The Touchwood Project

Storage basket made from recycled magazines: Hello there, Rachel asked me to do a guest post about this project, since it’s one she and I had worked on together before and that I recently took on all by myself. It probably would have been a good use of your Power-Off Weekend. Well, maybe next time. So! Let’s talk weaving. Time required: Uh… several hours. It took me an American football game (roughly… Read the rest of this article >>

Today, in the spirit of being frugal and eco-friendly, I am going to show you how to make your own lamp using only natural materials. This I believe to be one of the earliest of human inventions and in all honesty, it is superior to the man-made, metal equivalent. For one thing the parts are white and shiny, so reflect more light. For another there are many flutes thus allowing multiple wicks and thus… Read the rest of this article >>

When I was a kid I was amazed how many people assumed you needed to buy the game to play it, not realising that often you just need pencil and paper. They’d rather buy some tacky plastic game or watch TV than make their own fun! I’m of the play-it-on-paper or build-your-own-game tribe. Since the Power Off Weekend is just around the corner, here are 101 things to do with your friends and loved ones — all… Read the rest of this article >>

It’s a weekend of crafting frenzy in our house this weekend. I’m knitting like mad, Malcolm’s making felt using a washing machine, and I’ve just finished making a big batch of chocolate peanut butter balls. The reason for the rush is I looked up the date you have to post all your gifts to the USA, and it’s December 10th — Thursday. To be honest, I’m not sure I can make it in time, but we’re giving it our… Read the rest of this article >>

Before I get into how to make this next Christmas gift project, I’ve been thinking about the mysterious joy that can come out of humble things. The tin can is something humble, and making this project is less about the object made, than about the experience of appreciating these small, everyday things…. Read the rest of this article >>

Be lazy, recycle Why work hard to make something from scratch when you can be lazy and reuse someone else’s stuff? Today we’re going to be recycling an old sweater into a fabulous felted bag, all ready to wrap and present with a flourish to your Aunt Rebecca or best friend Steph…. Read the rest of this article >>

My problem: How to stay warm this winter without spending money. The house is cold and heating it is expensive. My frugal-living philosophy tells me you don’t need to spend money to be green, despite what all the retailers say. But can I?… Read the rest of this article >>

Thanksgiving’s over and today’s “Black Friday”, the day in America hordes descend on the shops in an extravaganza of Christmas spending. Crowds line up before dawn, eager for bargains, their credit cards at the ready. It’s the biggest shopping day of the year. I’ll give that a miss this year because as much as I’ve enjoyed shopping in the past, I enjoy making stuff more. So today I’m going to remake… Read the rest of this article >>

Malcolm and I have devised a shorthand phrase to keep us on track with what we’re trying to do with Touchwood and our lives: “Less is more.” Less stuff is more fun, more happiness, more time and more money. It’s getting rid of the crap that’s cluttering up our brains and house and racking up debt and environmental damage so we have the time and money to do what we like doing. Today I came across a wonderful… Read the rest of this article >>

Since my other life was as a web designer, I still work on sites from time to time and I thought I’d share a helpful tool for any of you starting a website. For that matter, anyone with an existing one might find it useful too. Start with a Website Strategy Malcolm’s interested in starting a blog about hitchhiking, offering tips and advice, since it’s something he’s deeply passionate about. He knows that I’m… Read the rest of this article >>