Milk Jug Greenhouses

This spring with my introductory plant science class, we tested out milk jug greenhouses. We are still getting the data analysis completed, but I'm very pleased with the results. While I can't confirm that the results were statistically significant, I can tell you that the germination rates with our milk jug greenhouses were about equal to the germination rates in the commercial greenhouse. These cheap little greenhouses work! 

The idea with the milk jug greenhouses is that they are a very cheap and easy way to get your seeds started earlier than you might be able to start them in the ground. I've seen some people make the milk jugs into a sort of plant cover to protect the plant. But by using the whole milk jug, if you have a cold snap, you can bring the whole thing inside. It is cheap, easy and effective in starting your own seeds and hopefully getting an extended growing season with your garden.

Here is how to do it. 

Step 1:

Save a milk jug, clean it out. You won't need the cap so that can be recycled immediately. 

Step 2:

Make drainage holes in the bottom. My husband used a knife but in class we were safer and used a drill. Four drainage holes worked great for our class project.

Step 3:

Cut the jug horizontally almost all the way around. Where the handle is, leave a couple inches un cut. The end result should be the top half of the jug being 'hinged' to the bottom half.

Step 4:

Add potting soil and start your seeds. We have started beans, peas, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers all with good success. For each we have just planted four seeds per jug. 

Step 5:

Close the hinge and tape the jug to seal the cut. We have the best luck with duct tape, shipping tape was a bit too flimsy. Make sure the cap is removed and do not seal where the cap had been. The open cap allows for ventilation.

Step 6:

Set out in the sun and enjoy! We did water them as needed, but if you get enough rainfall you may not need to water much at all. If there is risk of frost or you have a cold snap, bring them inside. You could set them in front of a window and take the back out when the conditions improve.

Step 7:

In 2-4 weeks when your starts are looking great, un-tape the jug and transplant! 

I was very pleased with how successful the germination was in the jugs when compared to a commerical greenhouse. It was very inexpensive to try out and you could reuse the milk jugs year after year. We will be repeating this experiment in class with different seeds next spring and I will be using this in my personal garden as well. 

Note: This was not an idea I came up with, but one that I came across online. Whomever originated this idea is brilliant.

I'll update you when the data is complete!

Make Your Own Clorox Wide Surface Mop Cover

 Ever since we installed our beautiful laminate flooring I have been struggling with cleaning them.  The broom doesn't pick up all of the dust and it takes at least 3 of the Swiffer pads to clean just the family room.  I would need at least a box a week to clean the whole house and I am not willing to spend over $4 a box every single week.  That is $208 a year on something I would be throwing the the garbage.  So, I planned on making a few reusable covers I saw on pinterest.  

Then one day as I walked toward the baby department in a local discount store (DD's Discount which is a sister store to Ross) I saw this huge Swiffer type mop/duster/broom - it was only $8 and about 4 times the size of the Swiffer.  So, it would take 1/4 of the time to clean the floor and I would have more time to avoid doing dishes - I was sold! 

It is called the Clorox wide surface terry mop and you can buy it at Target for only $10.39 (see it here).  As soon as I got home I cleaned the floors with it and it took no time at all!  

But, covers for it are hard to find online and at Target they are over $6.  I bought the entire thing for $8 and they want me to pay $6 for one cover?  So, I set out to make them and they turned out pretty good!

All you need is:

Kitchen towels (I used microfiber towels I found on clearance at the same store)

Extra wide bias tape (60" for 1 cover)

34" of 1/4" elastic

thread to match

less than 30 minutes of time and a sewing machine

Here is the tutorial:

  Cut the towel into a 19" by 12" rectangle.  Save the extra for dusting or drying really small dishes.

*Next time I make covers I will try to find bigger kitchen towels so they will be at least 19" by 14".*

Round the corners.

Pin the bias tape on one side (with the right side down).

And sew as close to the edge as you can. 

Fold over the bias tape and pin again.

Don't forget to leave an opening to put the elastic through. 

Sew as close to the edge of the bias tape as you can. 

Put a safety pin on the end of your elastic and feed it through the opening. 

Once the elastic is fed through all the way, sew both ends together then sew the opening closed.

Your cover is done!

 

It fits perfectly!  

I love having a few extra covers because when I use them they get really dirty and it is nice just switching the cover instead of waiting to wash the original cover. 

Cost of Covers:

I bought a package of 4 towels for $3, I had the bias tape, the thread and the elastic. Which makes my cost 75cents per cover!  That is a $197 savings from using Swiffer pads over a year ($208 - $8 mop - $3 covers) !  You might not have the bias tape or the elastic so if you had to buy them it would be $2 at Walmart for each making it $1.75 per cover - still impressive!

Now, if you excuse me I need to go buy this pair of boots I have been drooling over since I saved so much money on disposable covers!  Kidding - that won't be saving anything if I just spent it on something else.  I will continue to drool ...

Have a great day and let me know if you give these covers a try!    

Camo Hearts ...

 Michael is a hunter and his camo of choice is Advantage Max 4-D.  I have search high and low for fabric and what I have found is incredibly expensive.  So, when we got new dog beds I kept the old bed since they had Michael's camo on one side.  I didn't know what I was going to use it for but, I knew I needed to save it. 

    

He gets up super early and stands out in the cold to hunt, so I thought I would make some hand warmers that he could heat up quickly before he left and stick in his pocket to keep his hands warm.  

 So, I cut out 4 hearts from the dog bed camo - it is a thick material which is perfect for this project.  I sewed each pair together (leaving a hole for turning and filling.  Filled them with rice and sewed them up.  I wanted the seam to be extra strong, so I stitched around the entire heart.  I like the rustic detailing that extra step gives. 

 And now he has hand warmers to keep his hands warm!  

He had no idea why I chose to make them a heart.  They fit perfectly in his hands and I love him. 

I was going to save them and give them to him on Valentine's Day but then he wouldn't get to use them until next duck season, so I gave them to him as soon as I finished a few weeks ago.  A little tip from Michael - if you put them on your dash over the defrost vent they will stay nice and toasty for when you get to your hunting spot.  I know what you are thinking - he's smart and studly!  I know! 

Happy Friday!  Hope you have an amazing weekend!

For Love of the Cloth Napkin

Cloth napkins are a great addition to any table.  They look nice.  They save paper towels and/or paper napkins.  They are durable.  They last a long time.  BUT, you have to wash them and iron them and fold them.  I am still drawn to them.  My grandma always had pretty napkins on her table . . . I wanted pretty napkins too. 

When we bought our house I decided that we were going to use cloth napkins.  Less waste in the landfill and less money spend on disposable things.  I bought a set or two on clearance (and with a coupon - that's how I roll) at Kohl's and I LOVED them.  So pretty and they felt good and looked good and worked so well.  Then I washed them and they were so wrinkly!  I do not like to iron (does anyone?) - I don't even own an iron!  So, they sat in a draw for a few months waiting to be ironed.  I borrowed my mom's iron (which I have yet to return) and finally iron them.  But, the same thing would happen every time they needed to be washed.  I then thought of cloth napkins as a chore.  I didn't really like them but I continued to use them because I had already invested in them (I use invested very lightly here because I got them for a few cents) and didn't want them to go to waste.

Then one day the boyfriend's mom handed me a bag and told me she knows how much I like napkins so she bought these from her friend's shop that had just opened.  I opened the bag and there were 8 green cloth napkins.  They were so nice that it took me a while to start using them but since the first time I washed and dried them I haven't looked back.  To my delight they come out of the dryer without needing to be ironed. 

I LOVE cloth napkins!

Now I have a few sets but by far the easiest to take care of and the best quality are the set the boyfriend's mom got me. 

This is the color I have - mint green.  Don't let the mint name fool you, these are a light green and not an obnoxious green.  They are more like an after dinner mint green than the inside of an Ande's Mint green.

A set of 4 is $16.

I have been using my set every day for about a year.  I use them even when we have pizza and the grease washes right out!  I have NEVER had to iron them and they still look brand new.  They cover my entire lap and then some - which I love!

Mauve - $16 for 4 napkins

Creamy Tan - $16 for a set of 4

I can't decide between the mauve and the creamy tan - I would probably choose creamy tan just based on the name but both would get a ton of use in our house!

Sea Green - $32 for a set of 8

This color is amazing!  I would call this color a turquoise instead of a sea green but regardless of the name the color is beautiful!! 

Caramel Swirl - $24 for a set of 6

I would probably not use these since they are so fancy, but I still really like them.  Maybe for a formal dining room?  Or a holiday?

The napkins made by the boyfriend's mom's friend - her name is Evelyn White and I am pretty sure she is related to the boyfriend but he is related to pretty much everyone, so that doesn't tell you much.  Her etsy store is called Fine Fabric Fancier and she has a large selection of cloth napkins to choose from and other items as well.  Her napkins are amazing and I will be buying more soon!  I love them so much because:

~ They are large (22" by 22").

~ They have a 2" mitered border (I am pretty sure this is why they come out of the dryer without wrinkles)

~ They are cotton and easy to wash.  I just throw them in the washer and they come out clean.  I do pre-treat when they have greasy spots. 

~ They are handmade.

~They are beautiful yet can be used every day.

~ I thought they were a little expensive (compared to my almost free Kohl's napkins) but since I use them every day and they don't look like they have aged at all - I would gladly spend the money for them.  They are $4 each and after a month of using them I am pretty sure I saved that much or more in paper towels!

Maybe someday I will make some of my own but until then I will continue to love my napkins that she made. 

* I did not ask Evelyn about posting this and I hope she doesn't mind (I have never met her) but I really think these are the best cloth napkins out there. *

Do you use cloth napkins?  If you do you have a favorite type?

Feed Bag to Grocery Bag

Hello all!  I have a real treat for you!  I am SO excited to show you how I took a feed bag from my mom and turned it into a grocery bag (or gym bag or any bag you need).  In fact, I have other blog posts I have been wanting to post but I am so excited that I had to post this first.  So, enough babbling, let's get to it!

Start with a feed bag (in my case it is layer pellets from my mom's chickens).  I am not sure what this material is called but it is NOT the paper feed bags.  My mom was just going to throw them away (or fill them with "compost" for the garden), so this is a green project too!

Take the string and paper off from the bottom.

Get a measuring tape and something long and straight (a yard stick if you are fancy and have one)

Measure your bag and mark the middle.  Do this on the top and bottom (so you have 2 marks).

Make a line (connecting the 2 marks) with your straight thing.

Cut along the line.  Set one half out of the way.

To create the hem for what will be the top just folded the bag in where there is already a crease. 

Then fold it over again and pin it.

Use clear thread (or any color you want) and sew.

Wash it with water and let it dry (this could have been done earlier also).

This is that part that I wasn't so sure about but I love the way it turned out and it was so easy!  Turn the bag inside out and fold up on the side (there is already a crease where the bag folds).  It will look like the above picture. 

Do the same thing on the other side then pin the bottom together.

Sew with clear thread.  Sew again with clear thread.  I think next time I will use fishing line because it would probably be a much stronger seam. 

Cut the extra off on the inside corners.

To add handles I used some material I had laying around (that I was planning to make bags with but never got around to it).  I put about where I wanted the handles and measured to make sure they were even on both sides. 

Put the marks on both sides then pin on the handles - you only need one pin (no pictures of these next steps, sorry - I was too excited it was turning out so well to take pictures).

I used a sewing machine but reinforced one by hand with fishing line.  It was easier by hand, so next bag I will be sewing on the handles by hand.  Sew them again.  Sew them one more time just to be safe.  (If doing in with fishing line you only need to do it once.)

Here is is all done!!  How amazing is it?  Repeat with the half you set aside earlier and you will have two bags.  The bottom will not turn out as pretty but it will still be really neat! 

The cost is the best part!  The bag was from my mom and was FREE, the thread I already had (and was only $2 when I bought it), and the handles I already had (the material was only $2 for at least 6 handles).  So, the cost for me was FREE!!  But, the cost if you had to buy the thread and the handles would be less than $5!  Sure, you could buy a reusable bag for $5 but could you buy a reusable bag this awesome? I think not!

Let's take a look again:

BEFORE - feed bag

AFTER - amazing reusable bag

This is my first link party and I am hitting two chickens birds with one stone! The Before and After Party from Thrifty Decor Chick AND the Twice Owned Tuesday Party from House of Grace. 

Hope you enjoyed!  Please let me know what you think!