100 Things You Can Make Yourself

Comments

1. By anne-marie
   

   i’m a little disgusted that people need to be told they can make things like apple sauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pesto etc themselves…. does everything come out of a jar in the USA? no wonder obesity and diabetes are such a problem… still, it’s nice to see someone encouraging people to do something for themselves…

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2. By Cora
   

   Love the list. The meditative aspect of creating a thing with my own hands is very satisfying, whether it’s applesauce or a Halloween costume. Sometimes it’s more expensive but there’s no compromise in the final product — I’ve made exactly what I want, not what a factory churns out for the masses. Also, the more I learn to do myself, the more resourceful I catch myself being all around.
   Also, I just discovered my next DIY project; Google “homemade marshmallows”!!!

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3. By Recovering Consumer
   

   Just a note: The link for #38 Laundry Detergent is no longer valid. You may want to try http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm instead.

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4. By Brooke
   

   Good job explaning it. Lovin the pictures, altough I still couldn’t be able to make anything on that list, except maybe playdoh but I don’t have the ingredients.

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5. By alicia.
   

   That’s amazing.. I’m sure my husband (who would always rather make things himself) will be happy about this. Can’t wait to try the pizza!

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6. By Andrea Bogolub
   

   This site is something that we all need. Saves a lot of money and we sure need to these days.

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7. By Luci
   

   This list is great! I just hope more people will add to it. Such as the process of making Hominy. I would also like to know the process of making whole made cottage cheese. My mother made it when I was little but can’t remember all that she did. I can remember her sitting me on a chair in the kitchen and I had to shake this jar with cream in it till all the butter particles would cling to each other forming the cake of butter. ( My little arms got very tired ) but oh how I wished I had the chance to go back and do it again with my mother!!!!!! Anyhow, this list gives us a chance to learn how to do these things and to enjoy it while we are doing them. And to see what our parents went through with doing it the old-fashion way. To me it is better! I also loved the Little House on the Prairie shows but if I remember right Pa and Ma also loved some of the new and easier ways that came along. Would’nt you of just loved to had a taste of Caroline’s Berrie pies!!!!!!!!

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8. By Anna
   

   Neat list, All the comments about maple suryp made me think I better put in my two sense. Yes very time consuming but very cheap if you use downed timber for fuel and recycle canning jars for preserving. My parents have made it nearly every year I can remember. It is great fun! So much of your list is very doable and MUCH cheaper and a great thing to do with ones children!

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9. By Holly in OK
   

   Deb,

   I like the list and agree with several posters at the same time. I think the main point of the varying comments is that handmade does not usually equal thrifty. Knowing that I can make all of those things is intriguing for me, because I like to do crafts, cook, etc. But I do them because I enjoy them, not because most of them net any financial gain or savings for my family.
   I knit socks, for example. I buy a $15 skein of sock yarn (minimum price) and knit for what, 20 hours PER SOCK? Maybe 15? NOT cost effective, but very cool looking, creative, and a great pastime for me when watching TV with my family, waiting in the parking lot for my kids to get out of school, etc.
   I think the list is fun and inspiring to do things you haven’t done before, even if just to say you did them. (Like the bagels I so screwed up a few years ago. Or the tamales and sushi I’ve become very good at making.)
   I think, though, that seeing that your site is about being thrifty as well as the paragraph about convenience, it’s rather easy to think that you’re suggesting that these things will save us money or will best utilize our time that we are wasting right now by not doing them. I understand that’s not your point at all, but I can see it might be easy to think so and that by seeing things that way, one’s comments might be stated differently than if we all thought you were just giving us creative ideas and springboards to thinking outside the box.
   Don’t forget to add hominy to a future list! I read the Little House books growing up and have always wanted to make hominy, head cheese (ONLY to say I did it), etc. after reading them. :-)

   Reply
10. By Ben Grim
    

    Even the Amish dont make all these things.They go to the store buy them.Hey the way Russia is talking you may need to know how to do these things.Armageden is coming BE PREPARED.

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11. By cynthia williams
    

    I think this is an awesome list chockful of information, I dont know when I will get the time to do any of this but I do know I would love to spend an afternoon doing one of these projects. Thanx Deb for this list , I saved it to my favourites list, good job!!

    Reply
12. By PK
    

    I don’t think people are trying to be obnoxious by pointing out that some of these would be a little past the time- and labor-intensive threshold for most people to manage on their own. Of course it’s worthwhile to do something yourself sometimes just to have done it, or because it’s enjoyable! But the post *is* in a blog entitled “Simply Thrifty,” and perhaps more to the point, the introduction mentions that “convenience is expensive.”

    This is *true*, don’t get me wrong, in a lot of cases. There are others where economies of scale apply or where you might eventually get to saving money but it would take a while to recoup the initial outlay. But I suspect that between the title and the reference to the expense of convenience, a lot of people were probably expecting a higher proportion of the list to be about ways to be frugal through DIY and a lower proportion to be about things that might be costly but are fun or educational or possibly higher quality when you do them for yourself.

    Anyway, it’s a fun list, and of course it’s up to each individual which ones are really worthwhile for his or her particular situation. It’s great to have them compiled like this!

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13. By Gina Terry
    

    Thanks for your time and effort compiling this list, I will definitely be busy trying some of them out! I have been an avid canner for years now, making jellies and butters and applesauce, and have also been making my own laundry soap for several years, spending as much in a year as I used to in one month! Even though some items are not so thrifty, they are fun and enjoyable, and we know what we are putting into them! Thanks again for the list! =)

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17. By Amie
    

    Thank you soooo much for this list! I made my own laundry soap from this list and it worked great. Not to mention all the money I saved!!!!! WOW Please Please keep posting this stuff! Especially homemade cleaners!

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19. By Homemaker of the 21st Century
    

    What an awesome post!! Great ideas and wonderful links :) I linked to it on my blog as well!!

    Reply
20. By Jennifer
    

    This is just a list of stuff meant to inspire. It’s not telling you that you have to do everything. Make your own list of things that you know you would like to do….

    Reply