Maiden Aunt

I am an ardent mental health campaigner who is evangelical about the benefits of crafting for mental health and well being.  I was organising crafternoons to raise mental health awareness and cash for Mind, the mental health charity well before the Mind Crafternoon became a …

Some ideas below for things you can put into your Christmas crackers that are more useful and less likely to  be thrown in the bin than the usual plastic stuff you get.  There are also some ideas for things you could include in addition to …

Making felt from old jumpers Felted wool (also known as “boiled wool”) is wonderfully thick and warm, as well as pretty waterproof making it perfect for toasty winter mittens.  It doesn’t fray so it is an easy fabric to work with. Start with an adult …

The amount of landfill rubbish at the end of Christmas lunch always takes the edge off my enjoyment of it.  However, if you re-use any pretty paper you have (newspaper, magazines, wrapping paper, kids’ drawings) to make Christmas crackers you can enjoy the novelties without …

Use basic crochet to create a wonderfully soft, cosy and warm scarf in neutral colours. Make scarves for everyone for Christmas and then there’s no need to schlep around the shops this year! You’re welcome. You will need: 100% wool tops (the kind used for …

Use some simple crochet techniques to make a squishy, flexible and tactile basket for your fave houseplant or to stash your stuff. Create a basket measuring approximately 15cm by 12cm. Materials • Around 30 metres of t-shirt yarn (Zpagetti by Hooked) • 15mm crochet hook …

If you have the honour of being maid of honour, then you’ll also have the double-edged sword of organising a hen party.  This has to be a hilarious event that everyone will be telling stories about for the rest of their lives, suits everyone, shows …

  Our granny blanket features in so many of my childhood memories.   In the true spirit of granny blankets, it was made from a riot of leftover yarns in all textures and hues, finished off with a 1980s-bright red border.  It was also made by …

This weekend I’ll be running drop-in craft activities as part of Tea in the Park. It’s a great way of celebrating our fantastic park, connecting with the local community and raising some money to pay for all the things the local council no longer does. …

Learn how to sew wonderfully soft jersey fabric into a cosy sleep mask complete with ears and elasticated headband.  We’ve teamed up with the very clever and oh so stylish craft blogger The Things She Makes to bring you this gorgeous design.  Make yours with …