Stop spending money on things that you can make yourself! From DIY body products and DIY beauty goodies to frugal household projects, there are so many things that you can make your own of instead of spending the money on.
Make Your Own
Natural Bath and DIY Body Products
Homemade Vaseline
Vanilla Lip Balm
Coconut Oil Conditioner
Coconut Oil Lotion
Natural Sunburn Relief
Gardener Hand Scrub
Homemade Shaving Cream
Sugar Honey Scrub
Homemade Hand Soap
Men’s Haircuts at Home
Home Made Bath Soap
Homemade Aftershave Lotion
Best Diaper Rash Cream
Homemade Hand Soap
Make Your Own Shampoo
Make Your Own Dry Shampoo
Homemade Hand Cleaner
Make Your Own Sunblock
Homemade Zit Zapper
Lip Gloss Recipe
Homemade Lotion Bars
Homemade Bubble Bath
Sea Salt Body Scrub
Best Burn Salve
How to Make Deodorant
DIY Body Butter
Dried Lavender Body Lotion
Homemade Face Moisturizer
Easy Homemade Soap Recipes
Easy Homemade Lotion Recipes
Homemade Foot Scrubs
Homemade Healing Salve
Homemade Shaving Cream for Women
Homemade Bug Spray
DIY Lemon Body Scrub
Herbal Remedies for Warts
Homemade Coffee Body Scrub
Homemade Fizzy Bath Bombs
Sea Salt Scrub Recipe
Make Your Own Soothing Aloe Face Mask
Homemade Shea Butter Lotion
Homemade Hand Sanitizer
DIY Household Projects
Homemade Cloth Wipes
Cloth Diaper Experiment
Olive Oil Lamps or Candle
How to Make Homemade Candles
Essential Oil Gel Air Fresheners
Moth Trap
Homemade Fly Spray
Make Your Own Tea Bags
Beeswax Candles
Homemade Jewelry Cleaner
Coffee Tea Bags
Homemade Weed Killer
Homemade Ice Cream Freezer
Homemade Finger Paint
How to Make Rag Rugs
Simple Button Lamp
Make Your Own Reed Diffuser
DIY Sewing and Crafting
Homemade Hand Warmers
Easy Fleece Hat Pattern
Crochet Headband Pattern
Homemade Heating Pad
DIY Maxi Skirt
Homemade Hand Towels
No Pattern Apron
How to Make a Dish Towel Apron
Make Your Own Skirt Pattern
How to Sew a Gathering Apron
15 Minute DIY Pillow Covers
Homemade Clothespin Bag
Homemade Cloth Pads
Cloth Napkins and Un-Paper Towels
Homemade Cleaning Recipes
Homemade Carpet Cleaners
Homemade Lysol Wipes
Easy Table Shiner
Laundry Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent
Homemade Magic Erasers
Frugal and Simple Homemade Household Cleaner Recipes
Head back to the Little House Living homepage.
Get so many more Make Your Own Recipes in my book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self Sufficient Life.
I love your DIY tips and all the receipts
Habu Merissa,
Such a pleasure to meet a Woman of my Heart, I’m just fresh out of a shower. Used my coffee grounds as a base, with raw sugar, cinnamon, ginger, essential oils and aloe vera from…..right the garden. We have a great friendship….
I love my life, it’s similar to yours in the country. Making and baking, gardening, medicine, no waste, R.R.C agent (Recycle, reuse, compost)……and the list goes on, for me it’s a divine communion with Mother Earth and all the family….
Hello from the other side of the world known as The Northern River’s on the East Coast of Australia.
Corndale.
Coffee ground, raw sugar body scrub…
coffee grounds from pot
3 tbl raw sugar
cinnamon
ginger
essential oils
and melted coconut oil to blend. Shower hot – off – scrub – scrub – scrub – hot – cold – yum..
Hi! I am really enjoying your blog! Can’t wait to explore more!
I came via a link up link excited to share how I am saving money and energy by insulating my home with recycled paper and covering the costs with rebates!
I’d love a visit and any feedback!
http://www.homeremade.com/insulating-from-the-top/
Best!
The link in this message is no longer available. Not secure connection.
I was really glad to stumble upon such a down to earth blog. I also have been stuggling, but like yourself I try to make do. I have dedicated myself to try and do projects with my school kids with as little store bought stuff as possible. I too am a country girl, but that is another story.
Thanks, Vickie http://reusecrafts.blogspot.com/
I totally loved all of these DIY. thankyou soo much
I’ve noticed that you don’t have any natural toothpaste or mouth rinse recipes. Any suggestions?
I’m working on the recipes for them 🙂
I am going to spend hours on your fantastic website. ;))
My next DIY is going to be shampoo….looking forward to using it!
Marissa,
I have to tell you how much I enjoy your blog!! I was so excited when I found it. You are living the life I wish I had had the courage to do to the fullest as you and your family have. I started years ago with trying to go all natural and living from the land. The problem was, I didn’t have the land. lol Keep giving all your hints and living style.
Sorry, I spelled your name with an a.
I very much enjoy your blog. Thank you for all of the hard work you do to help me and others learn so many skills . You are a blessing! I am at the other end of family life. Our children are grown and I have been a nurse for all of my child raising years. My desire has always been to be a homemaker and live off of the land. Life took a different path for
me career wise. With 3 yea
rs left until I retire, I am learning how to cut ba k and make do now. Your blog as well as a couple if others have helped me to invision my dream of homemaking . Thank you.
Hello,
I have stumbled across your site and LOVE it! Thanks 🙂
My question is… Do you have an all purpose cleaner recipe? Or a disinfectant cleaner recipe? Thanks again!
You will want to check out this post: Homemade Cleaner Recipes. 🙂
Marissa, i really love all the great useful and pratical stuff in DIY. Thank Yoy!!
I love living simple. That is how I lived and saved and it felt good to accomplished that goal. I am much older now and would like to share some things to. We that is my husband and I would go into to the mountains wow we found many berries to pick( make jams, jellies,preserves—-) hope for your continue success in living simple life. cindy
Love your site/blog. I’ve been looking for homemade fire starters that are safe in a wood stove. We cut and split all our own wood and heat with only a wood stove for the winter BUT still need to buy fire starters. I’ve tried lint based fire starters and don’t care for them. I’ve been looking for a recipe that could use all of the little wood chips and bark that are bi-products of the wood splitting process. Do you have any DIY recipes?
I made some fire starters with the saw dust from cutting wood some old candles that were burnt down or melted. I melted down all the wax in an old coffee can, put the saw dust in either bathroom size dixie cups or i also used old ice cube trays. Pour the wax over the saw dust but before it sets i put a birthday candle in the wax so you have something to light. Once they are hard you can pop them out and put in a box or plastic bag. They work great.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you for all the inspiring pages you’ve put together. I have been using many of your recipes and ideas. Keep them coming!
This page of DIY ideas is awesome! I just started pulling together some essential oils and other ingredients for these. Do you have a “basics” list of things to have on hand for these? Ie, a stockpile list for non-food recipes.
PS My 6yo son and I have, coincidentally, been reading through the Little House books. We’re both inspired and you make it 21st century real! Thank you again!!
I don’t have a post of the basics (yet!), but I recommend beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil to cover most of the basic DIY recipes. I also use a castile soap (liquid) in many recipes as well.
love the recipes! have you ever tried Lanolin? or adding seaweed to bath salts or scrubs? would love your thoughts
I haven’t used much seaweed yet but we do use Lanolin in our Homemade Lip Gloss Recipe.
I just want to thank you for so many great ideas! I love discovering new ways to convert to natural products, and you have some wonderful recipes for personal care and cleaning products! Thank you for sharing them!
Merissa I would love to try making Rag Rugs . But i do not have a sewing machine can you sew it by hand ?
Yes you can 🙂
Hi Merissa,
I stumbled across your fantastic website whilst I was looking for crafts. I live in the UK and love everthing country, folksy, crafty etc and I really admire your way of living. I make crafts from home which I give to friends or somtimes sell including baby taggy blankets, bunting, quilts, bags and personalised cushions. I have saved your website on my favourites so I can check out some of your recipes etc.
thanks for sharing your life
Jenny xx
Hi Jenny,
Do you have a ideas on how to make DIY King size fitted sheet?
Thank you
Is there a way to pin this page on Pinterest? I have pinned several of your pages but I’m not seeing one for this page and thought maybe I missed it. I love all your “recipes” and would like to pin this ‘DIY’ page since it has so many links all in one place instead of searching through all the things I’ve pinned (which like most people is WAY too many, I’m sure ;-)) Thanks in advance!
Carrie
Do you have the Pin Bookmark tool? You can pin everything using just that tool!
Does anyone have knowledge of how to make homemade fabric softner?
I would be very interested in this.
Vicky Hunt
Vicky Hunt If you want dryer sheets I ran across this receipe , 1/2 cup vinegar, 8drops tea tree oil or other essential oils,Sealable container, cotton cloths : 1can use reusable pkge from dollar store 2old tee shirts 3old sheets.Mix liquids well place cloths in container& seal &shake or tumble.when you get one out squeeze liquid back into container.when finished you may 1.put back in container2. put in dirty clothes or 3.throw away. I would think you could use your own receipe if you wish to, hope its ok I put my 2cents in there but I like to pass it on. Joyce
Vicky to make homemade fabric softner I use this message recipe: 1/3 cup conditioner (your choice), 3 Tbls Vinegar, 3 cups hot water,1520drops essential oil(optional). Work all ingredients in a bowl, pour into old fabric softener bottle or decorative bottle. Use 1/8 cup in rinse cycle to keep clothes super soft and smelling great. Hope you like this one. You can find more homemade products at: http://www.diynatural.com. Enjoy!
Vicky forgive the mess ups in the above recipe. It seems my tablet has a mind of its own. It adds words and deletes words as it wants to. Crazy tablet lol. Anyway the word message don’t go in the top sentance by recipe, and that is 15 to 20 drops of essential oil NOT 1520 lol. Hope there are no more mistakes. Enjoy! GlendaK
Oh my another mistake. Sorry that is Wisk all ingredients in a bowl not Work lol. Have a wonderful day! ♥
I love everything on your site. I have introduced about twenty-two ladies to your site. I demonstrated how to make coconut oil scrub and lotion for them in April. Somehow, I am not receiving your e-mails anymore.
I visit your site often. Thank you so much!
Pamela if you want to email me at [email protected] with the email address that the newsletter should be going to I can check it out 🙂
I love your blog. I can’t wait to try and make a lot of the items that you feature and save money in the process. Thank you for making these things available! I look forward to your newsletter too (I signed up!). 🙂
I have lots of fabric for sale or trade
I have read that if you have a severe burn that you should put egg white on it as you are going to the doctor. It has the right stuff in it to help heal.
I can’t say that I have ever tried it ( thank God I didn’t have to) . Do your own reseach and see what you come up with.
Dear marissa,
I just started looking at your blog today. Found you on pinterest. I am trying to make all my products DIY. I am allergic to alot of the stuff at the store. I have such sensitive skin that I can’t even do the dishes without my hands breaking into hives. I plan on trying out your homemade shampoo, and your mayo trick to the table. My moms table can use it. she has water rings and scratches. I am still wondering about your conditoner. I would just use coconut oil and that’s it?
Try mayo on the water rings too! I know it sounds crazy but it’s worked pretty well for me. You can read more about it here.
For a burn… use egg white…. it really works and stops the pain. I didn’t even get a blister like the night before and that burn wasn’t as bad!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this site. Thank you for all the fun information. Now I have a treat for you. Hopefully it helps you in a lot of cost. I have done some homework on online prices and have found Bulk Apothacary. The prices are great! Check it out. Again thank you so much for sharing!
I just found your site via Pinterest and I’m so excited! We are just beginning our own Tiny (Off-Grid) Living journey and I will definitely be revisiting your site on a regular basis for ideas. I’ve only had a chance to skim some of your DIY ideas but they are easy to follow with excellent explanatory photos. May I link your blog to my own as one of my Go-To’s?
Thanks,
Stephanie
Sure 🙂
Hi, Thank you for sharing your recipes! I made the facial cleanser and moisturizer today. The shea butter i bought at Sprouts does not smell …good. I put in extra drops of lavender essential oil to cover the smell but it didn’t really. Any suggestions? Is the shea butter supposed to smell…not pleasant? I loved how the cleanser made my face feel.
Shea Butter has a rather earthy smell to it but it shouldn’t be overly unpleasant. You might want to try a different brand next time.
Gret project. ӏ amm aƄout to take ɑ loоk lɑter since
і have am intent on making onee insіde my self.
Crafys is defiknitely ɑ nie techniqu tо kill spareime ѕo, Іt’s my job to sew ⲟr crochet
beсause i haѵe free time.
I have to tell you how much I enjoy your blog!! I was so excited when I found it. You are living the life I wish I had had the courage to do to the fullest as you and your family have. I started years ago with trying to go all natural and living from the land. The problem was, I didn’t have the land. lol Keep giving all your hints and living style.
I searching the web for homemade moth traps, and bumped on to your website, awesome articles and DIYs.
I live in a city, in other part of the world (India) and have little space to grow plants, I use up all the space in my balcony to grow veges and flowers, with hamging planter and homemade automated irrigation and lighting systems…
You are an inspiration …
I LOVE your blog and my daughters and I have used many of your recipes and ideas. Your blog is pleasing Spring colors, BUT so HARD on the eyes. I have to paste and copy some areas so I can read them in darker colors. Is there any chance you might consider changing the light blue to a darker color? Thank you 😉
My first time canning apple pie filling. I did not have clear gel here in England. My 1 litre bottles processed in boiling water bath. On removal fruit at top and syrup at bottom. I followed recipie in detail now so upset as such a waste of time and effort. Any suggestions?
It’s not thickened in the jar since you don’t add clear gel. Once you remove the contents from the jar, you can put it in a saucepan and add a thickener which is exactly what I do. As long as the contents were processed correctly there is nothing wrong with them.
Marissa: I like your blog very much but find the light blue text very hard to read. Perhaps you could be less stylish and go back to plain old black text. Thank you.
All of the text should be black besides the links which should be a dark blue. If you are having trouble with other text being different colors please email a screenshot to me at [email protected] so I can check into it.
Most people I talk to are not aware that scalp therapy shampoos for fast hair growth (of course with no sulfates, no parabens or DEA) are even a thing. Folks can now experience longer hair and attain more alternatives. Surely worth exploring.
Whether you’re talking about alopecia, damaged hair, preventing skin disorders, hair growth, hair and scalp health at large, very similar ideas come to mind.
As a rule of thumb, you will want to steer clear of hair treatments and products that contain chemicals like parabens, DEA and sulfates.
What’s beneficial for your hair is healthy for your skin all the same.
It goes without saying your content above is spot on for multiple reasons. It stays away from the common traps and mistakes most fall into- purchasing bad alternatives. Keep it up!
So I wanted to reach out and let you know that I just started using your 30 day pantry meals. It’s the first time I’ve ever tried a meal plan. Other than a couple tweaks of what to cook when, and a couple tiny additions to your recipes, we are absolutely loving it! Tomorrow night is taco salad and I can hardly wait! Thanks so much for doing this and everything else you do, you are amazing and a true inspiration!
I would like to know how to adjust the harvest apron pattern for a child. Thank you.