Browse around Pinterest DIY boards and you’ll quickly discover that gifts in jars are a popular concept… and with good cause! They make for thrifty, sweet, homemade treats that are fun to embellish and easy to assemble/transport. I made these little lovelies using spice jars from IKEA (which can of course be reused as spice jars or…
DIY
DIY FRANKENMALLOW POPS (chocolatey, marshmallowy, easy-to-make treats… perfect for little monsters)
You don’t need an oven (or a 19th century Gothic laboratory!) to create these little guys. Just a few ingredients, a little assembling and you’re minutes away from having homemade treats on hand for when the ghosts and ghouls coming knocking at your door tonight! WHAT YOU NEED Lollipop sticks Green candy melts Dark chocolate…
POSSIBLY THE EASIEST PUMPKIN CARVING TEMPLATE IN THE WORLD (FREE for download here!)
No Halloween decor up yet? No time? No pumpkin carving kit/fancy knives/special tools? No previous pumpkin carving experience? No idea where to start? No worries! This is the Jack-o’-Lantern design you’ve been looking for! My husband, our two and a half year-old toddler and I decided to do a last-minute, first time (!) pumpkin carving on…
EASY DIY VIRGIN MOJITO MIX (for perfectly portable mocktails)
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, I cannot claim that a homemade virgin mojito mix is a “necessity” per se, but wanting to keep things as simple as possible, I came up with this fuss-free recipe in advance of our midsummer supper (which took place on our boat in the archipelago). The aim…
BREAD MAKES A MEAL: TOMATO BRUSCHETTA & LEEK + CHEESE TOASTIES (a journey to River Cottage, part 3)
Classic tomato bruschetta was one of my favourite light meals back in the days when I still lived on the other side of the planet and frequented the delightful Italian cafés Down Under. I cannot believe that it took purchasing Hugh Fearnley -Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg Everyday! for me to discover just how easy it was to make…
BEETROOT & WALNUT HUMMUS, BABA GANOUSH & GARLIC FLATBREADS (a journey to River Cottage, part 1)
I am unapologetically, unashamedly, unabashedly obsessed with the River Cottage phenomenon and the “real food” philosophy of back-to-basics tour de force Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall! This one-sided love affair began when we (my husband, L and I) were invited to afternoon tea by a friend sometime during the early summer last year. Upon the bookshelf behind me sat a…
CHRISTMAS CRAFTING WITH PAPER SCRAPS & OLD BOOK PAGES (upcycling vs recycling!)
I was intrigued when my local library advertised a pre-Christmas paper crafting night that would feature the use of old books, otherwise destined for the recycling heap. Being a keen recycler and a curious “newbie crafter”, I decided to attend the event and invited a friend to join me. The weather was terrible that night…
THE COMPLETE BLESSINGWAY ROUND-UP (with LOTS of FREE printables, great blessingway/baby shower activities + links to all recipes & tutorials)
So, Baby Cupcake is due to make an appearance in the world in less than 4 weeks (yes, less than 28 days!). After having had complications from the very start (plus a diagnosed high risk pregnancy condition) and spending months literally counting down the days to full-term, I finally find myself on its doorstep. And now…
OUR HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE (+ recipes for Black Bean & Pineapple Guacamole, Veggie Quesadillas, Cornmeal & Pineapple Cake with Whipped Coconut Cream… AND a DIY Sparkle Jar!)
Happy New Year, all! I hope that 2013 is off to a great start for you and that your New Year’s celebrations were fabulous! Being rather heavily pregnant (35 weeks), still on sick leave and having a 21 month-old little guy in tow, I decided it wise to have a small family party at home…
DIY CONFETTI (it's so easy… I can't believe people sell this stuff on Etsy!)
This post is going to be very short… mostly because this is one of the easiest craft projects I have ever undertaken! As part of Project Pinterest, The Blessingway Edition I decided to make my own confetti to sprinkle on table tops, in gift bags, etc. I chose two paper punches for this purpose from…