Thursday 12 October 2017

The joys of autumn & foraging for a seasonal display



I've been thinking a lot about autumn lately (or 'fall' for my overseas friends) and I've been trying to put my finger on what it is about autumn that warms our cockles so. Many of us have our favourite season but autumn seems to be such a firm favourite for so many. While we know it is a rich and beautiful season visually, it also fills many of our other senses - it brings warmth to our bellies, our homes and even to the clothes we wear. Essentially, Autumn is one big giant hug! I don't know about you but when the trees start to change to hues of amber, red and gold and the fires are lit I crave slow-cooked stews, as well as pumpkin soups, apple crumbles, chai lattes and hot cocoa. (FYI I never said I was good at making any of the above, but I am very good at eating them!)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday 17 November 2016

Fairy light tree centrepiece for autumn, weddings, christmas or easter

My neighbour recently cut back one of the bushes in his garden ... so when I spied a stack of lovely long branches sat by his recycling bin a little lightbulb went off in my head! You only need a few elements for this project. I've adapted it for Autumn by adding pine cones to the base, and copper and gold skeleton leaves on the branches which look gorgeous sparkling in the glow of the fairy lights, but you could easily swap the pine cones for baubles and give the branches a spritz of spray snow for Christmas! then come easter perhaps hang some decorative eggs from the branches and add some straw in the base? Whatever takes your fancy this is a lovely affective centrepiece that takes no time at all.


Decorative branches & fairy light tree centrepiece (for autumn, weddings, christmas & easter)

You will need: 

4 branches
Glass vase
Selections of pine cones / conkers / baubles
String of battery operated fairy lights
Pack of gold and copper skeleton leaves 
Glue gun or all purpose glue

TIP: If you'd like to use real autumn leaves for this project gather a selection of small leaves and press them for a week or two, then glue away! 


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday 20 October 2016

Sparkly pastel autumn pumpkins (as seen on ITV This Morning)


Sparkly Autumn Pumpkin Centerpiece


Autumn is here and I've been inspired by the pretty pastel pumpkins all over my Instagram feed lately. With Halloween around the corner we'll soon be inundated with scary-faced pumpkins so I though I'd create a pretty Autumn pumpkin table display that can sit and sparkly on our sideboards throughout the rest of Autumn. Perhaps include some scented pine cones so when guests arrive though the autumn period they're greeted by a lovely festive, scented display. The gold and copper leaf you'll be using for this project not only brings the autumn colours inside, it will also come very in handy for the Christmas crafting period too! If you'd like to see me making this project step-by-step on ITV's This Morning you can watch it by clicking here ... Sparkly pumpkins on ITV This Morning.

Happy Autumn folks!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tuesday 11 October 2016

VIDEO DIARY: Behind the scenes - my craft feature on ITV This Morning


Morning all! So here is my video diary with behind the scenes footage from my morning spent at ITV studios - filming my Autumn craft segment for the morning breakfast show 'This Morning' with Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. I'll be sharing these tutorial with you soon! 

If you can't see the video please click here and if you'd like to watch the whole craft segment on This Morning you can do so by click here ... ITV autumn crafts for your home.

JM x


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday 5 November 2015

A month in pictures - Autumn in October


It's been a busy month as always at AHC HQ. I've been knee-deep in recording my album this month which is coming along wonderfully, and I can't wait to share it with you when finished. I've been enjoying autumn crafts, the cosy nights, hot ribena in a flask on our chilly doggy walks and enjoying the scenery of this beautiful season. There has been some lovely clear days, but there has been plenty of drizzle too - only today I was wondering why I had wet feet on our dog walk, and it turns out the soles of my boots had come completely unstuck! Another good reason to own a glue gun me thinks! Here is our autumn month in pictures ....



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday 15 October 2015

Dried autumn flowers heart wreath


With each season I like to have a little change around in my cottage ... the light pastel cushion are replaced by warm, earthy tones and the light summer blankets are swapped with their chunkier knitted cousins. As for the walls I thought some autumn decor would be nice this year, so I whipped up this Autumn flowers heart in just ONE hour. This is a super quick and easy project that has brought all the wonderful warm rustic tones of Autumn into my little cottage, and as they are dried flowers it can be re-used year after year!


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday 6 November 2014

NEW VIDEO: Making gifts from pressed flowers and autumn leaves


Hello all! Well I've been a busy bee filming this week, and I have several new videos on their way to you. The first, is about pressing flowers and leaves. The projects mentioned in this video are already on the blog, so forgive me for repeating myself. Only many of my youtube subscribers don't follow the blog, so I thought I'd make an autumn video and inspire you all into making some quick and easy pressed flower christmas gifts!  PS. Apologies for Ralphy's absence, he was away on business.




In this short video I show you ... 


1. How to press flowers 
2. Some simple yet beautiful gifts that can be made with pressed flowers
3. How to make an autumn leaf garland using pressed autumn leaves in 5 minutes.
To see the full tutorial on each of these projects simply click the links below.



JM x


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Autumn leaf candle lanterns


With so many beautiful coloured leaves scattered around our feet it seems a shame not to put them to good use. Aside from the autumn leaf garland I made earlier in the month, I also like to decorate the fireplace with autumn leaf candle lanterns. They make wonderful centerpieces ... give a lovely warm glow on dark autumn evenings and in true AHC fashion, they're super simple and quick to make.




All you need ...

Autumn leaves (fresh or pressed)
Brown twine / string
Jam jar
Sticky pads
Wire and pliers (optional)
Small pine cone or berries (optional)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Wednesday 29 October 2014

My month in pictures + An autumn story + October


An autumn story



Well hello my little autumn lovelies. Today I'd like to introduce a new feature to the blog!  Life can get a bit overwhelming sometimes, and I have to remind myself to slow down and take stock. So I thought a nice way to do this is a look back over the month.  There may be some projects you missed, so I've included links should you want to make any of them.
Here is my October - an autumn story :-) 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Friday 24 October 2014

The magic of mushrooms - real and otherwise





There is something so lovely about about wild mushrooms. Aside from the fact little fairy families live under them, they possess a magical aura I think. There are many things I love about Autumn - and spotting little mushrooms growing in the undergrowth is one of them.  



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Friday 3 October 2014

Pressed autumn leaves garland decoration


Pressed autumn leaves garland


Hellooo Autumn - Oh prettiest of seasons! 
You all know how much I love being cosy, and as much as I've enjoyed this unusually hot british summer, to be honest I'm itching to put away my summer dresses and get my woolies and warmies out! So to celebrate the change in the season I wanted to share the 'autumn leaves garland'  I've just made to decorate my fireplace. It took all of 5 minutes to make and really brings this beautiful season into the house.  It's also a great project to do with kiddies, though Ralphy wasn't too keen for some reason ...

All you need is: 

10 Autumn leaves 
Ribbon or string
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Friday 29 August 2014

How to dry Hydrangea flowers


I love preserving flowers, as often they mark a special moment in time. I still have a pressed flower I picked in Paris, during our courting days many moons ago. I also dried my wedding bouquet - so when I'm a little old lady, I can put a tablecloth on my head and relive the moment all over again ... 'dum dum de dum ...'


How to dry Hydrangea flowers + Hydrangea wreath

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Friday 8 November 2013

Decorating your home with Autumn delights




Autumn - Simply my most favourite time of the year.
 The milky light, the rainbow of colours on the trees, the slight chill in the air which of course means fluffy socks, hot-water bottle and milky drinks! ... but before thoughts turn to winter, it's worth taking a moment to savour these glorious days. If we learn anything from Autumn it is to enjoy things while they last.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...