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Originally posted 7/19/20, Updated 4/29/20

Why make your own Homemade Vanilla Extract

Vanilla adds an amazing flavor to your recipes. You can’t beat that amazing smell and taste of vanilla in your cookies or cakes.

Real vanilla extract can be expensive when buying it from the store. But it does not compare to imitation vanilla. The flavor and smell is rich and much more fresh. 

Making your own vanilla extract is so simple to make and tastes amazing in your baked goods.

It is much more cost effective to make your own vanilla extract. You can buy about 25 vanilla beans for about $20 and a 1750 ml bottle of vodka for around $20.

For an 8 oz jar of homemade vanilla extract you only need a little less then 8 oz of vodka and 3 vanilla beans. Now, that bottle of vodka will last a long time. There’s plenty there to make about eight, 8 ounce jars of vanilla, that’s a lot of vanilla extract. Also the vanilla beans can be reused a couple times before composted. Potentially, depending on prices in your area that’s a good amount of homemade vanilla extract for around $30.

Fun Fact

Did you know that vanilla beans come from an orchid plant? I love Orchids, they have such beautiful flowers. The vanilla orchid is a tropical climbing vine. It needs very specific conditions when it comes to blooming and growing the vanilla bean pods.

In the photo below, the stem behind the flower is what will be the vanilla bean.

Ways to use Homemade Vanilla Extract

I use vanilla extract in just about all my baking. From chocolate cake to my No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies and my Sourdough Banana Bread

Sometimes I put a few drops in my homemade Greek yogurt. Yum!

I’m not much of a coffee or tea drinker but I know some people put a little in their morning coffee or tea for some vanilla flavor.

How to store your vanilla extract

It is best to store your vanilla extract in a cool dark spot. It should be out of direct sunlight and in a moderate room temperature area. I store mine on my counter, and any extras I keep in my cabinet. Where it sits on my counter, it does not get direct sunlight. I prefer to use a clear bottle so I can keep an eye on the color of the liquid to get a better idea of when its ready.

Which vanilla beans to use

The type of vanilla bean doesn’t really matter unless your looking for a particular flavor.

I use Madagascar vanilla beans, I have had great success using this type. This one tends to be the most commonly sold in stores. You may also find Mexican Vanilla beans and Tahitian Vanilla beans. Though, Madagascar vanilla bean is typically recommended for making vanilla extract due to its great flavor (Source). Tahitian beans, Mexican beans or Madagascar beans can all work, with great results and flavor.

Madagascar beans: have a rich and creamy flavor.

Mexican beans: have what some would say a smoky flavor.

Tahitian beans: have a rich floral flavor.

When shopping for vanilla beans you may find that some labels say “Grade A” or “Grade B”. 

When it comes to making vanilla extract, grade B beans are best and are also less expensive. It doesn’t have as much moisture in it so it makes for a stronger extract. Grade A beans tend to be better for dishes. There is more moisture in the pod, so the flavor is easily transferred to the food. Things like cakes and ice cream do best with this one. Chefs tend to prefer grade A because it looks prettier since it isn’t as dry and doesn’t have as many imperfections. 

You can find vanilla beans at the grocery store but I find that it’s costs more and you only get 1 or 2 whole vanilla beans. I prefer to find a bulk package online, typically though Amazon. These are the most recent vanilla pods that I’ve purchased.

If you find you have extra vanilla beans left over you can make some vanilla sugar with the seeds of the vanilla pods. This is typically done by scraping out the seeds with a knife and adding it to plain sugar and mixing it thoroughly. 

What alcohol can I use?

Vodka has the most neutral flavor which it is why it tends to be used more. Though many people use Bourbon, Rum or Brandy to get different flavors in their extract. Just about any alcohol can be used as long as it is 80 proof – this means that 40% of the liquid in the bottle is alcohol. So go ahead and get the cheap stuff, because even the cheapest vodka will still make great extract using real vanilla beans.

I would like to try using Bourbon or Rum at some point, just to have a different flavor. Though I would recommend not using flavored alcohol since they are usually artificially flavored and this defeats the point of making vanilla extract.

How long does vanilla extract last?

If stored properly vanilla extract has an indefinite shelf life – this would mean; the vanilla beans are submerged under the alcohol and the bottle is kept in a cool dark place. Due to the alcohol in it, it doesn’t necessarily go bad though it may start to loose some of the vanilla smell and flavor. At that rate, within 5 years would be best to have the best flavor and aroma.

What to do with the beans once the vanilla extract is ready to use?

If they have only been used for one batch, you can leave the beans in the jar until your ready to use for a new batch. 

You can also take the beans out and place them in a new jar with more alcohol to make a new batch. Otherwise, you can compost them but I wouldn’t toss them after only making one batch.

Some recommend keeping the beans covered to prevent mold, though, I have never had this issue. Doing this, they would add more alcohol to the bottle when they see the beans are not covered. 

Unless you only use your vanilla extract every couple months, I feel that this would not be a great idea. Your technically diluting your extract and it then doesn’t have time to have the same flavor, of the rest of the extract in the bottle. So, using your extract the following day of adding more alcohol, it may not be as flavorful and have more of an alcohol smell unless you only use teaspoons at a time.

Tools and Ingredients

• Clean kitchen Scissors or sharp knife
• 8 oz mason jar with lid or other glass jar of choice of similar volume
• 80 Proof Alcohol
• 3 whole Vanilla beans

How to make Homemade Vanilla Extract

STEP ONE

Cut your down whole beans down the center, lengthwise. This will expose the vanilla seeds inside allowing the flavor to be extracted faster. 

STEP TWO

Place the beans upright in your container of choice, preferably a glass bottle or jar, no plastic. You may need to cut the beans in half if you have a short container to get them to fit.

STEP THREE

Fill the glass bottle with your alcohol of choice to the top of the beans so that they are are completely covered. I am currently using Absolute Vodka brand.

STEP FOUR

Place the lid on your container and set it aside in a cool place, like your spice cabinet or other dark place. Give it a good shake every now and then – about once a week.

The vanilla and alcohol need to sit for 6 months, the longer the better. Ideally 6-12 months for best flavor. You will see it slowly get darker and you will know it is ready when it no longer smells like alcohol.

Homemade Vanilla Extract make wonderful holiday gifts or for any special occasion. 

I know it’s July at the time of writing this but now is a great time to start thinking about Christmas gifts. Since it takes about 6 months to have vanilla extract that is ready to use, now is the time to make it. By the time the holiday season rolls around, all you need to do is wrap it up! Who wouldn’t love homemade extract?

You could tie a ribbon around it and gift it in a basket. Add some other items like a cute tea towel with some mason jar mix recipes, like a chocolate chip cookie mix. They’ll need some vanilla extract for that recipe. Then what better way to gift it then to wrap it Furoshiki Style. I show you how to do that HERE.

These also make a great gift for a house warming, hostess gift or birthday gifts for anyone that likes to bake. 

Now, if your not able to make it ahead, soon enough and it’s not ready come the special occasion, you can add a little note saying when it will be ready.

Have fun making vanilla extract!

Products Mentioned

Vanilla Beans

Mason Jars

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

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Homemade Vanilla Extract

Yield: 8 oz

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 4 months

Total Time: 4 months 5 minutes

Making your own homemade vanilla extract is a simple way to add flavorful and delicious touch to your homemade recipes. It also makes for a great Christmas gift.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 Vanilla Beans
• 80 Proof Alcohol

Instructions

STEP ONE

Cut your vanilla beans down the center, lengthwise. This will expose the vanilla seeds inside allowing the flavor to be extracted faster.

STEP TWO

Place the beans upright in your container of choice. You may need to cut the beans in half if you have a short container to get them to fit.

STEP THREE

Fill the container with your alcohol of choice so that the beans are covered. I am currently using Absolute Vodka.

STEP FOUR

Place the lid on your container and set it aside in your spice cabinet or other dark place.

The vanilla and alcohol need to sit for about 4 months. You will see it slowly get darker and you will know it is ready when it no longer smells like alcohol.

Notes

• I find it is easiest to cut the vanilla beans with a pair of scissors.

• Be sure to keep the vanilla beans below the alcohol to keep it from molding.
• Give the jar a gentle shake once a week to help stir up the vanilla

PIN IT FOR LATER

The post How to make Homemade Vanilla Extract – 2 Ingredients appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

If you need something on your homestead and all you have are pallets, there’s a pretty good chance you can make it out of pallets. Around this homestead I use pallets for a bunch of things. From garden planters and trellis to pallet flags and shoe racks.

This summer seems to be the summer of DIY projects for us. We’ve been very busy making things for our garden and around the house.

We have made raised garden beds out of scrap wood as well as potato planters out of scrap wood. My husband also made our daughter a Montessori floor bed. Not much goes to waste around here.

As I have heard a gentleman say, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” It really stuck to me. It makes so much sense and I try to implement that wherever I can.

In our early 1900’s home, there isn’t much storage space. Our entryway is a bit small, a stairway to go upstairs and a small hallway to the living area. So I need to be a bit creative when it comes to keeping the necessary items around the house, whilst keeping it organized.

So a few years ago we made some wood pallet shoe racks and hung them unfinished in our entry way. This summer we decided to sand them down and give them a nice coat of stain to liven them up.

That stain made a world of difference. The color is lovely and they pop in a much nicer way then the grey/brown color that they were.

We chose to stain them because we like the look of the wood and the stain brings out the grains of the wood and preserves it a bit. If the wood wasn’t in the best of condition I probably would have painted it but to me the natural wood looks looks the best.

Why I Love DIY Pallet Shoe Racks

I wanted a place to keep shoes that we are currently using in one designated area.

Because we hung them on the wall it keeps the floor clear of shoes. Just slide off your shoes and pop them toe side first into the rack.

Since our front door opens up against the wall, there wasn’t much I could do with that wall. A shoe rack seemed like the perfect thing to put there. There is just enough clearance and then some to hang them on the wall behind the door.

It gives new life to an old pallet makes a very creative space saving item.

Saves me money! That’s a big one. There’s a couple places in town where they regularly throw out or put pallets by the road for free. Boo-yeah!

Tips for Making a DIY Pallet Shoe Rack

• When sanding, I would recommend sanding the corners well to prevent any unwanted splinters.
• After sanding your shoe racks, wipe them down with a DAMP rag. This will remove any dust and loose debris and will allow your paint or stain to stick and go on smoothly.
• When hanging your shoe racks, I recommend placing your longest pair of shoes in the the middle and bottom rack. This will make sure that you have enough space between each rack, so you can easily get them in and out.
• If you have extra pallets or a large enough one you may be able to get a fourth shoe rack out of one pallet if you cut in the center of your pallet. You will need some extra boards from another pallet if you try to make a fourth one though.

Equipment needed

A pallet with character

Hand saw or Sawzall

Hammer and/or pry-bar

Sander

Stain or paint of choice

Rag or Paint brush

Polyurethane to preserve the stain and give a smooth coating

Stud Finder

Screw gun

Screws – 3 inch recommended

A level

How to make a DIY Pallet Shoe Rack

Cut your pallet into 3 even sections.

You may need to move some boards around to make the back of the racks where they need to be so you can attach them to the wall better and look the best.

Some of the extra boards were removed and placed on the bottom of each cut section. This will help hold the shoes in place and will catch any dirt so it doesn’t get on any of the shoes below.

Once you have the shoe racks put together the way you would like them you can now sand them.

At this point you can paint or stain the shoe racks as desired. If staining, once the stain is dry, you can add the polyurethane. Two coats is usually recommended.

Now with your stud finder, find your studs. Though they are only holding shoes, depending on what kind of wood the pallet was made out of, the shoe racks can be pretty heavy.

Space your shoe racks evenly apart. Use your level to keep them straight.

Now stand back and admire your handy work!

Find More Handmade Home Projects

• DIY Chicken Tractor Plans
• DIY Montessori Floor Bed
• Cheap DIY Potato Planters
• DIY Raised Garden Bed

Show your support and appreciation. If you made this recipe and loved it, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your amazing creation! Thank you!

Simple DIY Pallet Shoe Rack

A simple and unique way to store your shoes up and out of the way while being easily accessible.

Print

Materials

• A wood pallet with character
• Stain or paint
• Polyurethane if staining

Tools

• A pallet with character
• Hand saw or Sawzall
• Hammer and/or pry-bar
• Sander
• Stain or paint of choice
• Rag or Paint brush
• Polyurethane to preserve the stain and give a smooth coating
• Stud Finder
• Screw gun
• Screws - 3 inch recommended
• A level

Instructions

Cut your pallet into 3 even sections.

You may need to move some boards around to make the back of the racks where they need to be so you can attach them to the wall better and look the best.

Some of the extra boards were removed and placed on the bottom of each cut section. This will help hold the shoes in place and will catch any dirt so it doesn't get on any of the shoes below.

Once you have the shoe racks put together the way you would like them you can now sand them.

At this point you can paint or stain the shoe racks as desired. If staining, once the stain is dry, you can add the polyurethane. Two coats is usually recommended.

Now with your stud finder, find your studs. Though they are only holding shoes, depending on what kind of wood the pallet was made out of, the shoe racks can be pretty heavy.

Space your shoe racks evenly apart. Use your level to keep them straight.

Now stand back and admire your handy work!

Notes

• When sanding, I would recommend sanding the corners well to prevent any unwanted splinters.
• After sanding your show racks, wipe them down with a DAMP rag. This will remove any dust and loose debris and will allow your paint or stain to go on smoothly.
• I recommend placing your longest pair of shoes in the the middle and bottom rack to make sure you have enough space between each rack so you can easily get them in and out.

PIN IT FOR LATER

The post Simple DIY Pallet Shoe Rack appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

Learn how we made our DIY Chicken Tractor for our meat birds. It is a very simple design, you can easily make this in a weekend. This chicken tractor is inspired by the tractors Joel Salatin uses.

Why we chose this DIY Chicken Tractor design

My husband and I have been following along with Joel Salatin’s YouTube videos as well as reading his books. He has a very successful pasture raised farm and has been farming for about 30 years. We think he has a really good idea of how to do things efficiently.

We felt that the chicken tractor he uses works perfectly for meat chickens. It gives them shelter from the rain and shade from the sun but provides an area if they choose to lay in the sun.

This size chicken tractor can fit up to 40 birds. Some people go with 1.5 square feet per chicken and some give 2 square feet per chicken. We decided to go with 2 square feet.

We wanted to give them a bit more space with this being our first batch of meat chickens. We also wanted to keep our options open, so if in the future we wanted to do more then 26 meat chickens, we have that option.

We also like this design because it isn’t tall. You don’t have to worry about it tipping over if we are on a hill side when moving it. Also this breed of bird tends to not roost due to the rapid growth and the larger breast meat. Since they do not roost we have no need to go any higher then 2 feet high.

Tips for making your DIY Chicken Tractor

• I would recommend aluminum roofing if you have the option, since it is much lighter and will make it a lot easier to move your tractor.
• You can customize this to what ever you would like. This seems to work fine for us. Some people make the whole roof into one that can be lifted up on one side and others make only half the roof a door.
• If you decide to make the whole roof the flip up door you will need more 8 foot boards so you can add that on top of your frame.
• Use a Speed Square- this will help make sure that your frame stays square during the building process.
• We were able to keep costs down by using supplies that we had on hand or from family members.
• When moving the chicken tractor you could use a dolly. If you find that it is a bit too heavy or difficult to move, the dolly will give you just a bit of leverage with the wheels to easily move it to a new spot. Just slide under the back end of your chicken tractor and pull on the other side with the rope.

Supplies Needed

For this chicken tractor we used tin roofing so it does add a bit of extra weight to the tractor. I am still able to move it, though I do have some difficulty. We used the metal roofing because it was what we had on hand.

We also had some chicken fencing that we had already, this has 1 inch holes and is 2 feet tall. This was used to wrap the south facing sides. We also used this for the top by overlapping it a bit and then connecting the two together with some metal ties, zip ties would work as well.

• 10 – 8 foot long 2″x4″ boards
• 3 inch screws
• Screw gun
• Miter Saw
• Aluminum or other metal roofing
• Tin snips or cut off wheel with an angle grinder
• Chicken fencing with 1 inch holes and 2 feet tall
• Heavy duty stapler and staples
• Handles
• Eye Hooks
• Heavy duty carabiners
• 12 foot long rope

How to make a DIY Chicken Tractor

Making the Frame

Make your 8 foot by 8 foot frame out of the 2×4 boards.

Attach your 2 foot vertical corner support boards on all four corners then build your second 8 foot by 8 foot frame at the top of the corner support boards.

Add your horizontal corner support boards to each top corner to keep the chicken tractor square.

Put a 2 foot board in the center of each side just to give a bit more support.

Spaced evenly across the top of the frame, add two boards for the roof support.

We then added four boards connecting the two inner roof boards and one of the top frame boards. This adds a bit more support for the roof so it doesn’t sag.

Next the door was framed out. Just like when we added the extra support boards in the previous step we did this to frame out the door. These were just placed a bit further apart then the other boards.

Reinforcing the Frame

At this point you can make the door that fits into the frame and attach it with the hinges. We also added a couple small pieces of the 2×4 boards for the door to rest on when closed.

Add your metal roofing to the top back side and sides of your chicken tractor with the metal roofing screws. We used tin snips to cut the metal to size, you can also use a cut off wheel with an angle grinder.

Cover your sides and remaining roof in chicken fencing and staple it in place very well. This part I would not be stingy on since this is what keeps predators out and the baby chicks in.

Don’t forget your handle on the top side of the door.

The eye hooks were then added on each corner so that we could attach the carabiners, which had the rope tied to them. So when you needed to pull the tractor in a certain direction you can just unhook the carabiner and move it to the appropriate eye hook.

Find more DIY Homestead Projects

• DIY Raised Garden Bed
• Cheap DIY Potato Planters
• DIY Montessori Floor Bed

Show your support and appreciation. If you did this project and found it helpful, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your project! Thank you!

DIY Chicken Tractor

Simple DIY plans to make a mobile chicken coop for your meat birds

Print

Materials

• 10 - 8 foot long 2"x4" boards
• 3 inch screws
• Aluminum or other metal roofing
• Metal roofing screws with a rubber washer
• Chicken fencing with 1 inch holes and 2 feet tall
• Handles
• Eye Hooks
• Heavy duty carabiners
• 12 foot long rope

Tools

• Screw Gun
• Tin Snips or cut off wheel with an angle grinder
• Heavy Duty Stapler and Staples
• Miter Saw

Instructions

MAKING THE FRAME

1. Make your 8 foot by 8 foot frame out of the 2x4 boards.
2. Attach your 2 foot vertical corner support boards on all four corners then build your second 8 foot by 8 foot frame at the top of the corner support boards.
3. Add your horizontal corner support boards to each top corner to keep the chicken tractor square.
4. Put a 2 foot board in the center of each side just to give a bit more support.
5. Spaced evenly across the top of the frame, add two boards for the roof support.
6. We then added four boards connecting the two inner roof boards and one of the top frame boards. This adds a bit more support for the roof so it doesn't sag.
7. Next the door was framed out. Just like when we added the extra support boards in the previous step we did this to frame out the door. These were just placed a bit further apart then the other boards.

REINFORCING THE FRAME

1. At this point you can make the door that fits into the frame and attach it with the hinges. We also added a couple small pieces of the 2x4 boards for the door to rest on when closed.
2. Add your metal roofing to the top back side and sides of your chicken tractor with the metal roofing screws. We used tin snips to cut the metal to size, you can also use a cut off wheel with an angle grinder.
3. Cover your sides and remaining roof in chicken fencing and staple it in place very well. This part I would not be stingy on since this is what keeps predators out and the baby chicks in.
4. Don't forget your handle on the top side of the door.
5. The Eye Hooks were then added on each corner so that we could attach the carabiners, which had the rope tied to them. So when you needed to pull the tractor in a certain direction you can just unhook the carabiner to the appropriate eye hook.

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The post DIY Chicken Tractor Plans appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

Here is a quick DIY Montessori Floor Bed frame. Montessori floor beds are becoming quite popular in children’s bedrooms. This is essentially a crib or twin mattress placed on the floor in a bed frame. You can buy the frame already made or you can grab some scrap lumber and throw one together. I’ll show you how we did just this in one afternoon.

What is Montessori?

The Montessori method is an environment that is neat and tidy. Organized in such a way that everything has a reason and helps provide development for the child. It is a very simple environment and has a nice and real appearance. This is a child directed method that allows the child to make their own decisions without adult interference. So this allows the child to gain their own confidence and independence at their own pace.

Why would you want a Montessori floor bed for your toddler?

A lot of people are starting to prefer floor beds for their young children to allow them free access of their room. If your child wakes up from their nap they can easily get up and walk or crawl around to play with their toys. They then don’t have to rely on their caretaker to get them out of their crib to get to what they want. It allows for more independent play.

Another reason, because it’s on the floor they are less likely to fall and hurt themselves. They won’t be tempted to climb over their crib railing to the floor beneath.

Like mentioned above, this creates an environment where they are able to gain confidence and be independent at their own pace without relying on the caretaker.

Do you have to use a frame?

You don’t have to use a frame though it would be better to keep the mattress off the floor. This will allow air flow and help prevent moisture from collecting under the mattress.

I have an old house that can have cold wood floors and there is a good amount of humidity in our house. It’s not always a bad thing but I don’t want moisture to accumulate under the mattress and create issues.

Using a frame will also help to keep the mattress from moving around. Not that it’s a deal breaker for me but it’s nice when you get on or off to not have it slip around on your wooden floors. If you have carpets it may not move around quite as much.

Overall using a frame will make a nice clean and finished area for your child to sleep and explore.

Baby Safe Space

As with any room in the house you should make the room safe for the child. You should remove any objects that could be a choking hazard or be a potential harm to the child. Small objects should be removed from the bedroom and outlets should be covered. Dressers and cabinets should be anchored to the wall to prevent falling on top of the child if the child pulls up on it. Wires from lamps or other electrical units should be removed or securely concealed or covered on the wall so they can not be played with.

Baby gates should be used in doorways where the child may be able to easily roam the house unsupervised. Otherwise use a door with a door knob lock that the child is not able to open. Also removing any house plants out of their reach. HERE is a good website on baby proofing your child’s room.

I would also recommend using a baby monitor to keep a close eye on them while they sleep. I like to use the HelloBaby monitor. This is a camera that is left in the room and the caretaker has the hand held wireless monitor with video and sound. The one I have has infra red night vision and a built in thermometer so I can easily keep tabs on how cool or warm the room is. If she wakes up and starts crying I can easily hear her with an adjustable sound volume.

It’s a great way to keep an eye on your baby without constantly popping in and out of the room.

Different ways to make a DIY Montessori floor bed

If you search on Pinterest you will find a bunch of different designs for a montessori bed frame. There simple designs more creative designs. You have the design that we did with a simple frame around the mattress to elevate it a bit and keep it from sliding around.

Others have the frame mentioned above but have a slatted rails like a crib.

There are even extra creative bed frames that are designed in the shape of a house or tent frame.

How to make a DIY Montessori floor bed

For this bed frame we used scrap wood that we had on hand. We did the same thing when we made our scrap wood garden beds and potato planters. It’s a great way to save money and use up some wood that you have on the property.

Equipment

• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Miter Saw
• 2 inch screws (20-50 count)
• 2×6 boards
• 2×4 boards
• Sheet of plywood

Directions

Frame out the size of the mattress you will be using with the 2×6 boards then screw them together.

Then cut your 2×4 boards to square off the corners and screw those together.

Cut a long piece of 2×4 that will connect both long sides of the frame.

Cut your plywood to fit the inside of what will be the top of the 2×4 boards then screw together.

At this point I would sand down all your corners and plywood to round out corners and remove any potential splinter areas.

If you want you can paint or stain what ever color you would like. I chose to leave it in its natural state. I like the natural wood look. Though I may choose to stain it in the future.

Have you made a floor bed for your child? How did they like it?

Let me know in the comments below!

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The post DIY Montessori Floor Bed appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

This year I have so many potatoes to plant I need some quick and cheap DIY potato planters. So I’ve done some digging (pun intended) and have found 2 ways you can get potatoes growing on your homestead. Let’s dive on in and I’ll show you how!

Back Story of Cheap DIY Potato Planters

I recently got my sweet potato slips in the mail because I was silly and didn’t think to grow my own. Oh well, there’s always next year.

So once they arrived I knew I wouldn’t be able to plant them in a permanent potato box outside. We were still getting some cold nights and I didn’t want to take the chance of them dying.

I actually stumbled upon this idea from Lisa Steele’s website, Fresh Eggs Daily.

This idea is actually more popular then I realized. I love this idea so much I knew I had to share this with everyone.

Benefits of Cheap DIY Potato Planters

This first DIY is great if you have chickens or something of the like. This DIY calls for feed bags. Having ducks and chickens myself, I have plenty of these bags. You could also use empty plastic compost bags or if you use wood pellets to heat your home you can use those bags as well.

These options are great if you need something quick and cheap but the ground isn’t an option, this one works great. This idea will also work great if you only have a small porch or balcony to plant on living in the city.

Lets not forget, they save you money since we are using scrap wood and empty grain bags.

Though, once these bags are filled with soil after a couple months you may not want to move them. I only move them in the early weeks, just to keep my plants safe from the cold weather. After that to you can keep them outside in a nice sunny location.

How to Make Grain Bag DIY Potato Planters

Equipment

• Grain bags or something similar
• Scissors
• Old window screens
• Potting soil or top soil
• Compost
• Straw

First thing, grab your grain bag and fold down the top until your about 12 inches from the bottom.

Next place the bag on a flat surface to flatten out and square off the bottom of the bag.

With your scissors cut 4 to 6 holes in the bottom of the bag that are about 1 inch in diameter.

Now cut a piece of your window screen to fit on the inside bottom of your bag.

Now prep the soil you will be using and add that to your bag. You’ll want to add 4 to 6 inches of soil to the bottom of the bag. I used a mixture of top soil, compost and straw.

Once your soil is in place plant your sweet potatoes. It’s recommended to plant one sweet potato plant per square foot, so I’d plant 1 per bag since each bag is roughly 1 square foot.

Water your plants well until their well established, about 4 days is recommended.

Place your planter in a sunny location and keep adding soil as needed.

As your plant grows you will need more soil to cover up the exposed plant leaving the leaves just visible above the soil.

As your soil gets higher to the top of the bag you will need to unroll it as you go.

Once it’s time to harvest you can either cut down the side of the bag or gently dump out the contents onto a tarp so you can save the soil for next year and it makes for easy clean up.

Tip: If you find that your night temperatures will be below 60 degrees its recommended to not plant your sweet potatoes outside. Since these are in a bag with little soil you can bring them inside until the morning when it warms up.

How to make a Wooden DIY Potato Planter

So for this potato planter we used all scrap wood. Just like when we made our DIY Raised Garden Bed, we used scrap wood that my husband was able to find. We made each tower 2 feet by 2 feet and 40 inches tall. Whatever wood you can find will work, the wood listed below is what we were able to find. I just want to give you an idea of what you can use.

Also, I will be planting regular potatoes in these potato towers but you certainly can plant your sweet potatoes in these as well.

Equipment we Used

• Chop Saw
• Screws
• Screw Gun
• Eight 1×6 boards 2 feet in length (you will need more as you keep adding soil over the season).
• Four 2×2 boards 40 inches in length ( you may not need to add this much soil, but it’s good to have extra if need be).

Note: Depending on the wood you are able to find, you may need to pre-drill if it is something that may splinter easily. My husband recommends using a 1/8th drill bit.

Instructions

Place your 2×2 boards vertically with your 1×6 boards placed horizontally at the bottom.

Screw your 1×6 boards to the bottom outside of your 2×2 boards to make a box.

We added a second layer of 1×6 boards to make it deeper for planting the potato seeds.

I used a mixture of top soil and compost with some straw mixed in.

Prep the soil that you will be using in your potato tower.

Fill your potato tower with soil at least 4 inches deep.

Plant your sweet potato slips in your tower, it’s recommended 1 plant per square foot. So for this you should be able to plant 2 per tower.

Keep your planter in a sunny location and well watered but not over watered.

As your plant grows, add more soil to cover the plant, leaving the leaves visible just above the soil.

When the soil reaches the top of the 1×6 boards add on another 1×6 board to the outside on every side of the tower.

At the end of the season all you need to do is unscrew one side to expose the soil and sweet potatoes. I recommend pulling the soil out onto a tarp to easily save the soil to use it next year and make for easy clean up.

Growing Roots on your Sweet Potato Slips

Update on my sweet potato slips, after having them planted for about 4 days I found that the roots on the slips I had not yet planted were growing very well. This reason is due to them being in a jar of water. Now this being my first year planting sweet potatoes I may have not been watering them well enough, it seemed like I was. Instead I chose to gently remove the slips from the grain bag planter until I can get some good roots on them. I will then plant them outside in the grain bags once it is plenty warm enough.

So my plan for next year will be to grow my own sweet potato slips and place them in a jar of water until it has warmed up enough outside that the night temperatures are at or above 60 degrees.

Stay Tuned for Updates on my Cheap DIY Potato Planters

At the end of the growing season I will update everyone on how my sweet potato planters turned out. I am eager to see how many sweet potatoes I get from each plant.

Being Memorial Weekend this would be a great time to build you own Cheap DIY Potato Planter. In New England this is the recommended time to plant your garden outside. Why not give it a try? You could get some delicious potatoes out of them!

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Do you have any tips for planting potatoes? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Planting!

The post Cheap DIY Potato Planters appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

This DIY raised garden bed is pretty simple to make. The best part is it’s made with 75% scrap wood. My husband and I were able to build it in just a couple hours and get it set up in our front yard. He was actually able to move it by himself 50 feet in one piece to its final location.

Finding Materials for your DIY Raised Garden Bed

We began our new year trying to figure out how we could add some more raised garden beds to our yard. I searched Google and Pinterest for ideas in what we could make for pretty cheap but stay together pretty well with out crumbling after one season.

My husband got thinking and said he was able to get some scrap wood from where he works. There’s a constant supply of wood that they toss in the recycling daily. He thought these would be perfect for a couple raised beds.

We decided to make the beds 24 inches high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. Most of the scrap wood that he got would be able to be cut in half for the walls, one being the proper length and the other just an inch or two shorter. Not ideal but it worked and only gave us just a few short pieces on each side.

Making it 4 feet wide is perfect for me. I can then easily reach the middle of the bed without having to lean too far over the bed and compress the soil.

Then having it 8 feet long to give plenty of gardening space without having to put a middle brace to keep it from bowing out.

We did end up buying some 8 foot long 2 by 4 pieces of wood for the framing.

If you would rather not purchase any wood you can take apart a bunch of pallets and make some raised garden beds with them.

Reasons to make a DIY Raised Garden Bed

No kneeling down

If you, like me, have issues kneeling down for long periods of time, certainly a raised garden bed is perfect for you. For whatever reason, kneeling down makes my knees make a good amount of noise when I stand up. Not comfortable at all.

Easier to tend to your vegetables

If you make your raised bed to the height that I made mine it is a lot easier to tend to the vegetables. Weeding will be easier because you won’t have to bend over so far. Another great bonus is that it will be easy to harvest your vegetables. Things like tomatoes and peppers, will be at eye level and you can easily pluck your tomatoes from the vine. So divine!

Protects your plants

Where I live we have a lot of underground and surface springs. This means any vegetables in the ground have a high chance of being washed away if not planted in the correct location. So when we get heavy rains we have streams that pop up around my yard. Then if it gets really bad we will have almost a sheet of water running over parts of our yard.

Also if you have wild rabbits in your area this will keep those cute furry critters from eating your precious vegetables. I’d be surprised to see them jump up into these raised garden beds.

How to make your DIY Raised Garden Bed

Equipment

Table saw

Miter Chop saw

Two by fours 8 feet long (12 boards)

One by fours 22 inches long (about 80 boards)

Decking screws about 2.5 inch length (roughly 200 count)

Electric screwdriver

Tape measure

Pencil/Pen

Directions

Frame out two, 4 foot by 8 foot frames.

Attach vertically your 1 by 4’s on all four sides on the inside. This way the soil pushes the boards into the frame instead of away from it.

We did have a few gaps that we needed to cut some boards to fit, we ripped them down with the table saw.

Along the top on your bed, lay flat a 2 by 4 on each side. This is to give you a nice spot to sit on. This also covers the raw edges of the boards below to prevent it from rotting away too quickly.

We also added some braces to each inside bottom corner with some scrap 2 by 4’s to keep the bed squared.

What to Fill Your Raised Garden Bed With

At the bottom of all my raised beds I put a layer of wood, about 6 inches deep. I have used tree bark and branches from cleaning up my yard. If you do not have any logs available you can also add leaves. You can then top it with some wood chips if you have that on hand as well.

Doing this is a great way to clean up your yard. Doing this will add some bulk to your raised bed so you don’t have to add so much soil. Though the best reason for doing this is that over time this will break down and add some organic compost to your bed and as it breaks down it will give off a little bit of heat.

A couple times I have added cardboard over the branches to hold them down so they don’t poke through the soil.

I was able to contact my local tree removal service to find woodchips to dump in my driveway free of charge.

Another thing you can add to your garden bed is peat moss. I added this to the top layer of my soil and mixed that in well. Then if you want to add an extra boost to your soil you can add compost. Your plants will love you for that.

If your looking for compost you can ask your local dump or water treatment facility if they have any. In my town they have some that you can go pick up.

Tips for making your DIY Raised Garden Bed

• You can line the ground with 1/2 inch or 1 inch metal fencing. This will help to keep any rodents from getting under your raised beds, then making their way into your raised beds. No one wants to find their root vegetables nibbled on by those furry creatures.

• You can also line the inside walls of your raised bed with gardening cloth to keep the wood from deteriorating so fast.

• If you want your raised beds to last many years you can use cedar wood. Cedar wood is naturally rot resistant so this would be a great substitution for regular pine wood.

Have you made your own raised bed before? Do you have any other tips to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below. I love to get your ideas!

Check out my previous post HERE on making soil block seed starters to get your garden started!

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The post DIY Raised Garden Bed appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.