Pioneers cured meat and dug root cellars to make vegetables last through long winter months. Twentieth-century homemakers found numerous ways to stretch their food budget by home canning and freezing. The Dazey Seal-a-Meal was a mid-century marvel that vacuum-sealed fresh foods, extending their shelf and freezer life. While the Dazey-Seal-a-Meal is no longer manufactured, if you still own one or find a vintage machine and bags, follow this set of easy instructions.

A lookout tower is a useful structure for campers and naturalists in the field, since the tower provides an observation point for watching wildlife. Lashings are at the core of building a lookout tower in the field. Things You Will Need + 3 poles, 15-foot Rope Knife 3 poles, 9-foot 3 poles, 6-foot 3 poles, 3-foot 5 poles, 5-foot Optional - Hammer Optional - Nails Rope ladder The erection of a lookout tower is a classic application of scout-style construction skills, such as lashing, and a lookout tower made from lashed-together poles can be erected using nothing but wood and rope.

Whether it is for your outdoor barbecue grill, or for heating your home, there are many available sources for purchasing coal. Coal can be purchased in bulk, but for smaller needs, bags of coal are an easy solution. Coal on a barbecue grill. Local Stores Different types of stores may sell bags of coal. The most common types to check are hardware stores and farm stores, however, most grocery stores also carry bags of coal.

A pond can be a wonderful water feature in your yard or garden. Whether it’s just for a relaxing waterfall or if you keep expensive koi, you will need a filter. Most pond filters rely on gravity to return the filtered water to the pond. They can be very unattractive because they must be located above ground, above the surface of your pond. However, you can use some clever ways to hide the filter through cunning use of landscaping materials that will add to the ambiance of your pond’s surroundings.

Pergolas are relatively easy to build in a backyard, but sometimes the ground can move or the foundation of the pergola is simply not strong enough and the pergola can start to lean. Leaning pergolas can cause problems, but they can generally be fixed into a solid, non-leaning structure. It is important to track down the cause of the leaning pergola, because if the leaning is cause by erosion in the ground, it may not be a smart idea to build a pergola on the property.

Installing a fiberglass kitchen sink is much easier than installing a porcelain or stainless steel sink because it is much lighter and easier to handle. If you’re installing a new sink into an existing sink hole, skip Steps 1 through 4 and begin with Step 5. Installing a fiberglass kitchen sink is much easier than installing a porcelain or stainless steel sink because it is much lighter and easier to handle.

A dye magnet is a cleaning product that prevents fabric colors from bleeding onto each other in the washing machine. This product looks like a cloth and users put it into the machine along with their wash. Dye released into the water from the fabric is sucked up by the dye magnet so it doesn't stain other items. Although there is no way to create an exact replica of the dye magnet at home, there is a good way to simulate its effects.

Removing unsightly moss from your roof is an important part of home maintenance. Moss is more than just ugly — it can dam and divert water runoff, causing water to leak into your home. However, while mixing and spraying a zinc sulfate solution, you must be careful to protect the surrounding vegetation and watershed. Wood shingles are a favorite place for moss to grow. Zinc sulfate is toxic to fish and other invertebrates.

The upkeep of hardwood floors can be very time consuming. When you are already responsible for cleaning and polishing your floors, the last thing that you want to see is marks on your beautiful floor. Some marks are easier to get out than others. Rubber marks are pretty common to find on hardwood floors, typically from shoe scuffs or children's toys. There are a few simple solutions to removing these unwanted marks.

No matter what kind of knifes you use, it is extremely important to sharpen the knives before they get too dull. Completely dull knives will not work properly and if they are never sharpened, they might get to the point of no return--meaning you will have a hard time getting the blade back to where it should be. Knives are made out of a variety of materials, but most Cutco knives are made out of stainless steel or high-carbon stainless steel, which is ideal for sharpening.