Well for 2020, we are facing financial set backs like car payments and growing Mel's poultry farm. So to combat this, we're looking at our garbage. One man's trash is another man's treasures. With a few tweaks towards reinvention and beautification, we'll make items to sell.
Now that our feed storage room is built into the barn workshop, we have a small stack of empty feed sacks just lying around. We used them as weather barrier in the walls, ceiling, and floor. It held in all the Styrofoam, peanuts, bubble wrap, and air pillows for insulation between 2 layers of feed sacks. The building was basically a free build for an 8x12 building. Now, it houses bulk 50 lb sack of chicken grains and seeds, rabbit food, cat and dog dry food. After a year, there are no signs of rats or any other critters in that room. On the top of this room, 50 lb bales of orchard grass bales are kept. We go in and mix up trashcan loads of chicken feed and carry it out to the chicken area.But since that project was completed, we haven't used any feed sacks so they've just been gathering dust. We've used some to store sifted compost, or rabbit manure, or wood ash for dust bathing for the birds, making lye, or for the garden. But even so, we generate 4-5 bags a month.
I got to thinking of those tote bags. Some of them are stinking cute and go for a medium price ($12 each) on etsy and farmer's markets. I can do that! A few cuts and straight seams and you've got a tote bag for sale. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Money in the bank from garbage! Add my knitted plarn market totes...cha-ching! The plarn was made from grocery bags and packaging.
I started looking at other things most people put in the trash. Empty, single serve, plastic water or drink bottles, bleach, milk jugs, vinegar bottles, etc. How about converting them into planters. We were already thinking about selling plant starts at the farmer's market. How cute are these? Although, I was mainly thinking herbs. Imagine Catmint or catnip in a kitty cat one or watercress in a frog. YouTube, Pinterest, and the internet in general are full of ideas. Of course, these herbs will sell for a premium of $6 extra for the pot (16 oz bottle size) and plant. Money from garbage and it keeps it out of the landfills where it'll take 700 years to decompose. A double win for us.
We actually don't use too many plastic products. I may have to hit my neighbors up for theirs. <GRIN>
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| Made from empty jar |
You can recycle these items into sewing kits, canisters, jewelry boxes, etc all from trash. Don't even get me started on cardboard recycling besides in my garden!
So I've got my work cut out for me. Let's see if I can't make those six garbage cans hit the landfill every six months while it pads our wallets. Speaking of which, the trash haul costs us only $6 a trip. How much does your trash service charge you? Meanwhile, Mel is creating farm decor signs and organizers out of pallets, and creating her version of bullet journals.
🎵A crafting we will go, a crafting we will go. High Ho the glue sticks go. A crafting we will go to make our pockets grow.🎵
Y'all have a blessed day!
Cockeyed Jo
Oh gosh, if you sold plant starts in some of those cutely decorated recyclable bottles and jars, you could probably make a killing. A double feel-good for your customers!
ReplyDeleteFortunately, we don't have a trash service. We're outside town limits, so it's optional. I think they charge by the month here, so with Dan only going every other month, it's better for us to haul our own.
But still you go every other month. What if you only had to go twice a year or less?
DeleteThey are so cute. Lots of love
ReplyDeleteThank you.
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