pallet redesign part2

 Xylia's wall shelf, you can see in the picture on the left and below  how we cut pieces of the pallet boards to create braces for the shelf. We cut and then attached it to the vertical pieces. We started with this design and then about half way through we changed it up, and found an easier, more efficient way.

 These next 2 photos show how we changed the design a bit. The overall look is the same, we only changed how we use the wood. We kept the horizontal boards where they were, since they we secured so nicely, and just cut them to fit as shelf braces. This was much easier and allows you to save wood as well as the time it takes to pry the boards off!

Theses next 2 show the shelves from the wall. We cut the boards to fit inside so maximum space could be used.

        

For this design it took about 2 pallets to make 1 shelf...of course, that can depend on the quality of the pallets and how much splitting you get.
We bolted the back horizontal braces which were part of the original structure of the shelf to studs in the walls for security. 

seasoned pallets part 1

while i was waiting to move into our house i was really enchanted by the photos people had posted about the endless opportunity a pallet can create. since we had sold all of our furniture and are on a limited budget i thought this was a fabulous idea!

here's what sold it... you can make beds, shelving, tables, sofas, chairs...the possibilities are endless!












so once we moved in, i decided to take it on. i convinced michael that this was an irresistible idea. we would make a compost pile, shelving, a couch, and our beds would all be made from this incredible resource. So we borrowed a truck, found the adds on craigslist and filled it up and brought them home.

split boards

prying up the nails

checking out the pieces

happy girl!

The first project was a screened doggie door for the front door. Michael took this on and made it look easy. Next we made a hanging shelf unit for xylia's room. We found out that each pallet has it's own personality. The nails are spiral grooved and barbed, which makes them incredibly difficult to remove. And usually when removing the nails a good 1/2 of the wood will split, so you have to account for lots of waste. However after all of this discovery we were able to complete a shelf for xylia's room. we haven't stopped there now that we have figured out a formula for shelving.

restart

ok, so maybe i jumped the gun with starting this blog in August, but it takes a while to move in and get things settled. never-the-less, i've had it on my mind everyday.

here are a few of the lessons i've learned in the past month...

lesson # 1  "you need stuff to save stuff"

what my spices look like...a little chaotic, yes?

i've found that it's pretty challenging to start this project from nothing. when we moved into our 10x10 storage unit over a year ago we got rid of a lot of things you acquire easily, like jars, bottles and bags you can reuse. We have again started to restock and make purchases in containers that we can reuse. Also we have in our new community some great stores that offer awesome bulk purchasing! Which is really a dream come true if you're trying to cut down on your trash...however, if you don't have good containers, then you end up with lots of those plastic bags to take everything home in. We've also just been buying jars, big and small. I do like to can and make jam, so mason style jars are an easy pick.

lesson # 2 "it takes a greater community"

Ball mason jars

our town has some great stores that really support bulk buying, which is really key. We can get bulk cooking oils and cleaning products, shampoo, soap, teas, herb, and spices, just about everything...just about. So now that we begun to acquire some containers we can bring these to the store. Weigh them first this is important, then fill 'em up. It's easy here, the checkers expect it... I remember doing this in Mother's Market in Costa Mesa and it was like the world had to end for them to figure this out. (They will adapt, and I hope Mother's will grow their bulk department!)

what does your town recycle? super important question. look it up and ask. some cities will separate it for you and others want you to do it. if it's recyclable then it's not trash...super cool! except, you gotta make sure it goes in the right place. our town has a fairly good recycling program, most things go directly into a "co-mingle cart" that gets picked up curb side every other week. However a lot of plastic for us does not get recycled. They do offer us a drop off program for such items...how often i'm not sure yet. But it looks like they won't go to the landfill.

lesson # 3 "you can do it!"
Well, i never claimed to be an expert at this "zero waste" living thing...i just wanted to give it an honest try. However, i have found that once you set your consciousness to it, a lot seems to fall away and can become pretty easy. And maybe this is because we as a family are not big consumers to start? All of us also love the idea of homesteading and growing, preparing, canning etc. so the transition for us could have been a long time growing. We've slipped a few times, recent road trips that required an unplanned coffee stop. We had to repaint our new place, so there is painting trash (tape, trays and rollers). But overall i can see it coming together.

where to start??

So much! and many places! i am easily overwhelmed with this idea, and i have found that just thinking about it, i can take it really out there! So i'm going to take it down a few notches and go slower.

Although i chose to launch the blog this week, i have decided to "officially" start once we move into our new place. For obvious reasons, mostly because at this moment i don't have access to basic things like my canvas shopping bags, jars, compost pile, etc. And as i have been going through my last few days, i see that you can't just stop cold turkey like, it looks like it'll be a process of transformation of our mindsets, household, lifestyle and general patterns which typically doesn't happen overnight.

For instance, Michael and i decided to get dinner out last night. Seems simple enough, and definitely an activity that we enjoy and don't want to give up entirely...i mean really, we are "foodies" at heart and i do come from a restaurant family. So how do we make this work?
This was a place we had not been to before, and all would seem in integrity except for the butter wrappers, paper napkins, little cups for dressing and credit card paper stuff. I'm finding that i am in high observation mode right now, taking notice of all that is "disposable". And i see that what i can do next time (once i;ve moved out of my storage unit!) is to bring with us our fabric napkins, or take home the paper to compost along with the paper cups, or ask them to just put the dressing on there directly, forgo the butter and bring home the paper receipts for recycling.  

My idea for starting this project was to hold onto all the "trash" we accumulate for 30 days...to really see and connect with the amount we generate and produce. i mean that right there speaks volumes, i will really think twice before taking something to-go, especially if i have to live with that wrapper or box for a whole month!

again, for now it's just research, and observation.

the idea

the idea...
the plan is to live as trash free as possible for at least a year. reducing all of our intake of non-recyclable, reusable items.
this idea started before our year abroad, and for a brief moment i thought about taking it on the road and although it would have been great to initiate it while traveling, i wanted to save it for a return project.

the inspiration...
> my trash can, your trash can, all the trash cans... there is no "away" when you throw away
> every plastic wrapper i've ever tossed out
> seeing how far flung this plastic obsession is....finding plastic bags in the far reaches of Bolivia, the green hills and sharp craggy peaks of the Andes, and my beloved pacific ocean... E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E!
> the completely biodegradable adobe house we saw be tilled back into the field it was built from
> leaving no trace, hence the title "Living No Trace"

> actually doing something different, not just buying "green" 

the first challenge...
getting everyone in my house to buy in???

who we are...
me
michael
xylia
gloria (gg)
lucy, the min-pin