Monday, June 26

DIY Clothespin Bag

I've got a quick little project for you today that will go just perfectly with you new clothesline! (you did just put up a clothesline, right?) Grab any old hanger and some scrap fabric, and I'll show you how to make this handy clothespin bag:


It's perfect for keeping my clothes pins corralled and within reach (for even the littlest helper), and makes it easy to bring them inside after I take down the laundry. Bringing those pins in out of the weather will help extend their life and keep them working smoothly.


My bag is full with roughly 140 clothespins in it, and we use almost all of them when the line is full. Granted, I do have some clothespin enthusiasts helping on the lower line. I counted 9 clothespins on one shirt this morning.


I made my bag using a scrap of duck cloth leftover from the apron I made for my mom and lined it with a light canvas fabric that's been sitting in my stash for a couple years (maybe a yard sale find? I don't remember).

Monday, June 5

Old Bricks, Raised Beds, and a Truckload of Dirt

Our garden finally came together a couple weeks ago, and we're so excited to see what happens! We spent several weeks planning, budgeting, and piecing things together. And now we already have little sprouts popping up all around!


Want to see more garden posts? Check out my original square foot garden, what I planted in it, how to plan a garden layout, 2x4 garden fence, critter-proof salad garden, companion planting, starting seeds indoors, and my temporary mini-greenhouse.

At first I planned a few simple rectangle beds like we put in at our last house. But then I came across this garden in an issue of BHG that got my wheels turning a whole different direction.


It looked so lush and peaceful. Where my plan was straight and boring, this garden was creative and flowing. I loved the curved lines, decorative elements, and the mix of flowers with veggies. And so our new garden plan was born. (we post updates like this on Instagram!) We created a pattern of brick-lined raised garden beds tucked in between a few small trees. It's the sunniest spot in the yard and seemed like the natural place for a garden.


So. Raised beds. We felt raised beds would be our best options because the ground is very clay-rich and doesn't drain well. So on top of being easier to weed and maintain, we're hoping raised beds will allow better drainage after rain and give our beds a more fertile start.


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