Felt cuffs

Source: blog.betzwhite.com

These look trendy enough to gift a young niece or even make one for yourself for a fun evening out with pals. Quick, easy, simple and stylish.. what else do you need?! :D

Suncatchers

Source: funathomewithkids.com

I've never really tried my hand at suncatchers. It does seem like a nice project to do with LO. She does love getting her hands messy with colours. Watch out weekend... here we come..

Ruffled cushion covers

Source: www.iheartnaptime.net

Cushion covers add that right amount of character to any living room ad a chance to girly them up is a chance that shouldn't be missed! I love the ruffled trim and the way it contrasts with the blue silk... Simple, elegant and chic! Check out the tutorial.. easy peasy...

Yarn Bunny

Source: agusyornet.com

I have got to find myself more of these square piece designs, since all I can knit is a scarf! :). Can you believe this has been made from a square knitted piece? Check out the tutorial. Simple and easy!

Cloth Butterfly clip

Source: alldaychic.com

You can never have enough clips or hair accessories. I like the simplicity of the folding and sewing. But I do think it would look equally beautiful with felt because if you can't find the right kind of heavy material for the clip so that it keeps its shape it could fold on itself. 

Pop-up flower card

Source: makingitwithdanielle.com

Nothing beats the beauty of real flowers but try as much as you can you can only lengthen their life by a few days. Artificial flowers though not as beautiful or sweet-smelling as the real deal do have an upper hand because these will literally last a lifetime... I know what my Mum's getting this Mother's Day...

Yarn booties

Source: alldaychic.com

I've never been able to knit anything more than a square or rectangle. I just cannot seem to get the shapes in yarn SO when I saw this baby bootie idea I simply flipped. Check it out ... It's super simple and super easy and sooooo pretty... 

Woven coasters

Source: alldaychic.com

I love the sheer simplicity of this..And it makes for rustic yet chic-looking coasters. And best of all, it easy and simple can can be done in one afternoon! All the right things to try this one this weekend!!

Tissue holder

Source: makeit-loveit.com

Brown leather is always a classy addition to anything. Why not use it to carry good ol' tissues in style. Follow this simple, step-by-step tutorial and have yourself "a-tishoo" holder! 

old yarn headband

Source: hellobee.com

Hairbands and clips are never enough? I simply loved this simple yet oh-so lovely repurposing of left over yarn... 

Interchangeable flip-flop backstraps

Source: makeit-loveit.com

All I can say is adorable!!! I can just picture LO going crazy trying to pick straps. It's  such an amazing idea and simple idea that you cannot help but think why you never thought of it in the first place!!!

Jar pin cushion

Source: makeit-loveit.com

How absolutely adorable is this? It's not to feasible with LO around the house but it's damn pretty..!!!

Bottles to tumblers

Bottles are so versatile, you can use them for practically anything, provided you have the DIY bug. I love repurposing and this tutorial calls for some action. But instead of the glass cutter I think I'll go with the acetone, rope method of cutting glass.

Source

Crochet Bookmark

Bookmarks rock! Whether they have a little quote on them or are simple strips of hand made paper or hand made. They add that little something to your personality. I love the idea of crocheting bookmarks and these will take hardly any time at all!!!

Source: makeandtakes.com

Rope dome light

Patience is something I struggle with so I choose crafts that I can finish up quickly but neatly. Spacing out an activity over a couple of days is something I get very antsy about especially since LO likes to get her little hands on it as well. So this dome light did catch my fancy but I think it'll be long time before I get the opportunity to sit down and make something as lovely and intricate as this... :)

Source: sarahmdorseydesigns.blogspot.in

Organise Stuffed Toys

 So, LO has like a bazillion stuffed animals and I've been trying to get them organised forever. Well, I found a solution for the smaller ones, the jury's still out on the larger ones...

I had a lot of satin ribbon left over from her birthday gifts and didn't have the heart to throw them out. SO I finally put them, a few clothespins and an key ring to good use.. I linked one length of satin ribbon through the key ring and wrapped it around the entire thing and knotted it. 

 I then looped the satin ribbon around the clothes pins. You'll have to figure out a way to keep the knots looped and tied depending on the kind of clothespins you have. Keep adding satin ribbon to each previous one to make it as long as you wish. Once done. Simply clip the soft toys to the pin.. Hang it on a nail in the corner of your room or as I did on a curtain rod..DONE!!..

Felt bookmark

Saturday was spent picking up after LO and man... she has a LOT of stuff... but managed to make this little felt bookmark just to unwind. I simply took the corners of a piece of felt and blanket stitched them together. Voila! Thank you for the wonderful idea wakeandwhimsy...

No-sew felt coasters

Source: howaboutorange.blogspot.in

Felt is so versatile... Just look at these coasters. Fantastic idea and even better execution. Damn! Saturday's almost here and I still haven't picked my project.. :(

Jewellery box from a Chocolate box

 Source: pearlsandscissors.com

I'm almost in tears thinking about all the chocolate boxes I've pitched out over the years. How adorable and simple is this and so very practical. Take a look at the tutorial here.

Felt roses

Source: amazinginteriordesign.com

I have yet to see a simpler rose felt tutorial. The images are pretty self-explanatory and the result does seem lovely! 

Earring tree

Source: welcometoprojectville.blogspot.in

A girl cannot have too many earrings. I obsessively buy earrings and a sister that indulges me is the best thing that could happen. Actually sisters are the very best. :) So this is something that HAS to find a place in my-to-do crafts list... I just love the simplicity and the sheer creativity... Don't you?

Cloth and felt jewellery holder

Source: funezcrafts.com

This will make for a lovely bedside table accessory to keep your everyday jewellery before going to bed. As always I love the simplicity. :)

Felt and button butterfly clips

Source: dosmallthingswithlove.com

Having a little girl is every mother's joy and blessing and dressing mine up makes my heart sing. This little butterfly clip tutorial is just the pick-me-up I needed on a dull, uneventful day. Nicely done!! Makes me want to whip out my sewing and craft kit and get going.

Butterfly Wall Art

Source: livingwithpunks.com

The walls in my house have been crying for attention and now I have so many great ideas to implement I just can't pick. But I think this one will have to go in the bedroom. I can see myself spending a a nice crafty afternoon doing this with Little One.

How to make a Pillow box

These oh-so-chic paper boxes are great to put your gifts in when you run out of wrapping paper, or have some that isn't too presentable or just to want to bypass all the cutting, wrapping, folding and sticking for gifts that are small.. These boxes work great for earrings, small pieces of jewellery or cosmetics. Go learn!

Pearls and satin

Source: henryhappened.com

Milky-white pearls make anything look classy. Here's the very simple idea of satin ribbon threaded through pearls.. Very elegant...

Felt Book Mark

Source

For those book-lovers who just can't seem to let go of good ol' paperbacks in this world of Kindles! It's so simple and easy you wonder why you never thought of it first... 

Felt business card holder

So after a long day at work, it's therapeutic to sit down and make something while the Little One colours every single blank paper she can find. Simple is the key word here because you want to unwind not get worked up over something not turning out right... So here goes...

You'll need:

An A4 size felt sheet
scissors
embroidery thread and needle

The size of the holder totally depends on how big you want it to be and if you want to use it for holding things other than business cards.  I cut an 8-inch long piece keeping the width of the A4 size sheet.
Now fold that in half and cut.
Further cut one of the halves in two and trim down a bit and make an arch so it's easy to pull out cards.
Blanket stitch the two halves onto the full piece..
Done!

PS. I used polyester felt instead of wool felt and the holder won't stay shut. So I need to work on a clasp to do that. Pics when that happens...

DIY Pouf

Poufs are outrageously expensive here and aren't very pretty either. I either end up not liking the finish or the material or the price... Hah! Wasn't really sure how to go about making one till I saw this. Looks lovely and simple and easy -  like a "one afternoon" project. The right kind of material and fibre filling looks like tge only hard part. The step-by-step tutorial is quite easy to follow as well.. Take a look..

Source: made-by-rae.com

Felt mug cosy

Source: dosmallthingswithlove.com

This knitted cup cosy looks pretty cool but needs an expert level of knitting and a lot of time. So a little digging and I found this lovely felt cosy... It's super easy and super pretty..Take a look ....

Felt penguin

I've been MIA for 4 days, what with getting ready for the "Little One's" first sports day.. Yeah.. she's three and she and her tot friends had a sports day where they essentially just stood and wailed...No one wanted to run or compete or do anything remotely sporty...
Getting back to DIY that I love so much... What's cuter than a penguin? A felt penguin... Check out the very simple tutorial for a lil felt waddler.

Source: www.dosmallthingswithlove.com

Snake knot

The new thing to learn today is the snake knot. I love the variety involved in knotting and the amazing patterns that can be created.. Take a look...

chocolate crinkles

Allrecipes

30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
135 g white sugar
35 ml vegetable oil
1-1/4 eggs
3 ml vanilla extract (Optional. I don't use essence as it tends to give a slightly synthetic flavour)
85 g all-purpose flour (not self-raising flour)
3 g baking powder
a pinch of salt
20 g confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls. I like to use a number 50 size scoop. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Yarn-wrapped bottle

So I finally made good my bottle obsession and got down to a DIY. Wrapped this wine bottle in yarn. Keot having to glue a couple of lines ahead to get the yarn to stay. It gets a bit messy but the end result is extremely satisfying.
It's a good idea to wrap the entire bottle with one layer gluing along while you wrap and then when that's dried through you go again - but this time without the glue. Use glue only at the starting and ending points. It gives the bottle an even look that might not be attained with only one layer. Because some times the yarn tends to slip on the glue and leaves you with a tiny little gap between the lines that can be quite the eye sore..

Separating egg yolks with a bottle

How many times have you wanted to separate the yolk from the white and ended up breaking the yolk on the edge of the cracked egg? I've done it umpteen times. So, this is something I am definitely going to try!
And this is today's "new thing to learn". 

Wine bottle decoration

I'm getting obsessed with things to do with wine bottles...It'll pass.. but till then here goes.
I love the doily on bottle idea, it's very pretty and girly. A lovely, personal gift for that dear friend who'll appreciate the hard work!

Source

Cutting a bottle with string!

This the first of my "A new thing every day" feature. I will try to post a new video DIY every day. Something new to learn and do that day. So here goes...

This has got to be the easiest video I've seen. I do need to try it out though... But looks simple enough doesn't it?Cutting glass with string.. fancy that!!

Simple Chicken salad

As a mum, I need simple, easy solutions and fast. So only the simplest and easiest will feature here.
Here's the first recipe changed up a bit .. Thank you repeatcrafterme.com

Ingredients:
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/4 cup chopped spring onions with the green leaves
- 3/4 cup garlic mayo
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 peppercorns
- 2-3 cloves

Cook chicken with the salt cloves and peppercorns in a pressure cooker till tender. Every pressure cooker has a different cooking time and you know yours best. I prefer cooking the chicken on a low flame. That keeps it tender and doesn't let it get stringy.
Once cooked completely, drain it, shred it, add the onions, mayo and cucumber and enjoy!!

(Don't throw away the water after you're done draining the chicken. You could always use that as stock. It's flavoured well with the salt, cloves and peppercorns.)

Old clothes rug

Simple, lovely, but a little time consuming and a little guilt generating if you're one of those who give away your clothes to your maid or donate it to orphanages...

What you'll need is

Old Tshirts/clothes (similar fabrics will do - preferably cottons)
scissors
needle and thread

Awesome glitter mugs

This one requires some patience... A month's worth... But the result is simply Muaahhh!!! Yay for creativegreenliving

Felt hairband

Check this super adorable felt hairband... It's a DIY dream....Thank you Bombshellbling!!

Felt Pigs

Nothing feels better than making something for your kid.. . whether it's food or clothes or something to play with. My little girl enjoying the fruits of my labour is the best feeling ever. So I guess this is going to be my next project. Thank you Tally's treasury...

Catch those dreams!

Day spent DIY-ing

Started my DIY spree with a dream catcher!

Marbelised planters

These planters look so chic! I don't know how long those plants will last in  them but they sure look pretttty neat...Check out the tutorial here. 

New use for old things

Now how cool is this?! Who would've thought old shoes could be turned into planters. I know what I'm going to do with my kiddo's old crocs now!

A little patch of green

Love love love love love it! Terrariums can brighten up the darkest of spots... I know what my next project's gonne be... Check out more terrarium ideas here. 

Apple Cake

Apple cake!

150gms butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 peeled apples

Heat oven to 180 degrees C. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Fold in apples. Spoon into pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until fork inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let it cool. Remove from pan to cooling rack. 

Tuck in!

(My 3-year old wouldn't wait long enough for me to take a pic with the full cake)

Flowery crayons

My three-year-old has a bazillion crayons and they're, needless to say, all over the house.
So one day when my little hurricane was asleep, I rounded up the all the stray bits of unusable crayons I could find. I grouped them up, similar colours together, and baked them in a muffin tin for about 15 minutes at 200 degrees C.
I let them cool down completely before popping them out of the tin. Flower-shaped crayons!!

Tacky?

Looking for something to cover my bare sitting room walls this caught my eye. Thumb tacks?..I thought to myself. But it does look pretty awesome right? Check out more unconventional wall art here. 

Cup cosy

I'm a sucker for anything DIY. Fell in love with this cup cosy. I must say this is the first time I've seen something like this!!! Check out the tutorial here. I know what my next project's gonna be! 

Analyse this!

Ever get that unsettling feeling that something bad is going to happen? Check out these six men who predicted the thing we're all petrified of. Mark Twain's tongue-in-cheekiness is so typical...

Mark Twain

Happy Birthday!

Nothing gets a birthday going like a good ol' gooey chocolate cake. Here's a simple chocolate pound cake layered inside and out with chocolate cream icing..

250 gms of butter
250 gms of castor sugar
250 gms of self-raising flour
4 large eggs separated
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 tsp of baking powder

Separate the eggs when cold - it's easier to separate the yolk and the white when it's cold rather than at room temperature.
Grease a 9-inch round cake tin with some butter or you could use a baking sheet.
Bring the butter to room temperature and beat well with sugar till light and fluffy.
Add in the flour and cocoa powder. Mix well.
Add the yolks and mix well.
Beat the egg whites till you get stiff peaks and fold it into the batter till you get an even consistency.
Add the baking powder and mix well.
Put the batter in the cake tin - be careful not to press down. Lightly push the batter into all the corners.
Bake at 180 degrees C for about 40 minutes or till a fork comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

For the icing
Place 150 gms of cream in a heavy-based pan on a slow flame. Add 150 gms of dark cooking chocolate to the cream stirring constantly. Once the chocolate starts melting, switch off the gas and keep stirring to prevent the cream from catching. Once all the chocolate has melted let it cool down a  bit before icing the cake.

Cut the cake horizontally and slather icing generously on the lower half. Place the other half on top and continue icing smoothing as you go.

I decorated the cake some chocolate shavings and Gems to add some colour as this was for my 3-year old's playschool buddies.