Archive for the Category »Things to make «

It’s ‘Choose Glass Week’

06 Sep 2011 by

Did you know that it’s “Choose Glass Week” this week, and so in honour of this I thought I’d put one or two posts up on using glass.

First off – here’s 5 reasons to choose glass

  • Glass is infinitely recyclable
  • Glass is versatile
  • Glass adds style to any occasion
  • Glass is the healthy choice
  • Things taste better in glass
  • (And my 6th thing is that you can make some really beautiful DIY projects using glass!!)

Follow this link from Chez Beeper Bebe for a tutorial on how to make these Mason Jar Lanterns.

Love this idea from Completely Coastal to display photos from a summer holiday, either for your holiday home or as a reminder of a special holiday when life returns back to normal.

Here’s some more examples from Design Sponge where they’ve used glass jars to display photos.

How simple is this idea for using glass bottles for vases. I’m a sucker for this kind of decor!

(Image seen on Tiny White Daisies Tumblr)

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Add some colour to your cutlery

02 Sep 2011 by

I’m always a fan of colours, and just love these revamped pieces of cutlery from  More Design Please. There’s a tutorial on their website if you’re up for trawling some second hand shops for some cutlery sets that need some colour added to them to give them a new life :)

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Category: gifts, Handmade, Things to make, Tutorials  Leave a Comment

Learn how to crochet

30 Aug 2011 by

So if you’re reading this blog, then you probably don’t need much convincing about how trendy and popular crocheting and knitting have become again. Anyway, for anyone wanting to give crocheting a try (and if you’re anything like me, a crafter can hardly say no to starting a new project when it involves different wools, in difference colours).  Here’s an amazing blog, Attic24, that you really should visit for stunning colour combinations, as well as a great tutorials that are really easy to follow.

My favourite tutorial from the Attic24 blog is for these granny squares… check it out here….

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Category: Crochet, Things to make, Tutorials  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment

Handmade Lanterns – Paper and Glass

23 Aug 2011 by

With summer just around the corner, we’re looking forward to spending plenty of warm evenings outside. I love these lanterns you can make – perfect for those evening you entertain, or even just for some family evenings at home.

First up are these paper lanterns from Design Sponge

In the ‘how to’ on their website, they even suggest making this into a handmade gift for someone… love that idea! Here’s what it looks like as a gift!

Here’s another idea for lanterns – this time using glass jars. This simple tutorial can be found here

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Category: gifts, Handmade, Things to make  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment

Tutorial – CD Cookies

30 Sep 2010 by

Thanks to Debbie at www.cookstudio.co.za who put this tutorial together for us (a while ago and I’ve just realized it’s been in my draft folder! I blame pregnancy and new baby for my lack of brain recently)

CD cookies are a fun and inexpensive way to create crafty party or wedding favours, kid’s birthday treats, baker’s day treats and valentine gifts!

Step 1

1) I have purchased plain white CD wallets from a stationery store and cut coloured scrap paper to fit inside. If you want to leave the wallet plain, add some wax paper so that the biscuit does not leave any grease marks.

2) I have cheated and filled my CD wallets with Woolworth’s large “Snaps” which are R19.95 for 12 cookies. Leave plain, drizzle melted chocolate over and scatter with 100 000’s or bake your own chocolate chip or shaped cookies. Seal the wallet at the back with double sided scrap tape, or a sticker.

Step 2 - Chocolate drizzle and flower labels

Download all the templates (the flower labels, wedding thank you and “enjoy”) from www.cookstudio.co.za (go to FUN).

Print out on glossy photo paper. Remember to change your printing settings: Go to printing properties and change the paper to glossy or pro photo paper and put the print quality on to HIGH. This will ensure your labels come out beautifully bold and bright. Cut them out with a cutting blade and ruler or on a guillotine.

There is no need to print out the entire sheet of labels. Open the template, click on the snap shot tool (it’s a camera), outline the label you would like to use, and paste it to a word document. You can then re-size as well.

Attach the labels with double sided scrap tape, tie with ribbons and gift!

Check out these beautiful examples -


handmade thank you gift

Wedding favours

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Fabric covered baby box

27 Aug 2009 by

Ok – so I finally did it! I mentioned that I’ve wanted to do this in a previous post, and it’s definately taken me a lot longer than it should have, but a baby apparently waits for no one and when the 9 months is almost up, who am I to say “hang on little dude, your love box isn’t ready for you!”

So… not long now for us to meet this very special little baby boy, and I’m sure he’ll love the box. If not, I know his mom does love it and for now that is what matters most.

A word of warning – covering a box with fabric is not as easy as it looks and one generally does need more than 2 hands. I admit I battled with keeping the edges neat, and I almost ran out of material – somehow I miscalculated, so beware when you try this at home kids!

I’ve found some tutorials for this for my next attempt at Wink Designs, enjoy!
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Category: Things to make  One Comment

Make your own Hot Chocolate for this freezing weather

23 Jul 2009 by

Brrrr – if you’re as cold as I am, there is only one solution to make you happy and warm again!

Ingredients
3 cups full cream milk
85 grams milk chocolate chopped into small bits

For frothy hot chocolate – Bring the milk to a boil. Put the chocolate into a blender and pour in the hot milk. You can let it stand for 15 to 20 seconds so the chocolate begins to melt. Yum, is your mouth watering yet! Put the cover back on the blender, maybe put a kitchen towel over the top for extra protection and blend for about 30 seconds until it’s all mixed.

For unfrothy hot chocolate — Heat the milk in a saucepan until it just begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir or whisk until well blended.

Don’t be shy to put a marshmallow on top, or sprinkle with a bit of milo

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Too many nice things to do!

09 Jul 2009 by

I have a problem! And I doubt that I’m the only one with the same problem, but seriously – there are just too many things to do. I’m not talking about the admin, daytime work, ironing, the cleaning, the blah blah blah, – what I am talking about is the problem that there are just too many new things to try my hand at trying to make, and I really don’t know where to start!

I’ve got my own list of things that need to be made and then after spending quite a bit of time scouring website looking for potential listers for Jamtin.co.za I just find so many new projects that are just too gorgeous. (Like this Collage Course, for example – run every Thursday morning at Fat Tuesday which are just so different and which gorgeous ‘end products’ are too stunning, and which happens to be JUST up the road from me!)

Then my Ideas Magazine arrives in the post the other day and that too is jammed full of crafting ideas – I just love the crochet project of a cushion with brightly coloured crocheted flowers and circles attached to it – now I just need some one to teach me to crochet. Watch this space! There is also a great project on embroidering and covering a fabric box – something I’ve been wanted to do for ages! I’ve decided this is the weekend for the fabric box (just because I’m not sure I can learn to crochet between now and Friday so the fabric box was the easier of the two for me!)

Wish me luck as I try and arrange my time and mind to fit in some crafting SOON.

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Category: Classes & Workshops, Things to make  3 Comments
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