Crafting is a fantastic way to unwind, express yourself creatively, and even make beautiful handmade gifts. Whether you’re a seasoned hobbyist or a complete beginner, there’s a craft out there perfectly suited to your interests and skill level. Here are … Read More
Use Baskets to Decorate Your Home Baskets are one of the easiest and most effective ways of adding the country touch to your home. Bleached blond, naturally tawny, and dyed or painted lovely warm shades, baskets are one of the … Read More
Decorate Your Walls with Stenciling Stenciling is designed for you home decorators who want to Decorate Your Walls with Stenciling and create original schemes without taking the risks that accompany mural painting. With stencils, you can have some idea of … Read More
Get Confidence With Using Color Words by Penny Swift & Pictures by Janek Szymanowski © We show you how to get confidence with using color. Color is an enormously powerful medium and a major consideration in modern home decorating. It … Read More
Studies of Nature and Landscapes by Mariota Percival “I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.” Walt Whitman Mariota’s heart lies in life studies of nature and landscapes in their changing light. From the intricate … Read More
Unique Cards and Book Illustrations by Mariota Percival Talented artist Mariota Percival specializes in unique beautiful cards and book illustrations. She has illustrated three children’s story books and provided a number of illustrations for Shuter & Shooter Publishers school … Read More
Decorate With Painted Tin Cans Don’t throw those old tin cans away, recycle them and make painted tin cans and use them to decorate with. Handy containers in which you can store items such as kitchen utensils, make-up brushes, or … Read More
Unique Hand-crafted Tapestry & Crochet Rugs In front of a Blazing fire or beside a bed, a richly colored, hand-made crochet rugs add an aura of comfort and luxury. It is a welcoming sight in a hallway, where it softens … Read More
Hand Painting Things Hand painting things is a wonderful way of adding individual and coordinating touches to your home decorations without spending a great deal of time or money. You don’t have to be very artistic – a playful, naive … Read More
How to do Crockery Mosaics NB. A word of caution before you start, broken crockery pieces can be as sharp as glass so take care to wear protective gear when doing this project. Crockery Mosaics is the ancient art of … Read More
Stencil Flowerpots – How To Make One Plain terracotta pots have a charm of their own but stenciled, each pot becomes an original item. Choose a new terracotta pot with smooth sides that has been water treated giving an unblemished, … Read More
How To Make Your Own Painted Tulip Napkins Painting motifs on to fabric, then working simple embroidery stitches over them is a pretty way of making your table napkins totally original. Use this tulip motif or choose a favorite flower … Read More
Floors, Furniture and Fabric Stencil Magic Stencil decoration on surfaces other than walls has a long history, and painted furniture, floors and even ceiling beams have brought color to traditional homes for centuries. Stencil Furniture Although you might never decorate … Read More
How To Stencil – Get Started This is how to stencil the easy way. For your first attempt at stenciling, choose a project that is small and unlikely to cause grief if it doesn’t turn out well, but will be … Read More
How To Decorate With BOLD Color Unless you are naturally daring with colors and willing to try decorating with bold color, it’s tempting to play safe by using white and pale tints as the basis of your home decorations. Such … Read More
Decorating With Paint Effects Most colorful paint effects, like sponging, dragging, ragging, stippling and color washing, have that marvelous hand-made quality which is ideal for the traditional country look. Their broken color gives a painted surface a unique richness and … Read More
Easy Christmas Wrap ups Christmas wrap ups. If you have more dash than cash this Christmas try wrapping up your gifts in these stunning covers. They look as if they cost a million dollars but they can be made on … Read More
Trimming Your Christmas Tree Have you grown up with the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with all the decorations you have collected over the years? Or loading the branches with as many sparkly baubles and as much tinsel as … Read More
Christmas Craft Ideas for Décor There is something magical about bringing greenery into the home for Christmas: the smell of pine needles on the tree, the glossiness of rich, dark evergreens, like holly and ivy, and the vibrancy of scarlet … Read More
Mural Art – Bringing Art Home Story by Penny Swift & Pictures by Janek Szymanowski © Mural art and the living use of color have been decorative features of architecture for many centuries, projecting both cultural traditions and man’s yearning … Read More
How to Paint With Watercolor The step-by-steps on this page show the typical stages in the development of a watercolor landscape. For the landscape shown here the artist used a17- by 22-inch sheet of French hand-made, cold-pressed, 300-pound watercolor paper … Read More
Color and Design Understanding color White light is made up of light of different colors. Anyone who has seen a rainbow has seen white light divided into its component colors, the colors of the spectrum. See the color wheel below. … Read More
Collage – A contemporary art form Collage, from the French verb coller (“to glue”) is the general term for an artistic arrangement of various materials glued to a surface. See the collage “Cosmos” left by artist Diane Cadrain. Just about … Read More
A Selection of the Best Sketching Books Available Sketching: Techniques and Tips for Successful Sketching An essential little book – perfect for the pocket or art bag – covering all practical aspects of sketching and drawing. Sketching is a skill … Read More
A Selection of the Best Tie-Dyeing Books Available Contemporary dye-craft Tie-Dyeing fabric to create interesting patterns and colors is an ancient craft, practiced throughout the world for centuries, and enjoying a resurgence in recent years. With this title dye specialist … Read More
A Selection of the Best Glassblowing Books Available The Methods Of Glassblowing Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in … Read More
A Selection of the Best Stained Glass Books Available Contemporary Designs Stained Glass Pattern Book Here’s a chance for traditional stained glass artists to expand their craft with a dynamic modern look. Mixing abstract shapes with elements from nature, this … Read More