Homesteading Where You Are Series-Make

Welcome back to our Wednesday Series:

This is the second in a 7-part series
about how five bloggers strive to homestead right where they are.
Today's topic is  
MAKE.

*******

Make it yourself.



Whether a gift, or something you can use in your own home, 
make it yourself and feel the satisfaction of using your
creativity.
Homemade gifts are usually well-received,
as folks appreciate the time and effort taken to fashion
a handmade offering.
A fun challenge is to use what might be lingering already
just taking up space and converting it into a useful and decorative product.

*******

Make it better.



Many items are much better quality when made by hand.
Choosing superior materials will reward you with a longer lasting product 
that can be handed down for generations.
Whether it's knitting hats for newborns, building furniture,
or sewing quilts for family members,
it feels good to know that you have done a quality job.

*******

Make it from scratch.




We just flat out decided that we wanted to do as much as we can
to avoid the pitfalls of the modern American diet.
We use the same ingredients that our grandmothers used,
in a healthier way.
The dietary needs in our family vary,
due to sensitivities and personal choice,
so we accommodate them accordingly.
Things made with love always taste better, no?

*******

Make it work.



We are blessed to have a handy man in our midst.
Big K can usually repair anything that goes wrong
inside our home, or with our vehicles.
Even if you don't have one of these guys around,
it's easy to find information about household repairs online or in books from your local library.
We strive to keep things in good working order by doing regular maintenance, 
which lengthens the life of most appliances and tools.
If items do need repair and we can't figure it out ourselves,
we enlist the help of small, local businesses to support our community.


******* 

Make it your own.




Our home is a reflection of ourselves.
It should be a place that displays what's important to those who share it.
Truth be told, I get a kick out of seeing how folks decorate.
When it's done well, it speaks volumes about the family dwelling there 
and I love seeing how others express themselves through their own, natural style.
What do these framed outhouses hung in our bathroom say about me?
Well, I'm a bit quirky, appreciate the unusal and don't plan on being like anyone else anytime soon.
It works for me.





For additional great homesteading ideas, visit these other bloggers posting to this series:

*Jackie, at Born Imaginative, grew up as an avid 4-Her, on a 50 acre hobby farm, with parents who pursued a homesteading life. Now, with a husband and two small children of her own, she is bringing an 1880s farmhouse/30acre farm back to life in Southern Coastal Maine.

*Mary, at Homegrown on the Hill, lives in Southwestern Ohio with her family on a 5 acre homestead. Their goal is to be as self sufficient as possible. In helping with this goal, they raise a big garden and keep chickens, rabbits, and cattle for food.

*Staci, at Life At Cobble Hill Farm, was bitten by the homestead bug in 2006 and although she began her homesteading ventures in a rented condo, is now homesteading on less than an acre in Upstate NY.

*Sue, at The Little Acre that Could, shares her body with an auto-immune disease, and life with her husband. They live in a once-working Victorian farm cottage now bordered by a modern subdivision. She has dreamed of homesteading as long as she can remember and continues to strive toward that goal in rural Atlantic Canada.


Five bloggers, 7 weeks,
Big Ideas!
Join us every Wednesday!

Our first post in this series can be found here.