home: made [ books ]

Often we have great ideas but don’t always know how to translate them into our homes. Whether it’s home decor ideas, colour options, diy projects or just the need for general inspiration, there is a book to help.

We have picked some of our favourites including basic diy techniques, the best ways of using plants in the home and a paint colour guide.

Clockwise from top left:

Make a house your home [ £20 ]

Design bloggers at home [ £8 ]

Reinventing Ikea [ £15.99 ]

Hygge [ £12.99 ]

In the mood for colour [ £19.99 ]

Bring the outside in [ £9.99 ]

How to decorate [ £30 ]

Collins complete DIY manual [ £24 ]

House of plants [ £20 ]

home: made [ appliqué cushion ]

We have all seen appliqué used on soft furnishings but quite often we see examples using florals or animals which can tend to look dated. To bring the appliqué technique up to date how about using typography. Personalise a cushion with an initial or make a statement with a slogan or phrase.

appliqué : ornamental needlework in which pieces of fabric are sewn or stuck on to a larger piece to form a picture or pattern.

We have found some tutorials to get you inspired, giving step by step guidance on creating your perfect appliqué cushion.

home: made [ floating shelves ]

Shelving can bring so much to a room, giving extra dimension and interest to a plain wall. With so many options it’s sometimes hard to pick something that will work. A style we love is the floating box shelf, created simply from four pieces of wood. This style can be adapted in many shapes including hexagon or house designs. You can adapt the shelving to your needs whether it’s shallow shelves for ornaments or deeper ones for books and plants.

We have found some great tutorials to get you inspired.

home: made [ radiator refresh ]

A great way to freshen up a room and at the same time make a statement is to update an item which would perhaps usually be hidden. The majority of radiators in peoples homes are painted white or perhaps painted to blend in with the wall colour, but this shouldn’t be the case.

Explore some options, whether it’s covering it or painting, turn it into something you want to look at rather than something you don’t.

For painting ideas:

Brightbazaarblog.com

Dontcrampmystyle.co.uk

For covering ideas:

Decoist.com

home: made [ printed doormat ]

First impressions are important and so is the entrance to your home. Doormats are usually an essential item which until recent years were pretty boring. Now stores are doing fun slogan and more colourful versions. But instead of having something others may have, why don’t you design your own. Still as popular as ever is typography, using words like ‘hello’, ‘welcome’, ‘hey ya’ whatever you want. Keep it monochrome or stencil your mat with colour.

With a basic doormat [ try ikea.com or homebase.com ], cardboard stencil and waterproof paint or permanent marker you are ready to go. This simple idea takes no time at all, and we have some tutorials to help.

home: event [ Christmas crafting ]

It’s nearly time to start prepping the home for Christmas and we have found a great little workshop to get you in the mood.

At London Craft Club you can take part in making your own Christmas crackers. Create personalised crackers each with specials gifts inside. Enjoy crafting your crackers with a choice of patterned papers, ribbon and beads making them totally unique to you.

‘Spend a wonderful crafty afternoon with London Craft Club at Makers and Friends pop up shop in Greenwich, making your own unique luxury Christmas Crackers’

Nov 12th – 14:00 – 16:00

Book tickets at londoncraftclub.co.uk [ £42 ]

home: made [candle holders ]

home: made [ candle holders ]

A massive trend at the moment is animal candle holders, everything from zoo animals to woodland creatures. We have looked at how you can create something just as fun but for a lot less money.

There are two popular ways to create this look, and it basically comes down to size. You can either opt for a party candle [ great for kids birthdays ] or a larger table centre piece for a dinner party perhaps. Either way involves the same preparation and materials; the chosen animal [ for plastic zoo & farm assortments try amazon ], a drill and some paint [ They look great painted black, white or gold btw ].

Below are a couple of tutorials to follow.

rainontheroof.com

thesweetestoccasion.com

[ Tiger, Bulldog and Zebra pictured are all from johnlewis.com ]

home: made [ macramé ]

A big trend from the 1970s is back and as popular as ever. Macramé is a form of textile making involving knots rather than weaving or knitting.

As well as wall hangings, plant hangers have been seen everywhere in varying materials and colour. The main material is rope or twine with the addition of beads for added interest. Today we share some great tutorials showing you how to make your own plant hanger. Learn the techniques and you can create anything, keep the style simple or tackle an intricate design. Why not give it a go and fall in love with macramé.

Houzz.co.uk

Designrulz.com

Apartmenttherapy.co.uk

home: made [ soap ]

Sometimes it’s nice to go one step further when accessorizing your home or even giving gifts, by making or creating your own thing. Today we head to the bathroom, looking at how to make fab colour-blocked soap.

With the use of melt & pour white soap, some colouring, essential oils and a mould, you are good to go. You can pick any shape mould you like, and especially if it’s a gift you can be more adventurous. Play with colours that suit you and choose a scent you love for the perfect soap.

We have found three tutorials for you to give a go.

Abeautifulmess.com
Brit.co
Fallfordiy.com

home: made [ hand painted tableware ]

There are some gorgeous hand painted items available at the moment, from floral plates to polka dot mugs. The idea is so simple it’s worth giving it a go yourself.

Get hold of some basic white tableware [ try Ikea ] and then decide what look you want to achieve. Go monochrome and use a black pen to create a dot or stripe effect, or bring colour using paints [ dishwasher safe ] to make swirls, floral designs or a geometric pattern. Be as creative as you want, whatever works within your home.

[ Head to ebay for pens and paints ]

Below are some tutorials to give you ideas.

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