Entries Tagged as 'Do it yourself'
Ways to save money and energy in your home.
Energy prices are skyrocketing really fast, this article will assist in saving you money as well as giving you tips for saving the planet.
First off, you need to be sure you close all your doors and windows unless it is necessary to open them. This is actually one of the easiest tips to take care of. If you are planning to leave your doors or windows open, be sure to turn off your heat otherwise your heater will be trying to heat the world instead of just your home.
Another way to save energy is to change your energy supplier. A supplier with a low tariff or one whose energy is produced using a more sustainable source will save you money and/or save the planet.
If you have an opportunity to recycle, do it. Recycling lowers the amount of energy expended producing new materials. This could mean more leftover food or reupholstering a sofa instead of purchasing a new one.
There is a lot of energy lost through walls and roofs of houses and garages. It is a great idea to improve insulation in your home or garage. You may want to add a thicker insulation in your walls or attic space. Bad insulation is a major way to drain energy from your home.
More homes are installing their own solar energy or wind captures these days as well. Wind turbine and solar panels can significantly reduce energy costs. How well these will work will depend on how much sun or wind you get.
How to make a draft dodger.
A list of tools and materials that you will need are: a measuring tape, rotary cutter and scissors, decorative cotton fabric, iron, scissors, needle and thread, recycled newspaper cat litter, pins, and sewing machine.
First you will want to measure the width of the door or window. Then cut fabric that is 9 1/4 inches more than the width measured and 3 1/4 inch circles from the fabric.
Take the rectangular price in half lengthwise with the right sides facing each other. Now pin edges and sew along length of the open side with 1/4 inch seam which will make a long tube. In the middle of the tube leave a 4 inch gap in the stitching. You will backstitch at both sides of gap so that you can turn it right side out later. Press the tube flat with the seam in the center and press seam open.
Press the circles in half and in half again. Now baste the circles in place with a needle and thread. Remove the pins. Machine sew each of the circle ends to the tube 1/4 inch seam and remove the basting.
Now you will turn the tube inside out and fill with cat litter. Stitch opening closed with needle and thread.
This will help to make your electric bill smaller as it will keep the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter.