three ways with: copper spray paint

I've got a real thing for copper spray paint at the moment; I bought some for a craft project I did for Roost, and as soon as I used it, I was addicted. I love the copper homeware trend, because it looks SO good paired with wood and plants (which you all know I've got loads of!), so I decided to do a post on my three favourite DIY projects with this lovely stuff. (Quick note - I always use Plastikote spray paint as I've found it's by far the best - it goes on beautifully evenly and dries quickly too.)

DIY Copper Hanging Planter (top)
I've wanted a copper hanging planter for aaaaaaages, but they're more expensive than I can justify, so I decided to have a go at making my own - they're so quick and easy, and pretty addictive, and you could easily make them in loads of different sizes.

You will need:
Old tins - I used an old baby formula tin, but you could use those giant tins of tomatoes, or make miniature ones with baked bean or spaghetti cans.
Plastikote copper spray paint
Matte spray varnish
Black cord (mine was probably about 3mm thick, from Hobbycraft)
An electric drill
A file (you can get these in packs from Wilkinsons for a few quid)
Fine sandpaper

1. Clean the tin, and lightly sand the outside to give the paint something to grip to.
2. Measure the circumference of the tin, and make four evenly spaced marks where the holes for the cord will go.
3. Using the electric drill, make your holes. If you find you've got some sharp bits, sand them off using the files.
4. Set up an area for spray painting - I usually use a large foam board from Hobbycraft to protect the ground, and choose somewhere that is relatively protected from the breeze.
5. Place your tin on the ground and spray it using quick, short bursts. Don't get too close, or try to spray too thickly or you'll end up with drips, fingerprints and a whole world of mess. I usually do two or three thin coats - the beauty of Plastikote is that it dries so quickly, you can get the whole thing done in around an hour and a half.
6. Once the paint is thoroughly dry, add a layer of spray varnish - use the same technique as before; if you put too much on in one go, it tends to go patchy (even though it's clear....)
7. Once the varnish is dry, cut two identical lengths of cord and feed them through the holes. Knot the ends tightly, so they cant slip back through, then pop your plant inside and hang up.
8. Make tea, and admire.

DIY Fringed Wallhanging
I've wanted one of those woven wallhangings for absolutely ages, but can't afford a ready-made one (can you see a pattern emerging here?!), and I don't have the time or space for another hobby - so I decided to cheat a bit and cobble together my own version. Daisy likes to take this off the wall and wear it as a giant necklace, so I guess if you used a big enough embroidery hoop, you could really get your money's worth.

You will need:
The inner part of an embroidery hoop (whatever size you like)
Cotton yarn in your chosen colours (I use Rico Creative Cotton Aran for almost everything - it's budget friendly and really good quality)
Plastikote copper spray paint
Matte spray varnish
A rotary cutter and cutting board or thick card (rotary cutters are sooooo handy to have)
Something good to watch or listen to - this project can take a while if you've gone large on the hoop size

1. Lightly sand your embroidery hoop and spray with copper spray paint. Leave to dry, and then spray with matte varnish as in the tutorial above.
2. Decide how long you want your fringing to be, and then double that measurement. Cut several (read: fuckloads) of yarn in your chosen colours to this size.
3. To create one tassel, take three or four pieces of yarn and fold it in half to create a giant loop. Place the looped end over the hoop, then feed the end through it to secure it in place. Pull it tight, and then carry on until the end of time you've used it all up.
4. You're going to end up with loads of uneven ends; you can finish it by cutting straight across like I did, or on a curve or even into a point. The easiest way to do this is to lay the whole thing on a cutting mat or piece of thick card, and trim with a rotary cutter, either along a ruler or following the curve of a plate.
5. Hang up, admire your work, and hoover up all the stray yarn ends.

DIY Geometric Copper Coasters
I love a good stencil project - I always feel like it's a major achievement when you lift it up and there's been no leakage underneath!

You will need:
A geometric self-adhesive stencil (I used this one, but you can get loads of designs from most craft places)
Plastikote copper spray paint
Matte spray varnish
Tile samples
Cork backing

1. Place your stencil onto your tile sample, and press down along all edges - you want to avoid as much leakage as possible.
2. Using the method described in the first tutorial, spray over the stencil and onto your tile. Allow to dry thoroughly.
3. Once the paint is dry, remove the stencil gently, and cover with at least two coats of varnish. Leave to dry thoroughly for at least two days.
4. To protect your surfaces from the rough underside of the tile, cut cork squares slightly smaller than the tile and stick to the bottom. Leave to set.
5. Use them to jazz up your lounge, office or bedroom - although they're coasters, I'd advise being cautious when placing extremely hot cups on top of them for the first few weeks, as they tend to stick.*

*I accept no responsibility for tea spillages.

Pin it for later?
A nice Pinterest-friendly image for you to keep for later!

super easy DIY hanging print frame

I've been making some bits and pieces for our bedroom recently, and one of the things I've done is so flaming easy and effective and CHEAP, that I thought I'd share it on here in case any of you fancied having a go. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... the DIY hanging print frame thingy!

You will need:

Two pieces of wood - mine were curved on the top and flat on the back, and were about £2.75 from B&Q!
Double sided sticky tape
String
A hacksaw
A glue gun and glue sticks
A print of your choice

1. Decide which way up your print is going to be framed, and then measure the top and bottom sides.

2. Add 3cm onto this measurement (1.5cm for each end), and mark the length onto your piece of wood.

3. Using the hacksaw, cut the wood to the desired lengths.

4. Cut a piece of string long enough to hang the frame from, and attach to the flat side of the top part of your frame using the glue gun.

5. Cut a piece of double sided sticky tape the same length as the wood, and stick over the string on the top part of the frame. Repeat for the bottom piece.

6. Unpeel the backing from the tape, and place your print in the centre of the wood. Press down firmly, so it sticks well.

7. Repeat for the bottom half.

8. Hang, admire and make yourself a well deserved cuppa!

Blogging with Braintree Clothing

I'm just popping in quickly to announce that I'm thrilled to have joined the team of bloggers over at Braintree Clothing; I'm joining the likes of Lori, Wendy and several others, and am kicking things off with this super easy hanging planter DIY.

You all know I love my ethical and environmentally friendly brands, so working with Braintree is pretty exciting for me - if you've never had a look at their clothing, definitely pop over for a browse. They're a great combination of style and sustainability - I'm completely in love with this botanical dress, and this hemp dress, and err, pretty much everything!

give: botanical pendant

I discovered shrink plastic sometime last year, via the wonderful Craftivists, and fell in love with it straight away. It's one of those materials which is so easy to use, and if you get it right, you can make some amazing things with it - if you're struggling wth ideas for handmade gifts, my tutorial for a DIY botanical pendant might be just what you're looking for!

You will need:
Printable shrink plastic (I got mine from here)
A printer
A sharp craft knife and scissors
A hole punch
An old baking tray
A large bottom glass or glass jug

1. Start by choosing the image you want to use; once printed onto the plastic, it shrinks down to around 45% in size, so you need it to be fairly big to start with. I got mine from The Graphics Fairy, who have heaps of lovely botanical images for precisely zero pence.

2. Put your image into an image editor and adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation to make it look as washed out as possible - once in the oven, all colours darken, so it's best to start as pale as possible.

3. Print your image onto the shrink plastic, and cut it out carefully.

4. Punch a hole at the top to thread the chain through - it might look huge now, but will shrink down to just the right size.

5. Preheat your oven to the temperature stated on the packet, then place your cut out image on the baking tray. Place inside, and watch as the plastic curls itself up, and then uncurls again at almost half the size - it's like magic, I never get tired of watching it!

6. As soon as it stops moving, remove the tray from the oven, and then place the bottom of the glass on top of your pendant to flatten it out properly. You have to be quick when doing this, as the plastic hardens quite soon after it leaves the oven.

7. Thread onto a chain or leather string, then package up in a simple decorated envelope and give to your nearest or dearest!

You can also make brooches and collar clips using the same method - instead of punching a hole for the string, simply glue brooch pins to the reverse once the plastic has cooled.

This is the first of two festive posts today - I realised this morning that I've written more posts than there are days! 

decorate: diy origami fanwheels

A few weeks ago, the lovely folk at Bensons for Beds challenged myself and some other bloggers to come up with tutorials for festive crafts based on origami. At first, I jumped at the chance, but then as I read more about origami, the more I scratched my head and couldn't work out my valley fold from my mountain fold. In the end I decided to go with an old favourite - super easy folded fanwheels, using the concertina fold. So here's my contribution! (You can see the other bloggers lovely projects over at the Bensons for Beds Sleep School, by the way!)

You will need:
Lovely 12-inch papers in varius colours and prints (these are from StickyTiger) in a square shape
Scissors
Strong glue or a glue gun
String for hanging

1. Take your sheet of paper, and mark 1-inch from the end. Fold along the line, then fold back on itself. Repeat until you reach the end of the paper. (You should finish with both ends folded downwards - you might need to trim the paper to achieve this.)

2. Fold your concertina'd strip of paper in half, and join with a thin strip of glue to make a small fan shape.

3. Repeat another three times, then join all three fan shapes together into a circle.

4. Repeat the process with smaller squares for the top fanwheel - I usually find a 12 inch paper cut into four works well.

5. Using the glue, attach the top fanwheel to the bottom, and then finish with your embellishments. I used wooden stars from Wild Damson, but you could also use berries, small pieces of foliage, tiny ornaments.... anything that takes your fancy! 

Try experimenting with various sizes - you can make smaller ones to use as gift toppers, and really teeny ones to hang on the tree, or huge ones to string up into a garland. 

Many thanks to Bensons for Beds for collaborating with me on this post, and inviting me to join in with their challenge!

decorate: the humble christmas wreath

Wreath making this year seems to have reached fever pitch; people everywhere on Instagram and in Blogland have been getting busy with foliage, berries, leaves, dried fruits, wire, paper, yarn and anything else that they can bend into a circle and decorate. I've seen some amazing creations, from natural beauties incorporating feathers and dried hydrangeas, to more colourful versions made from modern materials, and finally the traditional wreath, plump and full with plenty of spruce, fur and pine cones. For work-related projects, I must have made well into double figures by now (and we still don't have one for the front door!), and I've learned a few tricks along the way - so I thought I'd share my top five tips for making a fabulous wreath.

1. Use what YOU like
Eucalyptus wreaths really seemed to be a 'thing' this year, and they looked beautiful; simple, natural and seasonal. When I tried using eucalyptus, I couldn't get it to sit right, and the leaves kept falling off - so in the end I gave up (after a giant tantrum, I might add). Instead most of my foliage came from offcuts of overgrown bushes in peoples gardens (path side - I'm no garden raider!) and the bottom offcuts from our Christmas tree. I also found some lovely baby eucalyptus (so much easier to work with, completely different ball game!) and other seasonal greenery at my local florist; foraging is great and all, and you all know that I love a good freebie, but if you can't find anything that will work, or you don't have time, or you simply don't feel like tramping about in bushes, go to the florist. Job done!

2. It doesn't have to be green... or round
While I was scrolling through Pinterest looking for inspiration, I found some amazing pictures of wreaths made from paper; folded into intricate origami stars, curled into cones and this amazing paper hydrangea wonder-creation, which made me look twice because it was so realistic. There were wreaths made from fabric, twisted into knots and folded into bows, and some amazingly spectacular yarn-based wreaths, including this one, which is made from old jumpers! Shapes ranged from the tradtional circle through to stars, triangles and even tree shapes; sticks and wire bent carefully and secured with string to create something a bit different.

3. If in doubt, cheat
I learned quite quickly that string and wire weren't going to hold everything together quite as securely as I would have liked - plus, I decided that I didn't have the patience to sit there meticulously bending wire into place for hours. So I cheated, and got out the glue gun; if it didn't stay in place the first time of trying, it got treated to a dose of the hot stuff - jobs that would have taken me hours were done in minutes, and apart from the time the glue gun got stuck to the floor, it was much less stressful. Nobody is going to know (or care!) whether it's secured with wire, string, glue or spit and crossed fingers. (My glue gun was this one from Hobbycraft. Cheap as chips!)

4. The base is everything
No matter what materials you're using, you need a good base; like the foundations of a house, your wreath base has got an important job to do, so it's worth taking time to get it right. If you're looking to make your own, head out into the woods or park and find some good sized sticks which have a bit of flexibility to them - they need to be robust, but not so thick that you can't bend them. Alternatively, a lot of craft shops (and eBay!) sell packets of willow which are perfect, and only cost around £5 - you do have to soak them for 72 hours prior to making, but they're by far the best option. When making your base, don't use any less than five sticks, or you won't have enough places to weave in your greenery - if you're making a large wreath, you're probably going to want more. Or, save a load of time and buy a ready-made base!

5. Don't forget to attach a hanger
Several times I'd finished the wreath, only to realise that I'd forgotten to attach some string or wire to hang it up with - cue lots of swearing and huffing while I tried to thread a needle through the whole thing without disturbing any of the leaves or dried fruits. Think how and where you're going to hang it before you get started - trust me, it's much easier in the long run!

give: delicate crochet coasters

I've got a real thing about crochet coasters; I love those really, really intricate ones, the ones that end up buried at the bottom of a basket full of old blankets in charity shops. So when I was coming up with ideas for my festive posts, I decided to include a pattern for my own take on the humble coaster; a bit less fussy, a lot less time consuming to make and far easier to follow. Make a stack and give them as presents, add them to Christmas place settings with some foliage and wooden stars, or string them up into a garland - they're really versatile, and can be worked up in around an hour.

You will need:
1 x ball of DMC Natura Just Cotton
1 x 3.5mm crochet hook
Sharp scissors
A yarn needle

1. Ch3, then work 12tr into the 3rd of ch3, and join with a slip stitch - this forms the first round of your flat circle.

2. Ch3, then work 1tr into the same space. Work 2tr into each stitch around, then join with a slip stitch.

3. Ch3, then work 1tr into the same space. Work *1tr, 2tr* into the next two stitches, then repeat * around. Join with a slip stitch.

4. Ch3, then work 1tr into the same space. Work *1tr, 1tr, 2tr* into the next three stitches, then repeat * around. Join with a slip stitch.

5. Ch3, then work 1tr into the same space. Work *1tr, 1tr, 1tr, 2tr* into the next four stitches, then repeat * around. Join with a slip stitch.

6. Ch8, skip first four stitches, dc into fifth stitch. *Ch7, skip next four stitches, dc into fifth stitch.* Repeat * around, finishing the round by joining with a slip stitch.

7. Work 9dc into each ch7 space, finishing the round by joining with a slip stitch.

8. Fasten off.

9. Rejoin your yarn with a slip stitch to any fifth of the 9dc. Ch8, dc into fifth of the next 9dc. *Ch7, dc into fifth of the next 9dc*. Repeat * around, finishing the round by joining with a slip stitch.

10. Work 11dc into each ch7 space, finishing the round by joining with a slip stitch.

11. Fasten off your yarn, and weave in any ends.

I've not long been writing crochet patterns, so if any of this is at all unclear, or just makes you go, 'huh?', then do send me a message and I'll try to explain a bit better. There were step shots, but unfortunately they were lost in the great laptop tragedy of 2015!

decorate: diy pinecone wreath

Well, that was a rubbish start to December; we were all ill with the flu-ey virus that's going round last week, which meant I got absolutely nothing done, apart from lying on the sofa, watching Netflix and whining. But, we're all better now (*touches every piece of wood in sight*), so it's back to business as usual, phew!

Today I'm going to show you my take on the humble pinecone wreath. I spent ages trying to bind pinecones together with wire, and subsequently getting in a rage when they all fell apart - which is what led to the quickest wreath idea ever. (You'll soon realise that I am all about the shortcuts at Christmas....)

You will need:

Pinecones - mine were those really small ones, because my wreath was going to be small, but any size will do.

Foliage - this is from the path side of someone's overgrown bush - I don't know what it is, but I use it every year. The sticks are quite bendy, and the leaves don't fall off if you so much as look at them, so double-win!

Jewellery wire - mine was 0.5mm. Bendy, but firm. 

A glue gun and glue sticks (mine was £5 from Hobbycraft and has lasted years. Definitely worth it if you do any sort of crafting, ever)

1. Gather your pinecones and foliage - you can pop dried fruits and whatnot on there, but then it turns into more of a general wreath, and I wanted to keep it pinecone-centric. (I made this by candlelight, by the way, because the bulb in the conservatory was broken and I was too lazy to get up and move a lamp. Highly impractical, but so pretty!)

2.  Take your first stick, and bend it into a circle, weaving the two ends together. Repeat with another couple of sticks (depending on how chunky you want your wreath to be), and then fasten everything together with a strip of jewellery wire. Make sure you pull it tight, or the whole lot will ping open.

3. Before you get invlved with any gluing, plan where you want your pinecones to go. I didn't have enough to cover my entire wreath, but I really like it when they're smothered. I chose to put a little bunch on one side, and then a little bunch on the other side, with a wooden star from Wild Damson at the top to hide the jewellery wire.

4. Using the glue gun, attach the pine cones to your wreath base - less is more when it comes to glue guns; you don't want to end up with big lumps of dried glue all over your finished project.

5. Hang up and admire (tea and mince pie optional).

give: super giant chunky crochet scarf tutorial

If you're dying to give something handmade this Chistmas, but you're not keen on getting tangled in twine or spending hours up to your elbows in mod podge, don't panic - this massive, overly chunky, super soft crochet scarf works up in an evening and although it looks like a complicated stitch, it's not.

Made from the moss stitch (not the same as the knitted version, by the way), it's constructed lengthways, so the pattern runs across rather than down the scarf. After the initial foundation chain, the only stitches you need to know are double crochet (dc) and treble crochet (tr) - it's literally that easy. (The main reason I love it is because it looks reeeeaaally complicated, but it's not! Ha!)

You will need:
Roughly 5 balls of super chunky yarn (I used Cygnet Super Chunky in Barley)
10mm crochet hook
A large wool needle
Sharp scissors

To make:
Chain 101 (100 plus 1 turning chain)
Foundation row: *1dc, 1tr* in the first two chains. Repeat * to end. Turn.
Row 1: Ch1, *1dc, 1tr* in the first two stitches. Repeat * to end. Turn.
Rows 2-12: Repeat row 1.
Finish off and weave in ends.

I told you it was easy! You can adjust the length by simply adding or reducing the number of chains, BUT moss stitch has to be made up of an even number of stitches, plus one for your turning chain. To make it wider or narrower, just stop crocheting when you feel it's big enough, then fasten off.

To add on the fringing, cut several pieces of yarn roughly the same length, then fold one in half and feed it through a gap in the stitches. You'll have a loop on one side, and two loose ends on the other side; feed the ends through the loop and pull tight, then repeat until you've filled the end of your scarf with lovely fringing. If you're feeling fancy, you could trim them into a point, or chevrons!

made: diy woven spring basket with harveys

A couple of weeks ago, the lovely folks at Harveys got in touch and challenged me to come up with a crafty project to keep the kiddos entertained over the Easter holidays; it had to be fun, it had to be simple and it had to be lounge-friendly, and so the easy-peasy cheats woven basket was born. It looks fancy and intricate, but actually, it's soooo simple and works well for children of all ages (and adults!)

You will need:

Different coloured card, or printed scrapbook papers – mine are from online boutique StickyTiger

Haberdashery and trimmings, such as ribbons, pompom trim and ric-rac braid

An empty milk carton, whatever size you like

A selection of decorative tapes

Strong glue

A glue gun and glue sticks

Sharp scissors

A craft knife (optional, but handy!)

1. Start by preparing your craft area; you’ll need a hard surface, so a dining table or coffee table works well – this is a perfect project to do cosied up in the lounge on a rainy day. Cover the table in a plastic tablecloth or newspaper, and make sure there are plenty of paper towels and wipes to hand!

2. Wash and rinse your milk carton well, then remove the label and cut the top off so you have a fairly short container. I used a craft knife, but if you’re working with really small children, scissors work just as well.

3. Decide which paper or card you want to use as your base, then measure the height of your milk carton. Cut a strip of card large enough to cover the carton completely, with a good overlap at the back.

4. Place your strip of card face down on the table, then measure 1cm from the end, and draw a line. You then need to decide how wide you want your weaving to be – I did 1cm, but you can make it bigger if you like – and mark the distances. You should end up with something that looks like this: 

5. Cut along the lines using the craft knife or scissors, so you end up with what looks like a piece of fringing.

6. Make the contrasting strips by sticking lengths of decorative tape to a piece of card, then cutting along the edge. This is way quicker and easier than measuring and drawing loads of lines – and there are some really great tapes around as well!

7. Once you’ve cut out all of your card strips, start weaving them into the main panel; either create the standard checkerboard pattern like I did, or experiment by alternating where you place your strips to make different patterns. If you find they move about, hold them in place with a small blob of glue on each end.

8. Once you get to the end of your piece of card, cut out another strip and glue it down to seal the ends in place. Trim any excess card, and leave to dry.

9. To make the handle, take two of your card strips and glue them together with the right sides facing outwards. Attach them to the sides of the milk carton using a glue gun – your basket won’t be holding anything too heavy, so this should be strong enough.

10. Using the glue gun again, join your woven panel to the back of the milk carton, then slowly wrap it around, gluing as you go, until you reach the back again.

11. Take your haberdashery and decorations, and glue them to the basket to finish off. You’re finished – ta da!

Variations

• This is a really versatile project that works with children of all ages; younger family members with little hands can join in with wider lengths of card to make it less fiddly, while older children and teenagers can try narrower ones, and adding in more patterns.

• Rather than using patterned or plain paper, you could get the kids to decorate card with painted patterns and colours and use this instead.

• Experiment with different size and shape bottles; fizzy drink bottles and squash bottles are great for round baskets, and you could even make miniature oval baskets using washing-up  liquid bottles.

We love a bit of crafting and mess in our house, although admittedly both Ben and Daisy tend to get bored fairly quickly; I hate cleaning up afterwards, especially if they've abandoned their project halfway through, but find that baby wipes get pretty much any stain out of any surface or fabric - and if they don't, a baking soda and white vinegar mixture will do the trick. There are heaps more cleaning tips from other Mums on the Harveys website, and they've also helpfully come up with some specialist guides for getting those pesky marks off of fabric and upholstery and leather furniture, and even for removing scratches from glass.

There are some other great crafty tutorials over here, including a fabulous rocket backpack (such an amazing idea!) and a beautiful spring mobile; most excitingly of all though, Harveys have teamed up with Not on the High Street to give away an incredible children's den.

All you have to do is upload pictures of your childrens crafty projects to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, adding the #HarveysHandmade hashtag and you'll automatically be entered in to the competition. What are you waiting for? Get crafting!

Huge thanks to Harveys for partnering with The Owl and the Accordion.