How to Keep Chickens Healthy and Happy in An Urban Backyard Increasingly, urban dwellers are choosing to raise chickens and embrace their inner farmer. There’s good reason for this — hens are the smallest of the domestic farm animals and the easiest to keep in a backyard. They are friendly birds that lay eggs and […]
Living
Social is one of the three pillars of sustainability, focusing on the social needs of individuals, as well as our society as a whole.
Scaling Down: One Couple Builds a Tiny House
Swapping storage space and years of belongings for cramped quarters and just the essentials isn’t just about making a statement—it’s an overhaul to conventional living. Tiny homes, which typically clock in around 100 to 400 square feet, help homeowners drastically reduce their carbon footprint, ditch debt, and move closer to a life of self-sufficiency. Recently, […]
Growing a CSA Membership
The Definitive Guide to Community Supported Agriculture Community Supported Agriculture is having its moment. Across the country, more and more people are signing up for farm shares, looking to benefit from a sense of community, healthier environments, and fresh, wholesome food. But despite its increasing popularity, community supported agriculture is still hardly a common term […]
Less Is More: The Tiny House Movement
The tiny house trend is on the rise with more and more individuals, couples, and families choosing to trade in space for simplicity. And from college grads to retirees the appeal of a miniature home spans the ages. Shrinking square footage not only cuts down on chores — it’s a lifestyle change all about living […]
Reclaim, Reverse, Resurrect: What it really takes to create upcycled work
Everything you throw away has value, however small. Whether it’s a garment that has outlived its stitching, a broken chair, a bicycle wheel or a lowly plastic bag, it is still something that’s made from a refined material and designed for a purpose. But what if it’s broken, bent, torn or rusted? Is it trash? […]
How To Share The Road – The Ultimate Guide to Bike Safety
Bike use is on the rise — the number of trips made by bicycle more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009 and many major cities are responding with bike-friendly communities. Hopping on a two-wheeler is great for you, the environment, and your wallet. But before you strap on your […]
Frank’s World Class Antique Shakespeare Fishing Tackle and Lure Collection
Over the last 20 years, Frank has quietly built the most comprehensive collection of antique fishing tackle by The Shakespeare Company ever assembled. When we set out to re-do the CustomMade blog, I really wanted to set a different tone. We used to create posts that featured interesting things someone could get custom made (like […]