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Nifty Thrifty:  Uses for garbage, etc.  |
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Pasthyme
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Gail
Mountain View
AR
99 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 06:25:30 AM
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A few things I like to use rather than put in the recycle bin or garbage:
The lining from cereal boxes---I use this instead of waxed paper. Roll out dough, contain messes in the kitchen, put it down when I put bread crumbs on chicken or pork, etc.
Jars---I like the wide mouth jars from pickles or relish. I use them to store raisins, nuts, rice, etc. Flours I will be using soon are kept in large jars (with the rest in the freezer). I found big (pickle?) jars at the second hand store and use them for storing oatmeal, and other cereals. I put my baking soda in a small jar to keep it fresher. I use jars to make my iced tea. I put water in a jar, microwave for about 6 minutes, put in a large tea bag, add sugar if you like sweet tea, stir, cool & put in frig. I leave the tea bag in it. It is concentrated so you need to add ice and/or water.
All grains are in jars or in the freezer--no bugs.
Strawberry containers-the clear ones with lids---nice litte greenhouses for starting seeds. I put a coffee filter in the bottom so dirt doesn't come out.
Old boards--make a crude form of square foot raised beds (not always a square foot, though).
Old tent poles--went right to the garden to stake plants.
Newspaper--made paths in garden, covered with straw.
CD disc--great for tracing a circle
Lids from yogurt or cottage cheese containers--put under planters to catch overflow of water, use the containers to start seeds or small plants.
Old pot or bucket with lid- use to put kitchen waste that you will compost. I use an old chamber pot, line it with a plastic grocery bag and take it out to the compost pile when it is full.
Pantyhose- of course these are used to tie up & stake tomatoes.
www.pasthymesfashions.webs.com
www.ozarkfolkcenter.com
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karla
True Blue Farmgirl
1308 Posts
karla
Pella
Iowa
USA
1308 Posts |
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embchicken
True Blue Farmgirl
1487 Posts
Elaine
Ocean
NJ
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 2:54:18 PM
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I use milk jugs as cloches in my garden.
~ Elaine
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
http://embchicken.blogspot.com
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 8:07:53 PM
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I use the plastic soda bottles in my garden. I cut the bottom off & shovel the top & neck down into the soil right next to a new planting & that's how I water them instead of wasting all that water using a hose. At the end of the season I just pull them out throw them in a bucket in the shed & reuse them until they fall apart...going on the 3 yr with this last bunch. it may look silly me out there with my watering can putting water in each but I get great plants as the water goes right to the root area. My tomatoes go crazy every year!
I love the cereal insides for pie making...we used to use them for making patterns for crafts so as not to mess up the tissue paper pattern.
CD's we would tie to fishing line & hang to scare off birds from the garden area...now I have cats that do that for me...lol.....but it sure is pretty when the sun hits them, you get a rainbow effect going & is nice to see.
My husband has one of those weed eaters that has that heavy orange line that no matter how careful you are it will get tangled up & you have to pull a lot of it out & cut it off...well I make him keep it in a bucket for me & I use it to tie up growing vegs in the garden...I like it cause you can see it even when the plant gets big so its easy to remove. I have also used it to tie up chicken wire to fencing posts, used it to hang pots from hooks...its so tough that the wind & outside elements don't break it.....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 8:46:36 PM
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If you buy butter save the wrappers to butter pans for baking.
Twist ties are really useful to tie up electronic cords to get them out of sight or at least tidy. They can mend a small break in chicken wire so it doesn't get any bigger.
Kleenex (tissue) boxes make good holders for plastic shopping bags saved for reuse. They also make good snippet catchers while sewing or crafting. They fit on the table and can go in the trash or recycle when full.
Threads, skinny fabric strips, ravels from wool while rug hooking are good to save and put over a fence or limb for birds to pick up and use for nest building in the spring. It is fun to find the colorful nests.
The paper stores use to wrap glass objects in makes great window washing paper. No lint and no news print ink to smudge woodwork.
Make scoops out of plastic jugs for feed, bagged soil, kids playing in the sand/dirt.
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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Nifty Thrifty: Uses for garbage, etc. |
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Uses for garbage, etc.
