Do you have so much junk mail and cardboard boxes at home and you’re wondering what to do with it? I have an idea. It’s a fun and environmentally responsible alternative for you. Let us transform that “trash” into treasure by creating lovely DIY recycled paper items such as lampshades, bowls, and vases.

Not only will you save trash, but you will also produce something genuinely one-of-a-kind for your house. My fiance, Iasmina (@lajatattoo), and I tried this at home and the results are lovely. Let’s get started on this easy and enjoyable DIY project!

DIY Recycle Paper Project

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups of paper pulp
• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1 cup of rice glutinous flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Acrylic glue (depending on the size of your objects)

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Tear up paper or cardboard and add it to a bowl: Start by tearing your paper or cardboard into small pieces and placing them in a bowl. This will make the blending process easier.

2. Cover with water and let it sit overnight: Soak the torn pieces in water overnight. This helps to soften the paper, making it easier to blend into a pulp.

3. Blend until you achieve a paste: Blend the soaked paper until it turns into a smooth paste. This step is crucial for creating a uniform texture.

4. Strain the paste with a cheesecloth: Use a cheesecloth to strain the paste, removing excess water. This step ensures that your pulp isn’t too wet, which can affect the final product.

5. Add 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of glutinous rice flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 cups of paper pulp: Mix these ingredients together in a bowl. The combination of flours and salt will help bind the pulp together, creating a clay-like consistency.

6. Mix and add a bit of water until you reach a clay-like consistency: Gradually add water to the mixture until it feels like clay. You want it to be pliable but not too sticky.

7. Use a beeswax wrap as a sheet to shape the item you’ve decided to create: Lay out a beeswax wrap and use it as a base to mold your item. Whether you’re making a lampshade, bowl, or vase, the beeswax wrap helps hold the shape.

8. Measure and carve the middle hole to fit a light bulb (for lampshades): If you’re making a lampshade, measure and carve out a hole in the center to fit a light bulb. Ensure the hole is appropriately sized for your light fixture.

9. Leave it to dry overnight: Allow your creation to dry completely overnight. This ensures it hardens properly and maintains its shape.

10. Once completely dry, you can paint it with a natural color and coat it with acrylic glue: After your item has dried, paint it with natural colors. Once the paint is dry, coat it with acrylic glue to seal and protect it.

11. It’s important to let it dry completely before coloring and sealing it with glue to prevent mold and rot: Ensure everything is thoroughly dry before applying any paint or glue. This step is crucial to avoid mold or rot.

Note: You don’t need to worry that the lampshades will be a fire hazard! It’s not because it’s been processed with water, flour, and salt. But of course, please always use it with care. Remember that safety first is important!

Tips for Success

Experiment with Shapes: Don’t limit yourself to just lampshades, bowls, and vases. Try making plant pots, decorative plates, or even wall art. Your imagination is the limit!

Use Natural Dyes: For an extra eco-friendly touch, use natural dyes made from fruits and vegetables to color your creations. It’s both cost-effective and a very good way to practice zero waste.

Gift Your Creations: Handmade items make great gifts. Consider making a few extra pieces to give to friends and family, they will surely appreciate the art and the effort.

We enjoyed the process so much and I hope you’ll enjoy it, too. By transforming junk mail and cardboard into beautiful, usable things, you are not only decreasing trash but also promoting a sustainable lifestyle. So, the next time you have a bunch of papers and boxes, don’t throw them out. Instead, see their potential and create something amazing.

Happy crafting!

I’m very excited to share my Top 5 gardening hacks that I wish I had known before to grow food in my previous urban garden in London. Though it is not limited to urban gardens, you can also apply these tips to any growing space and they will help you to get ready for the next season!

My main goal is to help people create as many green spaces as possible because soil can absorb carbon from the air, reducing carbon emissions and you’ll also reduce the amount of single-use packaging from the store.

Tip #1: Leave the Roots in the Ground

When your plant’s season ends, whether it’s a chili plant in a pot or a tomato in the ground, resist the urge to pull it out by the roots. Instead, cut it off at the base, leaving the roots in the soil.

This may sound strange, but those roots will break down and provide excellent fertilizer for your garden. The macro and microorganisms in the soil will convert those old roots into nutrient-dense nourishment for the next batch of plants. It’s like a natural recycling process taking place right beneath your feet!

Tip #2: Collect Dry Leaves for Leaf Mold

Next time you’re walking through a local park, grab a bag and collect some of those dry, fallen leaves. Store them in bags and let nature take its course.

Over time, these leaves will decompose into nutrient-rich leaf mold, which is an excellent addition to your plant soil. Leaf mold increases soil structure and water retention while also providing a slow-release source of nutrients. It’s like a magical potion for your plants and it is entirely free!

Tip #3: Prune Your Mint for a Stronger Return

If you happen to have mints growing in your garden, such as chocolate mint or peppermint, give it a good prune at the end of the season.

Cut it back totally and let it dormant for the winter. Spring will bring your mint back to life, stronger and more vibrant than before. It’s a simple trick that will keep your mint patch healthy and productive for years.

Tip #4: Manage Strawberry Runners

Strawberries are delicious, but they have a sneaky habit of attempting to take over your garden via runners. These are the long stalks they use to propagate themselves.

While it may appear that having too many runners is beneficial, it may reduce the energy of the parent plant, resulting in smaller and less delicious berries. Snip those runners to transfer the plant’s energy back into the root system, resulting in larger, sweeter strawberries.

Tip #5: Chop and Compost Your Plant Waste

When you clean up your garden at the end of the season, don’t just throw away the plant cuttings. Chop them into little pieces and place them in your compost container. To balance out the green debris, add some dry leaves or shredded cardboard, and then begin the composting process.

By the next season, you’ll have a rich, dark compost to feed your garden. It’s a great way to recycle plant waste while saving money on store-bought compost.

These top 5 hacks may sound simple, but I’m telling you that it’s a game-changer. I really wish I had known these things when I started my gardening journey! I know that gardening can be a little intimidating and challenging at first, but it’s really worth it!

Give these hacks a try and I’m confident that you’ll soon reap the rewards of your hard work.

Happy growing!

Wild birds are awesome! They play an important role in our environment, especially in our gardens. They serve as natural pest management, eating various types of insects that would otherwise harm our plants. By inviting birds to your garden, you are effectively asking little assistants to keep your plants healthy and growing.

There is one problem though, these birds often struggle to find enough food, especially during certain times of the year. Natural food sources can be limited, therefore offering a mix high in fat and protein can make a significant difference for them. So I decided to make some nutritious plant-based bird food to help them out.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own batch of bird food:

1 cup of coconut oil

1 cup of vegetable suet

2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter

½ cup of desiccated coconut

½ cup of linseed

1 cup of mixed seeds (I used sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds, slightly crushed)

½ cup of chopped raisins

Let’s Make Some Bird Food!

1. Prep Your Ingredients: Roughly chop the raisins, and slightly crush the mixed seeds using a mortar and pestle.
2. Melt the Coconut Oil: In a pan over low heat, melt the coconut oil until it’s completely liquid.
3. Combine the Ingredients: Add the vegetable suet to the melted coconut oil and stir until it’s fully combined. Stir in the crunchy peanut butter until it melts into the mix, then add the desiccated coconut and mix well.
4. Add the Seeds and Raisins: Pour in the slightly crushed mixed seeds and chopped raisins. Mix everything together thoroughly.
5. Transfer to a Mold: Pour the mixture into a silicone mold. You can use any shape you like. Once the mixture is in the mold, gently press it down to make sure there are no air pockets.
6. Let It Set: Allow the mixture to set for at least 24 hours. Once it’s solidified, pop it out of the mold.

Serving Your Bird Food

Once your bird food is ready, simply pop it out of the mold and place it in a feeder or a suitable spot in your garden. You’ll soon notice the birds flocking to it, enjoying the delicious and nutritious treat you’ve made for them.

Making your own bird food is an easy yet effective method to help wild birds and improve the natural beauty of your garden. It’s a wonderful project you can do with your family, and the birds will appreciate your efforts.

Here’s to happy birds and thriving gardens! If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out and share your bird-feeding experiences. Together, we can keep our feathered friends healthy and happy!

Happy bird-feeding!

There are loads of medicinal weeds that you can forage in your garden but I have my top 3 favorites. Nature gives us everything we need to cure our bodies and minds, often in the most unexpected places. Today, I’m happy to share with you the incredible benefits of three common medicinal weeds that are easily foraged: cleavers, dandelion, and stinging nettle.

Cleavers: Nature’s Cleansing Tonic

The first weed is cleavers, which are often neglected yet provide a significant detoxifying power. Cleavers, often known as “sticky weed” or “goosegrass,” are one of the most powerful cleansing plants you may discover in your garden.

How to get the most out of cleavers? Dry the plant and infuse it with oil.

• This infusion can be used to drain toxins from your kidneys, resulting in improved overall health. Plus, cleavers can help with skin issues like eczema.
• The infused oil can be used topically to relieve and treat inflamed skin. It’s incredible how a little plant can have such a significant impact on our health!

Dandelion: The Elixir of Life

These bright yellow flowers are more than just a cheerful addition to your garden. Dandelions are incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of ways to boost your health.

What can you do about the dandelion?

• Dandelion honey is one of my personal favorite dandelion recipes. You can infuse the blossoms to make a lovely, golden honey that is both pleasant and nutritious. Dandelion honey is known for its ability to reduce inflammation and provide a natural source of antioxidants.
• If you enjoy coffee and want a healthier alternative, dandelion root coffee is a game-changer. The roots can be roasted and brewed into a coffee replacement high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Also, it is caffeine-free, allowing you to have it at any time of day without feeling jittery.

Note: I wrote a separate and more in-depth blog about dandelion, you can read it here.

Stinging Nettle: A Therapeutic Powerhouse

Don’t let the name scare you off—this plant is a medicinal powerhouse with multiple health advantages. Stinging nettle is widely known for its antibacterial and analgesic characteristics, making it an excellent addition to your natural medicine collection.

How to enjoy stinging nettle?

• Making a rich, green pesto from stinging nettle leaves is a fantastic way to enjoy it. This nettle pesto is full of flavor and an excellent way to get the plant’s medicinal benefits into your diet.
• Stinging nettle is also known to stimulate hair growth. You can produce a tincture from the leaves and roots to use as a natural hair strengthener and nourish.

  
  Note: I wrote a separate blog about stinging nettle cake, you can read it here.

I hope this blog has inspired you to look more closely at the plants in your garden. These medicinal weeds are not only easy to forage, but they also provide numerous health benefits that can be effortlessly incorporated into your everyday routine.

Remember that the information stated here is only for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always contact a doctor before using new treatments, especially if you have any underlying health issues.

Happy growing and foraging!