Innehållsförteckning för Christmas 2024 från Ideas

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…

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…

how to Makes: 15 YOU WILL NEED: ♥ 250g white baking chocolate, chopped ♥ double boiler or a glass bowl over a small saucepan ♥ silicone mould with 15 × 4cm domes (available at baking shops) ♥ 2 piping bags ♥ cake sprinkles or gold leaf (available at baking shops) FILLING: ♥ Beat together 50g butter and 100g sifted icing sugar. Add a drop of pink food colouring and 2-3 drops raspberry flavouring and beat until airy. Stir in a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice until the mixture is smooth. For the assembly, break a few shortbread biscuits into small pieces to add a little crunch.…

The Moon was but a Chin of Gold A Night or two ago And now she turns Her perfect Face Upon the World below – Emily Dickinson DIFFICULTY: difficult TIME: a day YOU WILL NEED ♥ gold aluminium sheets (available from most craft shops) ♥ thick cardboard ♥ embossing tool with a fine point ♥ thin and thicker wire ♥ glue gun ♥ sharp scissors ♥ craft knife and cutting mat ♥ candles TIP: To make the wreath look a bit fuller, you can also cut extra flowers, petals and leaves from gold paper. Or use flower and leaf craft punches if you have them.…

FESTIVE SETTING RUDOLPH REINDEER Little Rudolph is sure to add some festive cheer to your Christmas tableau. DIFFICULTY: moderate TIME: half a day for one YOU WILL NEED ♥ template on page 106 ♥ fabric (40cm × 30cm piece should be enough for 1 reindeer) – upholstery fabric is recommended for its thickness and texture, such as Ombre Velvet/Sheldon Collection for the outer skin and Sheep Pelt Boucle Upholstery for the inside of the ears ♥ wire (1,6mm diameter) ♥ multipurpose glue ♥ pliers ♥ sewing needle ♥ embroidery thread matching the colour of your reindeer's body ♥ white embroidery thread for the dots on the reindeer's legs ♥ scissors ♥ stuffing ♥ 1 × 4mm bead (for the nose) ♥ 2 × 2mm beads (for the eyes) ♥ 3 ×…

FOOD ONE POT LOUISA HOLST (HUMAN & ROUSSEAU, R385) Award-winning food writer Louisa Holst is back with another brilliant concept: A collection of simple and delicious dishes that are cooked on the stovetop using only one pot or pan. In One Pot, Louisa serves up nutritious weeknight winners that are big on flavour and on your table in under an hour. You save time, effort and money, with the added bonus of less washing up. This book is for anyone looking for quick-and-easy family supper solutions using economical, local ingredients. It is ideal for busy people, families and young adults, as well as for weeknight meals and camping trips, and has everything from cooking tips, soups, stir-fries, pasta and rice dishes to batch cooking and sweet treats. THE HUHGRY TABLE…

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 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…

stitchcraft NUTCRACKER In the 18th century the nutcracker doll was seen as a bringer of good luck over Christmas. No wonder it is still a beloved element in our Christmas decorations. We can all do with more good fortune! DIFFICULTY: intermediate  TIME: a day SIZE Measures 23cm YOU WILL NEED ♥ template on page 104 ♥ fabric for the body ♥ small pieces of fabric for the outfit ♥ roving for hair ♥ thread and needle ♥ toy filling ♥ ribbon pieces for hat and coat ♥ bronze beading elements for shoulder caps, button detail and shoes ♥ thin piece of soft tulle for collar ♥ black lace/fabric for shoes ♥ shiny thread for bows on shoes ♥ string to sew on top…

stitchcraft DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: about two hours for one YOU WILL NEED ♥ macramé cord (we used 3mm and 5mm diameter) ♥ wool carders needle felting brush or steel comb ♥ empty toilet paper roll ♥ wooden beads (we used 10mm diameter) ♥ small piece of cotton for the bow of the gnome ♥ scissors ♥ measuring tape NOTE: This is a great project for using leftover macramé cord. You may only need to get some wooden beads. The number of strands to use for this project will vary depending on the thickness of your cord. We made our gnomes using 3 ply, 3mm and 5mm cord. If you are using cord with a different diameter, the number of strands you use may differ. TO MAKE THE BEARD 1 Cut 14…

how to DIFFICULTY: medium to difficult TIME: half a day (drying time excluded) YOU WILL NEED ♥ air-dry clay ♥ cone-shaped moulds ♥ embossing stamps ♥ 2 × plastic sheets for rolling out the clay ♥ rolling pin ♥ plastic wrap ♥ sharp knife ♥ tapers (tall, slim candles) TIP: Wait until the clay is completely dry before inserting the tapers. The candle heat might make the air-dry clay brittle so it's a good idea to add a protective layer of varnish to your cone Christmas trees before inserting the candles. For extra stability, we made round bases from leftover clay, which fitted inside the cones, and pressed the tapers into the bases before the clay was dry.…

FEELING THE PRICE AND BUYING IT ANYWAY! I'm one of those who, in recent times, has thought that rather than buy my favourite magazine, I should be grown-up and responsible and buy bread and milk instead. So it was with a heavy heart that I walked past the Ideas on the shelf at my local supermarket. I was doing well - or so I thought. I was strong, I thought. Then came June. I stopped in front of the magazine shelves - just what then is the current price? Ouch - that much? I put it down. On my next trip to the store I again picked up the magazine. ‘Okay,’ I said to myself, ‘that other item I'd planned on getting this month will have to wait. I have…

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…

DECORATIONS Make your own trinkets to hang on your tree by breathing new life into old baubles and getting creative with metallic aluminium sheets from your local craft shop. UPCYCLED BAUBLES: (RIGHT) We gave the old baubles from last year a new look by using hot glue to stick a ribbon with pearls around them and then spray painting them with a light layer of Rust-Oleum Specialty Metallic Spray in Gold. EMBOSSED ALUMINIUM DIFFICULTY: fairly difficult TIME: a few hours per decoration YOU WILL NEED ♥ gold aluminium sheet (available from most craft shops) ♥ illustration of your choice ♥ embossing tool with a fine point ♥ scissors TIP: There are a variety of different metallic sheets you can use. For this craft, it's best to use the softer sheets…

stitchcraft DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: day or two YOU WILL NEED ♥ pattern on page 103 ♥ felt or fabric ♥ piece of pink felt for inner ears ♥ matching machine thread ♥ stuffing ♥ red and black embroidery thread ♥ fabric for clothes ♥ needles and pins ♥ scissors ♥ glue gun TO MAKE 1 Cut the pattern from the felt or fabric and stitch the head and body together with right sides facing, leaving the bottom edge open where the legs will be inserted. Turn the mouse through to the right side so the stitching is inside. 2 Stitch the legs and arms separately, leaving the top edges open, carefully turn out (use tweezers if you struggle), stuff and sew the top edges closed using needle and thread or sewing machine. 3…