So I wanted to share this super-pretty shelf that my daughter Jodie painted and decorated. It uses bits and pieces purchased from Hobbycraft but you could of course easily adapt the idea using cheaper materials or scraps from the craft box. How to make your pretty shelf: Jodie started with a blank from Hobbycraft which was ready for painting. For the… Read More

I love fresh herbs – I use them pretty much every day – but every time I plant them in the garden they get obliterated by hungry slugs. They leave the parsley well alone but can strip a new basil or coriander plant down in 24 hours – which is pretty annoying if you’ve planned a recipe and come out… Read More

Halloween is just a few days away, so if you’ve not had chance to decorate your house, why not try your hand at this whimsical vintage halloween decorations? I’ve chosen these 10 great ideas for a number of reasons – first (like just about everything on the blog) they are super easy and cheap to make yourself, without having to… Read More

A lovely spell of warm weather means we’ve been spending plenty of time in the garden – and there’s no better time to add a little cheer with some shabby chic and vintage touches. I started my shabby chic garden overhaul this year by giving the old sheds a few coats of Cuprinol’s Fresh Rosemary which looks so charming –… Read More

With just 45 ‘sleeps’ until Christmas (as my daughter would say), it’s a good time to start thinking about Christmas decorations. The shops are full of them, with deals a plenty and a tonne of inspiration if you’d rather make things yourself. Here are my favourite ideas for a very shabby chic Christmas: 1. Christmas jumper gift tags & 2. Jute parcel ribbon… Read More

Most of us have leftover wallpaper scraps hanging around that for some reason we feel the need to save, rather than just recycle straight away. But that’s good news, because there are endless ways you can use your leftover paper to brighten up your home. Not got any wallpaper leftovers? Most shops will give you wallpaper samples for free – these small pieces are… Read More