Tag: diy

No comments

Restoring Rusty Cast Iron Cookware

Image

  By , ,

You see a flower pot, I see a bean pot.


Cast iron cookware is often misunderstood in it’s purpose and misused in application. It is intimidating in weight, care and maintenance vs the much lighter off the shelf and into the dishwasher stainless and stickfree options. The truth is, cast iron is very versatile will outlive most owners with just nominal care, but it needs to maintain it’s seasoning, that layer of oil that keeps the surface smooth and protected. Without it, food burns, sticks and builds up and the inevitable begins-rust.

I won’t blind you with science, there are a lot of methods to restore rusted, flea market, discarded, scrap pile cast iron. Soaking in vinegar, treating with molasses, exposure to extreme heat and lye. The method I’ll cover here, using electrolysis is a simple method that isn’t labor intensive yet very effective.  Continue reading

No comments

Fall Garden Preparation

Image

  By , ,

Fall Garden Preparation

So the last of the tomato plants have withered, the pole beans have quit sprouting and you’ve carried the final pumpin out for carving. No, you don’t just walk away and bid adieu until spring. Whether you a rural homesteader or a suburban green thumb, there is still work to be done my friend! The bonus is that, depending on your location, you won’t have to be working in oppressive heat. The fall will bring the cool mornings and bug free late afternoons where you can enjoy your time prepping the ground for the next spring’s seeds. And preparation is everything for your garden. It can mean the difference between an abundent and healty harvest and the blighted jungle of a mess in your neighbor’s backyard. Here we leave a few tips and methods for you to optimize next year’s harvest.



Continue reading

No comments

Board And Batten DIY Accent Walls

Image

  By ,

Board and Batten 1

Do you have a certain area of your home that you’d really like to highlight? I certainly did. For quite some time, I’ve really struggled with how or what to use in order to dress up our entry way in the living room. I could tell that it needed more than just an updated baseboard or trim. After doing some research I decided that I wanted to add that craftsman-style touch, but on a budget. Creating that board & batten look myself was just what it needed!




Continue reading

3 Comments

Product Review: Mussel Bound Adhesive Tile Mat

Image

  By ,

Muscle Bound 1

Tile: if only the installation were as simple as the customization process. It’s so easy to walk into any home improvement store and distract yourself with the endless possibilities among tile choices. Hundreds and hundreds of colors, sizes and combinations to choose from, as well as a large selection of grout color options. While style choices have continuously changed over the years, one thing has remained same: the installation process. Continue reading

No comments

DIY Primitive Floating Shelves

Image

  By

Pic 1

Repeat after me: warmer weather is just around the corner. We’ve got something that will brighten up your space as well as your spirit during this cold spell and won’t leave your wallet empty. Lately, I’ve been finding myself staring at this small, blank wall in my living room and unsure of what to do with it. Do I add a large picture? No. What about some sort of metal art décor? I can’t seem to find any of those I like either. Then what? What other option could there possibly be if I’m being so picky about this?! Ah-hah! Floating shelves!




Continue reading

No comments

Beautiful DIY Plank Wall On The Cheap

Image

  By ,

Adding Texture to a Room: DIY Plank Wall

20170227_093234

Spring is right around the corner and I have quite the honey-do list ready for our backyard, which means we need to wrap up indoor projects quickly! I want to be able to work on outdoor things soon when the weather is consistently warm; but for now, I’m excited that we have been blessed with two wonderfully warm weekends here in the Midwest. I have spent them working on updating a shared wall within our main living space using plank panels and wanted to share just how easy this project really was as well as its cost effectiveness. Continue reading

No comments

DIY Furniture Upcycle Using Chalk Paint

Image

  By





When it comes to home projects, crafts, exercise, you name it, I want results instantly. I have never had much patience and that has unfortunately made its way into my DIY activities. Something lying around my home that never caught my attention before suddenly needs change and it needs it now before I’ve even settled on a new design for it. While in the moment I may never think so, but I thank the Lord every day that Hobby Lobby and most hardware stores in my area are not open for business 24/7. My family also says thanks, as they prefer their full 8 hours of sleep during the night too.

Continue reading

No comments

Quick & Simple Homemade Vanilla Extract

Image

  By





Quick & Simple Homemade Vanilla Extract
Nothing brings our family closer than spending the morning or afternoon stirring up an old favorite recipe in the kitchen. We really value our time spent together, therefore, our oven/stovetop is quite busy! From pancakes and waffles to cakes and cookies, we do it all and nearly on a daily basis at times. As a mother with an old-fashioned outlook on life, I find it crucial that my toddler understands the fundamentals when it comes to the importance of each ingredient as well as the science behind cooking.
Continue reading

No comments

DIY Kitchen Knife Rust Remover

Image

  By

DIY Kitchen Knife Rust Remover 
rusty knife

At some point or another, it happens. The kitchen knives end up in the dishwasher, despite conflicting “yes, you can” or “no you can’t” arguments about whether or not they are dishwasher safe. We haven’t had the greatest luck with avoiding food/contamination poisoning this year and I am determined to keep it from striking down another family member. Any knife that is used to cut raw meat goes straight into the dishwasher like a quarantined specimen and we don’t even think twice about it. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that our water isn’t fantastic either. We get quite a bit of build-up on our appliances from hard water residue, even with a water softener in place (Although, our water source isn’t from a well so really I shouldn’t say much!). All of these factors ultimately lead to build-up and rust our kitchen knife set. We cook A LOT, and we cannot prep our food knowing that we aren’t living up to our own code of standards. As you can see in the picture, we get little spots every now and again that can be “spot treated” in no time. Continue reading