By Emma, Central Vic. Friendship bracelets are super easy and fun, and make lovely gifts that you can make by hand for special people in your life. In fact, they are quite addictive and the variety of patterns means there are always new skills to try. One of the many stories in Issue 275 Feb/Mar 2023 To Read More – Order Back Issue The post Friendship Bracelets – Issue 275 Feb/Mar 2023 appeared first on Grass Roots Magazine ..read more

By Julia Schafer, Boyland, Qld. Julia shares her new method for planting potatoes, which is ideal for the indolent gardener. My man is a ‘meat and potatoes’ kinda guy, so I am lucky that when I asked him for some more raised vegie garden beds, he still made them for me even though he doesn’t eat his vegies. As a reward for his efforts I thought I would plant some seed potatoes so there was one vegetable growing in the garden that he loved to eat. One of the many stories in Issue 275 Feb/Mar 2023 To Read More – Order Back Issue The post Ruth Stout Potato Beds – Issue 275 Feb/Mar 2023 appeared f ..read more

By Megg Miller, Euroa, Vic. A lifetime spent on the sand and in the sea has been the catalyst for a home business selling unique beach towels made from recycled plastic. Katie Warrener and hubby Chappy from Agnes Water in Queensland were loving life as tour guides, showing off remote sites of Australia and the uniqueness of the Aussie environment. Then covid hit and their way of life for over a decade changed suddenly. ‘We lost our jobs and had to rethink our future career path. It wasn’t all grim, it gave us the opportunity to find an activity and income that had a positive impact on our envi ..read more

By Judy Magor, Devenport, Tas. If you are flooded with feijoas, here are some terrific and tasty recipes to use this bountiful fruit. People either love feijoas or hate them, I discovered when our little bush produced about 30kg of fruit this year. There are only so many feijoas that a couple can use, and so I looked around for other people with whom we could share our bountiful harvest. I quickly found that the poor feijoa had few fans. Some people were willing to try them, but puckered lips and screwed up faces told their own story. Others dismissed them out of hand: ‘I tried them once and t ..read more

By Emma Christian, Hollisdale, NSW. Create a memorable Christmas full of heart on any budget. For some people, the approach to Christmas this year will be filled with a sense of anxiety. Interest rates are on the rise, petrol prices are at a record high and the cost of living seems to be increasing before our eyes. There has been widespread flooding which has not only devastated lives, homes and businesses, it has also wreaked havoc on vast quantities of farmland. The unavoidable flow-on effect will be seen as rising food prices until the market recovers. One of the many stories in Issue 274 D ..read more

By Megg Miller, Euroa, Vic. Tween chicks are neither adults nor babies and like humans are learning about growing up while also being prone to risk-taking behaviours. There is lots of info around on caring for chicks and adult fowl, but little discussing the needs and challenges of the ‘betweeners’, the growing youngsters. They are a busy fun group putting lots of energy into growth and learning the politics of the poultry world. And at this stage they need all the care and support owners can give them so they grow up to be good household layers or fathers and flock protectors. One of the many ..read more

By Megg Miller, Seymour, Vic. This fabulous product from the past has been revived; not only is it perfect for holding soap slivers, but it’s now made from recyclable plastic. Not everyone gets excited about washing the dishes, but sisters Vicki Hottes and Robyn Rigby have developed a passion for the gear needed for economical and ecofriendly dish washing. They produce hand-knitted or crocheted dishcloths, a compostable scourer and, most exciting of all, a soap shaker for washing dishes. The soap shaker is the culmination of a long-held dream to have their mother’s aged soap shaker copied so p ..read more

By Maree Holland, Prahran, Vic. I’ve always remade clothing, updating loved items or purchasing clothes at op shops that have lovely fabric or offer promise for a remake. One great buy was a three-quarter length red woollen coat, I cut it back to jacket length, rehemmed it and wore it for years. One of the many stories in Issue 273 Oct/Nov 2022 To Read More – Order Back Issue The post Simple Hemming – Issue 273 Oct/Nov 2022 appeared first on Grass Roots Magazine ..read more

By Angela Fry, Oldina, Tas. Plant out your garden to encourage biodiversity and provide food and shelter for birdlife: the resulting visitors will bring much joy. Have you ever watched and listened to a skylark? I love to see them spiralling higher and higher into the sky over the paddocks, ascending to the point you can no longer see them. Even out of sight, their melodious singing, a beautiful high-pitched warbling, carries from great heights. And then suddenly, when you think you have lost them, they appear to free fall and you think they are going to crash into the ground, but at the last ..read more

By Ian Gasking, Dugandan, Qld. When it comes to halters for tying, showing and moving stock, you will get abetter result when you knock up your own. A great way to save money and get the strength you want is to make your own halters for sheep and cattle. The methods can also be used for goats, alpacas, llamas, deer and horses. When making these items, I wanted solutions which satisfied the following points: • The design must be as suitable for a lamb as a bull. • The halter must be so simple to make and describe that any person with no prior knowledge or skills could make it. • It must give th ..read more