Make your own

It sounds simple enough, but the "make your own" philosophy really underpins many of the objectives of environmental awareness initiatives.

It is the requirements of the prepackaged, factory-made, mass-produced lifestyle that has done much damage to the environment. It is this lifestyle, which proliferates in developed nations and remains the ideal in many underdeveloped places, that sees humans continue to consume resources, and pollute the planet at an unsustainable rate.

Adopting the "make your own" philosophy is one way to break this cycle, at least within our own lives. If you need something, don't buy it: make it.

Obviously the philosophy has its limits, and they differ with each person's physical capabilities. But if you can make more of the things you use in your life, and buy fewer preprepared items, you'll likely find you have a greater appreciation for what you have, and see shopping (for which, read: consumerism) as an infrequent event rather than an everyday necessity.

Cakes. Gifts. Dinner. Clothing. Children's toys. Homewares. Plant seedlings. Snacks and treats. Make your own.

I'm a big fan of baking my own bread and growing my own seedlings from seed. What kinds of things do you make yourself, rather than buy premade at the shops?