Big lifestyle changes such as going completely green can seem overwhelming. Do I really have time to do this? What about money? Will my kids like it? We had the same questions, so we set out to find quick and easy DIY projects that make eco-friendly living a lot less daunting. By making a few of these small daily choices, your family and you will be saving the planet in no time!
Mix it Up! 3 Recipes for All-Natural Cleaning and Health Products.
All of recipes only require a few simple ingredients! The main ones are: baking soda, coconut oil, and maize flour! If you don't already have these products in your house, you can find them at these local stores:
Buy Coconut Oil: Chichi Kigali and most local supermarekets!
Maize Flour: Minimex or at your local market!
Baking Soda: Nakomatt supermarket or Kigali City Market 2000!
DIY Natural Toothpaste
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons coconut oil 2–4 tablespoons baking soda or a combination of baking soda and sea salt, Up to 1 tablespoon xylitol powder (optional). 20 drops cinnamon, or peppermint, or sweet orange (optional), small glass jar for storage.
Instructions: Melt coconut oil and stir in other ingredients! Add a little more baking soda to keep it paste like in the warm weather! This does make it taste a little salty so add some spices or essential oils to make it more appealing for your kids!
Tips: Use less baking soda and more essential oil to make it less salty and more kid friendly! Find the recipe here!
DIY Deodorant
Ingredients: 1 part baking soda (2oz to start), 1 part Maize flour (2oz to start), Coconut Oil
Instructions: Mix the baking soda and maize flour. Then add as much coconut oil is necessary until you get the texture you want! Want a certain scent, add in any essential oil or oil extract! Find the recipe here!
DIY Laundry Detergent
Ingredients: 4.5 ounces bar soap, 8 oz Borax, 8oz Baking Soda
Instructions: Just stir all the ingredients together! Use one tablespoon per load of laundry. Don’t worry- the powder will dissolve in water! Find the recipe here!
Get your sew on! 2 DIY Sewing Projects that will save huge amounts plastic waste.
DIY Cloth Menstrual Pads
Easy to make and easy to use and wash! According to Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstration, a novel by Elissa Stein, women will throw away 300 pounds of pads, tampons, and applicators. Reduce some of those pounds of trash by giving resusable menstrual pads a try! Find printable patterns and instructions here and here!
DIY Reusable Snack Bags
Getting ready to pack your child's lunch for school? Or maybe some snacks for yourself? Make these reusable snack bags for an easy on-go container! Using laminated or easy to wash fabric will make it a perfect receptacle for all snacks including the messy ones! Don't worry if you don't have velcro on hand; sew on a button instead. Find the instructions here!