Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (39 page)

HOW TO

1.
Lay out your fabric on a large table and, with your ruler and tailor’s chalk, mark out 9 16x16-inch squares (I have allowed an extra inch on all sides for the seams). With 1½ yards of fabric, you should get 9 squares with a little left over.

2.
Using sharp fabric scissors, cut out the squares.

3.
With a steam iron at the ready (best to do this on the ironing board), fold over ¼ inch and then another ½ inch on one side of the square and press. Repeat on the remaining 3 sides. If your fabric is cotton, you’ll be fine with only ironing. If your fabric contains any polyester or silk, you’ll have to pin it, too.

4.
Carefully sew the seams. You can hand sew with a running stitch (see “Frugalista”), but it will take a while, so I recommend whizzing through them with a sewing machine.

DINNER PARTY TABLECLOTH AND NAPKINS

For a special occasion, you may want to go out and hunt for some fabric that’s either seasonal or that fits your theme. If you can get to a fabric store, plan to spend some time browsing, and always look in the remnant bin. If you can’t get to a fabric store, check out Near Sea Naturals (www.nearseanaturals.com) for a great selection of organic fabrics. For a massive selection of conventional fabrics, you can visit Fabric.com (www.fabric.com). Always check out the clearance/sale pages on both these sites, as great bargains can be found.

Here are some shopping tips.

• It seems obvious, but make sure to take your measurements with you. Allow an extra inch on all sides for seams. Keep in mind that your tablecloth should have a 12-inch hang down all sides of your table.
  
• For fancy dinner party napkins, you may want to go for a slightly bigger size. I recommend 16x16 inches for the finished napkin.
  
• Get creative and add some rickrack or ribbon as edging on your tablecloth. I love the Ribbon Jar (www.theribbonjar.com). Consider using a bright, contrasting color thread for sewing on your embellishments.
  

Designer Terrarium

A beautifully made terrarium can become the centerpiece of a dining room or kitchen table, or an accent on a hall or side table. They are really fun and easy to make.

HOW TO

1.
Place 2 inches of stones in the bottom of the container.

2.
Add a ½-inch layer of activated charcoal, which will help with drainage and odor control.

3.
Add a 2-inch layer of peat moss.

4.
Add a 3- or 4-inch layer of potting mix. At this point you may need to measure to see if your plants will fit in the container.

5.
Remove plants from their pots and gently tease out their roots.

6.
Use a spoon to dig a small hole in the terrarium substrate. Plant your plant and pat soil around it. Repeat with your remaining plants.

7.
With a water sprayer, mist your plants until the leaves, stems, and soil are damp, not dripping.

Maintenance:
Check your plants every week or so to see if they need a little more water. If you see condensation on the sides of the container, it means that it’s become a little too damp, so remove the lid and leave off for a day or two to dry out.

Whether or not DIY in the home and garden department is your thing, it makes sense to get a few simple projects down—ones that will save you enough cash to buy that eco-purse you’ve got your eye on. I’ve taught myself to successfully complete easy tasks that will make my home a bit more eco-friendly. I’m not talking about scaling my roof to single-handedly install solar tubes or refining restaurant grease into gas for my car—these tasks are more suited to a contractor or a hemp-sandaled nerd. I’m talking about simple tasks that will take you under an hour to complete and will save you a few hundred bucks a pop in labor.

Saving Energy

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: Conserving energy is just about the most important ecological step we can take. It’s amazing the difference that just a few simple steps can make.

HOME ENERGY AUDIT

I know—a home energy audit sounds awfully tedious. I’d rather be painting my toenails. But when I realized that I could save up to $800 a year by getting on the case, I figured it out.

Use the following checklist to walk through your home. In the blank boxes, check off where you are fine and make a note of what needs further investigation. To check air leaks efficiently, I recommend that you make sure all windows and doors are closed and then light an incense stick and hold it by all the windows, doors, and outlets that you feel could have a problem. If you see a steady line of smoke going up toward the ceiling, that door or window is working properly. If the smoke blows all over the place, or horizontally, you’ve probably got some weather stripping to take care of.

I also love the Thermal Leak Detector by Black & Decker. It’s a really cool handheld device that you point toward the cracks in your windows, door, light fixtures, etc., and different colored lights will detect cold or hot spots (www.blackanddecker.com).

AIR LEAKS

Electrical outlets: Are they well sealed?

Switch plates: Have they been insulated?

Window frames: Do they rattle? Can you see any light coming through the cracks? Have they been recently weather-stripped?

Baseboards: Are there gaps between the walls and the baseboards?

Weather stripping around doors:

Does the door fit tightly when closed? Does light come though the cracks?

Attic hatches: Are they well sealed?

Window- or wall-mounted air conditioners: Are they well sealed?

Pipes, wires, electrical outlets: Are there any holes, gaps, or crumbling plaster around them?

Foundation seals: Is there a gap where the baseboard meets the floor?

All exterior corners of your home: Do you see any cracks?

Roof, where chimney meets siding:

Are there any cracks or holes?

Whole house foundation, where the brick meets the foundation: Are there cracks or holes?

GENERAL ENERGY USE CHECK

Furnace filters: Do they look dirty?

Heating and cooling vents: Are they dusty or dirty? Have you shut off the ones in the rooms you don’t use often?

Coils behind the fridge: Are they clean and is the fridge door well sealed? Is the fridge temperature set at 37°F and the freezer at 3°F?
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Do you have low-flow aerators in all your faucets and showers?

Are you using power strips that you switch off when not using?

Have you checked how many watts your major appliances use?

Have you replaced all your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs?

ENERGY AUDIT PROBLEM SOLVERS

Electrical outlets, switch plates, and any nooks and crannies that are letting in air:
If, during your audit, your incense smoke detected drafts and you realized that you have no idea what a switch plate insulator is, there are a couple of really easy actions you can take.

• Get yourself a tube of OSI GreenSeries Acryclic Urethane Indoor/Outdoor Sealant and get busy sealing any cracks, holes, or leaks you detected. You can buy it from Energy Federation (www.energyfederation.org).
  
• Purchase some AM Foam Switch Gaskets to insulate your switch plates (also available at Energy Federation).
  

Weather stripping and insulation for windows and door:
I live in an old, rattling home that was built circa 1920. I can’t bear to replace the lovely old windows, so the price I have to pay is a lot of weather stripping annually. A couple of the windows are really drafty, so I have covered them with an Ace Indoor Window Insulation Kit (www.acehardware.com). This little kit is a lot of fun and it’s quite a bit easier to install if you can get a friend to help you. Basically, it’s double-sided tape and a sheet of plastic. Imagine sealing your window with Saran Wrap—not that different! You stick the tape all around the window and then mount the plastic (this is where it’s useful to have a helping hand). The fun part is using a hair dryer to shrink and seal the plastic. You need to get the nozzle of the dryer very close to the plastic or it’ll take you hours, so don’t be afraid to get your turbo dryer up close and personal with the plastic. You don’t want to put this kind of insulation on a window that’s the main focal point of your living room (you can kind of tell that it
is
plastic), so use it on windows that are less visible and in rooms that you use infrequently.

Weather-stripping doors and windows can be a breeze if you follow these simple suggestions.

• Measure, and measure again, before you go shopping. There’s nothing worse than coming home and realizing you’re a few inches short.
  
• Nail-on weather stripping, such as Ace Spring Bronze Weatherstrip (www.acehardware.com), is the best bet if you have wooden window
  frames. Nail-on will last longer. When you’re in the hardware store, remember to ask a salesperson to help you make sure you have the correct nails and enough of them.
  
• If you have steel or vinyl windows, you will need to use felt, foam, rubber, or vinyl weather stripping. The good news is that it’s easier to install. The bad news is that you may have to replace it every season. In my experience, the longest lasting of these products uses EPDM, a type of synthetic rubber. I like the V-flex EPDM Weatherstripping Tape available at some hardware stores and from Greater Goods (www.greatergoods.com). As with all of these products, you simply peel the adhesive off the back and push it into place. For a better stick, make sure you have removed as much dirt and dust as possible from your window frames before installing the weather stripping.
  

Dirty filters:
It’s so important that every single filter in your home be clean. This will help your heating/cooling system work more efficiently, and dramatically improve your air quality.

Furnace filter:
Take a look at your furnace filter and if it looks dirty, you need to change it immediately. I didn’t even know that a furnace
had
a filter, never mind what kind it was. Here’s how to figure it out.

1. Locate your furnace filter. This is not as obvious as it sounds. Many people really don’t know where to find it. Most furnaces will have a built-in furnace filter rack with a service cover in the unit. If yours doesn’t, I recommend that you call the manufacturer. Some furnace filters can be hidden in unlikely places. Mine is miles away from my actual furnace.
   
2. Remove the service panel, which is normally at the front of the furnace. You should be able to lift or slide off the panel. Worst-case scenario, you may need a screwdriver.
   
3. Find the furnace’s power switch and turn it off. If you know the right breaker (the switch in your electrical panel that turns off the electricity), you can go ahead and turn it off to be safe.
   
4. Remove the filter, either by sliding it or popping it out.
   
5. You will know that it’s disposable if it has a cardboard frame. Take measurements and call your local hardware store to see if they carry filters of these dimensions. When you’ve found the correct filters, purchase a few of them, so you’ll have them in stock. If the filter has a metal frame, it’s probably permanent. If this is the case, take it outside, hose it down, and wait for it to dry completely before putting it back.
   
6. You should clean or replace the filter every 90 days.
   

Heating and cooling vents:
It’s a great idea to vacuum out your heating/cooling vents every once in a while. If you want to further improve your home’s air quality, I recommend sticking little dust filters to 80% of your filter grates. You can buy a DustChek Vent Filtration Kit (available from NationalAllergy, www.natlallergy.com). It’s a porous mesh that you cut to size and stick on with the tape provided. The mesh removes any dust coming out of the duct work. It’s recommended that you use it on the vents in the rooms where you spend the most time, such as bedrooms and the living room.

Fridge coils:
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: Squeaky clean fridge coils will reduce the heavy energy demands of the SUV of your kitchen. Make it a habit to vacuum the coils out once a month. While you’re at it,
vacuum behind your clothes dryer, as it always gets dusty back there and stray pieces of lint could cause a fire.

Low-flow aerators:
These little guys cost less than a latte. They are about $1 to $2 at most stores and can save you a considerable amount in water rates. They mix air into the water, helping to reduce the actual volume of water pouring down the drain. The cost of water is only going to go up, so you may as well make this easy change. They can cut your water usage by up to 50%, and they’re also really simple to install.

1. You may need a pair of pliers or a crescent wrench to loosen the existing aerator on your faucet. Once loosened, you should be able to twist it off with your fingers.
   
2. Pop out the old aerator and washer and replace with the new low-flow one. Don’t forget to replace the washer.
   
3. Screw the aerator back onto the end of the faucet. Turn on the water and if you notice a leak, tighten the aerator with your pliers.
   

Low-flow showerhead:
To test whether or not you need a low-flow showerhead, place a 5-gallon bucket under your shower. Turn on the shower for exactly one minute. If the bucket is half full, you are fine and don’t need to change your showerhead. If the water has reached the top or is overflowing, you should head to the store to pick up a low-flow model. There is a huge variation in price and you do get what you pay for, so I recommend choosing a midpriced model.

Appliances and gadgets:
I highly recommend purchasing a Kill-A-Watt EZ power usage-monitor (Amazon has them, www.amazon.com) to test how much energy each and every gadget and appliance in your house uses. I was astonished at how much energy my beloved hair dryer uses—ugh, that’s the one electrical device I can’t live without! You just plug your appliance into the front of this handy little monitor and the results show up in the LCD screen. You may need a flashlight to read the results.

This monitor might persuade you to switch out some of your heavy guzzlers for more energy-efficient models. I’m still looking for an energy-efficient
hair dryer with the same turbocharge (sounds like an airplane taking off) that my current “salon style” model produces. I guess that’s like wanting a power shower with a low-flow aerator—but I’ll pick the power hair dryer over the power shower every day of the week!