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Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills
Raleigh Briggs collects her zines, illustrations, and thoughts around what it is that makes a great DIY household—homemade cleaning solvents that aren't made from poison, herbs that will heal you, and how to setup a great garden. These tips and tricks fill in the gaps for those of us longing to live this lifestyle but lacking the necesary know-how.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
34 people are currently reading
2969 people want to read
About the author
Raleigh Briggs
14 books67 followersRaleigh Brigs is the best-selling author of Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills and several DIY zines. She lives with her husband and two needy cats in Seattle, WA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 6, 2012
This is a pretty neat book. I love the hand-lettering and illustrations, and the small size of the book. It feels simultaneously intimate, like you're receiving tips from a good friend, and utilitarian.
Some of the information in here is really great. I like the info about tinctures, decoctions, and infusions. There are specific recipes as well as general information so you can tweak things to meet your needs. I honestly am not sure how many of these recipes I'll actually use, especially since a lot of the cleaning and body care stuff I already knew and currently use as part of my regular routine. Nonetheless, good stuff, and I like having it in book-form instead of spread out in dozens of internet bookmarks. It's kinda nice.
I was a little disappointed by the gardening section, and really wish the bit about indoor gardening had been more detailed. It seems like a bit of a stretch (...to me, at least) to assume that a majority of readers have a yard available to them. However, this seems to be the assumption since only 2 pages out of the entire gardening section are specifically about indoor/container gardening (although other pages throughout the section do relate to both indoor/outdoor gardening). There's some good practical advice about growing plants from seeds, choosing the best plants from the nursery, and planting. Although I won't be able to use much from the gardening section (to be honest, I think the internet will serve me better), it did encourage me to pursue my desire to grow a small indoor herb garden.
Overall, this book is fun and inspiring. Some of the recipes/skills are more practical than others, but all are interesting and can at the very least serve as a springboard for your own ideas.
P.S.
Please, for the love of god, do not just rub a few teaspoons of baking soda into your hair and expect it to clean like shampoo. Do some additional research about no-poo if you want to eliminate commercial shampoo from your routine without making your hair very unhappy. And yes, an acidic rinse is necessary, at least if you are going to use baking soda. In cases like this, I wish the instructions had been more specific. Prior to reading this book, I had washed my hair with baking soda and vinegar for over a year, with pretty decent results...but with the vague instructions in this book, you're likely to be disappointed. Also, coconut oil is your friend--I was surprised not to see it mentioned. Basically, use the ideas in this book along with your own independent research....and find what works for you.
Some of the information in here is really great. I like the info about tinctures, decoctions, and infusions. There are specific recipes as well as general information so you can tweak things to meet your needs. I honestly am not sure how many of these recipes I'll actually use, especially since a lot of the cleaning and body care stuff I already knew and currently use as part of my regular routine. Nonetheless, good stuff, and I like having it in book-form instead of spread out in dozens of internet bookmarks. It's kinda nice.
I was a little disappointed by the gardening section, and really wish the bit about indoor gardening had been more detailed. It seems like a bit of a stretch (...to me, at least) to assume that a majority of readers have a yard available to them. However, this seems to be the assumption since only 2 pages out of the entire gardening section are specifically about indoor/container gardening (although other pages throughout the section do relate to both indoor/outdoor gardening). There's some good practical advice about growing plants from seeds, choosing the best plants from the nursery, and planting. Although I won't be able to use much from the gardening section (to be honest, I think the internet will serve me better), it did encourage me to pursue my desire to grow a small indoor herb garden.
Overall, this book is fun and inspiring. Some of the recipes/skills are more practical than others, but all are interesting and can at the very least serve as a springboard for your own ideas.
P.S.
Please, for the love of god, do not just rub a few teaspoons of baking soda into your hair and expect it to clean like shampoo. Do some additional research about no-poo if you want to eliminate commercial shampoo from your routine without making your hair very unhappy. And yes, an acidic rinse is necessary, at least if you are going to use baking soda. In cases like this, I wish the instructions had been more specific. Prior to reading this book, I had washed my hair with baking soda and vinegar for over a year, with pretty decent results...but with the vague instructions in this book, you're likely to be disappointed. Also, coconut oil is your friend--I was surprised not to see it mentioned. Basically, use the ideas in this book along with your own independent research....and find what works for you.
July 20, 2009
The title, style, and description of this book could not have been more up my alley. However, I found it too limited in its scope and most of the big is about things that really even I will not end up incorporating into my lifestyle, such as tinctures and salves and most of the health and first aid chapter. I am definitely interested in the make your own cleaners chapter though. A huge plus of the book is its beautiful styling (hand written and illustrated) and its excellent tone.
December 30, 2017
Two stars because all of this information is available on basically any "natural" living blog. Also because I feel like the best test for anything is to ask yourself, "Would I buy this again?" and the answer in this case is a resounding no. It's cute, but meh.
January 19, 2023
Quick and informative read. I bought a used copy to keep at home and use for reference. For the most part I thought this had some great tips and advice, especially with gardening and making your own home cleaning products. It's written in a very engaging and simple way that makes learning very easy.
The First Aid section was the one I felt most iffy about because I was worried it would be too woo-woo, but the author is pretty good at clarifying that they don't demonize medication, and to not treat serious injuries at home. It's mostly for a lot of simple things like how to treat bug bites and stomach aches. I honestly found it pretty cool learning what certain herbs can purportedly do, that was genuinely very fascinating. That said, there were some elements that struck me as questionable. I would generally caution readers to double and triple check with other legitimate health sources before doing anything that involves sticking something inside yourself. Like, a clove of garlic dipped in olive oil? Is this a yeast infection or a caprese salad?
The First Aid section was the one I felt most iffy about because I was worried it would be too woo-woo, but the author is pretty good at clarifying that they don't demonize medication, and to not treat serious injuries at home. It's mostly for a lot of simple things like how to treat bug bites and stomach aches. I honestly found it pretty cool learning what certain herbs can purportedly do, that was genuinely very fascinating. That said, there were some elements that struck me as questionable. I would generally caution readers to double and triple check with other legitimate health sources before doing anything that involves sticking something inside yourself. Like, a clove of garlic dipped in olive oil? Is this a yeast infection or a caprese salad?
June 19, 2010
A gift from my friend Abby. I love, love, love, LOVE it! I ordered several copies to give as gifts. :)
The book looks kind of tiny and insignificant, but it is densely packed with goodness. There are so very many amazing tips in this book on various recipes for sustainable and gentle/non-toxic cleaners for yourself and your home in this book. The best part for me though was all the little remedies and such. I can't wait to make some of these to use!
It's also a charming little read. The text is hand-written by the author and embellished with her own illustrations. I also love the informal, quirky voice she writes in. It feels like she's right there in the room with you, chit-chatting and joking, while she gives you all these fabulous recipes and advice.
I've started stocking up on all the necessities recommended already and plan to fill out a new, more natural medicine cabinet to be ready for any scrapes, burns, and bites my boys get this summer.
Yahoo!
The book looks kind of tiny and insignificant, but it is densely packed with goodness. There are so very many amazing tips in this book on various recipes for sustainable and gentle/non-toxic cleaners for yourself and your home in this book. The best part for me though was all the little remedies and such. I can't wait to make some of these to use!
It's also a charming little read. The text is hand-written by the author and embellished with her own illustrations. I also love the informal, quirky voice she writes in. It feels like she's right there in the room with you, chit-chatting and joking, while she gives you all these fabulous recipes and advice.
I've started stocking up on all the necessities recommended already and plan to fill out a new, more natural medicine cabinet to be ready for any scrapes, burns, and bites my boys get this summer.
Yahoo!
June 30, 2016
This book is so cute! It’s all handwritten with cute doodles on every page. It’s divided into three parts: Healing, cleaning, and gardening. Some of this is a little too hippie dippy for me, but I took notes for the very basic bits. I’m not going to start making my own pain-relief tea and shampoo any time soon, but I will certainly make some of the environmentally safe cleaning supply recipes.
She’s also written a bunch of little zines that are more in-depth on some of these topics — making your own soap, preserving food, mending clothes — and I am just so happy that these exist.
From Genre Kryptonite: Books about Nesting at Book Riot.
She’s also written a bunch of little zines that are more in-depth on some of these topics — making your own soap, preserving food, mending clothes — and I am just so happy that these exist.
From Genre Kryptonite: Books about Nesting at Book Riot.
April 27, 2010
I have been giving this book to all of my family and friends. I love the illustrations. The recipes are fantastic. My house shines and smells like vinegar and essential oil. And when my kids lick the floor? Trust me, it happens. And, when it does, I no longer have to worry about them getting poisoned by commercially-produced cleaning products.
March 31, 2010
This is a dear and little hand-drawn tome that reminds me of Molly Katzen's "Moosewood" cookbook. Simple skills and information on natural housekeeping, health, and gardening are presented in a sweet and charming fashion.
Loved, loved, loved it.
Loved, loved, loved it.
June 10, 2010
Book from zinedom replete with natural tips and recipes for everything in your home, including you. Briggs is so charming and hilarious that it's a fun read whether you make the concoctions or not. Y'know, if that's your kind of thing.
November 9, 2015
Hand-lettered and dripping with charm, this book reads like the scribbled notes your favorite hippie friend scrawled for you in the midst of a fevered conversation about tinctures. It's truly, truly lovely.
April 10, 2013
I enjoyed that this is a pretty, lively, nicely-designed example of zine-gone-book. However, I didn't find as many home cleaning recipes as I'd hoped.
October 2, 2014
Crunchy: in the sweetest way possible.
August 2, 2019
I found this book to be interesting. It’s filled with recipes for a variety of DIY projects for health, cleaning, and gardening. These recipes seem fairly easy to make, but many, especially the cleaning products, require quite a few ingredients. As a college student, I don’t have most of these lying around my apartment to be used up (I’m unsure if that’s different for those who own homes) so I’m not really in the position to do these projects without buying everything, which is not the intent of a DIY project.
For that reason, I don’t see myself making most of these products anytime soon. I ended up skimming a majority of the book. However, I did really enjoy looking it over. These products seem like simple projects that I could potentially make in the future. I am particularly interested in the health section, as I’m trying to move away from taking Tylenol every time I have a headache! So I will see how her headache tips work!
You should think about picking up this book if you are hoping to limit the amount of chemicals in your life or if you are interested in a few useful DIY projects!
For that reason, I don’t see myself making most of these products anytime soon. I ended up skimming a majority of the book. However, I did really enjoy looking it over. These products seem like simple projects that I could potentially make in the future. I am particularly interested in the health section, as I’m trying to move away from taking Tylenol every time I have a headache! So I will see how her headache tips work!
You should think about picking up this book if you are hoping to limit the amount of chemicals in your life or if you are interested in a few useful DIY projects!
June 13, 2021
Overall it was very good. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I don't think I would be able to use it. I also think that there were a tad too many topics being covered in the short amount of pages. Along with several recipes on how to make pastes to apply to your skin using herbs it also had a variety of knowledge on chemical-free cleaning (what I found the most helpful) in addition to a beginner-ish overview of gardening. The latter I felt very lacking for someone who has extremely minimal knowledge on the subject ( I found from reading this book my mom constantly overwatered her plants growing up..). Although the book can be extremely helpful in this sense, it also creates a need for at least some baseline knowledge, so I wouldn't necessarily call it a beginner book. I would say it is a good book to go off of and it has some very good recommendations in the back for additional resources. I found the book had a lot of helpful knowledge, but it isn't going to spur me to instantly drive to Lowe's and begin my own garden. But if that is something you want to start doing I would say it is a great read.
January 10, 2020
Vacation read #3: picture it, I'm on a cruise slamming diet Coke out of single-use plastic cups wearing nothing but a full face of makeup and a swimsuit from Target I impulse-bought just for this trip and just generally being an unsustainable monster. Simultaneously, I will not stop telling my travel companion what a juicy-sustainable-essential-oil-aunt I'm going to be thanks to this book. It took me much too long to catch the irony in what I was doing. In all seriousness, this book was so accessible and fantastic that even a monster like me was excited to reconsider some of my household and lifestyle choices and made it seem doable. The tone inspired with its nonjudgmental thoughtfulness. I will definitely be trying some of the strategies therein. Bonus: this book has the most DARLING illustrations and they alone are a balm for my consumerism-weary soul.
September 6, 2020
Covers three main topics: health/first aid, cleaning/body care, and gardening. The gardening section is a quite good primer, but the other two were very light on the skills the title promised and mostly contained recipes. Like many discussions of "natural" alternatives to mass-manufactured products, I longed for a more rigorous approach to the theory and science involved. While the book's tone does trade a bit on ambivalence towards the products and chemicals of modern society, it is, at least, refreshingly woo-free.
April 11, 2018
I initially did not expect or like the hand-written and scribbly illustrations, but I got used to it and didn’t mind it after a while.
I appreciated the gardening chapters a lot. Lots of information on a lot of different ways to plant things. I thought some of the cleaning concoctions were unnecessarily complicated.
Overall very cute. Might make a nice housewarming gift for someone with a natural bent.
I appreciated the gardening chapters a lot. Lots of information on a lot of different ways to plant things. I thought some of the cleaning concoctions were unnecessarily complicated.
Overall very cute. Might make a nice housewarming gift for someone with a natural bent.
August 11, 2018
The fact that this is hand-written with cute little drawings and lettering makes it pretty charming. I enjoyed the humor too. I already know how to garden and that's a third of the book, but I'll try out some of the homemade cleaners. It's not really that in-depth but that also makes the ideas seem easy. Weird uses for yogurt notwtihstanding.
April 9, 2019
Make Your Place is an adorable wealth of information about detoxifying the home and body. There are tips for first aid, personal care, household cleaning, and gardening, all in a sweetly packaged in an un-intimidating hand-illustrated guide. I was inspired to go greener by Briggs, and know that I will be using this book as a reference along this journey.
April 16, 2024
This is a lovely little book with all sorts of ideas and instructions for making your own personal and home cleaning supplies and first aid remedies, as well as a guide to gardening. It's sort of a lot to take in if you don't currently do any of these things, but I think it would be a good reference for when you want a natural headache remedy, for example.
January 2, 2018
The lemon floor cleaner in this book is a literal miracle. It said it could be used for grimy walls and BOY HOWDY CAN IT. 10/10 for that one. 4/5 stars total because I found the gardening section merely glossed over growing in an apartment.
August 12, 2018
I'm a sucker for Microcosm Publishing's books. I love the handwritten/illustrated format and the size of the book; it's nice to hold. I don't think I'll use the health and first aid section as much, but I might try some of the cleaning products, and there were some good tips for container gardens.
February 21, 2019
Hands down, THE BEST EVER book that I have read on this subject. Concise. Thorough. Well researched. Inclusive. Charming. Funny. And well illustrated. I took this out of the library, read it cover-to-cover and will now be buying a copy to use as a reference at home.
June 8, 2020
Really wanted to like it...
But the digital version is so difficult to use as a reference. No bookmarking or highlighting allowed. There was good information but what's the point if you can't get to it easily.
But the digital version is so difficult to use as a reference. No bookmarking or highlighting allowed. There was good information but what's the point if you can't get to it easily.
July 8, 2020
Quick read with a great introduction to sustainable first aid, diy cleaning products, gardening, and more. This book is very down to Earth (lol) and inspiring to read! My favorite section was about gardening / composting. Strong bonus - all handwritten with adorable illustrations throughout.
July 2, 2023
A simple easy pocketbook of sustainable and natural household recipes. Takes the guesswork out of natural living. MUST HAVE book for anyone looking to live a more sustainable, natural lifestyle. LOVE the illustrations! Makes it feel like I wrote it myself 💚
September 27, 2024
I adore this book. I've had it for years and I've purchased it as a gift for countless friends and family members. If you have a household cleaner that you want to make naturally, it's here. Basic first aid, herbalism, and so much more inside. I simply love it.
May 19, 2018
A lovely, informative little book. Highly recommend for domestic DIYers.
July 31, 2018
Castile soup is the duct tape of DIY cleaning...
November 30, 2018
Great little book, good introduction to the subjects it covers, from herbal medicine to natural housecleaning and basic gardening.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews