DIY

How to bake sourdough bread (and save a buck on every loaf)

I doubt if the cost of yeast is really breaking your household budget. If you bake a lot you probably already buy yeast in bulk, so you're not paying the per-packet price anyway.

My Kitchen Could Be a Yeast Farm

The free things in life are few -- but one of them, it turns out, is yeast. It's floating all around you, and getting it out of the air and into your bread is easier than you might

Getting by without a job, part 4--get free stuff

There are all kinds of ways to get stuff without money. You can grow it in a garden, gather it from the wild, make it yourself, get it as a gift, scavenge it from trash, or get it

Blood, gore and hairy warts; a DIY Halloween makeup guide.

It looks like we’ve got a little Halloween fever here at Wise Bread. Following on from Andrea’s great story on homemade costumes, I thought I’d add some flavor with homemade Hallow

When Good Cakes Go Bad: A Cheat Sheet for the Uninspired

I’m no cake professional. I can barely manage a Betty Crocker boxed mix with the fluffy frosting from a can. I appreciate all the hard work that goes into a professional piece (b

Calling all Artists: Be Your Own Cheerleader and Find that Room of Your Own (free)

Virginia Woolf famously said that women needed a ‘room of one’s own’ in order to create. But what if you didn’t graduate from the University of Iowa with the New Yorker wanting to

Make Your Own Self-tanning Lotion and 5 Other Fabulous DIY Tips from the Web

Surprisingly simple, and totally affordable, this roundup of quick and easy recipes, tips, and hacks are sure to inspire. Create your own self-tanning lotion, never waste rice aga

These DIY Magazines Can Help You Be Self-Reliant

Everyone’s looking to become less dependent on the traditional economy. As we wean ourselves from manufactured luxuries and discover ways to create for ourselves, it can be diffic

When it Pays to Call in the Experts

I'm pretty good around the house. I can make most small, household repairs, and have even been known to take on a larger DIY project or two to save a buck. However, I know my lim

Chill Out With These 6 Simple DIY Freezer Treats

Cool off this summer by making these easy, affordable, and — most importantly — tasty frozen treats!

New Ideas for Old Neckties

Recently, at an open mic night event my husband and I attended with friends, I noticed an interesting use of a recycled necktie. Seeing this reminded me of a skirt I saw years ago

Have you ever seen such amazing junk?

My recent post about reusing old plastic bottles inspired me to look around at other ways to use, well, garbage. And I found a site that really made me think twice about the con

Eight Natural Ways to Make Water More Flavorful

The main reason that people don't drink water is that it is tasteless and not very "fun" to drink. On the other hand, water is considered more healthy than sodas so

Search Online for a Fix before You Toss that Broken Gadget

My husband and I often search online for fixes to our electronics problems because if a gadget is out of warranty it often costs quite a bit to get it fixed. When we find a soluti

Instructables for the Extreme Cheap Lifestyle

Are you a super cheapskate with an affinity for making everything yourself? Here are some Instructables that will tickle your fancy! Learn to furnish your home, gather food, and

Boost your computer's RAM in seconds. Very easy.

This may sound like a tech-heavy article but trust me, it's not. My own technophobic dad could do this one (and he'd better after I tell him). All you need is the goold old

8 Fun and Frugal Things to Do with Origami

Origami is a Japanese word that means "fold paper", and it is a very popular pastime around the world. I enjoy origami because it is a very cheap hobby that requires only

4 Simple Tips to Improve Homemade Bread

One of my fondest memories from my childhood is the time I spent helping my grandmother bake challah . The woman is still an artist in the kitchen and her recipe is the basis th

Three Kids' DIY Projects In Your Pantry

It’s turning into quite the snow day here in Maryland, so I pulled out all of my “keep kids amused and out of trouble” recipes, to share with parents who are facing cooped up kiddo

5 Cool DIY Christmas Gifts for the “Under 6” Crowd

Handmade gifts are becoming cool again! Here are five gifts for smaller children that will be loved long after the season is over.