Home-DzineIDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR HOME

February 2012

online

HAPPY VALENTINE

HAPPY VALENTINE

DESIGNDECORATINGDIY

DESIGNDECORATINGDIY

Home-Dzine Online is written and compiled by Janice Anderssen. All projects in this issue, or any other issue, remain the property of Home-Dzine and Janice Anderssen, or the respective copyright holders, and may not be copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

Spend, spend spend!We haven’t even recovered from Christmas and New Year and already we’re faced with Valentine’s Day - when will it end!

For Valentine fundis I have included a few pages for this special occasion, but I believe that every day should be Valentine’s Day!

Love more and live more!

Don’t forget to drop us a line at any time (home-dzine@iburst.co.za) if there is a particular project you would like to tackle.

Enjoy!

Janice

a word or two 5DESIGN &

DECOR FOR 2012

11QUICK & EASY HOME DECOR

13 IS YOUR HOME WABI-SABI?

16LET THERE BE LIGHT

STAND A CHANCE TO WIN BOSCH, DREMEL & SKIL TOOLS HAMPERS

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEND ‘BEFORE’ & ‘AFTER’ PICS OF YOUR

HOME IMPROVEMENT OR DIY PROJECT TO ENTER.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS20 KITCHENS WITH OOH-LA-LA

28RENTAL RENOVATION

30 THIS YEAR GET ORGANISED

36GIFT IDEAS

39COOKIE CENTRAL

44 POCKETS OF HERBS

46DIY PRIVACY

SCREEN

48 TIME FOR BIG CHANGE

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Update dreary and outdated floors withDIY-friendly laminate flooring.

Available in a variety of colours and textures, laminates complement most decor styles and offer low-maintenance to suit today’s modern lifestyle. Laminates can be installed over an existing floor, sub-floor or even concrete,provided the surface is level. You don’t require any special skills or expensive tools to fitlaminates and your home can sport new flooring within a dayif you put in a bit of effort and some elbow grease.

The clever click-lock system allows for easy installation and makes do-it-yourself flooringeasy for anyone willing to allocate a bit of time to fitthe floor. Glue and nails areunnecessary and the floor isready to walk on immediately after installation.

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DECOR & DESIGN

FOR2012

My design philosophy for 2012 is, “Love the

home you live in.”

From decorating a home on a tight

budget, accessorising for a quick makeover,

to making your own furniture.

Home-Dzine Online will focus more on

makeovers and renovations you CAN

do yourself , and save yourself a fortune in

the process.

Janice Anderssen

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decorwaysIn this new feature, each month we’re going to look at ways to update and refresh interiors; from choosing accessories to adding colour to a neutral scheme.

From around R39.99, each you can afford to buy more and sew

them together to create a large rug. Available at Mr Price Home.

The taupe walls and broken white trim in this room do look lovely, but if you look at the room it seems to lack on impact.

Fine, the black and white accents here and there do the trick to a certain degree, but imagine how this room would look with small pops of colour.

Swap out the coir rug and pop in a cotton floor cloth in vibrant colours andthen toss some cushions on the sofa to match.

Priced at R89.99, you only need two cushions to add bold colour.

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Keep the black table lamps or swap them out

with silver or gold shades.

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Orange Ruffle from SheetStreet for R49.99

Addis scatter R295 at

Weylandts

Mock suede cube @ R199.99 at Mr Price

Home - or make your own less!

Butlers tray for R299.99 at Mr Price

Home - or make your own for less!

Tangerine is Pantone’s colour of the year for 2012. Bright and bold, you can use it on it’s own to brighten up a dull room, or add other colours to add even more of a colour punch.

Orange is a lively colour that needs to be used with care if you don’t want to overpower a room. Paint up a feature wall, or simply add vibrant accessories to add this zesty colour to your home interiors.

Mix orange with white or cream to tone down the vivid colour, or add black to increase the impact.

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Waterflowerfrom @ home for R149.99

Spice up Tangerine with shades of green. Introduce a small amount of colour with scatter cushions and then punch up the colour even

more with window treatments.Don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit. Orange goes well with a lot of colours.

Add bright pops of colour in a dull room with green, teal,cream, whiteand black.

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Even the smallest detail can make an impact on a finished room.

Details such as adding an embroidered edge to a fabric-wrapped pelmet, as in this sunny, tangerine living space designed by Elizabeth Dinkel Design.

If you’re going to be decorating a space yourself, pay attention to detail and remember that small can make a big difference!

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Paint is just one of the

many ways to update furniture

with a new look. We love Rust-Oleum! You can use the Rust-Oleum range of spray paints on almost

any surface - including glass - to provide colour, texture or

unique effects.

Grab a can or two or Rust-Oleum at your local Builders

Warehouse and see for yourself why we choose Rust-Oleum.

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1. Measure the height and add 2cm for wrapping around the frame. It is not recommended that you cover a shade that does not have straight, vertical sides when using wallpaper.

2. Measure circumference (if covering drum shade) or top of frame (if using a straight-sided shade) and add 2cm for seam allowance. This can be done easily by rolling the shade along the paper holding one end in place on the shade and marking the point where the paper meets.

3. Mark with a pencil the side and top measurements. Cut out paper rectangle.

4. Fold 1cm hem along short side of paper.

5. Lay unfolded short side on seam of existing lampshade and secure with double-sided tape. There should be 1cm overhang at top and bottom of existing lampshade.

QUICK & EASYHOME DECORWhy throw out a tired lampshade when you can refresh it? This lampshade has been recovered using wallpaper, but you can just as easily use fabric.

Finish of your transformation with a compact fluorescentlight bulb.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRED EARTH RANGE OF WALLPAPERS

AT YOUR NEAREST BUILDERS WAREHOUSE.

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6. Run a bead of hot glue along the top and bottom frame of lampshade (approximately 6cm at a time, then wrap another 6cm, so that you can control how the wallpaper fits).

7. Wrap the hem around the frame so the cut edge is inside the lampshade. Make slits in the wallpaper to accommodate the top and bottom round parts of the wire frame.

8. Continue until the shade is covered.

9. Secure the folded hem at the end with a line of hot glue. There should be a slight overlap.

10. To finish the lampshade, glue a length ofgrosgrain ribbon over the top and bottom of the inside of the shade to conceal the seam along the cut edge.

QUICK & EASYHOME DECORA cubed ottoman is a fun and easy way to punch up colour and texture in a room. They’re also a great way to add extra seating when the occasion arises.

To create a similar design as this Beaton Cube from Garnet Hill, make a 6-sided cube using BisonBord, Plywood or PG Bison SupaWood.

Plus you can have everything cut to size at your local Builders Warehouse.

Wrap your cube with batting and then sew a cover in your favourite fabric. If you plan to make a removable cover, sew velcro along the bottom edge of the cover - and apply velcro to the base edge of the cube - so that you can change the fabric as and when you choose!

You will find plenty of ottomanprojects on the Home-Dzine website

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Bring the tranquillity of Wabi-Sabi into your home with uncluttered rooms and the beauty of aged pieces that are comfortable to live with and a joy to behold. Look beyond conventional to find pleasure in a more casual,unplanned look that is confident enough to incorporatethat worn dining table or distressed dresser.

Take your inspiration from nature, with cork, bamboo or hardwood floors, and imperfect walls painted inmuted colours that quietly complement each other to provide a sense of calm. The textured finishes of clayand plaster are inspired by nature, providing harmony and a sense of well-being to a space. Natural light and lighting fixtures that cast a velvety glow can emote aserene calmness.

Learn to appreciate the imperfection of a lifestyle that respects old wood in all it’s natural glory. Look for ways to bring nature indoors with organic materials such as cotton, linen, jute and coir.

DISCOVERTHE ANCIENT ART OF

WABI-SABI

Just when you finally decide totoss out all that old furniture, along comes a new way of decorating - embracing the beauty of everything imperfect.

Consider Wabi-Sabi as an ancient form of Shabby Chic, but rather than just a decorating style, this is a mind-set - a whole new way of looking at the way you live.

Wabi-Sabi represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centred on the concept of imperfect beauty. With its roots in Buddhist philosophy, characteristics of the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity (roughness or irregularity), simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.

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PIECES WITH SOUL

Wabi connotes a modesty of choice, a naturalness that is unassuming.

Sabi is spoken of that which is mellowed by use, patinated by age, things rusty, worn or tarnished.

Think of an old railway station clock, a worn and faded leather sofa, or perhaps a piece of hardwood that has endured the years.

Reflect on clothes fromyesteryear that you cannot bear to part with - a pair of faded and worn jeans, a vintage brooch. All these items have sabi - or soul.

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“Wabi-Sabi suggest an earthiness that moves

beyond the glossy, gilded and gaudy, to a simple organic elegance that

emanates tranquillity. The objective is to achieve

the same sense of ordered placement and balance

within interior space that is found in nature.”

Wabi Sabi Style - Amazon.com

Wabi-Sabi provides a perfect opportunity for recycling old into practical and

decorative items for a home. It creates a deep sense of connection and serves as a tactile meditation that’s almost impossible to find anywhere else. Try your hand atpottery or distressing, or frame a picture and then put it on display. Admire it -no

matter what it looks like.

http://poetichome.com

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Let there

be light!

Windows, small or large, arched or square, offer an opportunity to create more

privacy, keep your home cool, or add

elegance and sophistication to a

room.

There are a varied selection of

window treatments to choose from

and it can be confusing to

decide on the right one for a home.

Shutters are becoming increasingly popular as a window treatment. They are reasonably priced in comparison to luxury drapes, allow you to control the amount of light in a room, offer complete privacy and are easy to keep clean if you shop around for the best quality.

But interior- or exterior-mounted shutters aren’t for everyone.

Curtains and drapes will always remain the most popular type of window treatment. They allow for unlimited options in colour, fabric, shape and design. Most home stores stock ready-made curtains that are easy to hang in an instant - and at prices that allow you to chop and change your style as and when you want to.

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Blinds, whether hung on their own or combined with curtains or drapes, are stylish and practical. Available in a wide variety of modern materials - you can choose the perfect style for any room in a home.

The only downside to blinds is keeping them clean, unless fitted for easyremoval.

Over the years, Home-Dzine has tried out a variety of blinds including: wooden, plastic and aluminium. We’ve also listened to what our readers have to say about their own experiences. Here’s what we have to say about blinds:

Wooden blindsNot all wooden blinds are suitable for bathrooms or kitchen. If not coated or sealed they will absorb moisture and swell. Check this out before you buy.

Plastic blindsAt a price you can afford these blinds allow you to dress up windows affordably. However, they’re not easy to keep

clean and white tends to look grubby very quickly. Hang them for easy removal and soak them in soap water in the tub when required.

Aluminium blindsLove the look of these blinds and they’re easier to keep clean than the plastic ones. The only problem with aluminium blinds is that they bend at the drop of a hat. Not a good idea if there are children around - or cats for that matter!

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Shutters are perfect for bathrooms. Not only can you control the amount of light without losing privacy, but they look good too. However, make sure that you buy the right shutters for a bathroom. Plain wood shutters will rot over time if not treated with a protective coating.

For example:Luxaflex Shutters will not warp, crack or swell due to water exposure.

American Shutters Woodbury Water-proof shutters are suitable for wet areas like a shower or bathroom.

Regular dusting will keep shutters clean, but if they do become grubby over time, make sure you choose shutters that can be removed and washed clean.

easy to clean?

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Decorland brings you Venetian blinds with a difference – a trendy PVC version that combines the understated elegance of its traditional wooden counterparts with the practicality and durability of modern-day synthetic materials.

A unique raised wood-grain texture on every slat not only adds a distinctive touch, but also provides both strength and durability and increases the thickness of each slat to protect it against warping and sun damage.

These blinds are perfect for high maintenance areas such as steamy bathrooms and kitchens, home gyms, playrooms and studios. They will not rust and are easy to clean while hanging, offering a great value-for-money way to deal with steam, dust associated with allergies and damaging damp in humid climates.

Practical and Stylish PVC Blinds

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KITCHENS WITH OOH-LA-LAFebruary is the month of love and no one knows more about love and romance than the French. This month we feature a gorgeous French kitchen design that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, in fact, you can easily do-it-yourself!

I love my husband to bits, but if there is one area where we agree to disagree, it’s on decorating style. He likes everything modern and sleek, whereas I love romance and style. Give me Shabby Chic or French Country any day.

To curb my pent-up frustration I launched Shabby-Chic.co.za and absolutely love being able to create wonderful romantic pieces that look as though they have been around forever.

French Country style is comfortable and welcoming. It speaks of an afternoon spent cooking with love, or family conversation in the evenings.

The joy of decorating a home with French Country is that nothing has to be perfect. A few mismatched pieces here and there add to the beauty, and you can even mix it up with modern touches.

image: mosaik design

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TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Before you start you are going to need tools and equipment:

Drill/Driver and bit setRandom Orbit SanderJigsawDremel Trio or RouterMitre Box and Backsaw or,Mitre SawQuality paint brushesArtist’s paint brushes

MATERIALS

PG Bison SupaWoodPine moulding and trimWood glueProminent Matt (broken white)Dark brown craft paintScumble glazeWoodoc antique waxWhite candle60-, 120-, 220- & 600-grit sandpaper

CABINETS

A style that’s easy to replicate, a trip to your local Builders Warehouse will provide you with everything you need to make and assemble your own kitchen cabinets, while your nearest Prominent Paints outlet or Decorating Centre stocks the paints and scumble glaze required for finishing.

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French Country cabinetry is built up in layers. Start with 9mm PG Bison SupaWood cut to the size of the door.

Add another 9mm PG Bison SupaWood for the frame - having cut out a centre rectangle with your jigsaw.

Glue these two sections together with wood glue, clamping overnight until the glue has set.

Now you’re ready to start adding detail. Pine moulding with mitred corners is cut to fitinside the cut out panel on the front of the door and then glued in place.

It really is that easy!

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DETAILING

Apart from cabinet construction, what identifies French Country style is the wornsurfaces with muted colour themes. Slight ornamentation and detailed trim adorn upper and lower cabinets. Darker woods can be combined with the lighter cabinets to give French Country style a more modern edge.

PAINTING

Probably the most difficult part of creating aFrench Country kitchen, but easy once you get started, painting involves a fairly lengthy process of waiting for paint to dry inbetween coats. Believe me, it’s well worth the finalresult and you can create a custom kitchen in your choice of colour at your own pace and in your own time.

image: mosaik design

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Before painting you need to sand all your assembled pieces and polish the cut edges. Round off any sharp edges with 120-grit sandpaper and then go over again with 220-grit sandpaper.

Wipe everything clean with a slightly damp cloth. You do not want any dust to spoil the painted finish.

For the base coat you will pour some paint into a container and add water to dilute slightly, probably in the ratio 80% paint to 20% water. Use a paint brush to apply the base coat and leave this to dry.

There are various methods of creating a distressed finish, but when using PG BisonSupaWood I find the following techniqueworks very well.

1. Using slightly watered down dark brown acrylic craft paint and an artist’s paint brush, apply paint to all the edges. You only need a thin line of paint. I have also used a Rust-Oleum paint pen, but these seem to be difficult to source.

2. After painting all the edges, run a candle lightly over the painted areas.

3. Apply two coats of Prominent Matt a foam roller, allowing drying time between each coat. Make sure that you paint everywhere that needs to be painted.

4. Using 60-grit sandpaper, lightly sand the edges - only the edges - to remove the paint and reveal the dark painted colour underneath.

5. Now sand the entire project with 220-grit sandpaper and then again with 600-grit sandpaper on the outer surface, such as tops, doors and sides. This gives an ultra smooth finish.

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GLAZING

The next step is glazing for all detailed areas and to add a much-needed aging effect for the cabinets.

Mix together 3 parts dark brown craft acrylic to 1 part scumble glaze. Use an artist’s paint brush to apply this glaze to any detailed areas, such as the moulding on the inside panel of the door, or any cornice or trim at the top of the cabinet. Have a clean cloth handy.

Apply the paint onto detailed areas and then wipe off with the clean cloth. You don’t want to remove all the paint - leave some behind to make it look aged. You can apply and remove as much as you like, letting it dry between each applicator so that you can see the result.

WAXING

Now we’re ready to apply Woodoc antique wax. This is a really nice polish that dries and is easy to polish with a soft cloth, but be careful not to apply too thickly. Only a thin application is required to coat the surface and provide protection.

HARDWARE

To complete your new kitchen you need the right hardware. Antique brass handles or painted wood knobs are only a couple of choices and you will finda wide range at Builders Warehouse.

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When using glaze: if you don’t like how it looks, wipe it off and reapply.

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DESIGN STYLES

If you plan to give an existing kitchen a makeover, swapping out old doors for new is an affordable way to proceed.

Play around with the different ways to build up layers of trim and moulding until you are satisfied with thelook. You will find quite a few pine trim options atyour local Builders Warehouse, and you can also consider using hard polystyrene for mouldings as well.

Starting off with a 9mm PG Bison SupaWood back, you can add layers of frame and trim to build up a detailed door. There are so many options to consider and there is no rule that says you can’t be creative with your design - at the end of the day it comes down to what is available and the tools you have on hand.

Use a combination of moulding to build up layers, this can include pine skirtings and cornice

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Prominent Sheen offers an easy and affordable way to paint cabinet doors in your choice of colour.

For a two-tone colour effect apply acrylic craft in your choice of base colour before applying wax to the edges.

So many options to choose from.

If you don’t want to apply any distressing or glaze to cabinet doors, but would prefer a matt or gloss finish, Rust-Oleumoffer a wide arrange of spray

products that are perfect for cabinet doors.

After applying the base coat and a light sanding with 220-grit sandpaper, take cabinet doors outside and spray them.

Rust-Oleum Gloss Enamel spray leaves a high-gloss finish that is extremely hard-wearing, whereas Rust-Oleum 2X satin provides a satiny shine to finishedsurfaces.

Perfectly sealed

To protect your finished surfaces,and rather than using antique wax, you can apply two coats

of clear acrylic sealer with a foam roller.

After applying the base coat and a light sanding with 220-grit sandpaper, take cabinet doors outside and spray them.

Or grab a can of Rust-Oleum Polyurethane spray varnish to offer maximum protected to painted surfaces.

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RENTALrenovationHome-Dzine receives a lot of enquiries for decorating a rented home. It can be quite a challenge to create a dream home when the landlord won’t even let you paint or hang pictures!

But don’t despair, this month we’re going to look at how you can easily update a bathroom without damaging walls and fixtures.

ABOVE: I love Ikea - they always manage to come

up with great rooms using the most basic

accessories. While we don’t have Ikea

here in SA, there’s nothing stopping

you from shopping around!

Nothing adds a splash of colour to a boring

bathroom than colourful, luxuriously soft towels. The landlord can’t complain

if you hang them up, or place them on a

storage rack, and you get a bathroom that pops

with colour!

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ABOVE: It’s so easy to make! All you need is par pine from your local Builders Warehouse to make these bathroom storage units. Seal with Woodoc 30 for the ultimate protection from moisture.

Make the basic frame with 44 x 44mm pine legs and 64mm wide pine planks. Glue and screw everything together

before adding the slats of 10mm thick par pine.

It’s a good idea to sand all the pieces before assembly and also to seal with two coats of Woodoc 30. The final coat can be applied

after the unit has been assembled.

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This

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Working from home has its joys and its hardships. I don’t often see clients in my home office, so it tends to be abig mess that gets hidden behind closed doors! Not the perfect situation I admit.

This year I have decided to get more organised - or at least I’ll try - and went looking for ideas to create more order and help organise.

ABOVE: If you take clothes to a dry cleaner, you’re sure to have a few of the old wire coat hangers lying around. Here’s a great idea to use these for pinning up notices and odds and ends - with small bulldog

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HOW ORGANISED ARE YOU?Take our quiz to determine whether you are a Clutter Queen or a Spotless Princess.

Don’t take the quiz if you have a maid - that’s cheating!

1. You clean your home when ...a. guests are comingb. you can’t find what you’re looking forc. my house is always clean

2. When you clean you ...a. give everything a quick wipeb. spend an hour or two at the mostc. clean room-by-room to the max

3. Your kitchen cupboards are ...a. on top of the kitchen countersb. overflowing with junkc. alphabetised and nicely organised

4. Time it takes to pay bills ...a. have to find them firstb. as and when you have the timec. on time every month

5. Your master bedroom is ...a. overflowing with junk everywhereb. clothes on the floorc. perfectly clean and tidy

6. Time it takes to find your car keys ...a. always lookingb. toss them on the kitchen counterc. hung on a key rack

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Check your score

Mostly A’sAdmit it, you’re a Clutter Queen. You need to get organised or hire some help. Take it one room at a time and start tossing out or donating the clutter - you don’t need it! Small steps will have a big result at the end of the day, as long as you don’t give up.

Mostly B’sYou’re not quite a Clutter Queen but definitely need to get organised. Workon your time management skills by setting scheduled tasks that are easily attainable - and keep to them.

Mostly C’sYou are pretty well organised and your home is neat and tidy. Keep it up, you’re doing well.

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HOMEORGANISATIONCENTRE

Here’s a great way to get yourself - and your family - organised. This home organisation centre has a space for almost every item you need on a daily basis; from car keys to cellphones, important notes and daily calendar.

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How to make a white-board

Frame a piece of white masonite with pine trim. Apply Rust-Oleum Dry Erase according to the instructions and then hang on the wall.

How to make a note boardHave a piece of brown masonite cut to size. Before you frame it, use a hot glue gun to attach ribbon on the horizontal and vertical to hold notes and cards. Once done, frame with 12mm supawood or pine.

To make compartments for magazines, cellphones, etc., you can use 9mm supawood that is easy to cut yourself, and join

with Joiner’s Mate quick-drying glue.

Chalkboard message centre

I prefer to use a chalkboard for messages - it’s just as easy

as whiteboard and comes in a variety of colours.

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Design and create your own unique home organisation centre for a home office or kitchen. By using masonite(hardboard) for the backing and pine trim for the frame you won’t have to spend a lot on materials.

Your local Builders Warehouse supplies everything that you need to make a home organisation centre.

Draw up of basic plan of what you want on your home organisation centre and then measure up so that you can take

a cutting list along to your nearest Builders Warehouse. You can make the individual compartments out of 9mm PG

Bison SupaWood or 9mm plywood, depending upon whether you prefer a

painted or stained finish.

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ALL CHALKED UPGot a few offcuts lying around? Love this chalkboard week planner - and it’s so easy to make!

Cut all your blocks to the same size - 250mm high x 350mm wide is a good size to work with, but you can make your blocks as big as you like, as long as they aren’t too heavy to hang onto the wall with Prestik or double-sided tape.

If you have a Dremel Trio, route around the blocks, or use a sander to create the angled shape. Sand everything nice and smooth before spraying on the Rust-Oleum Chalkboard paint. Available at your local Builders Warehouse.

Buy or cut out letters for each day of the week and hang!

MAKEIT !

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IU

RIGHT: Handy with a sewing machine? Pop into your local fabric store and buy patterned silk and

make him a tie he’ll never forget!

via Etsy.com

LEFT: Set the mood for a romantic evening with this rolled felt wreath. So easy to make, you will find instructions in the Craft section on Home-Dzine.co.za.

Whether it’s your wife, husband, boy-friend, girlfriend, or just someone you hold dear in your heart - have aHAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

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ABOVE: Home made sugar cookies decorated with love are guaranteed to hit the right spot

with your sweet. Bake up a batch and pass them on to all your friends and loved ones as a Valentine’s Day greeting. Find instructions on how to in the Cooking section of Home-Dzine.co.za.

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LEFT: Use your printer to print out a special label for your sweet’s favourite wine.

ABOVE RIGHT: Manufactured from heavy duty commercial weight 1mm steel, with a double

layer non-stick coating, this heart cake tin forms part of the Master Class award winning bakeware

collection from Yuppichef.co.za.

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cookieCENTRALA selection of all-time favourites and yummy cookies for the whole family.

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Surprise your loved one with a thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift.

Fill heart-shaped boxes or pretty tins with home made cookies.

It takes less than an hour to prepare each of these treats, but it’ll look like you worked all day.

You will need

1 frozen shortcrust pastry 1 egg white, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons sugar 1 large dollop of cream cheese, soft 1/4 cup icing sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 jar All Gold strawberry jam 1/2 cup white chocolate chips Red sparkling sugar, optional

Here’s how

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Unfold piecrusts on a lightly floured surfaceand roll to press out fold lines. Cut with a 5cm heart-shaped cookie cutter.

2. Reroll remaining dough and repeat procedure.

3. Brush one side of each heart with egg white and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Place pastry hearts on two ungreased baking sheets.

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4. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove cookies to wire racks and let cool.

5. Stir together cream cheese, icing sugar, 2 tbsp. butter and almond extract until blended. Spread evenly over unsugared side of half of the heart cookies, followed by about 1/2 tsp of jam. Top with remaining hearts, unsugared sides down.

6. Microwave white chocolate chips and 1 tbsp butter in a glass bowl on high for 1 minute or until melted.

7. Stir mixture until smooth; seal in a small, heavy-duty zip-top bag. Snip a tiny hole in one corner, then drizzle mixture over top of hearts.

Cool completely; sprinkle with red sugar and place in candy boxes.

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You will need

3 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter

Here’s how

1. Preheat to 180°C.

2. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in amedium bowl.

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4. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter with both sugars for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Reducespeed to medium and add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth and well combined. Beat in peanut butter. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low and beat in flourmixture in 2 batches, until just combined.

5. Form dough into 2cm balls and place on baking sheets. Flatten each ball by pressing with tines of a fork in a crisscross pattern.

6. Bake, switching pans halfway through, 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden brown on bottom and barely coloured on top.

7. Cool on pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. With a spatula, carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

You will need

1 3/4 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 tablespoon unsalted butter, soft 6 tablespoons Holsum 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups quick-cooking Jungle Oats 60g chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1/4 cup raisins, glaced cherries and coconut

Here’s how

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

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4. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixtureto butter mixture. Stir in oats, chocolate, walnuts, raisins, cherries and coconut.

5. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. Scoop dough into 2 tbsp balls and place several 2cm apart on baking sheets. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are lightly browned, 10 - 12 min.

6. Let cool for 5 min, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

You will need

1 cup cake flour6 tablespoons cocoa powder1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft1 cup sugar1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup chocolate chips1 tub ice cream

Here’s how

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper.

3. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and saltinto a bowl.

4. Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; cream together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggand vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix until justcombined. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Scoop up tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into 5cm balls. Place balls on baking sheets 10cm apart.

6. Bake until dry on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets on wire racks.

7. Soften ice cream at room temperature for 3 minutes. Use an ice cream scoop to place onto a cookie, covering with a top and then use a sharp serrated knife to cut excess ice cream away.

8. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic and freeze until firm, at least 1hour.

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Create a wonderful feature wall of potted plants, or mount on the wall outside your kitchen door and fill witharomatic herbs.

Visit the garden section at your local Builders Warehouse to select a wire

frame or garden trellis to mount onto the wall.

Use long cable ties toattach individual pots

onto the wire frame.

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I love these felt pocket herb walls and they are

so easy to make. Have a large sheet for the back of

the hanger, cut holes into small squares of felt and then sew these onto the backing.

Add some potting soil and place a seedling snugly into each pocket.

When you water the soil and felt absorbs the moisture, keeping it moist without being too wet.

Hang in a nice sunny spot and watch your herbs grow!

A POCKET FULLOF HERBS

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Try one of these three easy techniques to glitter roses for a one-of-a-kind way to give flowers this Valentine’s Day:

1. Glitter an entire rose by diluting white glue in a spray bottle with water. Your

mixture should be equal parts water and glue, with the consistency of milk.

2. Glitter the edges of a rose by thinning white glue just a bit and applying to

the tips of a flower with the side of smallround paintbrush. Your diluted white glue should be the consistency of house paint.

3. Create a dewdrop effect on a rose by applying Bostik clear adhesive to the

flower in rounded droplet shapes.

[via Martha Stewart]

I must admit to being an old-fashioned Valentine at heart. Give me a dozen red roses and a box of chocolates and I’m yours!

Valentine’s Day, like many other commercial celebrations, has lost a lot of meaning over the years. It’s become so commercialized that it now ranks second to Christmas as a money-making celebration.

This year, let your loved one know how much you care with a dozen deep red roses, or better yet, an entire rose bush and be kind to your loved one and to Mother Earth.

WHERE TO BUY ROSES

Ludwig’s Roses [image left]

Woolworths have a lovely Valentine’s Dayselection in store, with Forever RoseBouquet @ R100.

Send a basket of 12 red roses @ R279 plus delivery - worldwide via NetFlorist.

A romantic aqua pack hand tied design, with a dozen red Roses with complimentary foliage in luxurious packaging @ R405 from TeleFlorist.

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Grab it at your local Builders Warehouse

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In line with this month’s theme to get more organised, we asked Shabby-Chic.co.za to design a project that would help of to focus on change in our lives.

This oversized clock definitely says that it’stime for a big change!

TIME FOR

BIGCHANGE

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While many would prefer not to look at clocks at all, sometimes clocks are for more than telling the time - they can be wonderful decorative pieces for a home.

We made this clock extra large and an option to consider from our design is to paint it with chalkboard paint. By doing this you can remind yourself of important events every day, or perhaps a time when you need to sit down and take a break.

Here’s how:

1. For this project we are going to use tongue and groove planks that you will find in a pack at your local BuildersWarehouse. They cost around R50 for a pack of 20 planks, which is just enough to make this large clock.

2. Slot the tongue and groove sections together and lightly tap each plank for a snug fit. Although not shown here,don’t directly hit the wood, but rather use a small block of wood between the hammer to prevent damaging the edge of the board.

3. Once they are all in place, measure and mark for the centre of the boards and hammer in a panel pin. You will need a length of chain - one end goes over the panel pin and you then insert a pencil in a link to draw a circle.

4. Use a jigsaw to cut out the shape, being careful to ensure that the section you are cutting overhangs the workbench, as you turn and cut, turn and cut.

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5. Now it’s time to apply braces across the boards to ensure that the tongue and groove planks remain locked in place. Use a drill/driver to drive screws through a brace at the top and bottom of the planks, inserting a screw through the brace into each and every plank.

6. Flip over the boards and apply two coats of Prominent Paints Premium Matt white over the surface.

7. Once dry, use 60-grit sandpaper or a Dremel MultiMax and coarse sanding pad to roughen up around the edges of the clock and then lightly go over the surface, particularly along the grooves and over any knots.

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8. To finish off, mix dark brown acrylicpaint with scumble glaze (1 cup paint to 3 cups scumble glaze). Use an artist’s paint brush to apply paint to the sanded areas, having a slightly damp rag handy to immediately wipe away. If you want a darker effect repeat this.

Make the clock numerals

1. Use your PC and printer to print out Roman numerals that are about 12cm in height. You can replace the numerals with numbers, but be aware that there is a lot - and I mean a lot - of work involved in cutting out numbers rather than numerals.

2. On the back of your printed sheet rub an HB pencil over the letters. When you place this face up over your sheet of aluminium you will easily be able to transfer the numerals onto the sheet.

3. Use a Dremel MultiTool and cutting disk to cut out the numerals. Be sure to clamp the sheet firmly to a workbench,pop on some gloves and wear safety goggles or glasses, as bits can flyaround.

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4. Use the same glaze mix and a stencil brush to create an aged or rusty effect on the numerals. Dab on with the brush and then lightly dab with the damp cloth. Repeat as required until you are satisfied with the finished result.

5. Before gluing the numerals in position, place them on the clock face so that you know where they must be stuck. Apply a bead of No More Nails adhesive to each Roman numeral to stick onto the front of the clock and then leave to dry, preferably overnight.

6. To cut out the hands use the same process as you did for the numerals, except that you will use a panel pin and hammer to fasten the big and small hand onto the front of the clock.

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Be creative, use your imagination,

have fun!

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Love angry birds? Here’s how to make your own angry birds with stuff you will find in the kitchen.

You will need:

1 cup of flour1 cup of salt1 cup of waterBaking trayWax paper or tin foilApron

Here’s how:

1. Mix the flower and salt together in abig bowl.

2. Slowly add the water and mix it all up with your fingers. It can get messy soplease wear and apron to protect your clothes. When it rolls together in a nice ball shape, take it out of the bowl.

3. Have a board handy and sprinkle with a little flour so that you can knead theball. You want to make it like pizza dough, so ask mom for help if you need it.

4. Now you are ready to make the birds by breaking off sections of dough to create the shapes.

5. Place them on wax paper or tin foil and bake in the oven at 60 degrees C for an hour or two or until they are hard.

6. Carefully take them out of the oven and let them cool down before you paint them with a small paint brush and acrylic craft paints.

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TAKE A LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULE FOR 2012

More great projects for you to make and take homeBeginners & Advanced Workshops

Basic Electrical and Plumbing WorkshopsSoul Sisters for our Cape Town DIY Divas

Basic WeldingCareer Workshops

Every Saturday morning from 09:00 to 12:00at a venue near you.

www.DIY-DIVAS.co.za

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This year the DIY Divas, in association with Builders Warehouse, will be taking up the centre stage at

Homemakers Expo 2012.

Every day for the duration of the expo the DIY Divas will be showing you just how easy it is to DO-IT-YOURSELF!

Catch us centre stage from 10:00 to 16:00 for a free demonstration on making furniture & decor accessories.