10 Tools you can make at home!
Transform your home into a hub of sustainability with these easy-to-make, eco-friendly tools! From compost bins to reusable coffee filters, here's how you can reduce waste, save resources, and embrace a greener lifestyle.
TOOLSDIY
2/14/20252 min read
Creating eco-friendly tools at home not only reduces your environmental impact but also promotes sustainable living through DIY projects. Here are several eco-friendly tools you can make with materials often found around the house or sourced locally:
1. Compost Bin
Materials: An old plastic bin or wooden crate, some wire mesh for ventilation, and a lid.
Purpose: Reduces waste by turning kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich soil for gardening.
How to Make: Drill holes in the sides for air, line the bottom with wire mesh or small rocks for drainage, and use the lid to control moisture and odors.
Materials: Old t-shirts or sheer curtains, scissors, and thread or a sewing machine.
Purpose: Minimizes plastic use for grocery shopping.
How to Make: Cut the fabric into squares or rectangles, sew the sides, and add a drawstring or simple hem at the top.
Materials: Cotton fabric, beeswax, pine resin, and jojoba oil.
Purpose: Replaces plastic wrap for food storage, helping to keep food fresh without single-use plastics.
How to Make: Cut fabric to size, melt beeswax, pine resin, and jojoba oil together, then brush or dip the fabric into the mixture. Bake in the oven to spread the wax evenly, then let cool.
4. Solar Oven
Materials: Cardboard box, aluminum foil, black paint, clear plastic wrap, and some tape.
Purpose: Cooks food using solar energy, reducing the need for electric or gas stoves.
How to Make: Paint the inside of the box black, line with foil to reflect light inside, and cover with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. Add a reflector lid for more sunlight concentration.
Materials: Large barrels or buckets, screen mesh, and a basic spigot or tap.
Purpose: Conserves water by collecting rainwater for garden use or cleaning.
How to Make: Place a barrel under a downspout, cover with a screen to keep out debris, cut an opening near the bottom for a spigot. Optionally, elevate the barrel for easier water access.
Materials: Vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, water, and spray bottles.
Purpose: Reduces chemical pollution with natural cleaners.
How to Make: Mix vinegar with water (1:1 ratio), add a few drops of essential oils for scent, or combine baking soda with water for a scrubbing solution.
Materials: Old newspaper or magazine pages, a pot maker or just your hands.
Purpose: Provides biodegradable pots for seedlings, reducing plastic pot usage.
How to Make: Roll newspaper around a mold or simply roll into a tube, fold the bottom to close, and fill with soil.
Materials: Pine cones, peanut butter, birdseed, string.
Purpose: Encourages local wildlife, promotes biodiversity, and uses up food scraps.
How to Make: Coat pine cones in peanut butter, roll in birdseed, tie a string for hanging.
Materials: Old cloth or fabric scraps, sewing supplies.
Purpose: Cuts down on paper waste from disposable napkins.
How to Make: Cut fabric into squares, hem the edges for durability.
10. DIY Reusable Coffee Filters
Materials: Cotton fabric, thread, sewing machine or needle.
Purpose: Reduces waste from disposable coffee filters.
How to Make: Trace your coffee maker's filter shape onto fabric, cut, sew around the edges, leaving the top open. Wash after use.