Ideas

My greatest gift to myself has been my little house in Italy. Not only because I can go there to take a breather every year, but also because there's so much to learn there about family and togetherness. Last week, the whole village was buzzing about

We used white as the primary colour for our Christmas table and simply brought in touches of gold here and there to introduce a modern, festive feeling. Paper with concertina folds serves as our tablecloth and we repeated the folds in the rest of our

YOU WILL NEED ♥ bell template on page 35 ♥ medium-weight white cardboard ♥ mini gold bells ♥ cord of your choice ♥ craft glue ♥ craft knife and cutting mat YOU WILL NEED ♥ paper of your choice ♥ wooden beads ♥ cord of your choice ♥ double-sided adhes

Use a selection of different small leaves printed in black and white on different papers as a still life on a pinboard. (See overleaf for step-by-step monoprint instructions.) YOU WILL NEED: ♥ colour roller ♥ Plexiglass plate ♥ fresh leaves and flowe

Makes: 15 YOU WILL NEED: ♥ 250g white baking chocolate, chopped ♥ double boiler or a glass bowl over a small saucepan ♥ silicone mould with 15 × 4cm domes (available at baking shops) ♥ 2 piping bags ♥ cake sprinkles or gold leaf (available at baking

It was still quite early in the year when I received a message on my phone: What did you use to paint your headboard last year? By this, Pieter meant the upholstered headboard that I had boasted about on Instagram the previous year. It didn't take lo

It's really easy to cure your own salmon. It makes an impressive starter and a little goes a long way. If you run out of time, buy ready-cured gravlax or smoked salmon instead. Serves: 6-8 Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus curing time Cooking time:

DIFFICULTY: all the projects are reasonably easy to more challenging TIME: an hour or so per project, depending on the detail What angel doesn't want glittery, feathery wings?! We made ours by first applying spray glue to the ends of the feathers (ou

Make your own trinkets to hang on your tree by breathing new life into old baubles and getting creative with metallic aluminium sheets from your local craft shop. UPCYCLED BAUBLES: (RIGHT) We gave the old baubles from last year a new look by using ho

DIFFICULTY: difficult TIME: a day ♥ gold aluminium sheets (available from most craft shops) ♥ thick cardboard ♥ embossing tool with a fine point ♥ thin and thicker wire ♥ glue gun ♥ sharp scissors ♥ craft knife and cutting mat ♥ candles TIP: To make

In the 18th century the nutcracker doll was seen as a bringer of good luck over Christmas. No wonder it is still a beloved element in our Christmas decorations. We can all do with more good fortune! DIFFICULTY: intermediate  TIME: a day Measures 23cm

DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: day or two ♥ pattern on page 103 ♥ felt or fabric ♥ piece of pink felt for inner ears ♥ matching machine thread ♥ stuffing ♥ red and black embroidery thread ♥ fabric for clothes ♥ needles and pins ♥ scissors ♥ glue gun

Little Rudolph is sure to add some festive cheer to your Christmas tableau. DIFFICULTY: moderate TIME: half a day for one ♥ template on page 106 ♥ fabric (40cm × 30cm piece should be enough for 1 reindeer) – upholstery fabric is recommended for its t

With air-dry clay as our main ingredient, we used moulds, stencils, stamps and even the bottom of a drinking glass to add texture and patterns to our decorations. Baking and craft shops and your crockery and cutlery cupboards and drawers are great pl

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: about two hours for one ♥ macramé cord (we used 3mm and 5mm diameter) ♥ wool carders needle felting brush or steel comb ♥ empty toilet paper roll ♥ wooden beads (we used 10mm diameter) ♥ small piece of cotton for the bow of the

DIFFICULTY: medium to difficult TIME: half a day (drying time excluded) ♥ air-dry clay ♥ cone-shaped moulds ♥ embossing stamps ♥ 2 × plastic sheets for rolling out the clay ♥ rolling pin ♥ plastic wrap ♥ sharp knife ♥ tapers (tall, slim candles) TIP:

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: about 45 minutes each 4,5-6cm diameter ♥ 50g each of Elle Cottons 4 ply in Baby Pink and Black ♥ 50g each African Expressions Love 3039 (Dusty Pink Mohair) and 3029 (Fawn Mohair) ♥ 25g Blue Label Classic Gold Lurex col 500 ♥