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Scrabble coasters

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These are so easy but really geek up the house!

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All you need:

Basic, cheap coasters from any home store

Mixed Scrabble tiles. You can get a pack of 100 from ebay for £6

Glue, preferably superglue

 

1. Choose your tiles. I use a random selection but you could spell out certain words if you like.

2. Pre-place them on the coaster to check sizing. If needs be, you can trim the coaster to size.

3. Apply glue to tiles and press down. 

4. Once all tiles are glued down, place something heavy on top like a book to help them set. 

 

Could make a great present or keep them for yourself!

 

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Converse nail designs

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These add a bright and alternative feel to your nails!

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1. Choose your colours. Bright pastels work well.

2. Apply base coat to each nail.

3. Allow plenty of time to dry. You do not want the hassle of smudged nails.

Tip: Use cool function on hairdryer if impatient.

4. Paint a white tip on each nail. Just go straight across, the curve of your nail give them a shoe shape.

5. Add white crosses for the laces. You can have as many or as few as you like. Best to use a paintbrush here.

6. After drying again, add a thin black line across the tip and dot the laces for holes.

7. Dry. Apply gloss.

These require some patience and I will admit I had somebody help with my left hand but they are definitely worth it! 

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Nail Art

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The great thing about nail art is that again you don’t need that much skill – just a lot of patience!

It’s also practical. We always have bottles of nail varnish lying around the house and it puts them to good use. I only paint my nails in designs now and they receive a surprising amount of comments!

They are also great for themes. Christmas, Easter and Halloween! When I worked in a game store, I would do designs like mario and pokemon and when in the cinema it was all about popcorn and drinks.

They range in complexity so be realistic with your skills. Mine are very limited but you can still produce some great designs!

Things you will need:

Variety of colours. I find white particularly useful.

Nail varnish remover

Cotton buds

Thin paint brushes for the more intricate details.

A good friend from time to time for those who are not ambidextrous

Time and patience – do not attempt if in a rush!

Tip – If varnish becomes gloopy or dry in the bottle, add a drop or two of remover and it will thin it out.

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Button Craft

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Button craft is the easiest way to make something quirky! And requires no talent (apart from a creative eye of course!)

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All you need:

A glue gun/superglue

Buttons – ebay do these as cheap as £1 for a bag of 100! You can experiment with colours, styles and the things you are decorating!

Fashion accessories, cardmaking, home furnishings, art etc!

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Wallpaper

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Things you will need:

Paper (apologies for the obvious)

Scissors

Glue (I am currently using a cheap pritt stick however I find it can be too fast drying and make the paper come off the wood. Perhaps try one of those glue pens or even pva although with pva be prepared to ruin the wood)

 

In terms of the paper, you could buy cheap rolls of standard wallpaper from homeware shops including places like wilkinsons etc.

However, I wanted a variety of patterns and did not want to buy 9 different rolls which is where I found out about First Edition Paper.

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It is a pad containing different sheets of paper, usually used in cardmaking but work equally well as wallpaper. The great thing I found with this, is some of the pieces are textured and feel like actual wallpaper. Some are also double-sided.

 

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I’m using floral pavilion for my house, however there are a variety of different pads you can choose from. For example:

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Now they do come in different sizes and this was my first blunder with my house. They are available in 6 x 6, 8 x 8 and 12 x 12.

I bought the 6 x 6. You get 4 sheets of each design which has not even covered two walls. I tried to buy a top-up from ebay however despite the picture of the pad, I only received 1 sheet of each. I would recommend buying the 12 x 12, in which you get three sheets of each design, but will hopefully avoid all the half decorated rooms I currently have.

You could use 2 designs per room to make it stretch further, which I have done in my living room.

I bought my pad from The Range and Hobbycraft for £7.99. Dunelm Mill were doing it for £9.99. Trimcraft.co.uk features a full stocklist and tells you the nearest stores to purchase it from. The 12 x 12 tend to be £15. Retailers like ebay and amazon do not vary much in price but can offer single sheet samples for a tester perhaps.

 

Pictures of my own to be uploaded!

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Doll’s house

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Investing in a doll’s house may be expensive to start with but it can provide you with a ongoing hobby which you can take your time with, tinker with bits and pieces and excercise a variety of skills – none of which you have to be an expert in.

With a doll’s house, you can;

Wallpaper

Carpet

Paint

Sew soft furnishings

Fix electrical lights

Collect different pieces and constantly add to

It essentially combines a mix of hobbies on a smaller and less talented scale.

For example, I cannot sew to save my life. I wish I could but I just cannot pick it up. I can do a basic straight stitch by hand and even then I would not advise a close inspection.

However, it gives me the chance to shoddily tack a few scraps of fabric together to make a seat cushion for example and gain the satisfaction without anybody needing to know I can’t sew.

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

This is the doll’s house I have:

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It is brand new from Sue Ryder for £119.99. It features a basement as either a storage drawer or extra space, and an attic room. It comes with a couple of staircases and is a 1/12th scale (important to know when buying furniture)

I will keep you updated on things I’m doing with mine and what you can do with your dolls house with various products and prices!