100 Things you can make yourself

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Aug 16, 2007, 9:12:46 PM8/16/07
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100 Things you can make yourself

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100 Things you can make yourself

by Deborah Ng on August 15th, 2007

Convenience is certainly…well…convenient. Take a trip to just about any type of store and notice how everything is packaged and prepared. It seems the more we advance, the more stuff is done for us. I don't mind letting someone else do all the work for me, the problem is of course, that convenience is expensive and we're getting really lazy. I started thinking about all the things we can make ourselves if we put forth a little effort and found lots of cool instructions online.

My fellow cheapskates, I give you:

100 Things You can Make Yourself

 

  1. Applesauce
  2. Spaghetti sauce
  3. Barbecue sauce
  4. Maple syrup
  5. Jelly
  6. Peanut butter
  7. Mayonnaise
  8. Bacon
  9. Guacamole
  10. Pesto
  11. Salsa
  12. Mango salsa
  13. Vanilla extract
  14. Hummus
  15. Coffee
  16. Tofu
  17. Gravy
  18. Chocolate kisses
  19. Wedding cake
  20. Stuffing
  21. Rootbeer
  22. Ginger Ale
  23. Pancake mix
  24. Pudding pops
  25. Ice cream
  26. Chicken Nuggets
  27. Pizza
  28. Pasta
  29. Pickles
  30. Wine
  31. Beer
  32. Whiskey
  33. Dog treats
  34. Playdough
  35. Fingerpaint
  36. Bubbles
  37. Books
  38. Laundry detergent
  39. All purpose household cleaner
  40. Soap
  41. Shampoo
  42. Hair conditioner
  43. Moisturizer
  44. Mouthwash
  45. Baskets
  46. Incense
  47. Paper
  48. Rubber stamps
  49. Jewelry
  50. Curtains
  51. Rugs
  52. Candles
  53. Camera
  54. CD Cases
  55. Bookshelves
  56. Couches
  57. Tables
  58. Stool
  59. Sweater
  60. Skirt
  61. Poncho
  62. Coat
  63. Blouse
  64. Shorts
  65. Gloves
  66. Socks
  67. Tree fort
  68. Back yard shed
  69. Gazebo
  70. Windmill
  71. Birdhouse
  72. Compost
  73. Biodiesel
  74. Solar power generator
  75. House
  76. Snowshoes
  77. Sun clock
  78. Bread
  79. Potato chips
  80. Pretzels
  81. Donuts
  82. Sausages
  83. Bagels
  84. A pinata
  85. Crayons
  86. Gnocchi
  87. A guitar
  88. 4th of July sparklers
  89. A lava lamp
  90. Tortillas
  91. Kimchi
  92. A hula hoop
  93. A loofah
  94. Cheese
  95. 3D glasses
  96. A Kite
  97. An igloo
  98. Modeling clay
  99. Crossword puzzles
  100. Cuff links

 

 

 

 

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POSTED IN: Crafty Solutions, Eco Simplicity, Simple Pleasures, Simpler Thinking, Around the House, Frugal Gourmet, Doing it Yourself, Web Resources, General

9 opinions for 100 Things you can make yourself

  • CD Santa
    Aug 15, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    Some of these are interesting. But some are just ridiculous. Homemade maple syrup? Homemade PAPER!?

  • Deborah Ng
    Aug 15, 2007 at 7:59 pm

    Why is it so ridiculous to make your own maple syrup or paper? Long before Log Cabin or Mrs Butterworth, people made their own maple syrup - and in places like Maine or Vermont it's really not so far fetched.

    I also have a friend who recycles and makes paper for invitations and greeting cards. She does well in her business.

    It's not ridiculous if you enter it with an open mind. Not all of these things are for everyone, my list is to give you an idea of the things you can do yourself.

  • Heather
    Aug 15, 2007 at 11:55 pm

    That is truly an amazing list!

  • Vanilla
    Aug 16, 2007 at 8:04 am

    I am so making the sparklers!

  • Sweet Links for August 16
    Aug 16, 2007 at 11:57 am

    […] Simply Thrifty has an amazing list of 100 things you can make yourself, including chocolate […]

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    Aug 16, 2007 at 3:19 pm

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  • openswitch » 100 things you can make yourself
    Aug 16, 2007 at 3:46 pm

    […] Subscribe August 16th, 2007 100 things you can make yourself. Most things on this list are completely doable by the average person. Some things, like "a […]

  • dacker
    Aug 16, 2007 at 5:44 pm

    As someone who grew-up in Vermont, has helped make syrup, and had a teenage brother industrious enough to make his own maple syrup one year, I can tell you that only 0.1% of people would be able to do so — and it would not be economical.

    To make maple just one quart of maple syrup, you will need:

    * Access to maple sugar trees. Maple trees come in many species, but maple SUGAR trees only grow in a small subset of the US, most notably in northern New England and NY, and in Michigan. Canada, especially Quebec, has many more.
    * Taps and buckets with covers.
    * Appropriate drill for the tap.
    * Cold nights and warm days for the sap to flow.
    * Determination to check and empty the buckets twice a day.
    * If you have made it this far, collect 10 gallons of maple sugar tree sap, and keeping it cold until you have enough.
    * One BIG pot
    * Lots of available energy (gas/electric/wood to boil away 98% of the water in the sap.
    * Hours and hours of time.
    * Hydrometer, so you know when the correct amount of water has been evaporated and the syrup is ready.
    * Cheesecloth or other filtering material.
    * Heatproof hands.

    Oh, hell — no one is going to do all this themselves. Even I just go to Costco, unless I can get another of my brothers to go down the road to a family farm who have a sugar shack, buy it from them, and ship it to me. Costco sells Grade-A Amber, which used to be called Grade-B, until the markets tinkered with the nomenclature.

  • Deborah Ng
    Aug 16, 2007 at 6:38 pm

    Dacker - Some of these things can be whipped up in five minutes, others take time and patience.

    My point is that there are plenty of things we can do ourselves if we have the time and ambition. You and I may not enjoy making maple syrup, but I know of at least one person who finds it to be a relaxing hobby. Every single thing on this list is doable. It's up to the individual to determine which projects are worth one's while.

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