There couldn’t be a better time to fill your desks, shelves and drawers with cute stationery. January means January sales, new styles and a fresh start to begin a new notebook or journal.
Here’s a few of my favourite stationers with beautiful pens, pads and post-its and more!
Martha Brook – Beautiful quality paper products and they offer a personalised service too.
Did you know this stuff grows in the wild in so many public places across the UK for about 4-6 weeks of the year. And it comes back again every year.
Something we trrrry to do is go on an elderflower foraging hunt at this time of year. We come back with a bag of freshly picked elderflower and love turning it into something yummy.
Over the years we’ve made, gin, cordial, wine, but this year we found a fab recipe for orange and elderflower jam. And I can proudly confirm after nearly finishing a loaf of bread, it’s delicious on toast!
Where can I find it?
Elderflower is abundant throughout the UK, in woods and along roadside hedgerows. From late May you’ll see masses of tiny white flowers hanging in sprays which develop into purple elderberries later in the summer.
What does it look like?
Credit: Pete Holmes / WTML
The flowers are flat-topped clusters of tiny, creamy-white flowers, the fragrance is sweet and summery.
If you come across any on your daily wanders, why not take a little home to make something yummy too!
Here’s a few recipes we’ve enjoyed over the last few years to inspire you!
I recently celebrated my sons 2nd birthday, so it was the perfect opportunity to get creative. I wanted to attempt making a 3D number to use for a photo with him, and to decorate the food table.
If you fancy having a go yourself, all you’ll need is a large cardboard box, sellotape, spray paint, pencil and scissors.
I begun by drawing the number on a piece of cardboard, and cut it out.
Then choose which side you want the 3D edges to be, I wanted to fill the number with balloons so built the edges up on the front. I cut long rectangles out of the cardboard and used sellotape to attach around the edge. I stuck tape both sides to ensure it held.
I spray painted the whole thing…
Then found small metallic coloured balloons and wedged them all inside. It’s fair to say it’s pretty fragile, but perfect for a photo opportunity or decoration!
Every year these handmade pallet Christmas trees get to come out and say hello!
I had a pretty unrealistic dream one year that I wanted to fill my garden with lots of them and make some sort of magical wonderland! Storage was a little bit of an issue! So I stopped at three.
These are super simple to make, probably one of the easiest pallet upcycling projects out there.
You’ll need an old pallet which you can get anywhere FOR FREE. Never pay for a pallet! All my pallet projects have been upcycled for free, either by searching on gumtree/facebook marketplace or seeing them at the side of building sites.
Once you have your pallet check which side is the most attractive, then also decide which way up it’s going to be – again choosing the most attractive bit to keep as the base!
Then draw a triangle on your pallet, making sure the bar that holds each of the planks of wood, is going vertically through the middle.
Then saw either by hand or with a jigsaw all the down the lines, and that’s pretty much it! Say hello to your new pallet Christmas trees!
We dressed ours with solar powered fairy lights so they twinkle in our porch in the evening.
Here’s all three pallets off to help decorate a Christmas themed wedding one year!
If you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas this year, here’s a little guide we’ve put together of gifts sourced from small and local companies.
It’s been a tough year to navigate on all fronts. From a retail perspective, being a small business owner, it’s been a challenging time. There are so many small businesses out there struggling to keep going. If you’re on the hunt for gifts, here’s a thoughtful collection of gifts, made or sold from small businesses in and around my local area. There’s a few of our own thrown in the mix too!
Hopefully there’s something thoughtful here that you could buy for that special someone!
Happy shopping!
UNIQUE A5 SIZE CHARITY CHRISTMAS CARDS
William’s Fund raise money for Childhood Cancer in Oxford, we have our own researchers dedicated to improving Cancer treatment for children, in memory of William. William’s Fund have no paid employees.
These beautiful cards are from original designs by Elizabeth Cox, William’s Grandmother. Mixed packs of 25 (£13) or 50 (£18). ALL proceeds go to the research. Remember to look for the hidden mice!
Decorate your front door this Christmas with your own handmade festive wreath. This kit comes delivered to your home, with everything needed to make a wreath using real greenery, artificial berries, pine cones and an easy to follow tutorial.
Use code IDH for an exclusive 15% discount on all orders.
Get creative at home with everything you need to make and decorate your own paper envelope advent calendar. Fill your handmade envelopes with included acts of kindness ideas for you to spread a little festive cheer to your loved ones and the community. Great to make with or without kids.
Use code IDH for an exclusive 15% discount on all orders.
Ceramic Christmas decorations with satin red ribbon in a Snowman, Robin or Reindeer design. Each are personalised with an option of three messages ‘With love at Christmas’, ‘My first Christmas’ and ‘Happy Christmas’ and a name of your choice. To place an order please go to the ‘contact us’ form on the website.
Decorate your home with this rustic handmade advent bunting, made with individual pockets in each flag, to fill with your own treats of your choice. Start a new tradition in your home and reuse it each Christmas.
Use code IDH for an exclusive 15% discount on all orders.
Add a little sparkle to your home with our Elf huts. These handmade homes are installed with a solar light and come in a choice of two colours red and green. To order either visit my Etsy store, email enchantedgardendesigns@hotmail.com or check out my Facebook page facebook.com/enchantedgardendesigns/
A range of ceramic tiles and coasters in a variety of shapes and sizes that feature your little one’s hand or foot prints and name or custom personalisation. When ordered an ‘inkless hand and foot print kit’ will be sent directly to you with full instructions on how to take your prints. Once they are completed they can then be scanned and emailed back or returned in the envelope provided to Little Prints HQ. Upon receipt, the prints will be transformed into your keepsake and will then be posted to you within 2 weeks.
A range of ceramic tiles, coasters and hanging ornaments that feature your pet’s paw print and name or custom personalisation. When ordered an ‘inkless paw print kit’ will be sent directly to you with full instructions on how to take your prints. Once completed they can then be scanned and emailed back or returned in the envelope provided to Little Prints HQ. Upon receipt, the prints will be transformed into your keepsake and will then be posted to you within 2 weeks
Treat your home (and yourself) with our Home Pamper Hamper! This contains our gorgeous essentials to make your home smell and feel like the festive season, all presented in a reusable wood-effect gift box. Contents: Orange and Cinnamon Reed Diffuser (150ml), Warm Honeysuckle Candle (250g), Vanilla Small Room or
Car Freshener, Orange & Nutmeg Hand Sanitiser (100ml). Bespoke Hampers also available on our website
A gift offering any plant lover the chance to discover the art of macrame and create their own hanging garden. This kit comes with enough cotton cord to make and display two pot plants or terrariums.
Use code IDH for an exclusive 15% discount on all orders.
Luxury plant based soy wax candles and reed diffusers for the home and beautiful essential oil bath and body products for that extra treat we all deserve – the perfect gift this Christmas.
Unique and contemporary personalised portraits from a highly skilled local artist. Emily paints families, individuals, couples, children and pets from either photographs or sittings. A variety of sizes and options available, including oil paintings, watercolour, ink, charcoal and pencil. Order soon, to secure your slot: ratherniceartist@gmail.com
Children can choose either a fairy or Elf design wreath kit for them to design at home. These come with a wide range of artificial Christmas decorations, lights, colouring door kit, and glue pen. To order either visit my Etsy store, email enchantedgardendesigns@hotmail.com or check out my Facebook page facebook.com/enchantedgardendesigns/
This cosy craft kit includes everything you need to make a pair of microwavable, reusable pocket hand warmers. This stocking filler gift idea comes in two colours and makes a thoughtful winter treat for loved ones.
Use code IDH for an exclusive 15% discount on all orders.
The perfect gift for a creative friend. This letterbox friendly kit comes with everything they’ll need to decorate a tote bag, tea towel, or drawstring bag, using fair trade wooden block print stamps and fabric paint.
Use code IDH for an exclusive 15% discount on all orders.
Award winning English sparkling wine grown and made in Radnage, Buckinghamshie. Sparkling white and rose wines and Sparkling cider. Either order online or email info@dawshillvineyard.co.uk
The best, freshest sweets in the world, but tasting is believing. Providing old-fashioned excellent customer service and value for money. Our business motto is to put a smile on everyone’s face, one face at a time. We post out sweets envelopes all over England, Scotland and Wales.
Staying in is the new going out so enjoy Afternoon Tea in the comfort of your own home or garden with those nearest and dearest to you. Available as a christmas gift voucher or a treat at home for the holiday season.
Order either online, by email orders@thekitchencroxley.com or by giving us a ring 01923 805 896.
Colourful, light reflecting jewellery and home decorations. Lots of different sizes and 24 different colours – all handmade in Sarratt, to make you smile!
Why not add a sprinkle of sparkle to your Christmas this year? At the Heritage Jewellery Co, we have curated a range of beautiful vintage and antique jewellery including necklaces, bracelets, brooches, cufflinks and rings such as these fabulous five stone diamond rings.
If you’re looking for a unique and thoughtful gift for a loved one then an individually hand-crafted antique Victorian gold locket with a photograph you’ve chosen could just be the perfect present.
Our Body Pamper Hamper will provide everything you need to create your own calm with the help of our luxury skincare and a hand-poured aromatherapy candle, all presented in a reusable wood-effect gift box. Contents: Intensive Body Serum Cream (50g), Sleepy & Sensitive Skin Body Serum Cream (50g), Baby & Sensitive Skin Body Serum Cream (50g), pair of cotton gloves and bootees (one size), Orange & Nutmeg Hand Sanitiser (50ml), Serenity aromatherapy candle (250g). Bespoke Hampers also available on our website.
Treat that special someone to a relaxing treatment this Christmas, with a luxurious massage, aromatherapy or healing gift voucher. Vouchers come gift wrapped sure to wow anyone on Christmas Day.
Add some sparkle this Christmas. Our ethically sourced range of crystals can be compiled in to your very own tailor-made gift sets. Select a series of stones and link grandparents with grandchildren, husbands and wives, siblings and friends. From tumbles to towers, from points to geodes, from candles to carvings to keyrings, there really is something for everyone! Give us a call or send a WhatsApp to discuss your personal order, and let us help you make it a Christmas to remember. Give a gift that lasts, connecting you with loved ones wherever you are in the world, showing your love, this Christmas and forever.
Spoil that special person in your life with a gift voucher from Eloquence Permanent Cosmetics. A choice of three bespoke treatments; Hairstroke/ Combination/Ombré Brows, Eyeliner or Lip Blush/Full Colour.
Inspired by Ayurveda an all-natural hair care range based on Ayurvedic principles to strengthen hair and restore dry damaged hair back to its former glory.
Use code IDH for an exclusive 20% discount on all items.
A lot of thought has gone into this collection of Crystal Pouches, each one offering love, support and healing to the individual. Each pouch contains six crystals energised with Reiki healing for a friend or family member and offers support for: Anxiety & Stress, Calm & Relaxation, Wealth & Abundance, Communication & Confidence, Concentration & Memory and Travellers. Visit the website to find an array of beautiful crystal gifts and jewellery which can be personalised with a name, brief message and Reiki healing.
Gift a loved one pure calm, relaxation and healing with a Reiki therapeutic treatment. This gentle Japanese technique is excellent for stress and anxiety, insomnia, headaches, pain, menopause symptoms and much more. Gift vouchers are available for 30 or 60 minute treatments. Visit the website to find out more about how Reiki works.
October for me means pumpkin decorating! And not the scary spooky kind!
Why not create a pumpkin floral display and turn your 🎃 into a vase!
Here’s our easy to follow tutorial…
First you’ll need a pumpkin! We bought three from our local supermarket.
Next, find a plastic pot smaller than the pumpkin you’re using. I used an empty yoghurt pot! There’s probably something perfectly suitable in your plastic recycling bin.
Draw around the diameter of your pot on top of your pumpkin
Dig out the middle of your pumpkin, be careful not to go out of the edges of where you’ve drawn
Optional – Paint or decorate your your pumpkin a colour of your choice, I went for copper paint!
Once dry, pop your pot in your pumpkin and you’ve got yourself a makeshift vase.
Hope you loved this pumpkin decorating idea! If you make one I’d love to have a peek! Tag us on facebook or instagram with @idohandmadeuk or send us an email
Happy October everyone!
If you’re a plant lover, have you seen our hanging garden craft kit? – check it out here.
I love attempting an Ikea hack project! This one is definitely one of my proudest upcycles so far, as I did it all virtually for free!
It all started with me needing shelving units in our newly installed office. I managed to find these two Billy bookcases on the Trash Nothing that someone was giving away.
They were the brown mahogany style and definitely needed some love and TLC!
(Top Tip – if you’re looking for storage solution furniture in your home, I always check recycling websites first, before resorting to buying anything, they’re a great way to save the planet from waste and most of the stuff is usually free!)
I had some white satin wood paint left over from when I moved house, which was perfect for this, so I gave both shelving units two coats, except the back walls of the shelves.
I had a plan to cover the back walls of the shelves in patterned wallpaper. I’ve done this a few times on some of my old pieces of furniture. It’s a great way of bringing some colour into a room. Not needing whole rolls of wallpaper, I nipped down to my local B&Q and picked up a few samples of wallpaper in shades of blue, white and anything with a bit of metallic in it.
(Top tip number 2 – Wallpaper samples are totally free friends! Anytime I’m in a hardware store that sells wallpaper, I always stock up on a few samples of wallpaper, as I use it for so many things. Crafting, card making, present wrapping, scrapbooking. For anyone who’s not done this before, don’t open a new roll of wallpaper! There’s usually always one open, so look for that first and tear off a portion – it’s totally allowed!)
With my wallpaper samples ready, I measured out the hole I needed to fill and cut out the shapes I needed in the different patterns.
Using PVA glue, I stuck down the wallpaper to the back of each shelf. I had a bit of an oopsie moment, and ran out of wallpaper for two of the shelves so if you look closely, two of the shelves have a strip missing! But I thought if I made the gap at the bottom of the shelf, put books on those shelves, no one will ever notice! The joys of DIY projects!
I’m super pleased with the finished result! It looks quite smart in the office and a little more homey than plain office shelving!
What do you think? Have you tried an Ikea hack before? I’d love to hear more if so!
Here’s a lovely moving house gift idea I made recently for a family who moved to St. Louis in the States, last month.
This gift idea is ideal for people moving somewhere new. It’s a year of day out ideas to help them get to know their new local neighbourhood.
I scoured the internet for fun and quirky things to do for the family, trying not to find things that cost too much. I kept in mind the seasons and the weather it’ll likely be. Finding an unusual ice-cream parlour to go to in January probably wouldn’t be that fun!
I also checked out event sites, to see if there were any one-off festivals or events going on that might not be on the usual ‘things to do in St Louis’ type websites.
When you start googling there really are so many ideas that makes me bet there’s so many unfound gems in my own neighbourhood!
I typed the ideas into text boxes on a word document, giving all the info they’d need to find out more online, and cut out the different cards.
I decorated 12 envelopes adding the month of the year to each one.
Fill the envelopes and tie with string adding a handwritten tag. Hopefully this will give the family a year of fun memories to start making together in their new home town.
I’ve made this gift a few times for a few friends, it works for lots of occasions. A year of date night ideas for the first year of marriage, a year of things to do with a newborn baby.
Do you know someone who would love something handmade like this? Why not give it a go too.
If you’re looking for a face mask for a special occasion, we might just have something for you.
With face masks becoming the crazy new normal, it’s completely going to change people’s photo albums for weddings and parties.
So imagine this, you’re heading to your best mates wedding, you’ve had your hair done, you’ve got your favourite pair of fancy heels and a designer clutch at the ready, and erm a clinical blue disposable face mask? Probably not the look you had in mind.
So we’ve been working on a few ways for you to look smart and feel safe at the same time.
Introducing our luxurious lace range of face masks?
We recently added lace face masks to our online shop. Don’t worry, they’re made of fabric a little thicker than lace!
These are fabulous for weddings and parties. They also the perfect solution if you’re the bride or groom about to go wedding dress/suit shopping. Check out this luxurious style in our online shop. They’re easy to order and arrive gift wrapped, in letterbox friendly packaging.
Want something completely unique?
As well as the 30+ designs available in our online shop, we love to get our creative hat on to make something totally bespoke for you.
It could be a certain fabric your looking for, or a photo printed onto your mask, or words, a logo or initials.
It could even be a bulk order of special masks for all your guests, we’d love to help.
Bespoke mask prices start from £8 a mask + p&p.
Get in touch and we can start creating a face mask for a special occasion and something completely unique for you.
Want a SUPER simple bake-less cake recipe that will make the perfect dessert for any celebration? Read on 🙂
I celebrated my birthday recently and it’s a tradition in our house for the mama bear to make us all a handmade cake, usually in a creative, quirky fun design.
This year was quite an impressive cake I’ve gotta say, it’s up there as one of my favs! A five decker layer ice-cream cake. Oh my goodness was it yummy.
The best thing is, it’s all made of ice-cream so it’s so simple to make as there’s no baking involved. Any age can make it and it will look super impressive!
How to make you ice-cream cake
You’ll need:
5x tubs of ice-cream, all different colours and flavours ideally (you won’t need it all)
Sweets and biscuits to decorate
Melted chocolate
5x round cake tins
You’ll need the ice-cream slightly squishy to mould it for the first stage. So either take it out of the freezer for 5/10 minutes, or usually by the time you get back from the shops it’s the perfect stage to start making your ice-cream cake.
Scoop out your ice-cream into the cake tins – one flavour for each tin. Press it down firmly to create about a 1 inch thick layer.
Pop all cake tins back in the freezer to solidify and wait at least an hour for it to properly freeze.
Take out each of your cake tins, and fill up a washing up bowl with boiling water. Just dip each cake tin in the hot water for about 5 seconds, wipe the bottom of the tin with a tea towel and turn the tin over onto a plate. The ice-cream should pop out relatively easily with a few shakes. Take a knife and score around the edges and repeat the water technique again if you’re struggling to get it out.
Place all the layers on top of each other, then use your creative imagination to decorate your ice-cream tower.
Melted chocolate makes a great effect if you drip it down the edge of the cake. Or you could cover your cake in melted chocolate stripes.
Then adorn your cake with yummy sweets and biscuits. My mum decorated mine in mini jammi-dodgers, chocolate fingers, cadburys crunchie and wafer biscuits as they are a few of my favs!
The more colourful it is, the more impressive it’ll look!
Remember to keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to present to the birthday girl or boy.
There you have it, a super epic bake-less cake recipe!
This is a thoughtful handmade gift idea for a new mum or expecting mama. Perfect if you’re wondering what to get someone.
Inspired from a gift I received when I was pregnant, I wanted to write little letters to my bump of all the things I was thinking and dreaming for him. My pregnancy was a little miracle at a time filled with many unsettling circumstances. This little babe was one of the only things that kept us going mentally as a family and I wanted to express this in a letter to explain how perfectly timed his life was and how blessed we are to have him.
Gushy stuff over! I therefore wrote several letters – things I’d love him to try, things I hope for him, important things about life. I put them in different labelled envelopes.
Fast-forward to last month, I wanted to send a few of my pregnant friends a ‘thinking of you’ present. Pregnant during lockdown sounds incredibly tough, you’re desperate for things to keep you busy but want to do things that don’t require too much physical movement! So I personalised some envelopes for them to be able to write a similar thing for their bundle
I wrote five envelopes and labelled them with different topics and decorated the edge of each envelope with some metallic washi tape.
Then I tied them up with string and added a tag to look a little more gift-like! I used the phrase ‘Letters to the one who made me a mum’
And there you have it, a thoughtful gift idea for new mum and mamas-to-be out there.
To date, as a business we have always tried to shop small and source our stock and supplies from small independents or fair trade organisations. But as part of the continued conversation about diversity, one of the things we can do as a company is to be mindful about the businesses we buy from.
One of the ways to support ethnic minority communities is to shop from them.
Personally, I love coming across companies offering unique gifts, quirky accessories and yummy treats, especially if they’re from a small business. So to inspire you, here’s a few BAME-owned small UK businesses we have come across recently.
Don’t forget there’s many ways to champion independent stores through social media follows, likes, comments, reviews, shares, and recommendations.
We hope this inspires you to find some brilliant new brands to support and fall in love with.
Create your own mini home sanctuary with stunning accessories and decor @wildbohome
We’ve introduced a crochet kit which could make the perfect gift for the crochet lovers out there.
This fun crochet kit comes with everything you need to have a relaxing evening, creating a trio of colourful handmade wash cloths.
This easy crocheting project comes with all the supplies to crochet three 16cm square dish cloths or flannels.
Sure to brighten up any home, the kit is suitable for anyone who has learnt the basics of crochet and able to read a super simple pattern. Newbies to crochet will particularly love this kit, helping improve their skills and create something useful for the home.
Choose two of the five colourful 8 ply cotton yarns, all made from 100% soft and natural fibre.
This beautifully presented kit comes in a recyclable, letterbox friendly packaging, wrapped in tissue paper, tied with string and personalised with a message of your choice making it a great option for birthday or ‘thinking of you’ presents.
If crocheting is not their thing, check out our range of crafty kits which also make thoughtful gifts for your creative friends and family.
You can never enough useful storage bags. Well we’re helping the cause making the world become a little more organised with our useful storage bag decorating kits.
People have been getting creative at home with these super therapeutic block printing kits.
These kits come with a cotton bag of your choice, brightly coloured fabric paints and fair trade block print stamps. You create your own signature design using the stamps, leaving you with a beautifully original storage bag.
I’ve loved seeing people’s designs, and how they’re using these bags at home. I thought I’d share a little collection to inspire you how you could use yours.
Lydia uses her drawstring bag as a laundry bag to wash her work uniform in
Fiona uses her zipped bag for all her crafty nik naks!
Charlene uses her accessory bag for lotions and potions in her handbag Ella is using her drawstring bag to keep her dolls accessories safe
Hayley keeps her tote bag in her handbag to save plastic bags from being used
Lisa uses her drawstring bag to organise her clothes when travelling
Fran has upgraded her bag for life with this foldable tote bag
Rose is using her accessory bag for her crochet hooks
Hayley uses her zipped accessory bag for makeup
Libby is using her drawstring bag for her notebooks and pens
If you fancy decorating a drawstring bag, a tote bag, a zipped bag or a baby vest, all with your own completely unique design. Click here to find out more.
Escape the chaos for just a few minutes with a doodle a day.
For the last month I’ve been trying out a new habit before I go to bed. I doodle the highlights from the last 24 hours in a notebook.
No fancy equipment, I just use a standard biro and notebook. I saw this idea on the lovely @libbypagewrites’s instagram and imagined it could be a nice way to switch off.
So I’ve been trying it out just before bedtime, which is when I usually endlessly scroll through my phone at completely trivial content.
The problem I thought I would have is that I cannot draw to save my life. I’m creative, but drawing does not come naturally to me.
But to begin with I sorta thought, who cares, this is an alternative to journalling, this is for me, so why does it matter?
Then after a few days, I started to get into it more and wanted my doodles to look a bit more creatively illustrated shall we say! So one night I googled ‘how to draw a baby’ as my attempts of drawing my 1 year old were pretty poor! And google instantly displays step by step instructions. You can do this for pretty much anything.
My drawing is definitely still questionable, but who cares!
Most of all, it’s been nice having this output to think about the day, what I loved, what I could do tomorrow that could make it better. It also calms me down and distracts me from any worries or anxiety that might have sneakily crept its way into my mind.
Here’s a few of my musings… now don’t laugh!
Of course doodling a day isn’t going to transform your mind into a positive haven of tranquillity over night, but if your go to is reaching for your phone at night time, this activity is much more life giving. Fancy giving it a go too?
If you have a celebration coming up and you’d like to decorate, check out this simple ‘how to make a streamer backdrop’ tutorial to create your own impressive display.
All you need:
Crepe paper streamers
String
Scissors
Gold metallic ribbon (optional)
I have seen so many of these stunning streamer backdrops all over pinterest, these brightly coloured backdrops can add a wow factor to any venue. So with my son’s 1st birthday during lockdown, I wanted to try make it special, not that he will remember it! I had a go at making my own.
Getting started
I went for a green jungle, turquoise and gold sorta’ colour theme. If you’re designing your own, choose colours that might be in the room, or on other decorations e.g. balloons, banners, bunting, table cloths, straws etc.
I bought crepe paper streamers from this ebay store. This particular UK based seller has lots of colours. When purchasing yours, I’d recommend choosing 3 or 4 colours.
Making Your Backdrop
Choose the width and height you’d like to make, e.g. if it’s going behind a table, measure the width of the table.
The string is what you’re going to tie your streamers to. Cut your string double your desired width, so you have enough to secure your backdrop to wherever it’s going.
I used our washing line to make our backdrop, and then re-positioned it when it was made. For yours decide where it’s going to go, and either make it there, or you could make it on a wall that has nails already in a wall holding up photos, or a curtain pole.
Tying your streamers
Once you’ve decided the height of your backdrop, take your first coloured streamer and cut it double your chosen length.Take the midway point of your cut streamer in one hand, and thread this over your string and bring the two tails through the loop. The official knot term is called a Lark Head Knot. See below an image taken from google.
This is the knot you’re going to do for each streamer.
Check you’re happy with the length of your first streamer, and if so start cutting more crepe streamers of the same length.
We tied ours in colour order, but feel free to add yours in any order you wish.
It also sometimes looks nice with them all different heights. You can always trim it at the end, if you’d prefer a neat line.
Finally, add a few gold ribbon strings randomly along your backdrop, and score them so they spiral. I think it personally adds a fun finish to the backdrop.
There you have it! A great DIY decoration idea perfect for baby showers, weddings, parties galore.
I secured mine to our freestanding copper arch which we hire out for weddings and events. I also added a DIY balloon arch, which is a story for another day 🙂
If you have a go at making your own I’d love to see, tag or share your pictures with us.
There are so many things you can decorate and personalise with block print stamps.
Block printing has been around for thousands of years, and is still providing so much joy for creatives today.
We provide block printing kits for people to create signature pattens onto tote and drawstring bags. These individually carved wooden block print stamps have been fair trade sourced from a family in Delhi
These stamps can be used to decorate so many more things than a fabric bag. If you’ve bought a kit, or have block print stamps at home, check out all the other things you could create with a bit of imagination.
Note – these are ideas I’ve found on Pinterest, they are all direct Pinterest pins which I have no affiliation with.
1. Handmade birthday cards
2. Hand stamped gift tags
3. Handprinted wrapping paper
4. Tea-towels
5. Lampshades
6. Imprinting soap patterns
7. Personalising clothes
8. Scarves
9. Notebook covers
10. Canvas for your home
There you have 10 things you can decorate with block print stamps.
If you would like to have a go at block printing yourself, check out our kits which can be delivered to your door or make thoughtful gifts for friends.
If you’re new to scrapbooking, here’s our simple guide on how to make a lockdown scrapbook, great to do with or without kids.
It’s currently May 2020 when writing this, 8 weeks into lockdown, and there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Shops are talking of re-opening, services potentially starting up again and workers are encouraged to go back to work. It’s definitely been a bizarre couple of months. But amongst the anxiety and sadness, there have been some moments I’m so grateful for, that I don’t want to forget. Spending time together, trying out new recipes, exploring alternative ways to keep busy.
If you’ve felt anyway similar, have you considered writing those memories down or printing those memorable photos out that just sit on our phones?
A lockdown memory book could be something we look at in the future reminding us of the things and feelings we felt. This period is something that will be marked in history books. It would be great to be able to show future generations how it impacted us, the lessons we learned and the important things we shouldn’t take for granted.
Got kids in your family? This is a great activity to do together as a family filling it with all the things you got up to during lockdown.
What is a scrapbook?
A scrapbook is a grander version of a photo album. The great thing about a scrapbook is that it’s a great way to remember moments as you can include more than just photos.
Scrapbooks are a collage version of a photo album. You fill them with photos, your thoughts, memories, feelings plus any physical documentation you wanna cherish, e.g receipts or tickets, or a leaflet or something the kids made.
There are some really talented scrapbookers out there that theme each page around the photo on the page. So if there’s a photo of someone at beach for example, they would create waves out of tissue paper for a border, or add seaside pictures and stickers, plus the plastic spoon they ate their icecream sundae with. That kinda thing.
Don’t worry though, your lockdown memory book can be as creative or as simple as you like!
Free scrapbook kit for you!
I’ve created a free printable scrapbook kit to help get you started. I designed this with kids in mind. But scrapbooking is something all ages can really enjoy. As well as the kit, you’ll also receive inspiration each month plus free tutorials of other projects to try, don’t worry you can unsubscribe any time if you just want the freebie.
Notebook or scrapbook – Hobbycraft sell scrapbooks from £4, with beautiful front covers (the 8×8’’ size is great for this project)
Glue-stick
Scissors
Photos printed
The scrapbook kit PDF printed
Side note – To print your photos either print on your printer at home or get them delivered to your door. I have always used the Freeprints App to print my photos. You get 45 free prints every month, and you just pay for p&p. Here’s a link where we both get 5 additional free prints a month. Use this link or enter the promo code ‘backerman2’ at sign up.
How to make your scrapbook
1.Cut
Once you’ve got everything in front of you, cut out anything from the free kit you would like to use in your scrapbook. You’ll see text boxes are there to go next to photos, banners are there to be used for tops of pages, and colourful tape which you could use to look like its sticking down the photos.
2. Anything else to add?
Do you have other things around the house that you want to include that reminds you of this time? It could be artwork your kids made during lockdown, a receipt from the day you queued 2 hours at Tescos, a clean serviette with the Nandos logo, from when they delivered to your door, or a sheet of clean toilet roll to remind you how precious this was!
If you have any magazines or newspapers around the home you could include words and pictures that relate to each page you’re working on. The top headlines that we’ve been reading. Anything to remind you, years to come of what these days are like and how you feel right now.
3. Organise
Plan out your scrapbook before sticking anything down. Put your photos into some sort of order. It could be in date order or themed into subjects like foods you ate during lockdown, games you played, new things you tried etc.
4. Start sticking
You can create your scrapbook how you wish, I tend to stick my photo first and build around it. I include a little bit of writing next to most of my photos. So feel free to do the same using the text boxes available, or leave space next to your photo to write straight onto the page.
5. Add to it and fill in
Glue down any additional bits to your pages, magazine clippings, newspaper headlines. If you have any stickers around the home add them in. Or doodles you want to fill pages with.
Then next to your photos write a little bit about each one, what you’re feeling, your favourite thing about the photo, what you will always remember, something someone said, that kind of thing.
There you have it, a great memory book. You can apply this technique for any memories you want to cherish. Holidays, summary of the year, things you’ve learned.
Organise your cupboards using beautifully labeled kitchen storage containers.
I’ve saved so many pictures to my pinterest board of beautifully organised kitchen cupboards and labelled jars and bottles. I love the pictures where all the jars are the same style and all the labels are co-ordinated.
I thought it’s about time I have a go myself, and why not use this period of ‘down time’ at home to do so.
Which kitchen storage containers to use
After browsing the web, I actually found it quite hard to find the ones I wanted. But I settled for a pack of six from Amazon, which I’m glad I did as they’re great.
This pack comes with three sized containers, two of each size. Each one has an air-tight seal which keeps everything fresh, and are slightly square shaped. This means they won’t waste too much precious space on the shelf which I was worried round jars would do.
I bought 12 kitchen storage containers in total, so I went through the cupboards to see what 12 ingredients I could transfer.
Having a mixture of sized jars was definitely useful as some foods didn’t require such a large container.
Before filling them up though, I made a note of what would go in each one to be sure I had enough jars. Now the fun part – filling them up!
Labelling the containers
The great thing about this pack of kitchen storage containers, was that it included chalk label stickers and a chalk marker pen. So I wrote out all the names I needed and added a dotted border.
I left the chalk labels to dry for about 15 minutes before sticking them on, as they looked like they would smudge if I touched them.
When sticking the labels onto the storage containers, I stood them all next to each other so that the stickers were all the same height.
And there they are! These jars now stand proudly on the shelf. I now have slightly more organised cupboards with labelled kitchen storage containers. I’m now contemplating buying more containers for all the other things in my cupboards!
