Like to dry your own herbs and make your own spice blends? Then, start saving the lids off of your Parmesan cheese bottles. They’re a perfect fit for regular-mouth canning jars.
Just screw one onto a half-pint or full-pint jar, and you’ll have a spice jar that’s every bit as nice as any store-bought version (and with loads more room, too).
Attracting butterflies to your garden starts with having the right plants, but if you want them to stick around, you also need to give them a place to hibernate and lay their eggs. This butterfly house does just that, and it’s easy to build.
What You’ll Need:
What You Do:
Pictured left to right. 1st row: roof panel, bottom block, roof block; 2nd row: left side, front panel, back panel, right side
Step 1: Measure and cut the lumber to size:
Out of the 1″ x 6″ x 8′ cut …
Left side - 5-1/2″W x 21-7/8″L* (*Note: Back edge is 21-7/8″L, and front edge is 16-3/8″L. This will give you a 45 degree roof pitch)
Right side - 5-1/2″W x 21-7/8″L* (*Note: Back edge is 21-7/8″L and front edge is 16-3/8″L. This will give you a 45 degree roof pitch)
Back panel - 5-1/2″W x 21-7/8″L (Cut the board to the proper length. Then, set the circular saw to 45 degrees, and bevel the top edge)
Front panel - 5-1/2″W x 17-1/8″L (Cut the board to the proper length. Then, set the circular saw to 45 degrees, and bevel the top edge)
Bottom block - 5-1/2″W x 4″L
Roof block - 5-1/2″W x 6-1/8″L (Cut the board to proper length; bevel the front edge at 45 degrees; then, flip it over; and bevel the back edge at 45 degrees.
Out of the 1″ x 10″ x 12″ cut …
Roof panel - 8-1/2″W x 11-1/4″L Cut the board to the proper size, and bevel the front and back edges, just as you did for the roof block.
Step 2: Attach the sides to the back panel.
Step 3: Attach the bottom.
Step 4: Attach the front panel.
Step 5: Center the roof block on the roof panel. Then, attach it with finishing nails, and set it aside.
Step 6: Mark the butterfly slot locations. Eight in total.
Step 7: Drill a hole at the top and bottom of each slot.
Step 8: Then, finish cutting the slots with a jigsaw.
Step 9: Sand away any splinters.
Step 10: Gather some small tree limbs and bark, and stick them inside the house. Then, set the roof into place (Do not attach the roof with nails; it’s supposed to be removable).
Step 11: Find a sunny spot in your garden for your butterfly house, and wait for butterflies to move in.
For more information about how to attract butterflies to your garden, check out this article by the National Wildlife Federation.
Bring on the bees! We just built and installed our first mason bee house. Now, I’m anxiously awaiting our first tenants. Why am I going out of my way to attract mason bees to my yard, you ask? Because they …
How to Make a Mason Bee House
What You’ll Need:
Materials
Tools
What You Do:
Step 1: Cut the top of the 4×4 post at a 45 degree angle to allow rainwater to run off.
Step 2: Then, draw intersecting lines every 7/8 inch, and use a 5/16″ drill bit to make a 3-inch deep hole everywhere the lines meet up. (Be careful not to drill completely through the block.)
Step 3: Attach the roof and back mounting plate.
Step 4: Mount the mason bee house three to five feet off the ground, facing east or south-east. You’ll know you have bees when you find the holes covered over with mud.
Mason Bee Tips:
More Garden Projects:
Dryer balls are a great replacement for dryer sheets and fabric softener. They soften clothes, speed up drying time, remove wrinkles and reduce static all without the use of chemicals. Just toss them in the dryer with your wet clothes, and they’ll work their magic.
I’ve been using this set for the last decade:
And they work great, but I’ve never really liked the fact that they were made out of PVC. When wool dryer balls hit the market a few years ago, I was thrilled to have a plastic-free option, but at almost $40 a set, I just couldn’t bring myself to order them.
So, I did what I normally do in situations like this … I figured out how to make my own …
How to Make Wool Dryer Balls
Things You’ll Need:
I used Fisherman’s Wool to make my dryer balls.
It’s labeled as being “perfect for felting.”
Step 1: Create a cat’s ball, just like you would for knitting. To do this, start by wrapping yarn around your index and middle finger 20 times.
Step 2: Then, slip the bundle off of your fingers, and wrap yarn around the center 10 times.
Step 3: Continue to wrap yarn around the bundle, varying the direction, until a small ball emerges.
Step 4: Keep wrapping until your ball reaches the size of a tennis ball. Then, cut your yarn, and work the end through a couple of the wraps to keep your ball from unraveling.
Step 5: Repeat the process until you’ve made as many balls as you want. I got four out of a 6-oz. skein.
Step 6: Place your finished yarn balls inside a pair of panty hose or tights, and use a piece of string to tie off each ball. (Bonus points, if you use purple tights.)
Step 7: Wash and dry your balls on the hottest setting, and repeat the process until they’re felted. I ran mine through the washer and dryer three times, and this is how they looked afterwards. You can still make out the individual yarn wraps, but if you tug on any of them, you can see that they’ve fused together. They’ll continue to felt over time, so I’m declaring these ready for use!
Tips:
Need more kids’ hangers? Skip the trip to the store, and make your own. If you fold in the ends of a wire hanger, it becomes the perfect size for pint-sized clothes.
