71. Soup Wreaths

MATERIALS

Long stemmed herbs:

• For Chicken Soup choose 6 of the following:
  
  
  
  • Rosemary
  • Small lovage leaves
  • Thyme
  • Parsley
  • Celeriac leaves
  • Lavender
  • Garlic chives
  • Lemongrass
  • Garlic leaves
  • Winter savory
  • Sweet marjoram
  • Lemon basil
• For Beef or Pork based soups choose 6 of the following:
  • Rosemary
  • Tarragon
    
  • Chervil
  • Oregano
    
  • Thyme
  • Basil
    
  • Savory
  • Hyssop
    
  • Onion leaves
  • Bay
    
  • Chives
  • Small hot peppers
    
  • Garlic chives
• For Vegetarian based soups, pick from either list

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To begin the wreath, gather your ingredients. You will need about 6 sprigs of herbs in varying lengths. Longer pieces can be woven into the wreath more easily than shorter ones. You will probably also want 3 or 4 shorter pieces to add into the wreath for bulk and variety.
2. Choose a sprig of rosemary or a similar woody, long-stemmed herb, about 12 to 14 inches long. Bend it into a loop that is about 4 inches in diameter, twisting the ends around each other. You don’t need to tie it in place, simply hold it together with your thumb and finger, then add another long-stemmed herb, twisting it over and around the first one and overlapping the ends of the first.
3. Continue adding additional sprigs — a piece of sage, some thyme, onion leaves, garlic chives and others — until your wreath looks full. Keep in mind the wreath will shrink as it dries, so add enough herbs to keep it looking full after it dries.
4. Add a long leaf, such as an onion top from winter onions or a leaf of lemongrass, at the very last, spiraling it like a ribbon all the way around to secure all of the herbs and give it a finished look.
5. The two ends of the spiraled leaf can be tucked under some of the other herbs and any loose ends can be trimmed off with pruners. You also may want to tuck in a nice, small red pepper or a sprig of golden marjoram for some color. Chive flowers dry well, as do garlic chive blossoms and oregano. Tuck the stem into the wreath so it is secure.
6. Now you are ready to dry your wreath. The simplest way is to put it in a dark, dry place, like a pantry or a cabinet, until it is dry. Even the oven, without heat, works well. It’s important to dry your wreath out of light in order to maintain the vibrant color and flavor of your herb. DO NOT DRY YOUR WREATH IN THE MICROWAVE - it zaps all of the essential oils out of the herbs.
7. Once your wreath is completely dry, you are ready to attach a recipe card containing instructions for using the wreath with a ribbon or string .

Recipes:

Wintertime Chicken Soup

• 2 1⁄2 quarts of water
• 2 chicken breasts, cut in pieces
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1⁄2 cup diced onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1⁄4 cup rice or pasta, optional
• Cooking wreath
• Dash salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil and add chicken and vegetables. Cook until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Add rice or pasta and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking 10 to 15 minutes. When you add rice or pasta, also remove the ribbon from the cooking wreath and add the wreath to the pot of simmering soup. Simmer until done, add salt and pepper to taste, remove wreath and serve.

Vegetarian Vegetable

• 2 1⁄2 quarts of water
• Assorted, diced vegetables, such as celery, carrots, turnip, cabbage, onion and garlic
• 1⁄4 cup rice or pasta
• Cooking wreath
• Dash salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Add rice or pasta and simmer until nearly tender. Add the cooking wreath (with the ribbon removed) and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove wreath and serve.

Resource: Herb Companion

[Edit 12/16]—Herb Companion now redirects to Mother Earth Living.

52. Mini Herb Kits

MATERIAL

Mini Terra cotta pots (or tin cans)
Chalkboard paint (optional)
Potting soil
mini plastic bags (to contain the potting soil)
Herb seeds
Kraft paper coin envelopes (you can find these at the office supply store)
Craft box or other container (tins, baskets, small wooden crates also work well)
Assorted rubber stamps, paints, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Paint the pots if you like or you can take a permanent marker and write the name of the herb around the rim.
2. Fill mini plastic, or clear candy bags with enough potting soil to fill each of the pots in the kit.
3. Decorate coin envelopes, fill with seeds, seal, then label.
   
   tip: use mini return address labels, printed with name of herb in packet, to seal envelope.
4. place ingredients into a decorated box. Old tins, recycled boxes, even old lunch boxes, would also make nice containers for the mini garden

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

If you want to give a starter plant, instead of dirt and seeds, here are some other presentation options. You are not limited to clay pots. Just about any container will work, from tea cups to cleaned out tin cans.

Want to learn more about cooking with herbs?

Herbal Kitchen Cooking with Fragrance & Flavor
by Jerry Traunfeld (Hardcover)

42. Magnets

MATERIALS

Large Magnetic sheet with adhesive back
artwork
adhesive laminating sheets (optional)

FOR THE GARDENER

1. print out images from the garden
2. trim the images out, leaving 1/4 inch boarder
3. peal off adhesive backing from magnetic sheet & adhere the trimmed images to the sheet
4. trim magnetic sheet to size
5. if you like, seal the image with sticky-back sheet laminate.

FOR THE WORDSMITH
You can create your own magnetic poetry

1. write or print out a list of words (or use this downloadable printable)
2. adhere the list to the magnetic sheet
3. cut the words/magnet to size

FOR THE COMIC BOOK AFICIONADO

print out the downloadable art:

Adhere prints to magnetic sheet & cut out

39. Wheat Grass Planter

MATERIALS

Wheat Grass Seed OR Millet Seed
Clay Pot and Saucer (or other container of choice)
Potting Soil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill the container with potting soil, leaving a good amount of space at the top (at least three inches). As the grass grows, it will push up dirt. If you don’t leave enough space, dirt will fall out of the container onto your table top!
2. Put a layer of wheat grass seed on top of the soil. Use a generous amount in a single layer over the potting soil. Cover the seeds with a bit of potting soil. You don’t need too much soil, just enough to cover the seeds.
3. Repeat step 2, making a second layer of grass seed and soil.
4. Water well and keep the soil moist. Wheat grass will grow best in a bright room.

Tips & Techniqes

• Wheat grass grows very fast. In less than a week you’ll have about an inch of grass. Millet grows slower.
• Keep the soil moist but not wet. If you plant wheat grass in a container with no drainage (such as glass), we recommend misting the grass rather than watering.
• Depending on how much sun your arrangement gets, they will last from 5 to 10 weeks. Since they grow so quickly, just replant your pots and you’ll have new arrangements in no time.
• Cats love wheat grass! It aids their digestive systems and is often prescribed by veterinarians.
• Wheat grass is sold in health food stores for juicing.

Source: Craft Warehouse

36. Vintage Seed Packets

MATERIALS

HP Photo paper or other stiff paper
Vintage Seed Packet Art:

• Vegetables
• Flowers [PDF]

Glue
Scissors

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Print on photo paper or other stiff paper.
2. Cut out packets along lines.
3. Glue where indicated. Let dry.
4. Drop seeds in packet and secure top flap.
   
   Fill the packets with your favorite seeds either from your garden, or from the store.

Source: gardensandcrafts.com

35. Gardener's Tote or Apron

MATERIALS

Iron-on transfer paper
Ink jet printer
Apron (or tote bag)
Iron & Ironing board
Iron-on pattern:

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash, dry, and iron Apron. (If you're ironing a transfer onto a tote bag, you don't need to wash it.)
2. Open up one of the image files and flip it horizontal so the image is mirrored.
1. On a Mac, if you open the image in Preview, go to the "Tools" menu, then click on "Flip Horizontal"
2. If opening in Picture Manager or Office: go to the Formatting toolbar and click on Edit Pictures. Then click on "Rotate and Flip." From there, click on "Flip Horizontal."
3. Print out the mirrored image onto the iron-transfer paper.
4. place your Apron (or bag) on the Ironing board, and lay the transfer, image side down, over the apron where you want it to appear.
5. follow the instructions for the Iron-on transfer paper.
   
   If the Apron has pockets, why not fill them with a dish towel & some wooden spoons for your cook, or gardening gloves, seed packets, and tools for your gardener.

Vintage Garden Images

Click on any of the images to view larger. Right click or control click on the images to download to your desktop (or just drag and drop to your desktop).

Source Just Something I Made

24. Handmade Wind Chimes

Photo by matttorontocanada.

Wind chimes can be made out of almost any material. Whatever pleases the eye and makes a wonderful noise can be hung up and enjoyed! Glass wind chimes and metal wind chimes are particular favorites. Or, when creating your own wind chimes, try using some of these materials:

seashells
bamboo
wood
glass
keys
tools
silverware
pipe

SILVERWARE CHIME

This chime makes use of all those odd bits of cutlery that you have accumulated over the years. And it makes a perfect gift for that person who loves to cook!

MATERIALS


4 spoons
2 forks (with some spares, just in case)
drill
1/16th inch drill bit
Needle-nosed pliers
fishing line
safety goggles

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing the Cutlery


1. Put on your safety goggles.
2. Drill a hole in each of the four spoon handles, approximately 1/8th of an inch from the top. Sand holes down with metal file, so that there are no sharp edges.
3. Choose one fork to be the hanging fork from which the spoons will be suspended. Drill a hole in the flat part of this fork, just above the tines.
4. Using your needle-nosed pliers, carefully bend the tines of the fork to a 90° angle.
5. Bend the two inside tines of the fork so that they are pointing north and south. Bend each of the two outside tines so that they are pointing east and west. Be sure to have backup forks, in case any of the tines break.
6. Using the tip of your pliers, carefully twist the ends of each of the tines into a loop.
7. Bend the handle of the fork over to make a hook to hang the chime with.
8. Drill a hole in your base fork. This hole should be about 1/8th of an inch from the top of the handle.

Hanging the Chime


1. Tie a piece of fishing line from the hole in the hanging fork to the hole in the base fork. The base fork should hang about six inches down.
2. Tie fishing line through each of the holes created by the tines of the hanging fork. Tie the other end of each piece of string to the hole in each spoon. The bowl of each spoon should hit the stem of the base fork.
3. Now you're ready to hang them

COPPER PIPE WIND CHIME

This elegant copper pipe wind chime will add a touch of style and hint of music to any garden or patio.

MATERIALS


12 feet of copper tubing (this can be found in the plumbing section of your local DIY|hardware store)
metal crimper (also found at your DIY|hardware store)
drill
1/4 inch drill bit (you want one that is good for drilling into metal)
1/2 inch drill bit (to drill into the two round wood pieces)
safety goggles
roll of string
three feet of nylon rope
two round pieces of wood (small, and large)


INSTRUCTIONS


This wind chime uses a round piece of wood from which the copper pipes are suspended. The smaller piece of wood is then hung in between the copper chimes. When the wind blows, the chimes knock against the wood, creating sound.


1. Cut six separate pipes from the copper tubing at the following lengths:
   
   • 18 inches
   • 20 inches
   • 22 inches
   • 24 inches
   • 26 inches
   • 28 inches
   
   - To do this, you need to mark these measurements on the tubing and, using your metal crimper, cut the six pipes.
2. Wearing your goggles, drill a ¼ inch hole in the top of each pipe. This hole should be about a ½ inch from the top of each pipe.
3. Drill a ½ inch hole in the center of the large and small pieces of wood.
4. Drill six ¼ inch holes around the perimeter of the large piece of wood. These holes should be equidistant from one another. This piece of wood will act as the platform for the chimes.
5. Using your string, thread each pipe through each of the six holes on the large piece of wood. The pipes should hang a couple of inches from the base of the wood platform.
6. Using your nylon rope, create a loop from which to hang the chime. Thread the end of this loop through the center of the wood platform. To the base of this handle, tie the small piece of wood. The pipes will knock against this wood to create sound.
7. Hang and enjoy!

Reources: Repair Home 

21. Paperwhites

MATERIALS

shallow pot, pan, or bowl (approx. 4" deep)
pea gravel, marbles, or small stones (rinsed)
Paperwhite bulbs

INSTRUCTIONS

Paperwhites are best grown in a shallow pot or bowl with no drainage holes in the bottom. They can even be grown in mason jars filled with small stones.

1. Fill the pot 2/3 full with gravel, small stones, or even fun things like colored beads or marbles.
2. Place as many paperwhite bulbs as will fit on top of the gravel, with the pointed side up.
3. Then fill in gravel around the bulbs, leaving the top halves exposed.
4. Add water up to the base of the bulbs and maintain it at this level.
5. Place the pot in a cool area.
6. Within a few days, roots will appear. When green shoots appear, move the pot to a cool, sunny spot. Sit back and watch them grow and bloom.