edges or do what I did and just tap it in nice and tight.









2) Using a 1 inch spade wood bit or hole saw drill a hold about 6 to 8 inches from the top of the barrel where you will want your overflow spout to go.  This needs to be on the left or right side of your rain barrel as you are facing it.  Take some plumbers tape and wrap it around the threads of the over and simply screw the overflow into the barrel with a wrench until it is tight.

As you can see to your left, I used large rubber washers as extra precautions between the connectors and the plastic barrels.  You simply glue or silicone these in place once the connections are tight.










3) With the same 1 inch bit drill a hole about 6 inches from the bottom of the barrel where you will want your spigot.  Once you have the hole drilled, as above, wrap plumbers tape around the spigot threads and screw it into the barrel with a wrench.

And that is it as far as making the rain barrel!  Simple huh?

















4) Now the final step is fitting your rain barrel to your downspout.  I set the rain barrel in front of the downspout up on bricks where it would be sitting normally and cut the existing downspout off a few inches above the barrel to allow me enough room to put the curved downspout back on into the top of the barrel.

I used a marker and a hacksaw to cut the downspout off.  It took about a minute to cut the downspout off and get the curved piece in the right spot.  I reattached all the metal clamps etc on the shorted downspout.





DONE!  Nothing else to do but collect the free water and use it on your plants, lawn, or anywhere else you may need it.

Here is the way my finished barrel looks. I plan on painting it in a subtle grey or brown color to blend into the house. 

Very quick easy and rewarding project!


Chris

DIY Liquid Laundry Soap

Well I did it.  I succeeded in making my own liquid laundry soap with a recipe I found on www.thefamilyhomestead.com. Here is the recipe.
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or any other type of soap (if you use a soap other than Fels Naptha you need to use the whole bar-I used ivory)
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax powder
*You will also need a 2 gallon bucket (or other container-I mixed in a bucket and then funneled the soap into some laundry detergent bottles I had saved)

All 3 items can be found in the laundry aisle of your grocery store.  Since I opted to use the ivory soap I found that in the soap/lotion aisle.


First you grate the bar of soap and put it in a saucepan.

Next you add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.

Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.  Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.  You use 1/2 cup per load.

Finished!  The bucket was almost full....this pic is after I had put it in other containers.

***The finished soap will not be a solid gel.  It is a watery gel.  It is a low sudsing soap so don't worry if you don't see suds. Suds don't clean....the ingredients do.***   You can add scent using 1/2-1 oz of essential oil or fragrance of your choice.  To me the mixture has a fresh scent anyway....may add a scent in my next batch.

Bottom line is....I paid 3.24 for a 55 oz box of Arm & Hammer washing soda, 3.28 for a 76oz box of 20 Mule Team borax and 1.24 for a 3 pack of Ivory soap.   This recipe made 2 gallons of soap and using 1/2 cup per load I will be able to wash 64 loads of laundry....all for the grand total of $0.81!! 


Michelle

Make your own wine!

Whether you consume an adult beverage or not is of no importance here.  What is of importance is that you can easily make your own alcohol for your own consumption or barter.  Barter, being that you can make it and trade it for goods and services in the event the need arises.  It is very simple to make with readily available items.  The recipe I used to make my first batch of "Homemade Wine" came from allrecipes.com .  Here is the link to the Homemade Wine Recipe that I specifically used for this project.  Apart from NOT using citrus concentrate, I think all of the other ingredients are fine to use store brand items etc. I personally used concord grape concentrate.   There are a lot of great suggestions when it comes to homemade wine making and I picked one of them that I agree completely with as it pertains to this recipe in particular.  Here it is:

The cork (a #6 cork fits a one gallon jug) and airlock is a very small price to pay for not having to deal with using a balloon and rubber band every time you go to make your wine, plus it is what professional home winemakers use themselves.  Mixing an extra can of concentrate into the mixture definitely makes it taste better.

 To be safe and not use an old milk jug that might not be completely clean,  I went ahead and bought a gallon of sterile distilled water and dumped the water out in a pitcher to use for later when I mixed it back in the jug.  After every thing was mixed up and put in the jug, I put the balloon and rubber band on the top and put it in my closet.   After about 2 weeks, what you see on the left is the wine fermenting nicely.  There are some people that say poke a needle hole in the top of the balloon, but I did not do that. 

After about 4 weeks in the balloon is beginning to deflate and in another week or two it will be completed.  At that point it is very important to filter the mixture in the jug to make sure you get all the yeast and any left over sugar out of the mixture before drinking.  Once you have filtered the mix you can taste it and add an additional can of concentrate if it is too strong of a taste.  And that's all there is to making homemade wine!!  Cheap and easy!  Give it a shot!  Just remember that if it doesn't taste right the first time, keep on experimenting until you have your own recipe and process that works for you and you turn out a great wine every time!
Happy Wine Making!!







Chris

My First Complete Sewing Project

Hi!  I'm Michelle...the other half of CooperCreativeConcepts.  I do mostly crafty things....well I attempt them anyway.  My first attempts at sewing were simple blankets....I mean....who can't sew four straight lines.  (Between you and me mine aren't exactly straight) but I'm trying and I am hoping to get better at it.  So it came time to start thinking of Christmas gifts and I was thinking of what I could make for our girls stepmother.  I knew I couldn't buy anything for her because honestly I really don't know what types of things she would like.  So I happened to come across a crochet needle holder on Favecrafts.com.  My lightbulb came on as she has taken to crocheting....not from pattern but more "freehand" I guess you could say and her things are beautiful!  Anyway.....I found out she was keeping her crochet needles in a baby wipes box....so a gift was born.

I deviated from the original pattern as I try to make things I do simpler.  I always try to start a project by thinking of what I already have on hand.  So I first found a satiny white patterned cloth napkin, a black pillowcase and a small black and white patterned ribbon that I had.  I am a sucker for the scrap bins at craft stores.  I found a pretty scrap of cotton material that was a white background with a dark pink and black damask pattern at Hobby Lobby in Aiken SC on a trip to see family at Thanksgiving.  I cut a square piece of black material from the pillowcase the same size as the cloth napkin and sewed the two together around the edges.  I then consulted the pattern and used the measurements for the "pouch" piece.  I cut it to the appropriate size and sewed it to the black side of my project.  I then sewed the pockets per each measurement.

My cutting and sewing wasn't exactly straight so I knew I had to find something to cover the edges.  I found a wide black and white damask ribbon that I attached to the edges with heat and bond. Love that stuff!!!  I then sewed the small ribbon on the outside for the tie and viola...project completed.  I was really really nervous that she would just think it was awful or goofy or something but she loves it.  I had actually forgotten to take pictures of it before I wrapped it so the pictures here are ones that she took and sent to me.

Michelle

FREE Books!!

If you are like my wife and, you enjoy reading or using the books to do research, gather ideas, and inspiration.  One way to do that and it doesn't cost you a dime, is Kindle for PC which allows you to download books and read them directly from your PC .

If you have a smartphone you can download the free Kindle app for your respective phone and sync your library to your phone as well.  There are THOUSANDS of FREE, yes FREE eBooks available for download on Amazon.com on all types of subjects.  Check it out!!  You will love it!
What does this have to do with our blog title? Anything you are able to get for FREE helps you to become a little more Self Sufficient!



Chris

Get Crafty!

With the economy the way it is right now, can you afford to spend hundreds of dollars for Christmas, Birthday, and other gift giving events?  Probably not!  Well we have the solution for you.  Get Crafty!  Use your imagination or the ideas of others to come up with one of a kind gifts for your loved ones.  They appreciate your hard work and effort much more than going to the store and picking up a gift card.  The next few pictures will show you a simple idea that I came up with for my step-daughters dad using recycled old wooden window frames based off an idea I saw online here.  Window Frame Project

Here is what the window frame looked like to start:

 It started out as a white window frame.  I sanded down the frame very good to start and made sure there were no rough areas.

 Next step was preliminary painting.  I had all intentions of leaving the glass in the frame and as you see here painting the frame this way.  Over spray was difficult to control so I just removed the glass from the frame which worked out a lot better.  Don't worry if you break a pane or two, you can easily get them replaced at Lowes, Home Depot, or you local hardware store like I did.

 The colors we chose were black and blue as this is his favorite colors.  Speaking with the paint crew at Lowes, they advised us that latex probably would not stick for a long time to glass, so what I did was take each pane of glass and use "Gallery Glass Crystal Clear Window Color" on each one completely.  This gave it a stained glass look and a texture for the latex to stick to. 

Next step was to let the texture dry and the following day it was time to have the girls put their hand prints and footprints on the glass panes.  The Silhouettes were create with card stock from profile pictures of the girls.  They were glued onto the panes with Decoupage glue.  After the paint and glue dried a couple coats of clear sealer was applied to the panes for protection and long life.

Final step was to reinstall the panes and caulk them back into place.
A picture hanging wire was added to the top bar for hanging.


Chris

Water Bath Canning is EASY

Water bath canning is so simple that anyone can do it!  Especially if I can do it!   The first thing to do is pick up a book on canning that has both recipes and instructions in it. There are many things you can preserve with the water bath method, but there are many things that could potentially kill you if you don't pressure can instead.   I would suggest  "Complete Book of Home Preserving" as seen on your right.  It is absolutely wonderful and full of great recipes and instructions on water bath and pressure canning.  After you have read through the process a little, it is time to purchase a water bath canner like the one below.











Following the recipes in the book and the preparation of the jars and you will turn out a wonderful product like I have here.  A dozen perfectly canned jars of HOT Fresh Vegetable Salsa!  My wife and I actually used home made salsa as wedding favors at our wedding.  We had 20 jars of Mild and 20 jars of HOT!  Everyone loved it!! 

Chris

Soap Making

Soap making is extremely easy with the kits and raw materials that are available from major craft stores such as Hobby Lobby and AC Moore.  This is the first batch of exfoliating soap I made in a Celtic design from such available resources.  Apricot seeds were used for the exfoliating agent in the soap as you can see by the specks in the soap.  A very simple and fun way to enjoy making something home made that is useful!

Chris

Hello! Welcome!

Welcome to my first ever blog. Wellllllll, at least the first one I will really try to keep up with.. lol.    I hope to share with you some things I am doing to become more self sufficient at home as well as some family fun things that are beneficial to the home.  I will also share some of my travels, thoughts,  and things I learn along the way.  I hope to update this daily but I am targeting 3 times weekly with a picture at least once a week.  Enjoy!


Chris