Making lard soap… is there anything more homestead-y than that? Karl’s grandma (a real-deal homesteader and farmer) tells a story about how when she was young, she would bring home the used tallow from the fryers at the local diner she worked at, and they would make big batches of tallow soap cooked in a […]
Milkweed Pod Santa Ornaments {Handmade Gift}
My parents planted a Christmas tree farm when I was just a young girl, so I grew up learning to make holiday decorations to sell for extra spending money at the tree farm. As a 16-year-old, I was a Christmas craft extraordinaire! And also a really big geek, but that’s a story for a different day. Evergreen Kissing Balls, […]
How to Make Beeswax Birthday Candles
In celebration of the year that you were born, you should have the finest. You deserve the Cadillac of birthday candles on your three-tiered, from scratch, chocolate cake with real buttercream. You’re nodding your head. Have you ever seen more adorable candles? The soft yellow wax, the rustic handmade look- have I mentioned that I like rustic […]
Cranberry & Pine Centerpiece for the Holidays: Easy and Inexpensive!
I can’t quite put my finger on why homesteaders appreciate frugality so much. Is it because we are a most-practical bunch? Is it because we look towards simple pleasures and shy away from extravagance? Is it because we want to save as much money as possible so we can buy more livestock?! Whatever it is… […]
How to Build a Rustic Garden Gate
When we moved to our homestead a couple years ago, one of the first things we noticed was that over the years the resident squirrels had most graciously planted a black walnut grove in the yard. The entire yard. The trees would have to come down because they were taking up our outdoor living space. We […]
Small Batch Maple Syrup-Making: You Only Need 1 Tree!
This is our 4th year tapping trees and making our own maple syrup. And I’ll tell you a secret: the most trees we’ve ever, ever tapped is 4! And this year we only tapped 2! When there is still snow on the ground and it is too cold to do most other outdoor projects around the homestead, maple […]
Homestead Gifts: Handmade Holiday Evergreen Kissing Ball
I love a gift straight from the heart- and this Kissing Ball is just that. I grew up on a Christmas tree farm; the trees were planted when I was about four years old, and for many years- from middle school to college, every holiday season I stood out in the cold Wisconsin weather and sold Christmas […]