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DIY Multipurpose Seedling Raiser + Food Dehydrator

By intouchoz Seedling-raiser_curbly_medium

Instead of buying seedlings, you can get an early start on with tomatoes, peppers, cabbages etc. by making this simple seedling raiser cum food dehydrator. The seedling raiser is simple to move around, light and compact for storage when not in use. Manufactured from easy sourced materials that you may on hand or sourced from local recycling areas. The design illustrated was created from some spare plywood so this seed raiser was made to fit the material on hand. This can be made larger or smaller to suit. When not in use as a seedling raiser, it was used as a food dehydrator and whilst this is... »MORE

May 04, 2008
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DIY Didgeridoo

By intouchoz Didgeridoo-100x110_thumb

You might ask what the heck is a didgeridoo. It is a traditional Australian icon. It is an aboriginal instrument that has a unique and instantly identifiable sound like no other. Try this DIY option to make a didgeridoo out of a few simple supplies. Original Didgeridoo's are usually purchased at local Australian markets made out of eucalyptus wood. Traditional methods use termites to eat out the centre to allow air to be blown through, hence each didge has a unique sound. Sadly, didgeridoos are being mass produced in Asia and look tacky. For more details, go to... http://ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/diy-didgeridoo.html »MORE

April 28, 2008
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DIY Solar cooker

By intouchoz Solar-cooker---tb_medium

This was made back in the late 60's as an experiment by the author's late father. The drawings have been embellished slightly, but essentially they remain close to the original concept. According to the author, the solar cooker worked extremely well, even on a slightly overcast day. It managed to cook a large range of food items and even baked a loaf of bread, so don't limit your imagination with this brilliant DIY concept. Over the years, the solar cooker was pulled out for special ocassions including the odd barbecue and was a source of amazement. Now, in this enlightened world, maybe we... »MORE

April 20, 2008
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DIY Fly trap from a plastic bottle

By intouchoz Fly-dead-385px_medium

Sick of nasty blow flys and house flys. Here is a method to make an efficient fly trap from one of your used plastic water bottles (How cheap is that?). This is great for domestic flys, blow flys and fruit flys. 1.5 to 2 litre (3-4 pint) plastic bottles are ideal. It can vary up or down in size. Just some scissors and electrical tape will do the job along with a small piece of chopped meat or even doggy poo and water. My wife showed me how to make this and it really works. For full details and a plan,... »MORE

April 12, 2008
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DIY Home Remedies and Beauty Treatments

By intouchoz Beauty_facial_honey_253px_medium

For natural home remedies and beauty treatments, the kitchen and garden is a great place to start. Home remedies, created at home for the smallest of problems from ingredients such as organic - fruits, vegetables, herbs and oils are gaining attention due to its very nature  - no negligible cost, purity, without side effects, dollops of TLC, simple and no side effects. Tips for preserving for the homecrafter, that do not cost the earth. Plus an assortment of natural home beauty recipes you can make with everyday organic food ingredients. Recipes similar to these have been used for hundreds of years to... »MORE

April 10, 2008
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DIY Homemade Mothers Day Gifts from A - Z

By intouchoz Mother___child_medium

With Mother's Day on the Horizon, here are an alphabet of gift ideas that include not only things to make and selections of home grown produce but also offers of your love, labour and energy to perform chores for Mum and Grandma - a gift of precious time that will always be welcome.  With just a little help, even the smallest child will be enthralled making some of these special gifts all year round or for unique Mother's Day gifts. For the full story, go to  http://ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/diy-homemade-mothers-day-gifts-from-a-z.html   »MORE

April 06, 2008
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DIY Butter Churner

By intouchoz Butter-churner-100px_thumb

This DIY Churn (butter maker) is from a wonderful trekking Himalayan experience, where the lower hills people (Newar) used it to make tasty creamy organic butter. For more details and diagrams on how to create a DIY Butter Churn, go to... http://ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/diy-butter-churn.html »MORE

March 20, 2008
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DIY Recycled Easter Gifts

By intouchoz Wool_sweater_xs_thumb

Easter doesn't have to be commercialized. The nicest gifts are always those that have been handmade, fashioned by the hands of the giver and full of warm vibrations. Making your own need not be expensive on the pocket or the environment or difficult, it just requires imagination and a little skill. The varied ideas we have included here should start you on an absorbing and productive path.   For more details, go to Easter doesn't have to be commercialized. The nicest gifts are always those that have been handmade, fashioned by the hands of the giver and full of warm vibrations. Making... »MORE

March 02, 2008
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DIY living easter present

By intouchoz Wheat-grass-in-egg-285px_medium

A great DIY easter present to create. Instead of using plastic imitation grass in an Easter basket, why not give your child a natural Easter basket, filled with sprouted wheat grass. Start at least one week in advance and you will have a lush, living blanket of grass in time for Easter Sunday. For more details, go to http://ecobites.com/eco-kids-magazine/2.html »MORE

February 25, 2008
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Don't discard your old Socks...Reuse them!

By intouchoz Sock-puppet_medium

With our house clean up we discovered a large bag of old socks, which had been put aside a year or so back, for mending. I'm neither good at, nor interested in darning but felt philosophically, that we shouldn't wantonly waste our resources, so facing a dilemma of what to do with them, I came up with a great idea... For full details http://ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/using-up-old-socks.html  »MORE

February 18, 2008
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Living in an Organic House

By intouchoz Bamboo_house_medium

Sounds ridiculous, but it is true. Bamboo houses are organic and they are over 50 times stronger than traditional timber houses. In fact, Bamboo houses are lighter than steel or concrete block construction. Bamboo houses can be rated highly as a green product as they are a sustainable product harvested in tropical areas of Asia and South America. These homes can be purchased as kit homes in Hawaii and California.For more details, go to http://ecobites.com/alternative-energy/living-in-an-organic-house.html »MORE

February 11, 2008
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Craft Activities from POOPER Rolls, etc

By intouchoz Craft---toilet-rolls-156px_medium

Great Craft recycling ideas from POOPER Rolls (Sounds gross, but it is fun), recycled greeting cards, vegetable top, etc. Recycle...aimed at encouraging the practice of eco-friendly activities. For full details on these simple to do activities, go to http://ecobites.com/ecokids-1/diy-recycled-eco-kids-activities.html »MORE

February 11, 2008
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DIY Eco Bags

By intouchoz Eco-handbag-1-220px_medium

It's in the 'bag'. The next time you are asked “paper or plastic?”at the local supermarket. Say “neither, we make and bring our own... A simple to make Eco Bag (DIY) can be made from hessian/jute or heavy cotton or an old flour bag or recycle your grandmothers old quilt or your designer jeans. The bags can be used to carry books, vegies, craft work, (baby kangaroo's!), or just about anything you can think of. Shopping bags create an insane amount of waste for something that's often in our lives for fewer than 5 minutes (store to car, car to house). Next time... »MORE

January 30, 2008
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Recycling tires can be fun and creative

By intouchoz Tire-swing-horses-350px_medium

Want to do your bit for sustainabilty and have some fun creating useful crafty ideas - Recycling tires can get your creative juices happening. Tires are one of the most difficult items to recycle today. But a solution is needed. Millions of tires are dumped yearly at landfill sites or illegal deposits. Finding a new use for recycled tires helps the environment and it’s an easy way to make a tree swing or sandbox or tunnels for your backyard for hours of fun. Another idea for recycled material in which Eco Biters may be interested is quite simple, costs nothing, anyone can... »MORE

January 26, 2008
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What to do with your old towels

By intouchoz Tea-cosy-320px_medium

So what do you do with your old towels???? They're barely good for one dry, and then only if you happen to be no more than about a metre tall. They take up valuable cupboard space, yet still we mulishly hang on to them. We don't let anything slip through our fingers if we can possibly find another use for it.We are talking about our old towels. So, what do we do with an old towel?. Of course the obvious comes to mind immediately, but we can re-use by following these easy to follow steps...  http://ecobites.com/diy-projects/recycling-oldtowels.html  »MORE

January 23, 2008
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DIY Herb Gift and Craft Ideas

By intouchoz Honey-herb-stirrer-300px_medium

One of the joys of having a herb garden is to be able to go out and pick fresh herbs whenever you want, savouring the aroma as you do. Whether you want to use them for cooking, health or craft, make sure you plant enough to maintain a continuing supply because you'll be forever finding new ways to make the most of their subtle and varied flavours. Even a brief study of herbal lore will reveal an amazing variety of uses to which herbs can be put. To view the full article - http://ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/diy-herbal-gifts.html   »MORE

January 20, 2008
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DIY Moccasins from Eel Skins

By intouchoz Moccasins-350px_medium

Tan an eel and then make your own moccasins that are durable for both outdoors and inside use and are very comfortable.  When I was young, my dad used to bring home eels that had been caught during the recent floods. Because he had an attitude to not waste anything (it was touch surviving in those days), he was always great at creating a voyage of discovery for my brother and sister. We have been making moccasins in my family like this for 70 - 100 years. Making moccasins is something I have passed on to my own children, even... »MORE

January 16, 2008
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DIY 5000 litre ferro cement water tank

By intouchoz Water-tank-250px_medium

In this day and age of sustainability, here is a great idea for the home handman/weekend farmer to use rain water for irrigation or drinking. This inexpensive ferro cement water tank is simple to make for the home handyman. Construct a 5000 litre tank for a lot less than an equivalent plastic tank. The materials used in the construction of this tank are of the type readily available. For more details, go to http://ecobites.com/diy-projects/diy-water-tank.html »MORE

January 14, 2008
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Cardboard House

By intouchoz Cardboard-house-tb_medium

A glimpse of the future? This cardboard house is 100% recyclable and has extremely low cost components. The Cardboard House is a direct challenge to the housing industry to reduce housing and environmental costs. For more details and photographs - http://ecobites.com/alternative-energy/cardboard-house.html »MORE

January 13, 2008
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DIY Funerals for the family

By intouchoz Richard-1996_medium

Although Do-It-Yourself funerals are not for everyone, with a bit of planning and consultation with organisations such as your local Pensioners Association, church group etc, a DIY funeral can be a fulfilling and intimate experience for family and friends.  More and more people are looking at ways of reducing the significant costs associated with conducting a funeral. The cost of an average funeral now ranges from $5,000 to $8,000. For more details... www.ecobites.com/diy/diy-funeral.html »MORE

January 12, 2008
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