• Posts Tagged ‘makes’

    Country craft: Luggage label

    by  • June 9, 2013 • Crafting • 0 Comments

    Luggage label

    Brightly coloured luggage label made with felt and embroidery thread both Hobbycraft.

    Get the kids crafting and get ahead for next weekends Father’s Day celebrations with this jolly luggage label idea.

    You will need

    Coloured felt – 2 complimentary shades

    Embroidery thread

    Embroidery needle

    Scissors

    Small metal D ring

    Pins

    Newspaper

    Pen

    To make, draw and cut out a rectangular paper template with a square on top – ours measured roughly 7 x 10cm, with a 1.5 x 1.5cm square (see the photograph as a guide). Fold the felt in half. Place and pin the template on to the felt, with the small square area perpendicular to the fold. Cut out, unpin the template, unfold and lay out with the rectangles at the top and bottom. Draw and cut out an initial on another coloured piece of felt – ours measured roughly 5 x 8cm (see the photograph as a guide). Position centrally and upright on the bottom rectangle and tack into place with the coloured thread. Push the felt through the D ring until it is in the narrowest section.  Refold the felt in half, wrong sides facing.  Stitch all around the label with coloured thread. We used blanket stitch, but tacking stitch would work just as well.

    If you like this idea we have lots more easy craft projects for you to try.
    And for more country crafts, recipes and room ideas, why not buy our new Country Home Ideas app?

    Read more →

    Country craft: Butterfly wall art

    by  • June 2, 2013 • Crafting • 0 Comments

    Butterfly wall art

    Butterflies made from Butterfly Vintage 5860/284/CU from Prestigious Textiles. Calico, embroidery hoop, embroidery thread all from Hobbycraft.

    Make this decorative design from your favourite butterfly fabric.

    You will need

    Embroidery hoop

    Butterfly fabric – we used Butterfly Vintage 5860/284/CU from Prestigious Textiles

    Embroidery thread to match (optional)

    Embroidery needle (optional)

    Calico fabric

    Scissors

    Iron-on bonding tape

    To make cut out the butterflies from your fabric. Layer up different sizes and colours of butterfly placing a small piece of iron-on bonding tape between each layer. Press gently in the centre of the butterfly with a hot iron to secure together, then separate wing edges. Arrange the butterflies centrally on your calico, making sure they will fit into the inner circle of the embroidery hoop. Place another small piece of iron-on bonding tape underneath each butterfly and press in the centre to secure in place. Fit the calico into the embroidery hoop and trim the fabric edges to neaten. These framed butterflies look lovely as they are, but to add an extra finishing touch,add details with a few stitches of embroidery thread.

    If you like this idea we have lots more easy craft projects for you to try.
    And for more country crafts, recipes and room ideas, why not buy our new Country Home Ideas app?

    Read more →

    Country make: appliqué cushion

    by  • May 12, 2013 • Crafting • 0 Comments

     

    Applique cushion

    Readymade cushion, fabrics, ric-rac, iron-on fabric tape all from Hobbycraft

    Give a cushion a new look with stylish – and stitch free – appliqué patches.

    You will need

    Ready made cushion

    Complementary fabrics

    Pins

    Pinking sheers

    Ric-rac

    Iron-on fabric bonding tape

    Cut all the fabric patches to a square shape measuring the required size adding 2cm all around for hemming. Pin hems under on the wrong side of each patch and press. Position the ric-rac in a square shape to the desired size centrally on the smallest patch, right side facing. Cut the iron-on fabric bonding tape into 4 thin strips and sandwich this between the ric-rac and the patch. Pin in place and iron .Position the smallest patch centrally on the next size up square, right sides uppermost, sandwiching a layer of iron-on fabric tape underneath the edges. Pin together then iron. Repeat the process with the remaining patch layers, until the desired number or pattern is reached. Position the combined patches centrally on the cushion, sandwiching one last layer of iron-on fabric tape underneath the bottom square edges. Repeat the iron-on fabric tape process, then press whole cushion to complete the project.

    Ready made cushion, fabrics, iron-on fabric tape all from Hobbycraft

     

    If you like this idea we have lots more easy craft projects for you to try. Or, for more country crafts, recipes and room ideas, take a look at our new Country Home Ideas app.

    Read more →

    Country make: jolly jam jar vases

    by  • April 28, 2013 • Crafting • 0 Comments

    Jam jars decorated with adhesive ribbon from Hobbycraft

    Jam jars decorated with adhesive ribbon from Hobbycraft

    Jazz up plain jam jars with pretty adhesive ribbon or tape to create lovely little vases and pots. Perfect for seasonal flowers or storing odds and ends

    You will need

    Jam jars – assorted sizes

    Self adhesive decorative ribbon or tape

    Scissors

    To make clean and thoroughly dry the jam jars. Take the ribbon or tape and with the backing still attached measure around the jar adding 1cm to the length for positioning. Remove the backing from the end of the tape and position on the jar. Tape around the jar carefully removing more of the backing as you work. Align the ends  and cut with the scissors to a neat finish.

    If you like this idea we have lots more easy craft projects for you to try. Or, for more country crafts, recipes and room ideas, take a look at our new Country Home Ideas app.

    Read more →

    Sunday morning make…Easter egg jar

    by  • March 31, 2013 • Crafting, Eating • 0 Comments

    Need a last minute Easter gift idea? A prettily presented jar full of

    chocolate eggs is a easy crowd pleaser. We show you how…

    Easter egg jar

    Fabrics, ribbons and card all from a selection at Hobbycraft.

    You will need,

    A lidded glass jar

    Complementary fabrics

    Ribbon

    Stiff pattern card

    Large elastic band

    Chocolate mini eggs

    Tailor’s chalk

    A circular saucer and a small plate (of differing diameters)

    Pinking shears

    Hole punch

     

    To make place the saucer on the back of one of the fabrics, draw around with tailor’s chalk and cut around the circle with the shears. Repeat with the small plate on the remaining fabric. Cut out a label shaped tag from the patterned card using the shears. Punch a hole at the top with the hole punch. Fill the jar with mini eggs and screw the lid on. Place the smaller circle of fabric on top of the larger circle of fabric and position on top of the jar. Secure over the lid with an elastic band. Thread the ribbon through your label then tie in place over the jar lid.

    Read more →

    Sunday morning make…. Mother’s Day mug

    by  • March 10, 2013 • Crafting, Eating • 0 Comments

    Treat mums to a proper cuppa on Mother’s Day in this hand-finished mug featuring black chalkboard paint to write down their drinks requests.

    You will need a ceramic mug, chalkboard paint, masking tape and a small brush. Thoroughly clean and dry your mug. Mark off the top edge and down the side near the handle with masking tape. With your brush paint one even layer of chalkboard paint on the mug. Leave to dry until tacky then carefully remove the tape and leave until completely dry.

    Painted mug featuring chalkboard paint, mug, masking tape and chalk all from a selection at Hobbycraft

    Painted mug featuring chalkboard paint, mug, masking tape and chalk all from a selection at Hobbycraft

    If you like this idea we have lots more easy craft projects for you to try. And for more country recipes, crafts and room ideas, why not buy our new Country Home Ideas app?

    Read more →

    Wool House Exhibition

    by  • March 6, 2013 • Crafting, Living, Out and About, Shopping • 1 Comment

    If you love wool as much as we do, you’ll be delighted to hear about Wool House which opens from 13th – 24th March. Heralded as the biggest ever wool exhibition, it is launched by the Campaign for Wool to profile the wonderful range and use of wool and woollen products.

    Occupying the west wing of Somerset House in London, it offers a truly inspiring insight into the wonderful world of wool with stunning displays of fashion, art, textiles, home wares, flooring, furnishing, and wool crafts. There are stylish room sets to see by designer names including Ashley Hicks, Josephine Ryan and Kit Kemp, as well as a series of wool-led designer talks, events and a programme of activities including our fantastic crochet workshop held in association with Rowan on the 15th March. Normal opening hours are 10am till 6pm but on craft days the exhibition will be open till 7pm.

    Woollen knits from the Wool House Exhibition. Photography by Chris Everard, styling by Arabella McNie.

    Woollen knits from the Wool House Exhibition. Photography by Chris Everard, styling by Arabella McNie.

     

    Read more →

    Beautiful new craft book

    by  • February 9, 2012 • Crafting • 2 Comments

    Have you seen the new craft book All Sewn Up by Chloe Owens (£14.99, Cico Books)? Textile artist Chloe has a passion for vintage style and her book includes 35 creative projects using appliqué and embroidery.

    I love the Scandinavian-inspired place mats in vibrant colours (below), or try your hand at making a country-style table runner to brighten up your home for spring.

    As well as home accessories, there are great ideas for handmade gifts too – how about a pretty tote bag or laptop case?

    Easy-to-follow instructions guide you through the makes, plus there’s templates for each project. The book is beautifully illustrated, so it’s a pleasure to browse through the designs.

    Chloe’s love of colour and pattern is inspiring as she cheerfully suggests that you get ‘creative with colour and doodle with your sewing machine.’ Now where’s my needles and thread…

    All Sewn Up by Chloe Owens (£14.99 hardback, Cico Books). Photograph courtesy of Cico Books

    All Sewn Up by Chloe Owens (£14.99 hardback, Cico Books). Photograph courtesy of Cico Books

    Sew a beautiful place mat. Photograph courtesy of Cico Books

    Sew a beautiful place mat. Photograph courtesy of Cico Books

    Read more →

    Sew slip-on covers for seat pads

    by  • January 25, 2012 • Crafting, Living • 2 Comments

    These pretty cushion covers feature in our up-and-coming March issue and are made in a beautiful Nina Campbell fabric, Montacute, from Osborne & Little.

    The floral pattern livens up a neutral room and because you’re not using a lot of fabric it means you can refresh a scheme without it costing the earth – you could even use a plain cotton fabric on the underside of the seat pads.

    You’ll find the instructions for making the covers here, and for more sewing projects like this one, visit the Housetohome website.

    A floral fabric will breathe life into a neutral scheme.

    Use a sew-on hook and loop fastener so you can easily remove the cover for washing and, if your seat pad has ties, the fastener will fit snugly together around them.

    Read more →

    Creative gift wrapping ideas

    by  • December 15, 2011 • Crafting • 2 Comments

    Wrapping presents ready to put under the tree is one of my favourite Christmas preparations, so I’ve been looking for some lovely ideas as inspiration for this year’s gifts.

    I love these creative ways to personalise presents and tips on how to get organised with a gift-wrapping station for rolls of wrapping paper, tissue, scissors, tape, ribbons and bows.

    There’s a gorgeous selection of paper and trimmings at Notonthehighstreet.com, including handmade snowflake design paper, personalised gift tags and country-style striped ribbons…

    How are you getting creative for Christmas this year?

    Giftwrap from Notonthehighstreet.com

    Giftwrap, tags and ribbons, from a selection at Notonthehighstreet.com

    For more gift wrapping ideas, see the Papers & Trims feature in the January issue of Country Homes & Interiors.

    Read more →