Thursday 8 December 2016

Festoon ceiling garland decoration + for Christmas or Weddings




If you fancy doing something a bit different with your Christmas decorations this year, here is a very pretty and affective way to add sparkly to your festive season. This string of ceiling decorations are so easy to make and you can easily adapt it to your own style. I had a lot of leftover baubles so I came up with this garland to make use of them. I like to keep mine simple with brown string, fairy lights and mis-matched baubles but you could easily keep them uniform or even add tinsel! 

You will need:

A length of brown string / twine / ribbon

Battery operated wire fairy lights in silver or copper

Selection of baubles 

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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! 


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Thursday 11 February 2016

How to make: Handmade personalised photo cards




I love this project. It's such an easy but effective way to make a handmade card for any occasion - it looks lovely, takes 5 minutes and all you need is some card, a photo and an envelope so it's ideal for and last minute occasions. As Valentines Day is coming up I thought I'd make one for hubby (and Ralphy of course). Real romance isn't always about big gestures or splashing out, and it's certainly not reserved just for youngsters ... for me romance is about the little things, and thoughtful gestures. So get your bits together and think of all the brownie points when you remember Valentines day and your other half doesn't! ;-)  


How to make - personalised photo cards for any occassion

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Tuesday 22 December 2015

Felt Christmas decorations with the Cottage Crafters.


Felt decorations - pattern from http://cutesycrafts.com/


Last week I had a lovely day making felt craft decorations with the lovely ladies in my craft group - The Cottage Crafters! It was our annual Christmas get together - and each year bring a dish of nibbles, a handmade gift for the secret santa sack and we embark on a christmas project. I thought you might like to see some of our super cute Christmas felt decorations ....


Natural felt heart decoration

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Friday 11 December 2015

AHC Christmas bumper special!


I thought I would use this opportunity to bring all things Christmas-related into one big bumper AHC Christmas special. To fill you inspiration my lovely festive friends, here you will find some Christmas decorations ideas, handmade gift ideas, some nature-inspired gifts, gifts for foodies and some easy peasy craft projects for you. Simply click the titles to see more. 


A Handmade Christmas Ideas



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Thursday 3 December 2015

A month in pictures - November


November ... which means it's almost December ... which means it's almost ... CHRISTMAS!!!
I've had some lovely days out this month and discovered some wonderful artists which I'll be sharing with you soon. The big news this month is that hubby has moved his music studio out of the house into a premises which means one thing friends ... I HAVE A CRAFT ROOM!!! Well I can't tell you how nice it is to have some space to work. It's almost there, and I made sure to take a 'before' piccie for you so as soon as it's ready I'll give you a peekaboo! I hope you're all keeping well and cosy, and I hope all my friends over the pond had a lovely thanksgiving with their nearest and dearest. Here's this month in pictures ...



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Friday 2 January 2015

A month in pictures + a christmas story


It's frosty out, and christmas has been and gone (well, almost - personally I try and milk the christmas holiday for all it's worth) We spent the New year with friends, playing games, drinking ... well tea actually, whilst wearing PJ's! I know, shameful right? though I did feel very smug the next morning when I thought of all my poorly hungover friends ;-) Before I take down the decorations and face the year ahead, I thought I'd share a look back over this last month. Here is ... our christmas story.



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Tuesday 23 December 2014

A handmade christmas + snow-covered branch + crochet snowflakes + felt decorations


Hello my lovely festive friends. It's a matter of days before Christmas, are you excited?? I cannot wait. When it comes to Christmas I'm a 5 year old in a 35 year olds body ...  and I still put a mince pie and glass of milk out for santa (and he still eats and drinks it!) This month I've been crafting away and transforming our little cottage with handmade decorations. Here are some of my crafty goings on in the last couple of weeks ...


A snow covered branch

When it came to decorating the house, I wanted to add more lights to our little mole cave. Do you recognise this branch? this was sitting in the garden in the summer. So I had an idea. I gave it a shower (be gone bugs!) then once dry I gave it spray with some fake snow ... I then wrapped some battery-operated LED fairy lights around it - they came on a copper wire which blended perfectly (£3.99 from Wilkos)



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Wednesday 17 December 2014

Wreath making with buddies + a dried Hydrangea heart

Remember how earlier in the summer I showed you how to dry Hydrangeas? well here they are in all their glory. This weekend, I spent the day with my lovely friends, in a quaint, picturesque cottage in the English countryside. My ladies and I were getting together to make Christmas wreaths, while our menfolk stood around the fire pit in the garden, supping ale whilst cooking us a scrumptious paella ... I think we got the better end of the deal, don't you? ;-)


How to make a dried Hydrangea wreath


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Thursday 11 December 2014

Handmade gifts + teacup candles + cards + sewing projects + tea caddy


Here are a few more ideas for handmade gifts. Some of these projects take a little more time than others, but all of them guarantee a lovely gift, and when you've made them once you'll make them again and again. If you're not a 'crafty' person, please don't be put off ... many of the projects I share on this blog, are things I've only tried once myself, and if I can do it so can you :-)





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Tuesday 9 December 2014

A Winter Spiced Biscuits Recipe


 It's about to get VERY Christmassy here at AHC headquarters! Now as you well know folks, my cooking skills are pretty dire at the best of times (I recently failed to boil an egg correctly - I blame Delia) but I am very good at eating! So let me introduce to you, the lovely Laura from We made this home blog. Laura is a graphic designer and lover of all things handmade and vintage, and she's the bringer of this most scrumptious 'christmas-in-a-biscuit' Winter spiced biscuits recipe. Prepare to fill your homes and bellies with seasonal goodness! Over to you Laura ...


Winter spiced biscuits



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Friday 28 November 2014

My month in pictures + A chilly November





Well it's almost the end of November. There's a chill in the air, the fires are burning and hot milky drinks have been keeping my cockles toasty. The autumn was lovely wasn't it? I think the reason I haven't started bombarding you with rustic Christmas delights yet is because I'm not quite ready to let the autumn go - but my inner child is screaming at me to put up decorations and watch Christmas films. How lucky we are, to be warm and loved ... and have such things to look forward too.  So before we begin the countdown into cosy winter madness, here's a look back over November ...

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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

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Friday 20 December 2013

Cheesecake mince pies at Poppyloves.com

This week I've been lucky enough to guest post London lifestyle blog Poppyloves.com
Poppy (AND her blog) are just lovely, so I decided to share my very special recipe for ...

* CHEESECAKE MINCE PIES *


How to make cheesecake mince pies


The recipe was handed down from my ninja-chef of a mother in law and they are simply the best I've ever eaten. So if you'd like to sample these melt-in-the-mouth bad boys (and see me licking the bowl) pop on over to Poppyloves by



Enjoy and have a wonderful Xmas, 
JM & Ralphy the dog
X




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Friday 13 December 2013

Snow globes and old christmas ornaments.


Snow globes. I'm simply a sucker for them. But not any old plastic-made type of snow globe. It has to possess a charm, giving you the feeling it's been on a journey and looked out onto many Christmas scenes in houses over the years. I'd rather have only a small handful of well-loved sentimental ornaments that come out of a dusty old cupboard year after year, than new freshly bought bits and bobs. Like antiques, our old things seem to have a soul of their own and it's a lovely feeling when we come across them ... almost like remembering old friends.


Old fashioned snow globe



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Thursday 12 December 2013

Rustic DIY christmas decorations


I am never happier than when I'm decorating the house for Christmas. It's such a lovely time. I make a huge mess, eat loads of mince pies and gradually transform the house into a magical rustic wonderland. I've experimented with various ways of decorating over the years and have found the following creations really bring the house to life, yet they are really easy to make. They would also be perfect for a winter wedding. When it comes to style there is no right way. We just need to create a lovely warm space that reflects us, and the way in which we want to celebrate. I love rustic traditional decoration but hopefully these tips will inspire you whatever your sense of style. 


Natural christmas decorations

Decorating with nature

When it comes to Christmas decorating (or even interior design) I find it's easier to transform one little area at a time. We can use all sorts to make a feature - decanted Sherry or Port and pretty glasses on a tray are a lovely feature, as are nuts in a rustic bowl. Perhaps pick some Ivy / evergreens / berries from the garden and scatter them. Ivy looks lovely wrapped around picture frames. It lasts a long time and dries green, not brown. I've literally covered my house in it.



Christmas pinecone garland

Fireplace decoration

I like sparkle as much as the next girl but the traditional log cabin vibe just says Christmas to me. I bought some really cheap long plain garlands (they're not real) and I simply laid along the mantle, added pine cones and berries. You can add real greenery or sparkle / baubles to it as well. Pine in the house smells wonderful ...


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Monday 9 December 2013

Good gift ideas for hard-to-buy-for types


Oh my, I've had such a lovely week my little festive readers. I made some delightful Orange and cinnamon stick decorations and I picked up my tree yesterday! While decorating it I ate almost all of my mince pies and watched repeats of Vicar of Dibley (pronounced 'Dimblebee' if you're my dad). 

Now when it comes to present buying every year I always get stuck for what to buy my big brother. Like many men, he has everything he wants and he has expensive taste so not the easiest person to buy for. However this week a friend told me about Good gifts www.goodgifts.org. The Good Gifts Catalogue was born 11 years ago and is a refreshing alternative to conventional unwanted presents.


Charitable christmas gifts for hard to buy types
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Friday 6 December 2013

Orange and cinnamon stick decorations


We're putting our deccies up on sunday!! Eeeeee I am so excited. It's killing me just walking past the boxes. I have been wearing my santa hat around the house though, and just because I don't have a tree (yet) doesn't mean I can't prepare my deccies for it! I make these every year. They're SO easy, quick and very rustic. 

You will need:

Oranges
Two contrasting ribbons or brown string
Cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon powder (optional)


Orange and cinnamon stick decorations

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Thursday 28 November 2013

Christmas craft in the community: Sparkly tree decorations

Well since it's a bit cold and gloomy outside my window, I have two cheery things to brighten our day. The first -  it's 4 WEEKS TILL CHRISTMAS!!! (I love Christmas. I think you know that now)
and the second - the evening I spent with the 

Our display of deccies for their towns Christmas tree

Me and my crew of crafty merry men (well, ladies) headed down to spend an evening with the group which is run by the lovely Katharine Collis and Sandra Embleton. 
Our mission?? to take a simple craft project that would appeal to everyone.

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Friday 15 November 2013

'Taste of Provence' by Lily Flame



This smells like Pine forests to me ... it's officially Marjoram, Rosemary, Tarragon and Thyme and as scent is personal it might smell like loo-freshner to you but I love it. They usually RRP around £8 which isn't bad for a good candle these days. If you'd like to buy you can do so here. They do another on called 'Mistletoe kisses' which I also love but I always save that for December.


So there you have it!
Have a lovely weekend 

JM x



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