Ideas is all about MAKING your world more beautiful. Packed with creative inspiration, fresh ideas, easy projects and step-by-step instructions, this magazine is the go-to guide for crafters, stitchcrafters, makers, cooks and DIY home decorators.
My greatest gift to myself has been my little house in Italy. Not only because I can go there to take a breather every year, but also because there's so much to learn there about family and togetherness. Last week, the whole village was buzzing about the upcoming festa in the square. The pharmacist's baby was to be baptised and everyone was invited to join in welcoming the cute bambino. And it was quite some party! Long tables were set up, there was plenty of food and the wine flowed while a group sang here and over there another group danced in a chain around the tables. In between the baby was being pushed around so everyone could express their good wishes – first by his smiling nonno and then…
décor ‘Everything is a bit timeworn - a handle missing here, a chip there. Like the stage we're moving into with our bodies.’ It was still quite early in the year when I received a message on my phone: What did you use to paint your headboard last year? By this, Pieter meant the upholstered headboard that I had boasted about on Instagram the previous year. It didn't take long before I started seeing some of their handiwork. Jan didn't persevere with my layer-on-layer method; he simply applied a thick coat of enamel paint to the sofa in the kitchen area. The old ottomans gradually became lighter, and I quickly decided that this fresh, white house had to appear in Ideas and preferably over Christmas. They agreed and the photos…
craft SET THE SCENE We used white as the primary colour for our Christmas table and simply brought in touches of gold here and there to introduce a modern, festive feeling. Paper with concertina folds serves as our tablecloth and we repeated the folds in the rest of our decorations to ensure a pretty, cohesive picture. Set the table with your best glass and china and round the scene off with soft candlelight. CONE TREE Use an A0-size sheet of cardboard and cut it in half lengthways with your craft knife and metal ruler. Join the two halves together with double-sided adhesive tape so you have one long cardboard strip. Fold the entire strip in concertina folds and stick the two end edges together with double-sided adhesive tape to form…
PAPER BELLS YOU WILL NEED ♥ bell template on page 35 ♥ medium-weight white cardboard ♥ mini gold bells ♥ cord of your choice ♥ craft glue ♥ craft knife and cutting mat PAPER ANGELS YOU WILL NEED ♥ paper of your choice ♥ wooden beads ♥ cord of your choice ♥ double-sided adhesive tape ♥ glue gun ♥ craft knife and cutting mat ♥ metal ruler PAPER SWANS Copy the swan template alongside in the desired size onto plain white computer paper. Fold an A3-size sheet of paper lengthways in wide concertina folds according to the width of your swan template. Stick the swan template onto the front of the folded paper with masking tape. Cut out the swan silhouette from the folded paper, taking care not to cut…
craft STILL LIFE Use a selection of different small leaves printed in black and white on different papers as a still life on a pinboard. (See overleaf for step-by-step monoprint instructions.) MONOPRINTING YOU WILL NEED: ♥ colour roller ♥ Plexiglass plate ♥ fresh leaves and flowers, other plant material ♥ lino printing ink in white, black and blue (eg Gerstaecker Aqua-Linol; Deckle Edge sells Schmincke Aqua Linoprint inks in South Africa) ♥ various types of paper (eg watercolour paper, printer paper, cardboard, wrapping paper, sandwich paper – just try them out) ARTWORK Instead of in picture frames on the wall, use a hanger with clips to display your self-printed artworks. MURAL When your printing for Christmas is done, make something for the home by monoprinting various plants and leaves on…
food & entertaining STARTERS DILL-CURED SALMON PLATTER It's really easy to cure your own salmon. It makes an impressive starter and a little goes a long way. If you run out of time, buy ready-cured gravlax or smoked salmon instead. Serves: 6-8 Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus curing time Cooking time: approximately 30 minutes ♥ 125g (100ml) coarse sea salt ♥ 125g (150ml) white sugar ♥ 5ml grated lemon zest ♥ 125ml fresh dill, roughly chopped ♥ 500g very fresh salmon trout, deboned, but skin left on ♥ pickled red onion slices, cucumber slices, avocado, capers, rocket or pea shoots and lemon wedges, to serve DILL CRUMPETS ♥ 220g (400ml) cake flour ♥ 10ml castor sugar ♥ 15ml baking powder ♥ 3 large eggs ♥ 400ml milk ♥ 90ml melted butter CREAMY…
