Thursday 7 April 2016

DIY rustic 'scandi chic' farmhouse trestle table

As you know I've got a new craft room! I'm going to show you the room in detail very soon, but first I wanted to show you my new craft table. I wanted a strong, rustic trestle table for my craft room so I went looking for one online. I was flabbergasted to learn just how expensive there are … with cheaper ones starting around £170 and nice rustic vintage ones between £600 - £1000! They are beautiful of course but goodness, that’s a family holiday! So in true AHC stylie I decided to make my own. I'm so happy I did, as the table below only cost me £45. This would make a lovely farmhouse-style or scandi-chic dining table … and it would also be ideal for al fresco family dining as it can be easily dismantled. You could also paint and distress the legs for a lovely shabby-chic look. I might paint these legs, but the character of the bare, aged wood has really grown on me so I'm keeping it 'au natural' for now. 



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Friday 26 February 2016

Botanical print feature wall & how to hang pictures easily


Botanical prints feature wall


I was watching the TV programme ‘The Good Wife’ a few years ago and I noticed the lovely feature wall in Alicia's apartment. It was covered in uniform frames of botanical flowers - and I loved it. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to re-create this wall art ever since, and now I have a new craft room I thought this would be an ideal opportunity! It was quite by coincidence that when hubby’s lovely Grandmother Joan passed away a couple of years ago, Grandpa gave me a beautiful set of botanical prints that once belonged to her. I was so touched by this - as not only could I make a beautiful wall of art filled with flowers and nature, but it would also be a lovely way to remember Joan, who aside from being a keen nature lover and gardener, was also a crafty soul herself.


Botanical prints

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Thursday 28 January 2016

Decoupaged keepsake box + with pretty florals and old photos.


How to make a decoupage keepsake box


So lately I've been trying to think of some crafty ways to make use of all the photos that are sitting on my laptop, and since Valentines day is coming up I thought I'd make a pretty personalised decoupage memory box using pretty floral papers and old photos! This project is super easy, making it an ideal craft project for kids too. This would make a lovely thoughtful pressie for any occasion as you can really personalise it with photos, old love letters, maps, or simply your favourite fings! It's my mummy's birthday on Valentines day so this box is going to be a surprise for her (providing she doesn't read this first!) it features photographs of all the wonderful women from my mums family, from both past and present. A lovely way to remember them I think.


How to make a decoupage box


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Thursday 14 January 2016

Quick and easy - sample pot makeovers


Christmas has been and gone, the decorations are down and everything looks bare and downright boring. Spring is just weeks away so I thought I’d do some brightening up in my little abode. When it comes to home makeovers we assume it’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of money, but this needn’t be the case. Picking just a couple of things to lighten and brighten can make a world of difference, and for small projects like these, all you need is one little sample pot of paint! 




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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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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 ....



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Thursday 29 October 2015

AHC Halloween Special!!! Pretty pumpkins and spooky nights out & about

I LOVE Halloween, and I love all the cold, misty, spooky, spine-tingling titillating things it brings to out murky October evenings. I seldom trick or treat nowadays, unless my nieces and nephews drag me kicking and screaming. I much prefer to be huddled somewhere telling ghost stories, surrounded by friends, a warm fire and some glowing pumpkins - OR I like to take part in a spooky evening of sorts. So today, I'm celebrating all thing Halloween, from pretty Pumpkin carvings to Victorian ghost walks .... so read on if your dare!! 


Halloween special

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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!


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Thursday 3 September 2015

A month in pictures - August


August has always been one of my favourite months as it means birfdays!!!! Ralphred Muss Muss turned 6 this year, and I turned the grand old age of 17 *ahem* ... OK add a fair bit more to that. This month I've been busy crafting and and I've also shared one of my latest, most favourite cottage getaways. This was our month in pictures ....



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Tuesday 4 August 2015

A month in pictures - July - Summer Madness


Well what a glorious month July has been. OK, so it's not so great now - the rain has been torrential this past week and "Oh I hope this isn't the end of summer" has been muttered at least once in every casual  conversations. But I have every faith our great British summer will return! July has been quite busy for our little house - work hasn't stopped but we've managed to escape for occasional day of fun! Here's our month in pictures ....


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Friday 3 July 2015

A month in pictures - June


Wow ... I can't quite believe it is the end of June. Hubby told me off the other day for pointing out that autumn was just a couple of months away! naughty me, but how it flies right?!  I don't know how the weathers been treating you over the pond, but here in the UK we're experiencing the hottest June on record - EVER! We Brits love the sun, but our country doesn't cope well with heat - my friend was glued to the middle of the road the other day when her flip flops fused with the tarmac! roads melt,  public transport comes to a standstill and the sale of paddling pools goes through the roof ... in fact I bought one for Ralphy when he was a puppy but he turned his nose up at it! I hope you're all enjoying this glorious season. Here's a glimpse at our month in pictures ....



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Wednesday 1 July 2015

Ceramics Course at The Little Arts Workshop


This month I took part in a pottery workshop at The Little Arts Workshop in Bishops Stortford ... and I absolutely loved it. I have never dabbled in clay before, but I have been itching to for some time. So when I discovered a pottery course running at The Little Arts Workshop, I jumped at the chance. It's a wonderful creative hub, which hosts a varied selection of crafty workshops seven days a week, during daytime and evenings, for both adults and children. For toddlers and primary school children there are workshops in clay and arts and crafts, and for adults there are life drawing courses, ceramics courses, watercolour painting courses, and photography courses to name a few...


The Little Arts Workshop in Bishops Stortford

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Thursday 30 April 2015

Growing your own ... in a small garden


If you ask a handful of gardeners why they grow fruit and veg, not many will reply "because it saves money." People have been gardening and growing food for centuries because it enriches our lives on so many levels, but for many people, 'growing your own' can be a daunting prospect. I often hear my friends saying "I tried and failed / it's too much hassle / I don't have the space! Well firstly, I'll admit I have far more failures than I've had successes, but it's the failures that (eventually) make you into a good gardener. Secondly, I hardly have any time - but I find tending to the garden does me the world of good - working with the earth and being amongst nature is good for you body, mind and soul so it's worth making time for. Thirdly, I only have a little garden, but you can grow quite a lot in the smallest of places ... you just have to use your imagination! Here are a few ideas to help you on your way ....


Growing your own, in a small space

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Tuesday 14 April 2015

The AHC guide to growing herbs + PLUS a pretty downloadable guide for the garden shed wall!


A guide to growing herbs



Last year I made this beautiful herb box ... it was filled with my favourite herbs: Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme and Sage. I used a good compost, positioned it in full light and I watered and fed correctly and yet despite my best efforts ... it met a sorry end. Mrs Miggins next door has magic fingers and can grow anything, she will break off a twig from a rose bush (from a neighbours garden or nearby stately home) pop it in a pot and as if like magic it will flourish from her touch. So after some  'digging' about and 'leafing' through books (ok, ok I'll stop now) I have now seen the error of my ways, and the answer lies in the soil ...  get the soil right, and you can grow anything. So here is my AHC guide to growing herbs, which includes a pretty downloadable chart for your garden shed wall!

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Thursday 2 April 2015

Pretty projects and a crafty March - A month in pictures


March - A month in pictures - A Handmade Cottage


March. It's been an incredibly crafty month in AHC headquarters, and I can't believe how quickly time passes. The trees were so bare, yet so quickly life blooms. This has been a busy month on the blog, with some lovely guest posts, and since Easter is coming up I've been sharing some fab quick and easy Easter craft projects! Now I'm looking forward to some time with my family -  it's good to have some time to put the feet up and over indulge in choccie bunnies and hot cross buns. Hubby's birthday is also coming up, which is one my favourite days of the year! (after Christmas and my own birthday of course ... you know how I feel about my birthday) but I love his birthday more, since it's the day he came into the world and changed mine (grab your buckets by all means, but it's true!) But back to crafty business, here's a glimpse of the funsies I've enjoyed this month ....

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Tuesday 31 March 2015

How to make: Easter egg spring bunting


Easter egg spring bunting - Noolibird stamp


I love any excuse to decorate my house in a festive manner, and I love bringing the outside in as you know.  So this week I made some Easter spring bunting with the Noolibird 'folk egg' stamp. However you needn't use a stamp for this project if you don't have time, as it would work just as well with mis-matching floral fabric.You may have seen my previous ravings about Noolibird stamps, and I assure you I'm not getting paid to promote these stamps, I just love the detail and workmanship that goes into them ... they're just so pretty! So if you'd like to get festive 'Easter-stylie' here is how I made this pretty little string of easter bunting. Use it on the fireplace or string it around a flower arrangement as I have done - and once made, you can bring it out year after year ...

Difficulty rating: Easy
Skills needed: None, some sewing but could glue / peg instead.
Time: 2 / 3 hours.
Kiddy friendly: Absolutely
Dog friendly: Probably not.

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Thursday 26 March 2015

Easter spring flower table display - in 10 minutes!


Hello my little Easter bunnies! Easter is around the corner - So I thought I'd get a little festive and throw together a couple of super quick and easy flower displays. Like most people, I don't have the time to make anything extravagant so the following displays won't take you longer than 10 minutes to make, but they look beautifully festive and oh so pretty - in fact, such a pretty display would also be ideal for a spring wedding! Let's get started, by cracking open the choccy eggs ... 



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Friday 20 March 2015

Vintage crate furniture ideas!


I love crates. I've found them to be the most useful piece of furniture since sliced bread, as they are just so versatile. I realise that my ancestors will be looking over me now exclaiming 'but it's just an old wooden crate!' and miggins next door thinks it just looks like I haven't got around to buying furniture yet BUT, I care not, I love my crates. They're useful, practical and full of rustic charm!


Vintage crate furniture ideas

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