Eco-friendly garden craft projects
Here's a way to have some fun with your power tools and be eco-friendly at the same time. We've put together a selection of eco-friendly garden craft projects that will save you money and make gardening easier!
Make your own garden brush for cleaning up fallen leaves and debris from lawn and beds. All you need to make your own besom brush are flexible branches such as silver birch and a large branch for the handle.
YOU WILL NEED:
Collect together enough small twigs to make the brush and strap these around the handle with cable ties. You will find plenty of ideas on Etsy for making different types of Besom Brooms.
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If you're feeling a bit more adventurous and have some time on your hands, you could also make a sturdier broom using birch branches.
HERE'S HOW:
Cut a solid block out of 76 x 76mm PAR pine. Use an 18mm spade bit to drill holes into the bottom of the block to allow you to insert bundles of branches, and a 6mm wood bit to make holes for the nylon rope fastenings for each bundle of branches. Drill a hole in the top for your handle and secure with wood glue and a couple of wire nails.
Make your own fragrant fire lighters using pine cones. By adding a few drops of essential oil to candle wax you can sit back and enjoy a beautifully fragrant fire in your home or outdoors in a firepit on a cool evening.
Here's how:
Melt down old candles on the stovetop at low heat using a double-boiler. Once the wax has melted, add a few drops of juniper, lavender or eucalyptus oil. Pour the melted wax into a cupcake baking tray and pop in a pine cone. Once cooled and set you can use these to start your fire - indoors or outdoors.
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A garden trug is handy for in and around the garden, plus it has many uses in the home as well. Make your own garden trug or hamper by following the basic instructions for making your own wine crate. Add a carry handle using PAR pine and a large dowel screwed in place.
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Make a stacking storage bench that quickly and easily transforms into a potting table or a plant pot stand. The more plants you have - the more benches you add. If you come up with an eco-great ideas, don't forget to share them with us!