70+ Homestead Hacks: Nifty Shortcuts to Make Your Life Easier

May 22, 2014 By Jill Winger 5 Comments

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about homestead/farmer folk…

…it’s that you guys are a ingenious bunch (especially when it involves baling twine or duct tape!)

I’m all about conserving time whenever possible, and I’m always on the look-out for a good homestead hack to add to my collection.

What’s a “Homestead Hack?"

Good question. Here is how Wikipedia explains it:

“Life hacking refers to any productivity trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life; in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way"

Apply that definition to homesteading, and that, my friends, is a Homestead Hack.

I’ve featured various Homestead Hacks in the past, but this, my friends, is the granddaddy of all Homestead Hack posts. I hope you are ready for this!

70+ Homestead Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

For Your Animals

1. How to Weigh a Pig without a Scale
2. A Cheap DIY Waterer for Ducks and Geese
3. Turn an Old Kitchen Sink into a Dog Water Bowl
4. 5 Tips for Putting Your Chickens to Work
5. DIY $1 Chicken Feeder and Waterer
6. How to Trim Your Goat’s Hooves
7. How to Make a DIY Goat Feeder
8. How to Make Your Own Udder Balm
9. How to Stop Your Milk Cow from Kicking
10. How to Remove Skunk Smell (without tomato juice)
11. DIY Beehive in a Mason Jar

For Your Garden

12. How to Kill Squash Bugs and Eggs with Duct Tape

13. How to Freeze Root Vegetables

14. How to Get Free Containers for Starting Seeds Indoors

15. How to Repurpose Masonry Ladders in the Garden

16. 6 Tips for Planting and Growing Beans

17. 10 Tips for Growing Awesome Tomatoes

18. How to Warm Up Garden Soil for Early Planting

19. How to Get Superpowered Garden Soil

20. How to Grow Heirloom Vegetables

21. 10 Kitchen Herbs that Grow Well in the Shade

22. How to Grow Tomatoes from Cuttings

23. How to Make a Greenhouse from an Old Trampoline

24. How to Save Money on Lumber for Your Raised Bed Garden

25. How to Make DIY Grow Lamps for Starting Seedlings

26. How to Grow Potatoes in a Vertical Space

27. Make An Easy DIY Watering Can

28. How to Grow Mushrooms in a Laundry Basket

29. Easy DIY Raised Garden Cover

30. How to Test Your Garden Soil Using a Mason Jar

31. How to Make a Whiskey Barrel Container Garden

32. How to Make a No-Dig Fence Post

33. How to Start Seedlings in Egg Cartons

For Your Kitchen

34. The Hands-Free Way to Skim Fresh Milk

35. How to Make 1 Stick of Butter, 1 Pint of Sour Cream, and 1 Pint of Buttermilk from One Quart of Cream

36. How to Quickly Cook Dry Beans (The No-Soak Method)

37. Simple “Pioneer Soup" Formula for a Fast Supper

38. How to Make a Super-Quick Fruit Fly Trap

39. How to Use a Shower Cap to Replace Plastic Wrap

40. How to Freeze Extra Eggs

41. How to Freeze Fresh, Raw Kale

42. The Easiest Way to Peel an Onion

43. A Free (or Super-Cheap) Source of Food Grade Buckets

44. A Nifty Alternative to Buying Cheesecloth

45. A Handy Way to Help Dough Rise Faster

46. How to Make Caramelized Onions in the Slow Cooker

47. A Quick & Easy Way to Remove Corn Kernels

48. A Creative Way to Store Homemade Tortillas

49. How to Bake Bread in Your Toaster Oven

50. How to Can Peaches without Sugar

51. How to Reheat Foods Without a Microwave

52. The No-Stick Way to Measure Honey and Liquid Sweeteners

53.  Simple Way to Measure Solid Cooking Oils

54. How to Use a Mason Jar as a Liquid Measuring Cup

55. Convenient Frozen Lemon & Lime Juice Cubes

56. How to Make Homemade Dried Lemon Peel

57. The Secret for Perfectly Measured Spices

58. How to Use Up Leftover Whey

59. How to Use Old Coffee Grounds

60. How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar

61. How to Test Your Eggs for Freshness

62. How to Peel Farm-Fresh Hard Boiled Eggs 

63. How to Cook No-Stick Eggs in a Cast Iron Skillet

64. How to Store Onions, Garlic, and Shallots for Months

65. 3 Ways to Wash Your Produce

66. DIY Meat Smoker Made from a Flower Pot

For Your Home

67. How to Cut a Little Boy’s Hair to Save Money

68. How to Easily Remove Labels from Glass Jars and Containers

69. How to Remove Crayon from Painted Surfaces

70. How to Freshen and Clean Carpet Spots with 2 Ingredients

71. How to Organize Your Pantry with Glass Jars

72. Easy (and Cute) Boot Tray with Rocks

73. 13 Homesteading Supplies You Can Get at the Dollar Store

74. DIY Drying Rack for the Wall

 

 

STANDARD DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

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