• simple upcycled tin candles
    crafts - Handmade gifts - tutorial

    How to make a personalised tin candle

    October 7, 2014 - By 

    Today I have a fun craft to share with you which combines my love of recycling and making handmade gifts. I’m getting a head start on my handmade Christmas gifts so if you’re my sister and you’re reading this please look away now! I really like making candles and thought I would use some vintage tins from my stash to make sweet tin candles with personalised photos. Equipment you will need to make a personalised tin candle: assortment of vintage tins soy candle wax candle dye candle wicks printer glossy premium photo paper How to make a personalised tin candle The first step is…

  • Christmas - Halloween crafts - Handmade gifts - vintage

    Monday happy things

    October 6, 2014 - By 

    Do you like Mondays? I’m coming to the conclusion that I love them. There’s something comforting to me about the start of our weekly routine and my favourite weekly post. I finished my ticker tape doll quilt and it’s now hanging up on our quilt gallery wall. It only took me an hour to finish the binding so I’m mentally kicking myself that I let it sit around unfinished for so long. Somehow I have over twenty three thousand followers on Pinterest! I’m not sure how that happened but I’m happy as I love Pinterest and Instagram too. I find…

  • crafts - handmade - Handmade gifts - sewing - swaps

    Monthly makes – September

    September 30, 2014 - By 

    September was a pretty busy month for making things. Aside from crafting with the children, which happens pretty much every day, there was also some baking with carrot cakes and a lovely Victoria sponge. There was the finishing off of WIPs and making a start on handmade gifts for Christmas so I thought I would write about my Monthly Makes. The month started with the London-themed ATC I made for a swap. I embroidered a London bus (from a pattern in Annela Hoey’s Little Stitches). I received a lovely ATC from my partner, she created a sandcastle and used a…

  • days out - Handmade gifts - National Trust - Orla Kiely

    Monday happy things

    September 29, 2014 - By 

    So it’s only the second time I have written my Monday happy post but already it’s making me happy just thinking about what to write about. I’ve decided to pick 5 things which have made me happy over the last week but I could easily have written more: On Saturday we booked ourselves on a tour of the beautiful Red House, the only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts & Crafts movement. He only lived in it for 5 years but it still retains some pieces of furniture, wall paintings and decorations that…

  • Christmas - gingerbread - Handmade gifts

    10 gingerbread foods to bake

    September 28, 2014 - By 

    You know by now that I love gingerbread, not just at Christmas but all year round. I’ve drawn up a little list of 10 of my favourite gingerbread foods to bake. We love making gingerbread men as much as anyone but some of these are just a little bit different and so much fun. 10 gingerbread foods to bake You can make gingerbread biscuits in any shape or size. I’ve been collecting vintage cookie cutters for years and my children love to rifle through the collection to choose their favourites. I have a never fail gingerbread recipe and sometimes the…

  • book review - Handmade gifts - sewing - What I'm reading

    Crafting handmade gifts

    September 23, 2014 - By 

    I feel bad writing about Christmas but it’s my blog so I think I’m allowed. Christmas is fun, especially when you have two little children. They’ve been writing their Christmas lists for weeks which means we’ve all been thinking about it perhaps earlier than normal. I love crafting handmade gifts. Every year I say it but I never start early enough but this year I am going to have. As my family read my blog I can’t say too much but I’ve planned a few super cute projects from some of my favourite craft books. First of all I really…

  • DIY pencil holder - the gingerbread house
    Back to school crafts - crafts - Handmade gifts - Kids crafts - Reception - School crafts - tutorial

    Back to school with a DIY pencil holder

    July 17, 2014 - By 

    This is a funny time of year. My 4 year old is going through his last week of Nursery and we have 6 weeks of fun before he starts Reception. It’s both exciting and sad as we start a new chapter as a family. With him starting Reception we have a list of essential items to buy. I have really happy memories of the start of a new term. Do you remember shopping for a new school bag and lunch box? My favourite part was always shopping for new stationery, nothing beats the smell of a brand new pencil case,…

  • upcycled ruler tray - the gingerbread house
    Crafts for adults - Handmade gifts - Recycled crafts

    Upcycled folding ruler tray

    July 4, 2014 - By 

    Last Christmas I made a fun Christmas tree from vintage folding rulers. I’m not sure I ever blogged about it but it left me with quite a few pieces of vintage rulers to play with. I thought a little tray would be a good use of some of the pieces. There are always bunches of keys and receipts lying around so I thought a tray would be useful to tidy up our hall. Upcycled folding ruler tray materials: Hardboard Vintage folding ruler PVA wood glue Sand paper How to make an upcycled folding ruler tray: I re-used a folding ruler…

  • easy lego soap dispenser - the gingerbread house
    Handmade gifts - Kids crafts - Lego - tutorial

    How to make a Lego soap dispenser

    June 30, 2014 - By 

    We love Lego and I’ve been looking for some ways to use it a little differently. What could be better than Lego in soap? Surely that could only encourage my potty training 2 year old to wash her hands! Lego soap dispenser materials: soap dispenser lego liquid soap How to make a lego soap dispenser First of all I let my 4 year old go through our Lego stash. I asked him to fill a container with green pieces but he was easily sidetracked! Eventually we had plenty of pieces to look at. He chose enough to half fill the…