This evening I’ve been playing around trying to pretty up some Christmas presents. I love wrapping my presents with simple brown paper but they are not always well received. I remember last year my father in law looking a little puzzled when I handed over our presents, he asked if we had run out of wrapping paper! This year I made sure to wrap his presents in the brightest Christmas paper I could find. I wanted to re-visit my idea of simple brown paper for some gifts but I thought I would embellish them to show I’d put some effort…
-
-
Last night I was searching for some online inspiration for decorating ideas. I came across a post on the Multiyork blog about making a handmade countdown for the 12 Days of Christmas. I love the idea of making a festive keepsake, especially one that the family love to bring out each year. Throughout November and December my focus is on Christmas Day and I feel a little deflated on Boxing Day. So this year I have found 12 sweet crafts, each connected to one of the 12 days of Christmas in the song. Next year I hope to be a little…
-
I love crafting with styrofoam baubles. We’ve made a styrofoam snowman, styrfoam pumpkin, and even a styrofoam spider. I have lots of them so am always trying to think of different uses for them. Today I’m sharing my tutorial for stash buster Liberty scrap baubles. This is the perfect activity if you have any left over fabric scraps, but I think Liberty fabrics are exceptionally pretty. Equipment needed to make Liberty scrap baubles: scraps of Liberty fabrics PVA glue water bowl and brush styrofoam balls How to make Liberty scrap baubles: Cut the scraps into small pieces about 1cm square.…
-
Did you watch any episodes of the Great Interior Design Challenge? I love that programme and watched every episode. I love seeing how the different designers met the brief and how they transformed the different styles of houses. I was waiting for them to design a 1990s house but funnily enough that didn’t happen. We are really struggling with ideas for our house. I’m not sure if these programmes are a good idea or not. On the one hand they inspire me to want to have a beautiful home. On the other hand, they make me feel inadequate that I…
-
I was hoping to make some seasonal doll quilts for my quilt gallery wall but I’ve only managed to make one. However it’s one I’m really pleased with. A few weeks ago I finished the final seasonal stitching club from Mollie Johanson – the Winter Stitching Club. As usual each week a new embroidery pattern was introduced. They were all fun seasonal patterns like this sweet thermos flask. I enjoyed stitching them so they came together really quickly. Each hexagon became a puffy hexie. I used fabric from Moda’s “In From the Cold” which is so pretty. There was plenty…
-
My 4 year old woke me up today to tell me he didn’t think we had enough Christmas decorations up! I thought we had made a good effort with our reindeer in the window, Christmas tree, wreath and everything else. Obviously not, and so as not to disappoint my 4 year old further, today I hit the shops. At this time of year I don’t have much money left but fortunately I found everything I needed in my local Poundland. I managed to pick up some gorgeous decorations in red and white as I’m trying to have a Scandi Christmas…
-
Are you looking forward to a relaxing Christmas holiday or is your calendar full of parties and days out? Although we’re entertaining at home we’re hoping for a couple of trips out. Top of our list is Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. We haven’t been since 2011 when my son was little so it would be great to go back and re-visit. I also really want to take the children ice-skating! I love this Top 12 Things To See At Christmas infographic. Each listing shows a fun family day out that is a must see this Christmas! Just click on…
-
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias I think I’ve mentioned before about the beautiful wooden storage shelves my husband built for my son. They normally house his collection of small plastic toys but over the weekend my son took them all down so he could display his toy cars. I thought it would be fun to incorporate some of them into our Christmas decorations so, with my son’s permission, I recycled them. Let me tell you how. First of all we went through his toys and took out…
-
Monday again and only 9 days til Christmas. Hope you’re all feeling super organised! Although I haven’t made as many handmade gifts as I wanted to there has been lots of Christmas crafting. Our house is very twinkly and pretty and the tree is beginning to lean with the weight of decorations. Over the last week we’ve made wreaths, a styrofoam snowman ornament, gingerbread sun catchers, Liberty baubles, apple and cinnamon muffins, upcycled toy ornaments and personalised baubles. We’re all enjoying wearing Christmas jumpers this year. I have a sparkly gingerbread man, the 4 year old has a beautiful Fair…
