Tag: diy

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
785 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
674 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
669 Views
19Dec

DIY rubber stamps and christmas wrapping

Originality is rare and when found it comes with a high price tag.  I sometimes have “eureka” moments when thinking about future craft and food projects, but then i deflate a little when I come to the realisation that someone else has most probably already thought about it, done it, photographed and pinned it. This post feels a little like this. I have been making my own stamps for a while now, I have mainly used it for cards and scrapbooking, and I have been reluctant to post any projects associated with it as it feels a little…overdone. Just type it on the search box on Pinterest and tell me I’m wrong. Making my own stamps is one of my favourite things to do, I guess it is because it means I can personalise whatever I want, from fabrics to paper, and I decided to apply this to my christmas gift giving. To me gift wrapping is just as important as the gift, it portrays love and that you have put some thought into it.  It felt a little counter-productive in the sense that this time of the year wrapping paper is as cheap as chips. But I wanted to
3 mins read
1027 Views
28Nov

Recycle your old makeup – DIY lip balm

If you call me a hoarder, I won’t be offended. I am not the documentary worthy type of hoarder though, I don’t have piles of newspapers taking over my bed to the point I need to sleep on the sofa, but I’m definitely resistant about throwing certain things away. I have a big makeup carrier, full of little pull out compartments, and my biggest collection is of lipsticks. I love the idea of being glammed up with a nice lipstick, but as a nurse the opportunity to wear my dark berry lipstick don’t come too often. But this doesn’t stop me from impulse buying makeup. I have been accumulating blushers, lipsticks, eyeshadows and foundations since my university days. Some items are used on a daily basis whilst others are only for special occasions. And there is also the “regret” makeup category, cue my super pink L’Oréal blusher. So why not upcycle it into something I will wear everyday? The results are very close to Burt’s Bees balms. I added a little of bit of a pink lipstick to the mix as well, the blusher gives a lovely shimmer and the lipstick intensified the colour. But you can play with shimmery eyeshadows
3 mins read
692 Views