Homespun Alchemy ™: Creative Re~Use and Garden Magic...Sort of...

" We're sprouting new ideas all the time...."

-Richard Cook

I was wandering through the Blogosphere...looking for inspirations and happened upon a great site called Sprout People ...they generously offer an abundance of knowledge regarding the basics of "growing everything"...a veritable font of ideas, information and inspiration on the art of growing...thus...I made the decision to take action and cultivated some magic of my own!

Here's how:

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I gathered my sprouting seeds...an old canning jar with lid...a fry~screen bought at the 99~cent store to make the screened lid (so that I could wash and strain the sprouts each day)...along with a pair of scissors and a marker.




Using the canning~jar~lid~insert as a pattern...I traced circles atop the new fry~screen and then cut them out using the scissors. Hint: I cut out as many as I could from the screen at one time and saved them in an envelope for future use...reserving one for this project of course. :)




I tucked the circle of screen inside the lid.

Here's what it looks like.




I measured a tablespoon of mixed sprouting seeds into the jar...


...added about three inches of water and let it soak overnight...the next day I poured off the water and left the jar upside down to drain.


To prop it up for drainage, I snipped about 3 inches from a recycled plastic drinking straw and tucked it underneath the upside down jar (screen side down). After that I rinsed the beans daily, always leaving them upside down once I finished...I think next time I'll lie the jar on its side to get a better yield.




After five days of rinsing and draining!

Sending love and good thoughts to all...as always!
Warmly,
Tracey and Family x0x

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Here's some good advice from the lovely Sprout People:

The Basics of Sprouting

• Seed Storage: Keeping your dormant seeds happy.
• Soaking: Turning a dormant seed into a nutritional powerhouse.
• Rinsing: Water is the key ingredient in sprouts. Use it liberally.
• Draining: It is essential that sprouts be drained thoroughly after rinsing. Sitting in a puddle is the most common cause of crop failure.
• Air Circulation: If your sprouts can’t breathe while growing - they can die. Don’t put them in a closed cabinet.
• Greening: Photosynthesis is cool, and so is Chlorophyll, but not all sprouts are into it, nor is it necessary. Sprouts of all colors are packed with flavor and nutrition!
• Cleanliness: Your seed should be clean and your sprouting device should be sterile. Wash your sprouter well between crops. Sterilize when necessary.
• Storage: Properly stored, fresh sprouts will keep for up to 6 weeks in your refrigerator but fresher is better. Never refrigerate wet sprouts.
• Eat More Sprouts! Grow More Often!

P.S. For the record, I am NOT affiliated with the Sprout People in any way!

Homespun Alchemy™ : Easy Ways to Up~Cycle Worn Vintage Silver

Top two images from Daisy Chestnut on Etsy

Bottom image: Frugal Luxuries 2008

Do you remember these spoons from a few years ago? (Idea by way of Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons, Bantam, 2000.) Vintage silverware was easily turned into ornaments and used to adorn the house for the holidays. (The plate had worn off almost entirely...thus the gold spray paint.) Imagine my happy surprise when this morning... while browsing through the ever inspiring Etsy...I happened upon a kindred soul...Daisy Chestnut...who put her own clever spin on this basic concept!! You can see a few of her ideas above but there are lots more images of her creative ways to up~cycle and re~purpose old silver wares here!



Please enjoy a lovely Monday my kind friends. more soon.



Love and good thoughts from...Tracey and family


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a Magic Box...Egg {Cartons} of Creation...more HomeSpun Alchemy™

Each year...

when seed~starting time begins...

we're faced with the puzzle of where to place them. This year...that problem was blissfully solved in a creative and frugal way...by the simple act of re~purposing one (of three) glass and wood display boxes...all were found at an estate sale for only a few dollars each!


Using a small amount of elbow grease, paint and time it was transformed into an enchantingly useful miniature green house...

a grow box...

an atrium~like magic environment that allowed those tiny little seeds room...light...and love enough to sprout and grow!

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Here's how simple it was.

1.We washed the boxes with a damp cloth of vinegar and water.

2. Next we taped off the glass areas for easier clean~up then we...painted!





3. Once dry...it was lined with brown paper (from a Trader Joe's bag) and our young seedlings were set inside. The box was then set atop a small, south~facing table in our nook! FYI: We used an existing hinge on the arm to keep the lid propped open, thus ensuring proper air circulation (to avoid the development of mold).





Hint: A thrifted, stainless creamer was the perfect solution for making watering our seedlings simple and efficient.

Practical Magic...

and Earthly Delights Sprouting from Recycled Egg Cartons!

I'm always amazed at the ABUNDANCE of

Mundane Miracles and Frugal Luxuries we are offered daily...

if we but look !!!

Hope you're enjoying the gifts found in the mundane miracles of spring...and life!


Sending good thoughts and love to you all!!!

Warmly,

Tracey and Family


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