Every Day Ornaments

As we packed up our Christmas ornaments at the end of the holiday season, part of that transition back to the everyday included a smaller decoration of the homestead, as we brought out non-holiday ornaments.

I’m not talking about our usual assortment of knickknacks, sun catchers and the like, but actual ornaments, originally intended as Christmas decorations, that we have adapted to every day use.

whale ornament

One of our every day ornaments, a hand-painted wooden disk from Tenakee Springs, AK (Photo: Mark Zeiger).

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Homemade Airlocks for Homemade Wine

The airlock or fermentation lock is an essential tool of wine making. This device allows carbon dioxide (CO2) to escape as yeast converts sugars into alcohol and CO2, without allowing oxygen or contaminants to get into the wine.

Airlocks are cheap if you have a local supplier, but even cheaper to make with items found around the home. As I intend to keep several batches of wine fermenting at the same time, I’ve started making my own airlocks (also known as “bubblers”—the term I prefer) on the homestead.

homemade airlocks

An airlock (r) and the materials to make my own (l) (Photo: Mark Zeiger).

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