I asked for Your Top Make Do and Mend Tips a little while ago, and you very generously came up trumps (yet again!)
As suspected, I was too last minute to get organised with business cards, but I am love the idea of collating all your fave tips and having them printed onto business cards or postcards to give out.
On the new site, I want to have a page dedicated to them, so that people can just drop by and leave their tips anytime, but for now, here’s the collation of all of them as it stands:
- Any letters/ junk mail that has a “clean” side (ie nothing printed on it) tear neatly into smaller squares to keep in a box near the phone for noting down messages
Linda A - Keep small scraps of fabric,they can be sewn together later to make random patchwork placemats/mug mats. The more random a selection the more interesting!
Hilary from Lincs - Have swishing events for you and your partners clothes, childrens clothes, childs equipment, garden stuff, household stuff
@Thriftylesley - Use cardboard toilet roll inners to sow seedlings. Plant straight into the ground when ready. Voila – biodegradable pots for free!
@myzerowaste - Never throw any of your glass jars away – they can be used and reused again and again … Storage, jams, buttons, paint, seashells, flowers, candles, paper clips, hyacinth bulbs, herbs, terrariums, homemade deserts, wedding flowers, gifts, sweeties -absolutely anything!
Trixie @lovinglymadeltd - Menu plan and shop with a list, grocery shopping online is a great way to avoid impulse buying
@Thriftylesley - The ribbon loops inside the shoulders of many new jumpers and T shirts make great ribbons for tying onto home made gift tags
Linda A - Shop your cupboards-use up what you have and meal plan according to what is in your cupboards
@Thriftylesley - Sow cut and come again lettuce and keep on the windowsill if no outdoor space, half a dozen plants will keep a family going all summer
@Thriftylesley - Save your “empty” mustard and ketchup bottles when you can’t get the last little bit out. The next time you make spaghetti sauce, add a little water to the bottle, shake it up, and add it to the sauce
SAB - Cut up old birthday/Christmas cards into gift tag sizes, punch a hole in the corner and thread through a ribbon loop
Linda A - Empty prescription medicine bottles work great for holding beads and other small craft items like pins, rubber bands, jewellry findings, etc..
SAB - Blitz any stale bread or crusts into breadcrumbs and keep in the freezer to use for future meals / recipes
Heather - If you have a woodburner, augment the fuel with tightly rolled newspaper/junk mail held in a Toilet roll inner – they burn for a long time
Mike P - Keep Christmas and birthday cards-cut bits out and re-use as card toppers on recycled card
Sandyfaithking - Hang stems of herbs up to dry in the summer months – no plastic packaging and food for free!
@myzerowaste - Make as many gifts as possible through the year – hand made gifts are such a wonderful thing to receive 🙂
Sandyfaithking - Keep your newspapers for a base for lighting your fire
Trixie @lovinglymadeltd - Use a slow-cooker, and always make extra so there’s never any need for TV dinners
Sandyfaithking - Use ecoballs for washing and save on detergent costs
Sandyfaithking - Use laundry detergent balls for organising drawers – they’re perfect for drawing pins, paper clips, blue tack etc.
@myzerowaste - Cut the corner off of a tired dish sponge and you have yourself a counter sponge! Cut a second corner, it becomes a floor sponge. Cut a third corner, it becomes a bathroom sponge
Keely - Use up left over wine in Italian meals for extra flavour
Lisa Harrison - Small bits of leftover wool are good for stuffing felt items
Aril - Save on gifts by using unwanted tins ,packets etc as a food lovers hamper
Lisa Harrison - Store away your magazines for wrapping up gifts or using for decoupage
Trixie @lovinglymadeltd - Use old make-up bags for dividing up your bag contents so you can find things easily
Lisa Harrison - Pretty greetings card fronts make lovely Thank you cards. Just cut off the front of the card and use like a postcard. Unique and don’t cost you a bean
Linda A - Save packaging for craft play sessions
Lisa Harrison - Turn old cards into tags for presents
Lisa Harrison - Add a little water to extend the life of hand wash and sauces etc.
Lisa Harrison - Washed out glass jars make great tea light holders
Lisa Harrison - Freeze left over meat from Sunday joints, then pop all in a stew with lentils, veg + dumplings. No one will be any the wiser!
Sue P
Feel free to add any more in the comments, and I’ll keep on compiling the list!
Freeze left over meat from Sunday joints, then pop all in a stew with lentils, veg + dumplings. No one will be any the wiser!
Thanks Sue-will add it to the list!
These are great!
We’ve just started saving paper to make into (supposedly) carbon neutral ‘brickettes’ for the fire. I will blog about it once we’ve actually done it – the process apparently takes two or three weeks.
I would like to find a solution to the problem of holey tights. I wear thick tights all the time through the winter and they inevitably get holes within weeks if not days. So frustrating.
Thanks Sandy! Not sure about the tights-are you on Facebook? We have a Make Do and Mend-able group, which is a great place to ask about your Make Do and Mend dilemmas!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/778924942151327/
Putting past Christmas etc cards to use is something I would like to start doing… And I need to start making bread crumbs from stale bread. Do Eco balls work?
I’m not sure Helen-we’ve never tried them. Lots of people swear by them though!