I'm joining in the Big Fair Bake, which is working this year with Tots100. This idea is that you bake something using Fairtrade ingredients and use it to spread the Fairtrade message. It's about getting a fair price for goods at source, rather than exploiting farmers and growers so that we can get things cheaply here in the UK. I was inspired a while ago by the incredible coffee-based recipes that Utterly Mummy came up with, and … [Read more...]
Pencil Serving Dish or Trivet
The key to a theme is the details, according to the book. So I took the idea of Back to School and brain-stormed those things that meant back-to-school to me. I bought a lot of pencils. I bought a set of cork place-mats in Ikea for £2.50, and cut them to size: just short of the length of a pencil, and the width of 20 pencils. Then I stuck the pencils in place using a glue-gun. And, because they talked to me, I glued some of the empty … [Read more...]
Back to School Party inspired by Sweet Designs’ Book
I had such a thrill in June when Turnaround Publishing asked if I would like to review a couple of books. I love books. And these book are great. The Book of Doing has definitely spurred me to do a little more in every day that is just for me, no matter how small. Creativity helps me feel better about myself, and my place in the world, and it's something that this book actively encourages. Which is kind of where the second book comes in. … [Read more...]
Upcycled candlesticks into cake plates
I have been known to post recipes-so-simple-they-don't-need-a-recipe. This post is like that, only with craft. You need: 1. a plate 2. a candlestick 3. a glue gun Stick 2 to the base of 1 with 3. Spray paint if needed. <I Put the instructions in bold so you didn't blink and miss them. Told you it was embarrassingly easy. I'm kind of embarrassed not to have tried it sooner. But I had to find the … [Read more...]
5 fun Olympic Logo crafts
...specifically the logo of the 2012 London Olympics. Did you know that this will be the first time that the same essential logo is to be used for both the Olympic and Paralympic games? Nor me. I love Wikipedia! It would have been helpful if someone had pointed out to me slightly earlier that the logo is not just a bit of mindless graffiti, but actually the numbers 2, 0, 1 and 2. Anyway, since the whole 'spherical objects' crafts have been … [Read more...]
How to make a Coffee Filter Peacock
Around the World in 12 Dishes recently visited India and DG Manor feasted on Kedgeree for a full 48 hours. Unsurprisingly it was a while before we got round to the craft, but this only worked in our favour, since the rain helped, rather than hindered, our crafting. So we learned how to make a Coffee Filter Peacock. … [Read more...]
How to make an pillow sleepover bed
I'm going to show you how to make a cheaper alternative to the GLTC Bed in a Bag, which costs a staggering £95.00. My version cost a tenth of that. I used a single duvet cover set that I picked up from a local charity shop for £2.50, and pillows that were on sale from Dunelm Mill. Excluding thread, which I had already, the cost of my version is £9.50. Here's How to make an pillow sleepover bed. … [Read more...]
