I just wanted to share some of the ideas and crafts that have come from our homestead, made from recycled and home-grown products. There are opportunities everywhere to turn trash into treasure- that is the goal we have in mind for all we do! Whether it's left-overs from the sawmill or turning indian corn into works of art, there is much to show you! Please leave feedback if you have ideas for other uses from these recyclables!
Sawmill shavings are collected and put into gallon freezer bags, and then sold for $1.50 per bag as use for pet bedding/litter. The tops/bark-covered piece of logs that we cut off (unusable for selling) have been used to make two dog houses, and some of the pieces are about to go towards building a nice new house for our ducks!
Smaller pine trees that were cut down while clearing the land, unusable for lumber, were skinned and used to make posts for our chicken pen!
My husband cuts pieces from other small trees that cannot be used/milled so that I can create and sell artwork. I also collect pallets from a local business that otherwise burns them, and turn them into artwork too. This is one of the few sources of income we have, and it does surprisingly well! Carpenter bee traps, walking sticks, pallet picture frames, signs, and bird houses are just some of the things I have made!
Our preacher gifted us with seeds to a few varieties of heirloom indian corn- one in particular is called "Bloody Butcher". We grew a small amount this year as a tester crop, learning what we needed to do in order to grow in bulk successfully for next year. The small amount that we got will be used to decorate wreaths, or make necklaces out of! The kernels that are not big enough to use are mixed in with the animal feed! I have been saving the husks to make corn husk dolls, also.
Scraps of unusable wood are also used to make perches for the chickens (and a large majority was used to build their log cabin coop, and even build a ramp up to the coop!). In the background you can see a small nest box, which was built from pieces of an old book case that had fallen apart and was being thrown out.
Do you have any input on what else can be made with scrap wood, lumber, pallets, or even our indian corn? Let me know! Also, please comment back with any photos of things you have made from recycled/home-grown material!
Do you have any input on what else can be made with scrap wood, lumber, pallets, or even our indian corn? Let me know! Also, please comment back with any photos of things you have made from recycled/home-grown material!
