The Ultimate DIY: Making Flowers and Food!

When it comes to hand-making things, I don’t think it gets any better than being able to create your own gorgeous flowers and yummy food. That’s why this is one of my favourite times of year; when the garden goes from being brown and dull to being full of pots of tiny green seeds and little flowers poking their way into life!

I was a very odd child. Some of my best friends were worms. I used to have a Batman pencil case that could clip on to my bike, and I used to fill it with soil and keep my worm friends in there so I could take them to the park with me. I spent a lot of my childhood playing in the mud, but for some reason that never translated into actively growing things as an adult. It is only in the last year or two (since I moved in with my lovely Other Half, coincidentally!) that I’ve started enjoying gardening. I guess it didn’t help that living in tiny London apartments doesn’t lend itself well to cultivating, but to be honest, there are so many things that can be grown in wee pots and window boxes that there really is no excuse.

Last year I was given a straggly little tomato shoot in a pot, and while I wasn’t able to make it produce edible fruit, I did nurse it into a big strong plant, and that gave me the resolve to do better this year. Now I have about 15 hardy little shoots just getting big enough to go into proper pots!

The other thing I really wanted to try was growing my own Livingstone Daisies. These bizarre little rays of sunshine became my favourite flower when I found a small tray in a pound shop last year. This year I grew some from seed, and I’d highly recommend them. They are perfect for impatient new growers, because they started to sprout within a few days in a sunny spot.

I did a little research, and have seen these referred to as “Ice Plants” and “Succulents”. Both sound a bit odd, but when you have a proper look at them, it’s not hard to see why! 

I love these guys, they cheer me up to no end.

So, at the minute I have a full garden of plants that are going to either flower or fruit into something fabulous, we have: Carrots, Peas, Tulips (which I brought back from Amsterdam!), Daisies, Lilies, Night Phlox, Blue Poppies, and so many more, I can’t remember them all!

I just can’t wait to show my little one how much fun he can have even in our little garden, and the magic of turning seeds into all things bright and beautiful.

Pea from a Pod!

DIY: Customising Clothes for Maternity Wear

Everyone can make interesting and unique things quickly and easily, but for some reason, they don't. 

I’ve always been a fan of DIY; I love making things and creating my own projects. My biggest problem has always been follow through. That’s why I’ve come to appreciate quick, easy crafts that can be started, enjoyed and accomplished in the space of a day or two.

This brings me to one of the easiest DIY arts that there is: T-Shirt Customisation. There are a million ways to pimp out an old shirt. A simple google or Pinterest search will immediately bring up hundreds of techniques for restyling and reinvigorating old clothes. But I want to talk about my favourite of all - simple fabric paint.

It’s easy to make your own fabric paint using acrylics and pva glue, you just have to mix them together and iron the finished design to help it stay, but I went one step easier than that. I went to Poundland.

For exactly £1, I picked up a pack of 10 tubes of fabric paint. They may not be top of the line, but I figured I was going to make a bit of a mess for a while anyway, and it beat paying £3.95 per colour at the craft store. I also bounced into Primark and filled a basket with tank tops, vest tops, camisoles and t-shirts. I bought them all a size larger than usual, to accommodate for my current blimp-like proportions.

I got them home, whipped out a paintbrush, and started playing. My favourite design so far has been my Tardis/Dr Who design, which I think is quite clever. I’ve since seen some (far better) versions on Etsy with the same sort of idea, but as those are going for about $32.00, I somehow prefer my own design. Also, there’s something very satisfying about wearing something that you created yourself.

I’ve also been experimenting with fabric remnants from other projects. By cutting up leftover bits and sewing them on to cheap tops, you can easily make amazing designs and pockets to rejuvenate your wardrobe.

So, if like me, you’re feeling too big for your old clothes and too poor for awesome maternity clothes, I give you... Fabric paint!