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Nifty Thrifty:  Repurposing...what have you done lately?  |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 06:51:49 AM
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My brother gave me this idea: Cut the bottom off of a plastic orange juice jug and fill with bird seed. Easily fill your feeders by taking the lid off the bottom and using as a scoop/funnel. Works great!
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE |
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mrsamy
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Amy
Milwaukee
WI
USA
167 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 08:04:11 AM
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Cut the top off of an salt container, the ones with the flip top metal pour spout. Trace a canning lid on top, cut it out, fill a canning jar with your homemade cleaners/laundry detergent, put the salt top circle on top with a screw lid to hold it in place. LOVE using that one! Going to do it with a plastic peanut butter jar next so I can keep my bathroom cleanser dry
Prayer costs nothing, but is worth the most. |
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mrsamy
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Amy
Milwaukee
WI
USA
167 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 08:11:04 AM
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Oh, and Jonni, my Sam is much more "weighty" than tall so I had to snip the "crotch flap" part of onesies out and use them to add length through the bottom of his onesies! Kinda like those "bra extenders". And another clothing fix from my round little guy with short legs...take a piece of elastic or make a short band from an old T-shirt...sew a button hole on one end and button on the other end...the button hole goes over the button currently on the pants and the new button on the "extender" goes through the pants buttonhole. I've even made one with a "jeans" button. This works for DS who outgrows the waistband long before the length AND worked for me when I was pregnant but still not quite big enough for maternity clothes.
Prayer costs nothing, but is worth the most. |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 10:51:34 AM
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I just found a use for all plastic jugs! Milk jugs, 2 liter bottles, anything! You rinse very well and put 3 tiny holes in the bottom. Then pull back the dirt right beside one of your plants, you want a depression big enough to hold the bottom 2 inches of the bottle. Push the remaining soil around the bottle to help hold it upright. Then remove the lid and fill with water, manure tea, liquid fertilizer water, what ever is needed in you garden. You now have a drip irrigator for that plant! I probably have 200 of these bottles piling up in the old barn waiting for a trip to the recycle, now they have a job!
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 11:02:50 AM
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I have reused glass jars and canning jars with lids for dried spices. I am taking an old water trough and filling it with dirt for a flower pot. I am using linen dish towels for kitchen curtains. Hmmm. I'll have to think about it some more.
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind."
Author Unknown |
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highlandviewpantry
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
WV
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2010 : 8:24:43 PM
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I've been saving the wrappers from sticks of butter and then using them to grease baking dishes. Also saw an idea where a mom took her baby daughter's onesie type tops from the previous summer and cut off the bottom, zig zag stitched them and made t-shirts for the following summer.
www.thehighlandviewpantry.blogspot.com |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2010 : 8:42:18 PM
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Speaking of repurposing, has anyone noticed how many glass bottles and jars are turning plastic. It infuriates me. I recycle newspaper, cardboard, glass, and aluminum. I've always repurposed things that are useful for other thing.
Betty in Pasco |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 06:05:16 AM
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Betty,
I agree! If one is trying to remove plastic from our food, is it so much harder because now they are using for everything!
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 08:10:11 AM
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It's discouraging. They just had an article in our paper about the fact that it isn't even cost-effective to recycle glass. I'm thinking we (as a society) need to readjust our priorities, maybe the profit-margin shouldn't be the be-all and end-all!!
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 09:34:54 AM
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I have a farmgirl style solution. Instead of going plastic, the companies need to go 'canning'! If all things possible was put in canning jars there would never be a need, outside of broken, to recycle it at the disposal centers! Now, how you'd stop all the fights over people trash containers, that's another story.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 11:33:04 AM
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Canning jars would be great!! I use mine for all kinds of things besides canning - a half-pint widemouth is just the right size for cottage cheese and applesauce to take for lunch.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 12:27:29 PM
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Amy, I'm going to can half-pint green beans this year. Might not be cost effective, but at least I know what is going into those jars. BTW, did anyone watch FOOD, INC last night. Scary thought what we are putting into our bodies. MaryJane has the right idea.
Betty in Pasco |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 4:04:25 PM
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I missed Food Inc. for some reason I can never commit to watching anything on TV.
Betty - how are you doing these days, I have been thinking about you.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 5:59:04 PM
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Amy, I had a terrible week and a half after chemo. Then I forced myself to go get some groceries and then I felt so much better. I think I may have overdone it. I worked out in the garden for about an hour and now I am totally exhausted. Tomorrow is another day and the lawn needs to get mowed. I may do half of it one day and the other half the next.
Betty in Pasco |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 7:33:04 PM
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Try to take it easy Betty. If we were closer to you I would send my son over to do the lawn for you:)
Are you still doing chemo?
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2010 : 06:52:42 AM
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I (hopefully) have two more sessions of chemotherapy. I suppose then the doctors will run another CT scan to see if there are any more lymph nodes that are affected. I'm ready for it to end so I can get back to my farmgirl way of life. My garden is calling. I hope to get rid of the rest of the strawberries today because I have another plot that is taking off like gangbusters.
I also have a son that could mow the lawn, but he is always "too tired."
Betty in Pasco |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2010 : 07:16:14 AM
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Betty J,
Sorry to hear about you going through chemo. Hugs to you, farmgirl sis.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2010 : 07:23:12 AM
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Thanks to everyone wishing me better health. It is still to come, but come it will.
Betty J. |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2010 : 08:01:31 AM
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I will have you in my prayers as you go through the rest of your chemo Betty - how often are the sessions?
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2010 : 12:52:04 PM
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I just cleaned my pantry (bleah) and realized I have repurposed stuff and had forgotten about it. I use the big plastic buckets with handles that ice cream comes in to keep all my little bags of nuts and dried fruit in one place, makes it much easier. Also I use another one to hold all my measuring cups and spoons - that way they are all in the same spot when I go to bake something.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2010 : 11:03:30 PM
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Does anyone have a suggestion for uses for those playtex drop-in style bottles? We just switched to regular bottles to save money. No more bottle bags to buy. Now what do I do with them?
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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schoolmama
True Blue Farmgirl
70 Posts
Amy
WI
USA
70 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2010 : 8:57:52 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by clothedinscarlet
I've mainly been repurposing old clothes for me and my kiddos. I have a ton of glass baby food jars sitting in my kitchen that I am brainstorming about. I haven't decided what to do with them yet, but I can't bring myself to throw them away. My husband thinks I'm crazy. They're getting a little out of hand LOL! I keep thinking, there must be something brilliant to do with them. There just MUST be!
Farmgirl Sister #1110
Siobhan - AKA Liza-Jane (my farmgirl name), wife to my best friend, Trent, and mommy to Camden (11/28/05) and Bennett (7/11/07). and Truman (7/28/09)
another idea is to put small candles in them, wrap the tops with wire and hang outside on a patio, or porch .
I also use baby food jars to store small amounts of paint in . When I need to touch up a spot on the wall, it's easy to grab the jar labeled "living room paint" ,instead of opening up a whole big can of paint. |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2010 : 05:28:12 AM
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Last night I hosted my first Sisterhood Chapter meeting. Along the edge of my deck railing I ran a line of small Ball jelly jars and put tea lights in them. Looked pretty. I also took a basket and put the plates and napkins in it, with a large Ball jelly jar tied with a raffia bow in the middle containing all the forks. Looked so pretty.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE |
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Butterscotch Grove
True Blue Farmgirl
196 Posts
Melissa
Fairbanks
AK
196 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 2:15:31 PM
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This is not really repurposing (great ideas here, btw), but I recently saw a project online (on FaveCrafts.com) to make muslin snack bag to replace the zip lock type ones. I don't use snack bags much, but I do buy bulk seeds and nuts and oatmeal...I think I'm going to make some drawstring bags to take to the grocery store along with my reusable totes and eliminate all the thins plastic bags that don't seem to hold up through more than 2 uses (ever put a broken bag of oatmeal on a supermarket conveyor belt? Ick). This could be an off-season use for jelly bags...or I could sterilize the old sheets from my kid's toddler mattress (he's in a twin now) and cannibalize them...they have holes, so they're not good to give away or donate).
I use cut up nylons for tomato/plant ties.
We use all junk mail and waste paper for the kids to draw on...now we need to figure out what to do with all that artwork...papier mache?
Melissa
My blog:
http://ButterscotchGrove.wordpress.com |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 5:40:16 PM
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I have 2 large dogs and 1 medium dog. I usually get the 50lb. bags of dog food. It will last a few months. I have been saving them and i am going to make reuseable totes from them. My Dh is getting on to me about the clutter. I told him that when i start sewing they will all be gone. I hope to sell them at the local swap meet. I also have a large tote of scraps that a neighbor gave me from another frind of hers that was a interior designer. These are from swatch books....great pieces of fabric. I am going to be making patch vests out of them.
Deborah
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
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Nifty Thrifty: Repurposing...what have you done lately? |
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Repurposing...what have you done lately?
