Tag: crafts

09Oct

Watercolour tea towels

We’ve been in this house for over two years now. It’s seen us through a wedding, different colour walls and a lot of sleepovers on our sofa.  We’ve put a lot of effort into making it the perfect little nook, however everyday I stare at the drawers in our kitchen and feel sad to look at the state of our current tea towels. Beyond stained and tatty, I long for the lovely tea towels at TkMaxx but had to restrain myself, because I had already bought the materials to make my own. I love the idea of printing my own fabrics but have put this project off for so long as I was scared of how it would turn out, it did take one trial that in the bin to get it right, and I absolutely love them. Now that I got the hang of this technique here’s what you’ll need for your watercolour tea towels. Materials: Masking tape White tea towels, washed and ironed Green, Red, Orange, Yellow and white fabric paint Medium sized brush Disposable cups Absorbent kitchen towels Cardboard How to: 1. Cover your table with carboard, then line that with the kitchen towels and secure them
3 mins read
1237 Views
08Mar

Matryoshka felt bookmarker

The DIY making persona has a lot to do with my parents. A lot of the basic skills I now know as a wife are thanks to my mum, invaluable advice such as dust before you hoover and how to fold egg whites into cake batter.  This DIY was inspired by my mum and Mothering Sunday, it’s a super cute felt Matryoshka doll.  Matryoshka means “little matron” in russian, and I fell in love with their little round shape and cute little faces after my sister went on a trip to St Petersburg and bought everyone a set. They are super easy to make, and they make a great gift for book lovers. Materials: Felt pieces Scraps of fabric Sharpie pens Cotton thread and needle Scissors PVA glue Small brush 3mm ribbon Template. Click here to download and print it How to: 1. Cut out the printed template  2. The outside, black border of the template will be the back of the matryoshka, the inside lines in grey will be the front.  3. Place the template on top of the felt and draw the shape on it 4. Cut out the inside (grey) holes and repeat step 3, this time outlining
3 mins read
786 Views
06Feb

Valentine’s heart piñata gift box

My husband was working at sea in Africa for two and a half months, so I was home alone all that time. Not only did I miss him terribly but I also noticed my home life became a little hectic, especially in regards to my sleep and diet. This is how I realised, after all these years, that he really does complete me…and helps me to be a functioning adult. We settle to sleep together, he makes me check my bank balance every week and the dinners I cook when I get back from work are really for him. I had no want to cook for myself when I was on my own and gave into a routine of eating breakfast for dinner and watching 30 Rock until 2am on a school night. He’s back now, which means I am eating more vegetables and getting a solid 8 hours sleep. And after he brought me back a Chanel perfume from duty free, I felt that he needed an extra special gift box. And I think I’m more excited to see his face when he sees the piñata rather than the actual gift! Materials: Thin cardboard – I used biscuit boxes  Masking
3 mins read
675 Views
11Jan

Metallic silver garland + giveaway

It’s a new year and it’s also the week of our second birthday! And in the party spirit we wanted to share with you a DIY garland that is made from simple polystyrene balls covered with items that you most certainly can find around your house.  The idea behind it is that simple items such as string and even dried leaves can add wonderful texture to a garland, so you can make a really unusual but beautiful backdrop to any party! Materials: Polystyrene balls (I used 6cm, 4cm and 2cm) Mod Podge Small brush Materials that can add texture (I used leaves, string, scrap paper squares and sequins) Silver metallic spray paint Fishing line Blue tack (adhesive putty) Bamboo skewers Cardboard box 1. Pop the polystyrene balls through the skewers and brush them with mod podge. Carefully stick your chosen materials on the balls 2. Pierce the cardboard box with the skewers and let the balls dry for 4-5 hours 3. Leaving the skewers fixed on the cardboard box, use the metallic spray to coat them, rotating as necessary. You’ll need at least two coatings depending on the material. The string took the paint really well but the sequins needed 3
3 mins read
670 Views
23Oct

Jack-o’-lantern papier mache candy bags

I have had many accidents in the kitchen, mostly cuts, very few burns. Some of my most traumatic cuts have involved butternut squashes and pumpkins, so every Halloween I stay well away from them. Which is a shame as I love the artistry involved in carving a pumpkin, so I have decided to carve the papier-mache kind. It’s been a while since I have worked with papier mache, but it was like riding a bike. Hopefully many of you craft-loving readers will be inclined to making your own trick or treat bags, and even if you are not heading out covered in fake blood, knocking on strangers’ doors hoping to get free sweets, you can use these as serving bowls for sweets at your house party. It may look like a lot of steps bit it’s really easy – if a bit messy- but because they are supposed to be scary pumpkins the “carving” doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth, a few bumps and jagged teeth will give your pumpkins character. Don’t forget to get the kids involved too! What you’ll need: Balloons Ribbon or string Any type of white scrap paper, cut into strips – I used tissue paper Modge
3 mins read
2016 Views