Our Empty New House Click on the blue words to see images.

When my family first moved into our new house, it felt... well, empty. We had nothing except our clothes, shoes, blankets, and books. We had spent every rupee we had just to buy the house. My little sister didn’t care, she thought it was fun to have so much space to roll around. But we knew we had to get creative to make this house a home.

 At first, it felt strange. Where would we sit? Where would we eat? What are the most important things we do? Cooking, cleaning, sleeping. For me reading as well. My dad clapped his hands together. "We just need to use what we have." 

So we started to turn the place into our home. We collected mud from the backyard, and Dad built a clay stove. It didn’t take long to make, but we had to wait two days for it to dry in the sun before we could use it. Once it was ready, we set it up in the kitchen. It wasn’t fancy, but it worked perfectly. 

For plates, we collected banana leaves from a nearby tree, and for cups,  coconut shells worked just as well.

Washing clothes and dishes was tricky at first, but Mom found a cheap wooden bucket at the market. As for soap, Mom made her own bar. She took some coconut oil, lye, and water. First, she carefully mixed the lye with water (wearing gloves, of course) and let it cool. Then, she warmed the coconut oil until it melted, and once both the lye solution and the oil were at the right temperature, she carefully combined them. Mom stirred the mixture until it thickened into a smooth paste. Finally, she poured it into a mold and let it sit for a few days to harden before using it.

We also spent our last bit of money on solar-powered light for the nights.

For storage, Mom had a clever idea. She used her old skirts to create hanging storage by tying them to hooks and rods. They also worked as colorful curtains for our windows, instantly making the house look brighter and cozier. Then, she pulled out a box of old sarees she no longer wore. “What if we turn these into cushions?” she suggested. She showed me how to stitch, and together, we made cushion covers that looked like they belonged in a palace. My little sister couldn’t get enough of them, happily jumping on the cushions and shouting, “Soft! Soft!”

For a table, we found a few discarded wooden crates in the area. With some cleaning they turned into a sturdy spot where we could eat and keep things. We also found some broken chairs nearby. Dad said he could repair them, so we brought them home too.

To clean up, I made a broom from some coconut leaves and twigs I found. It wasn’t perfect, but it did the job!

Dad brought in an old wooden ladder from the shed. It was covered in dust and looked like it hadn’t been used in years. “Let’s make this useful,” he said. Together, we cleaned it, stood it upright, and we had our very own bookshelf.

In the kitchen, my mom collected all the empty glass jars we’d saved from sauces and pickles. “These will do just fine,” she said. One by one, she filled them with spices, lentils, and rice. 

As we cleaned the house, I found some old plastic bottles in a corner. I was about to throw them out, but my dad stopped me. “Wait, we can use these!” he said. We cut off the tops, painted them bright colors, and filled them with soil. Mom planted coriander and mint in them, and soon, our front garden turned into a little jungle.

The one thing we didn’t worry about was beds. We’ve always been comfortable sleeping on the floor with just mats and blankets. 🛏️ In fact, it made the house feel cozier, like camping indoors. ⛺

As the days passed, our empty house slowly transformed. 🏡 It wasn’t filled with expensive furniture or shiny new things, but it was ours. Every piece of furniture told a story, and every corner had something we’d made with our own hands. ✨

Now, when my friends visit, they don’t see an empty house. They see a home full of clever ideas and colorful touches. 🌈 And the best part? My dad’s ladder-turned-bookshelf gets the most compliments. 📚

“See?” Dad says. “You don’t need a lot of money to make a house a home. Just a little imagination, some teamwork, and a lot of love.” 💖

• What would you miss the most in your house if suddenly everything disappeared?
• Look around your house. What can you make by yourself instead of buying?
• In the story, the family used mud to build a clay stove. Can you think of other ways to use natural materials around your home or yard for everyday tasks?
• What’s one thing you would make from old clothes, jars, or broken furniture if you didn’t have enough money to buy new items? How could it help your family?
• The family reused plastic bottles to create planters. Have you ever turned something that would normally be thrown away into something useful? What was it and how did it work out?
• Do you think it's fun to make things with your own hands? What’s something you would like to create from things you already have at home?
• Mom and Dad used old clothes, crates, and broken furniture to create storage and furniture. What items in your home could you repurpose for a new use instead of throwing them away?
• How does saving money by repurposing old items make you feel? Does it change how you think about buying new things?
• What’s the best part of turning something old or discarded into something useful? Is it the creativity, the savings, or something else?