Happy New Year!

Happy new year! I hope you had a lovely Christmas, and will have a fantastic 2013!

If you'd like to construct the cardboard 2013 marquee lights shown above, go here for instructions.

Sewn Fabric Crown

Great for kid's playtime and dressing up, this crown would make anyone feel like a King or Queen!

Click here for the instructions.

Wreath Snowman Ornaments

Use miniature wreaths to create simple & cozy snowman decorations to hang up on your tree or your walls. Find the DIY here.



Bokeh Photograph Cards

Gorgeous idea for cards; cut-out letters from the front and place a photo behind - the above one uses a photo of bokeh which I think is very effective.

Find more details here.

Wood Pallet Xmas Tree

This rustic outdoor tree makes great use of old wooden pallets. Go here for more photos.



Feather Baubles

I love the bright and colourful feather mixes inside these Christmas ornaments - check out the how-to here.

Clay Monochrome Ornaments

Simple clay shapes are created first, then dainty festive designs are added with paint and paint pens - enjoy the full tutorial here.



Photography Sparkle Reflector

This fun idea of using mirror tiles to add sparkle to your photographs would be especially interesting to try at Christmas - to make good use of the multi-coloured Christmas lights!

Felt Cone Ornaments

Click here to see the tutorial for making these cute 'n' squishy kid-friendly ornaments.

Pom-Pom Light Garland

The black speckles in these pom-poms really add a modern touch to these traditional decorations.

Go here for the DIY.



Ladybird Rocking Moped

An adorable fusion of ladybirds, mopeds and rocking horses, if you fancy spoiling your child with this awesome toy, go here for the how-to.



Origami Garland

Click here to find the instructions for making this effective folded paper garland.

Dotty Wood Pencil Block

I love the organic shapes made on this DIY pencil block with tiny tiny gold and silver nails.

Colour Block Cards

Really fun effects can be made by overlapping pieces of tissue paper on cards - and these colour block Christmas cards are a fab example.



Wooden Typographic Calendar

I've always wanted a statement perpetual calendar like this one - and although it would be cute for Christmas, this DIY can easily be amended to be a year-round display.



Watercolor Gift Wrap

Create your own beautiful gift wrap just by going wild with the watercolours!

Go here for details.

Paint-by-Numbers Set

Brilliant and thoughtful gift idea for an artistic friend or family member - you can make a personalised paint-by-numbers set!

Find the instructions here.

Foxy Scarf

Fun idea for a scarf, which has a minky fabric backing to make it realllly cozy! Check out the free pattern here.



Fairy Doors

What a cute idea! Doll house 'fairy doors' can be hidden in your home so visitors can have a lovely surprise when they spot them :)

Hanging Holiday Plaques

With cheap 'silver' trays and chalk pens, you can make some really lovely festive message decorations. Just go here for the DIY.

Kitsch Pasta Trees

So kitsch, so awesome! Find the tute for these pasta and foam cone trees here.

Neck Pillow Covers

To funkify your plain old travel neck pillows, or make them extra comfy with a soft fleece covering, click here for the straightforward tutorial.

DIY Felt Mistletoe

If you have a special someone to give a kiss to underneath the mistletoe, maybe you can make some everlasting felt mistletoe so you have an excuse all year round!

Go here for the how-to.

DIY Boot Stuffers

Not only do these homemade boot stuffers keep your boots in great shape, they totally adorable too!

The Coolest Libraries in the World!

Now if you're a bibliophile, architecture fan, or you want ideas for how to arrange your book collection at home - have a look at my new roundup here which lists the best libraries in the world, including both public buildings and private rooms in people's homes.

I hope you like it :)

Robot Advent Calender

I'm a bit late on the advent calender front this year, but here is a great free template for a robot version - maybe for next year?!

Calligraphy for Beginners

Photo and calligraphy by Miss Cupcake 207.

I've always loved the look of calligraphy, so I've put together this roundup of calligraphy lessons - in case anyone else feels the same and would like to learn this beautiful art themselves. There is lots of info on there for choosing the best inks, pens and paper to use, plus lots more.

And just in time for writing your Christmas cards - the 'faux calligraphy' section will show you how to cheat at calligraphy to impress your friends!

French Macarons



These are on my baking to-do list (would you believe I've never even eaten a macaron?!), and I've heard good things about this enthusiastic video :)

Ironic Christmas Postcards

I stumbled on these funny 70s/80s style Christmas photos over on Photojojo and I thought they would be a brilliant idea for Christmas cards - just buy some tasteless vintage clothes, style your hair in a 70s fashion and take the photo - then send to your friends and family!



Modern Christmas Trees

You may be put off working with wood if you don't normally, but these cool trees are made with balsa wood which is so soft you can cut it with a craft knife...simple!

Go here for the how-to.

Leather Plant Holders

This tutorial shows you how to make these stylish plantpot hangers (for indoor or outdoor use) whilst teaching you some neat leatherworking techniques.



Terrarium Mushrooms

Very easy to make, you can find the instructions on how to make these mini mushrooms here. They would look cute in any DIY terrarium or in your indoor plant pots.



100 Harry Potter Party Ideas

If you are as big a fan of Harry Potter as I am, you have to take a look at this page which lists some amazing party ideas, from decor to favours and games. I particularly love the amazing 'Great Hall' setup and the DIY marauder's map invitations (above).



Christmas Card Bowl

Instead of throwing away your Christmas cards this year, why not make a lovely bowl? You could put pinecones or baubles in as decoration.

Find the how-to here.



Dino Plushie

This chunky dinosaur looks so huggable and I like how the 'spikes' are made with a curl of fabric. Find the tutorial here. 



World Cam

World Cam is a fun website where you enter a location as the search term and lots of Instagram photos, taken recently at that location, appear in a gallery. Check it out here.

Punch Box Advent Calendars

I think this punch box idea for advent calendars would be so nuch fun for kids (and adults)!

All you need to do is cut holes in a cardboard box, put tissue paper over the front and then attach a box or bowl containing a toy or treat behind the hole - Voila!

Go here to see how to make the one above, and here for another version.