Ever wanted to make your own naturally fizzy sodas at home? Say hello to the ginger bug—basically the sourdough starter of the soda world. It’s wild, it’s bubbly, it’s a gut health power house, and it’s super low-effort. You’re just giving ginger, sugar, and water a cozy space to party, and in return, they’ll gift you with a beautiful fizzy starter for your homemade sodas.

What You’ll Need:

• A chunk of fresh ginger (go organic if you can, no need to peel)

• Plain white sugar

• Clean water (no chlorine, so use filtered if you’ve got it)

• A glass jar

• Something breathable to cover it (cheesecloth, coffee filter, or even an old tea towel)

Day 1: Start the Party

1. Chop or grate about 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger and toss it into your jar.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar.

3. Pour in about 2 cups of water and stir it all up until the sugar dissolves.

4. Cover the jar with your breathable lid, secure it with a rubber band, and leave it on your counter—somewhere warm-ish but not blazing hot.

Days 2–7: Keep the Party Going

Every day, feed your bug:

• 1 tablespoon grated/chopped ginger

• 1 tablespoon sugar

Give it a stir once or twice a day, and that’s pretty much it. You’re not babysitting—just checking in.

How Do You Know It’s Alive?

After a few days, you’ll start to see bubbles dancing on the surface. When you stir, it should fizz a bit like a soda. It might smell gingery-sweet with a bit of funk—totally normal and a sign your bug is thriving.

If it smells rotten or you see anything fuzzy or colorful growing on top, unfortunately, that’s a no-go. Dump it and try again.

Now What?

Once your ginger bug is nice and bubbly (usually by Day 5 to 7), it’s ready to use. You can strain out the ginger bits if you want, or just dip into it as-is.

Want to keep it alive? Pop it in the fridge and feed it once a week with a little sugar and ginger to keep those microbes happy.

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Using It:

Take a few tablespoons of your ginger bug, mix it into sweet herbal tea or fruit juice, bottle it, and let it sit out for a few days. Boom—homemade fizzy drinks.

The post How to Make a Ginger Bug appeared first on Modern Homestead Haven.

#1 Garden Fertilizer

This one is the most common but I think it’s important for gardeners to understand that egg shells can take years to break down in the soil and may not offer any added nutrition until then. BUT… egg shells can be added to set a future garden up for success. Eggshells are very rich in calcium! Break them up or even powder them to speed up the breakdown process!

#2 Chicken Feed

This one may seem odd. The eggs came from the chickens and now we’re going to feed them back to the chickens?? What?! Laying hens need a lot of calcium and eggshells have just that. Its perfectly healthy for them. Just bake the shells, crush them up and feed them to the hens! Raising chickens is expensive enough as it is, why not save a few bucks!

#3 Feed The Birds

Similar to #3, female birds can benefit from eggshells just as hens can. Add some baked and crushed shells to your bird feeder and watch all kinds of birds munch away!

#4 Supplement For Canine Friends

This is how I use up majority of my eggs shells. I save up quite a bit over time, roast in the over, then powder them using a blender or food processor. I sprinkle a small amount onto my dogs food a few times a week. This is perfectly safe for your furry friend and its even said to be a diarrhea remedy for dogs!

#5 Sidewalk Chalk For The Kiddos

Mix some powdered eggshells with some water and a tiny bit of flour and watch your kids (or yourself) have fun with this natural sidewalk chalk alternative. You can add food coloring to the paste, too! Who knew that the ways to recycle eggshells could be so fun!

#6 DIY Calcium Supplement

I personally don’t do this but I had a conversation with someone who powders the eggshells and spoons them into veggie capsules. A good option for those who make their own supplements!

#7 Add To The Compost

Add calcium to your compose by tossing in your eggshells! Perfect if you like to garden – compost is essential for gardens!

#8 Sprinkle Crushed Shells Around Plants to Deter Pests

Pests such as slugs and snails don’t like moving over sharp objects. If there’s a slug problem in your garden, create a crushed eggshell moat around affected plants!

#9 Seedling Planters

If you like to start seeds indoors – this may be a good use for you! I’ve personally never tried this but I know that there are many people that do it. If anyone reading this had tried it – please comment and let me know how it went. I feel like the eggshell would take too long to break down in the soil, preventing the roots from expanding… but who knows! I’ve been wrong before.

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#10 Cleans Pots & Pans

Add finely crushed eggs shells to some dish soap and scrub with a sponge. This acts as an effective and natural abrasive!

#11 Toss ’em in Your Coffee

Weird, I know. I do this here and there to take away from the bitterness of black coffee. What I do it boil eggshells in a pot of water for half hour, strain, and use that water to make my coffee!

#12 Simply Eat Them

Give your body the ultimate calcium boost! You can do this by adding the fine powder to drinks, food or baking!

#13 Add to Potting Soil

If you’re like me, you likely think that potting soil is ridiculously expensive. I make my own from cheap bags by adding compost, eggshells, cardboard, perlite and any other nutrient rich additives!

#14 Add to Bone Broth

I make bone broth quite frequently and I change it up eat time by boiling other nutrient dense scraps (like eggshells).

#15 Cute Tealight Holders

Take 1/2 eggshells and drop them in water mixed with food coloring. Let them soak for 30 minutes and let them dry. Add a tealight candle and you have a cute Easter DIY! You can get natural wax from Amazon and make it a fun Easter family craft by melting and pouring the wax into the shells. Make sure you get the wicks, too!

#16 Clear up Your Skin

Add some eggshells to a jar with apple cider vinegar and let the shells steep for a few weeks. Add to minor irritations and blemishes!

#17 Clean Hard to Reach Bottles

Add a crushed up eggshell, water, and some soap to any container with a narrow neck. Shake it up & rinse it out. Now you have a clean jar!

I’m sure the ways to recycle eggshells are endless. As always, let me know in the comments if you recycle eggshells and how you repurpose them!

The post 17 Ways to Recycle Eggshells appeared first on Modern Homestead Haven.

I’ve always been a sucker for a nice smelling home, but I’m not a sucker for the artificial fragrances and chemicals that most home fragrance products come with. A few years ago, I started researching and experimenting with making my own candles and wax melts. I found out what worked, and what didn’t. Now, I make a lot of candles and wax melts throughout the year. I make them for myself, friends & family, and to sell at local craft markets. Keep reading and I’ll explain as simple as possible how you can successfully make your own at home too.

#1 Source The Wax

I personally like to use either soy wax, beeswax or a combination of both. Don’t be too alarmed at the cost of these waxes as most waxes are sold in 5-10 pound bags, which could make quite a few candles (depending on the size you’re making).

Best Soy & Beeswax For Home Candle Making:

• Village Craft & Candle
• New Directions Aromatics
• Amazon even has some smaller bags at a reasonable price

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#2 Source The Essential Oils

One pound of dry wax will need 1-1.5 liquid oz of scent. You can mix multiple different scents together to create your own unique blend! Some essential oil companies charge 20-50 dollars for 15 mL of product – which is CRAZY. I’ve found a company that sells essential oils in larger containers for a fraction of the price – I’ve included them below. I’ve tested out quite a few of these oils and they all seem to have the same quality as a $40.00 15mL bottle. Artificial fragrance gives me wicked headaches and I haven’t made a candle yet that has given me one! Village Craft and Candle is one of my favorite one stop candle shops. Plus, they have a great selection of affordable essential oils in bulk containers. Click on the picture below and it’ll take you straight to Village Craft and Candles natural fragrance section.

Shipping can be expensive in some of these wholesale companies so I’ve included a few links of essential oils that I’ve tested out from Amazon:

• Variety pack of 6 10ML bottles
• Majestic Pure Essential Oil – 4 fl. oz *click through for different scents*
• HIQILI Eucalyptus Essential Oil 100ML *click through for different scents*

#3 Buy The Wicks and Find a Jar

Wick kits are pretty affordable and easy to find. Click here for the ones I use. I say find a jar because they are so easy to come by. Make an even more eco friendly candle by turning an old jar laying around your house into a cute candle that fills the room with a beautiful scent. I accumulate tiny jam jars from friends and family gifting me homemade goodies – so I turn them into candles and return them. Even an old ceramic mug that you’re about to throw away would make a perfect little candle. If you do go out and buy a candle jar, ensure that it’s one you’ll re-use once the wax runs it course.

Natural Soy Wax Candles

Ingredients

• Soy wax and/or beeswax
• 1-2oz essential oil

Equipment

• Double boiler or *makeshift* a glass bowl in a pot of water
• Kitchen thermometer
• Jar
• Wick & wick holder
• Rubber spatula

Directions

1. Add 1 pound of wax into the double boiler & turn to low heat. (1 pound of wax will make a medium size candle)
2. Prepare candle jar and desired wick placements.
3. Slowly melt the wax until the temperature of the wax reaches 185F. Turn the heat off.
4. Immediately add 1-1.5oz (depending on desired scent strength) of essential oil per one pound of wax and slowly sir it into the wax.
5. Once the wax cools to 160F, pour into the prepared candle jar.
6. When the candle is 1/2 hardened, you can optionally add botanicals on top.
7. If the candle hardens with a crack or bubble, just take a hair dryer and smooth it out. It takes about 2 minutes to fix.
8. Trim the wick once the candle is fully hardened and enjoy! (I just use regular kitchen scissors)

**FYI: Some waxes need 1-2 weeks to ‘cure’ before being lit. Curing binds the scent to the wax for maximum scent throw. If you light your candle and can’t smell anything… it probably needs time to cure.**

The post Easy DIY Natural Candles appeared first on Modern Homestead Haven.