Make | Bay and Lemon Sea Salt Body Scrub

Bay and lemon are a happy pairing, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom. This scrub combines astringent lemon zest and juice with the exfoliating power of salt, while the dried bay leaves are anti-fungal.

Makes around 2x 500ml jars
1kg sea salt
750ml olive oil
5 lemons, zest and juice
10 bay leaves
100g thickener such as tapioca flour or arrowroot

1 Pour the salt into a large mixing bowl, then add the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice.

2 Stir well, then crumble in the bay leaves. Break them up using your hands and scrunch into the mix (but keep pieces fairly large to avoid clogging up the plughole!).

3 Add the thickener, then stir until the mixture is well combined and it holds together.

4 Transfer to jars with seals. To use, grab handfuls of the scrub, avoiding the bay leaves if you can, and massage onto arms, legs, bums and tums. Rinse off using warm water.

Maker’s note: The scrub will keep for up to 12 months in a sealed jar.

This project, perfect for a weekend afternoon, is from our feature Heart, Body and Soul, which this month focuses on bay leaves. The feature also includes a project to make a bay and chilli ‘swag’, a panna cotta, a salad and a tea.

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More inspiration for beautiful bathtimes…

More from our November issue…

Make | Dip dye stationery

While away a crafternoon learning the art of dip dye and emerge with your very own stationery set

September is all about new stationery for us, so we needed no more excuse than that to dig out this weekend project from our issue 67 for making your very own dip dye stationery.

You will need:
A selection of paper, envelopes and postcards
Hand fabric dye powder (we used Dylon)
Warm water
Measuring jug
Vessel for holding your dye (a washing-up bowl, bucket or Tupperware box works well*) 
Length of twine
Clothes pegs
Scissors

1 Before you start, tie a length of twine, washing line-style, nearby, ready for hanging your paper to dry. Cover any surfaces with newspaper. 
2 Make up your dye solution. Start with pouring 1 litre of warm water into your vessel. Add 4 tsp of dye powder and stir until dissolved: the amount you use will determine the strength of your colour, so use a piece of scrap paper to test.
3 Once you’re happy with your dyeing solution, take your piece of paper and – slowly, carefully – insert it into the dye solution, only immersing the amount of paper you’d like coloured. Hold it in the solution for a few seconds and then, slowly and carefully again, draw it out of the solution. Hold the paper over for a moment to catch any drips of dye. You can dip again for a slightly stronger coverage.
4 Peg your dip-dyed stationery to your length of twine to dry. If, once dry, your stationery is a little curled at the edges, place inside a heavy book and leave for 24 hours
 

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From our September issue…

More weekend projects to make:

Make | a Jasmine Garland for your hair or your wall

Whether you’re going to San Francisco or not, now is the time of year to be wearing flowers in your hair for sure.

This easy make is just one of the ideas for things to do with Jasmine from our July Heart, Body and Soul feature. Once you’ve crowned yourself Queen of Summer, you might like to whip up the jasmine body butter and even use the flowers in some cookery to make jasmine tea and honey chicken or tofu skewers, or the dark chocolate and orange tart with jasmine cream. 

But first things first; let’s get that garland made.

Tendrils of jasmine, with their star shaped flowers, lend themselves for use in a garland that you can wear in your hair or hang on your wall.

You will need:

Several strands of flowering jasmine

Scissors or secateurs

Floral wire

1 Snip off any broken leaves or petals from your jasmine strands.

2 Find your most robust strand and wrap it around the crown of your head to get a rough size for your garland. Take it off your head and wrap some wire around the ends
to secure.

3 With the remaining strands, continue to wrap the garland in both directions covering up or tucking in the ends of the strands where you can, using a small twist of wire to fasten. Keep going until you have a garland that pleases you!

Maker’s note: The circle can be whatever size you like, but for a garland to wear it will need to be around 25cm diameter or go large for a jasmine wreath to hang on the wall.

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More from our July issue…

More edible flower ideas…

Make | Embroidery Hoop Templates

These sweet embroidery projects from Love Embroidery magazine are featured in our June issue. You’ll find all the instructions beginning on page 102 and you can buy the issue from our online store. But first you will need the templates. Download them below and get stitching.
Project: Jen Smith and Miriam Polak

Desert Dunes hoop

Notebook cover

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For more patterns, ideas and inspiration pick up a copy of Love Embroidery

More makes and things to do…

More from our June issue…

Make | Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Balm

A simple project for a sweet-smelling Easter gift to make a change from a chocolate egg

Homemade lip balm is easier than you might expect. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can experiment with different flavour combinations. This version is like mint choc chip ice cream for your lips.

Makes two pots of lip balm

1 tbsp coconut oil
1½ tbsp shea butter
1½ tbsp cocoa butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 drops peppermint essential oil
2 x 30ml jars

1 Put the coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and cocoa powder into a jam jar or bowl.

2 Set the bowl over a pan of boiling water, taking care not to let it touch the water. As soon as they’ve all melted, remove from the heat. Alternatively, heat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until melted.

3 Let the mix cool for a few minutes before adding the essential oil.

4 Stir well before pouring into your jars. Be careful not to spill the mixture around the top of the jar as this’ll make it difficult to open once cooled. To speed up the cooling process, put your jars in the fridge or freezer.

This recipe is just one of the creative projects by Lottie Storey that feature in our Heart, Body and Soul pages, which this issue focuses on chocolate (of course). There are also instructions for making a chocolate and rose petal salami, chocolate tagliatelle and a pain au chocolat miso pudding. Photography by Kirstie Young.

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More from our April issue…

More chocolate (because there can’t be too much)…

Make | Rosemary, Peppermint and Lemon Scalp Rub

Clear your head and bring the zing to your shower, too, with this treatment you can make in your kitchen

Rosemary and lemon are a classic combination, made even zingier with the addition of peppermint. Great for fine to medium hair, applying this to the scalp encourages blood flow, while the essential oils clear the head.

Makes one
250ml jar
250ml coconut oil
4 sprigs rosemary
3 drops peppermint essential oil
6 drops lemon essential oil

1 Melt the coconut oil in the microwave until pourable.
2 Finely chop the needles from one sprig of rosemary.
3 Pour the coconut oil into a 250ml re-sealable jar and stir in the chopped rosemary and both essential oils.
4 Push the remaining rosemary sprigs into the sides of the jar before sealing.
5 To use, apply the scalp rub all over the head, getting right into the roots. Leave for 15-30 mins before shampooing and rinsing thoroughly.

This project by Lottie Storey is just one of the ideas on our new potion-making for grown-ups series, Heart, Body and Soul. This month, we focus on rosemary, with an infused oil, and recipes for a bread, a cake and a pasta dish, all using the herb.

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More from our February issue…

More lotions and potions to make…

Make | blockprint sweater template

Give an old sweatshirt a new look in an afternoon and feel very clever indeed

In our February issue, we have a feature on how to upcycle an old sweater into something a little lovelier. All the items you need and the instructions are on page 42, and you can print out the template you will need for your blockprint below.

Blockprint template

Good luck! And don’t forget to send us pictures of your new jumpers!

More craft projects for cold afternoons…

More from our February issue…

Make | Candle Holder

Light your way to bed with this easy-to-make, no-kiln-required clay candle holder

This elegant candle holder is really easy to make with just a couple of inexpensive craft purchases. It’s one of three candle holder makes created by our talented Simple Things duo, Karen Dunn and Joe McIntyre. You can find the instructions for the other two in our January issue to add a bit of glow to dark January evenings.

You will need:

Air-drying clay
Rolling pin
Craft knife
Ruler, paper, pencil and scissors
Water
White acrylic paint
Clear matte varnish, optional (we used Mod Podge)

How to make:

1 Roll out your air-drying clay so it’s around 5mm thick. Next, draw a circle on your paper (9cm diameter – you can use a mug or tin to draw around if you don’t have a compass). Then draw a 12 x 1.5cm and a 30 x 1.5cm strip and cut out.Place your templates on top of your clay and cut around them with your craft knife. Cut two of the 12cm strips. If your clay is quite wet, leave it to dry out for around 30 mins.

2 Next, score the outside edge of your circle of clay with a craft knife and add a fingertip of water. Wrap the longest of your clay strips around the outside edge and press firmly against the sides. Next, score across the join and smooth together with your fingertips

3 Take one of your smaller strips and in the middle of the clay base create a smaller circle with the strip (make sure this is bigger than the base of your candle as the clay will shrink as it dries). Once you have made a ring with the strip of clay, score the bottom, add a fingertip of water and press the edge of the strip down gently to attach in the middle of the base.

4 Take your final strip of clay and lay it across the base of the circle – from the central ring to the inside edge of the outer strip of clay. Loop the strip over your finger and, using the same method as before, secure it to the outside edge. Allow the clay to dry for around 24-48 hours.

5 Once dry, paint your holder with acrylic paint. Then, when completely dry, cover with a layer of matte varnish for a protective finish.

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More from our January issue…

More things to make on winter afternoons…

Make | a patchwork cushion

Create your own cushion from a hotchpotch of fabrics with just a few simple quilting techniques

In our January issue, we’ve taken a look at the incredibly rich history of the quilt. Over the centuries, quilts have done so much more than sit prettily on our beds and sofas. They’ve been used as art, as battle dress, as political statements and more besides.

We hope the feature will inspire you to stitch a few squares of fabric yourself, so we’ve included instructions in the issue to help you make this cheery cushion, above. You can find the instructions on page 85 of the January issue, which is on sale now. But before you get started you’ll need a template for your fabric squares. Click on the template below and print out as many copies as you need. You’ll need 39 hexagons in total and there are two on each page.

DOWNLOAD THE TEMPLATE

The project is taken from Craft Your Own Happy by Becci Mai Ford (White Owl). Photography: Jesse Wild and Becci Mai Ford.

More things to make…

More from our January issue…

Make | Edible baubles

Iced gingerbread baubles look beautiful, smell fantastic and taste pretty good, too

Makes 20

175g dark muscovado sugar
85g golden syrup
100g butter
350g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
Ready-to-use royal icing

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar, syrup and butter. Once melted, let it bubble for 1-2 mins, before removing from the heat. Leave to cool for around 10 mins.
2 Place the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Add the egg along with the cooled sugar and butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chillfor 30 mins. Meanwhile, line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment.
3 Once the dough has chilled, allow it to come back to room temperature before rolling out to approximately 5mm thick on a lightly-floured surface. Cut out as many shapes as you can, then, using the end of a paper straw, make a small hole at the top of each biscuit for hanging. Continue rolling and cutting until all the dough has been used.
4 Carefully transfer the biscuits to the lined baking trays, leaving a little space between each one. Bake for 12 mins, or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to firm before transferring to a cooling rack. If the hole that you made has closed up a little, use a skewer whilst the biscuit is still warm to open it up again.
5 When completely cool, decorate with royal icing using a piping bag and a small round nozzle. Once the icing has hardened, thread your choice of ribbon through the hole and hang on the tree.

Find the rest of the edible bauble recipes, including Stained Glass Orange and Cinnamon Biscuits and Butternut Squash and Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit tree decorations, in our December issue, starting on page 25.

And if you’re inspired to bake more gingerbread, you might like to read First Catch Your Gingerbread by food historian Sam Bilton, which is out this month.

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More festive makes…

More from our December issue…

Things to make and do at home

This time round we’re embracing lockdown from the start and doing it our way. Here’s how you can, too

Back in our October issue we shared some of the hobbies and skills we had learned in the last lockdown, and saw a few of your proudest moments, too. From virgin stitchers who were soon knocking up their own frocks to newbie gardeners overwhelmed by an autumnal glut thanks to their own hard work (and occasionally overenthusiasm).

With another few weeks at home stretching before us, we thought we’d share the feature again in case anyone had missed it.

It might just inspire you to take up sewing, invest in some hens or pen a novel, or perhaps it will spark off a completely different idea. Maybe you’re taking it easy this time and simply making the most of evenings in with a good book, a film you’ve always wanted to watch and a bit of gentle colouring. We all have to find our own way here, after all. While the world may not be your oyster right now, we hope you’ll find plenty of things to do and moments to treasure at home. We’d love to see photos and hear all about whatever you’ve been doing to keep busy.

Make yourself a cuppa, put your feet up and read our feature What I Did This Summer. You can download it to read or print below:

More things to make and do at home…

More ways to do ‘home’ well this winter…

Make | Personalised Seed Packets

A thoughtful gift for a new gardener or anyone you want to share the joy of your garden with

Spend a happy weekend afternoon making gifts inspired by nature. In our November issue we have instructions for making goats’ milk and lavender soap, imprinted clay dishes and also these simple but beautiful personalised seed packets.

You will need:
Seeds
Pressed flowers (to make your own you will need to press them at least 2 weeks in advance of using)
Glue
Pencil
Pretty paper to make the envelopes
Plain paper for flower description
Scissors
An old empty seed packet or small money envelope
A bowl of water
Thin cardboard
Pen

To make:
1 Place the empty seed packet in a bowl of water until the glue eases apart. Be very careful when doing this, as the paper will have become fragile. Leave to dry before using to make a cardboard template, by drawing round the edge on the piece of card.
2 Use the template to trace around on the wrong side of your pretty paper to make the seed packet. Fold, and glue the sides together.
3 Fill the seed packet with seeds (around 10 per packet), before gluing shut. We suggest seeds they will be able to sow in springtime, or seeds for herbs that can be sown straight away.
4 Cut out a plain piece of paper, approximately 1 cm smaller all around than the seed packet. Carefully stick a pressed flower (ideally one of the same type as the seeds) to the front and label it with the flower name. Stick the label to your seed packet with a thin layer of glue.

Maker’s note: Planting advice you’d like to pass on? You could make another small label for the back and list it here, along with the date the seed packets were made.

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More from our November issue…

More weekend projects…

Make your own espadrilles

Put your best foot forward and make your own espadrilles in an afternoon

In our July Unwind issue we have a lovely how-to on making your very own pair of espadrilles. Below are the printables for the patterns you will need to make them and you can find all the instructions starting on page 39 of the July issue.

We only recently learned this nifty trick for drying espadrilles that get caught in a rain shower - stuff them with scrunched up newspaper to help them dry out without shrinking or wrinkling.

The printables

Espadrille heel

Espadrille toe

If you don’t have a copy of the issue, you can buy it from our online shop or in shops now. Here’s a list of the rest of the things you’ll need so you can start gathering them now:

What you will need:

Espadrille soles – we got ours from prym.com
Outer fabric – 1 fat quarter (approx. 55x50cm)
Lining fabric – 1 fat quarter (approx. 55x50cm)
Needle Embroidery thread (or strong thread)
Pins
Fabric
Scissors
Knitting needle
Iron
Sewing machine (optional – can be sewn by hand)
Pattern templates (above)

More makes for summer…

From our July issue…

Make | proudly homemade teabags

Make a brew your own by creating your own teabags, filled with fresh herbs and flowers from your garden or whichever dried things you fancy

Our special May ‘scrapbook’ issue has the title ‘Inspire’ and you’ll find hundreds of things in it that we hope will inspire you. Among them is our Crafternoons feature showcasing lots of lovely projects skills you might not have tried before but can easily be achieved or learned in an afternoon. 

The homemade teabags pictured above are by Hackney Herbal, and they tell you all about how to make your own in a crafternoon in the issue. Theirs are made using dried herbs but we’re going to have a go at making them with fresh things from our gardens. You might try lavender, mint, lemon balm or rosemary. See what’s looking perky and might perk up a brew in your kitchen.

Here are some simple instructions from Hackney Herbal on how to get started. You can read the rest of the feature in our scrapbook-style Inspire issue in shops now - or buy it direct from us. 

You will need

Unbleached muslin fabric (try  souschef.co.uk or johnlewis.com),  or you could buy readymade self-fill tea bags from dotboutique.co.uk Cotton thread 1 tsp of dried herbs 

1 Cut unbleached muslin fabric into squares roughly measuring 10x10cm. 

2 Choose between 2 to 4 dried herbs to mix and place in the middle of  the square. You will need about a teaspoon of dried herbs in total.  

3 Gather the corners of the square together and tie the teabag up  using cotton thread. 

4 Infuse in hot water for five minutes and drink. You can empty out the spent herbs and re-use the muslin again after rinsing it.

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More from our May issue…

More things to make at home…

Friday Sketchbook Club | Botanicals

A pretty project that looks great framed in a kitchen or simply makes a beautiful page in your sketchbook

Welcome again to Friday Sketchbook Club! We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday in April. We hope you enjoy them. Today we’re drawing botanicals. 

Jennie started Sketchbook Club because she believes that anyone can draw. Her principle is that if we treat art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting.

Each module comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities. A note on materials: the projects were originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods but all can be altered to use what you have available. Just substitute as you like or need.

Ready to draw the Botanicals ? Then we’ll begin. You can watch the Botanicals video tutorial here and find the references for leeks, passion fruit, and  tomatoes here as well as the transfers you might need. Alternatively, you can just follow the instructions below, using the picture above as inspiration, 

You will need

A sheet of A4 black paper or card
HB pencil
Set of gouache paints
One thin and one larger paintbrush (Jennie used a size 1 and a size 6)
Colouring pencils

How to draw your Botanicals

1. Have a good look at the reference sheets and choose a fruit or vegetable to paint.
   2. Start by drawing out your composition. Feel free to transfer any of the images rather than copying them if you would prefer. To transfer onto your black paper, turn the chosen image over (it might help to cut them out first) and, using the side of your chalk, rub evenly over the whole of the back of your image, then turning the page over so the plant/flowers are on top, hold your transfer page firmly so it doesn’t move around at all, on top of your black paper. Then, using a Biro, draw over the whole of the plant or flower image.Carefully take the transfer sheet off to reveal the chalky template on your black paper.
   3. Work on your composition, making sure all the chosen illustrations are evenly spaced out, maybe filling any big spaces with some seeds or petal details.
   4. Next,start to paint the botanical illustrations. look at the reference, you may want to use a white pen once the base layers of paint has dried,for some of the detail (or your size 1 paint brush). Adding a little white to colour, especially the reds, yellows and oranges,will make them really jump out. For flowers or seed heads, you could use a sponge, working in darker then lighter colours, dabbing on lightly.
   5. For the lettering, first of all write it in pencil in ‘best’ italics, then paint over with cream or white paint using a fine brush, paint as thin as you can,adding depth to the lettering afterwards. You could write over the pencil using a white gel pen if you are nervous about painting lettering,it looks just as good.
   6. When the page is dry, add detail to the illustrations using coloured pencils. Try white pencil for very thin root strands and dark green for leaf lines.You might prefer to draw in the majority of details in pencil rather than in paint, for example, just painting a green circle for the top of the leek and once the paint is dry, drawing in all the little circles in a dark green pencil and a white gel pen or pencil.

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

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More meetings of Sketchbook Club…

From our April issue…

Friday Sketchbook Club | Camping

Learn how to create this cheery spring camping scene. Sketchbooks at the ready

It’s Friday Sketchbook Club time. We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday for the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy them. Today we’re drawing this very jolly camping scene. 

Jennie started Sketchbook Club because she believes that anyone can draw. Her principle is that if we treat art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting.

Each module comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities. A note on materials: the projects were originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods but all can be altered to use what you have available. Just substitute as you like or need.

Ready to draw the Camping scene? Then we’ll begin. You can watch the Camping video tutorial here and find the river template you’ll need here along with the camping ‘references’. Alternatively, you can just follow the instructions below, using the picture above as inspiration, 

You will need

A sheet of A4 green paper or card
Biro
Gluestick
HB pencil
Set of gouache paints
One thin and one larger paintbrush (Jennie used a size 1 and a size 6)Colouring pencils

How to draw your Camping scene

1. Start by placing the river template over your green card and draw over very firmly with a biro pen, this will leave an indentation of the lines of the river. Next, carefully tear along these lines on the green card. Stick each side down into your sketchbook using a glue stick.
   2 .Next, have a good look at the reference and roughly sketch out your first tent, caravan or Teepee. You might like to transfer some of the more difficult items, such as cars and camper-vans.Do this by drawingover the whole of the chosen image with a firm HB pencil. Turn the paper over and position the car/caravan etc.onto your page and scribble over the back with a lead pencil firmly, making sure it doesn’t move around too much.
   3. Using  Gouache paints and a size one brush, start to add colour. Continue this way until your page is peppered with campers.
   4. You can add details with coloured pencils now or later.
   5. Add trees as you go, some behind campers and some in front. Really look at the reference and experiment with some of the more stylized shapes, again, adding pencil for detail later if you wish.
   6. Finally, add little coloured pencil blue wavy lines in the river.

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

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From our April issue…

More drawing inspiration….

Make | a hand-me-down recipe book

Making a culinary heirloom is so easy and will give you much joy in making it, too

In our April issue, there’s a lovely feature by Lia Leendertz all about a recipe book she inherited from a relative. You can find some of the recipes from ‘Ellen’s Cookbook’ in the feature, including a blancmange with strawberries, egg flip and Abernethy biscuits. If you’re inspired to create a recipe book of your own to one day bequeath to future generations, here’s how.

1. Gather all your favourite recipes and ask members of your family what their favourite ones are too so it’s filled with memories as well as tasty treats.
2. Split them into categories – starters, snacks, mains, pudding etc. If you’ve got far too many , consider a theme, such as Italian dishes or vegetarian cooking, and create a few cookbooks instead.
3. Decide on your layout. What measurements will you use? How many people does it serve? How long does it take to prepare? How long will it keep? How do you store it?
4. Add notes of all the little tricks and tips you use when making them. Add personal memories about the times you served them up and the reactions they received. These little stories and additions are what make the books personal and a real treasure to pass on.
5. Get the picture – Think about adding photos of each dish so you remember how you presented them. It’s also a great excuse to get cooking so you can take a snap and scoff your favourite food.

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More from our April issue…

More food for the soul…

Make: Easter origami

Go to work on an egg cup... On page 60 of April's The Simple Things, Frances Ambler meets the arty couple on an egg cup making challenge.  

Alex Brady is a printmaker and illustrator. Her partner Dave Briggs is a filmmaker and artist. The 12 Dozen Eggcups project evolved from a creative couple's desire to try out a new skill together. Their blog about their plan to make 144 different egg cups is at www.12dozeneggcups.com.   

As it's Easter Sunday, we've found an easy origami egg holder that you can fashion in no time. Just get hold of some paper, watch this YouTube tutorial, and start making.

Or try your hand at an origami chicken:

How about a warren of festive rabbits?

If you've mastered those, you could give these 3D origami eggs a go. Not for the faint-hearted...

This blog was originally published in our April 2015 issue. Our current April issue is on sale now, in shops and though our website.

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More from our April issue…

More spring things…

Friday Sketchbook Club | Houses

Join us in drawing these quirky houses in today’s Friday Sketchbook Club

Welcome back to Friday Sketchbook Club. We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday for the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy them. Today we’re drawing rows of houses. 

Jennie started her Sketchbook Club because she believes that anyone can draw. Her principle is that if we treat Art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting. Each project comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities.

 A note on materials: Originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods. All modules can be altered to use what you have available - just substitute as you like or need.

Ready to draw houses? Then we’ll begin. You can watch the Houses video tutorial first if you like and find the instructions and house ‘references’ here or just follow the instructions below, using the pictures above as inspiration,

You will need

An HB pencil
Rubber
A small and a large paintbrush (Jennie used size 6 and size 2)Fineliner (thin one)
Scissors
Glue
Old book
Blue, white and yellow acrylic paints

How to draw your houses

1. First of all, have a really good look at the houses for reference in the link above (you might also like to look at the hashtag #SketchbookClubHouses on Instagram for further inspiration).
   2. Next, following the reference pictures,start to draw your houses along the bottom of your page. Use a size one or two black fineliner and draw in as much detail as you can, like roof tiles and windows etc.
   3.Next, start to paint the background colour. Do this by mixing a lovely aqua blue acrylic, Jennie made her colour by mixing a mid-blue with a tiny dot of yellow and some white.
   4.While the background paint is drying, start to draw little clouds on an old unwanted book page (or newspaper if you can’t bear to cut up an old book!).Cut the clouds out carefully and once the paint is dry, stick them onto the background sky using a glue-stick. You might like to tear tiny strips out and stick down to make tiny plumes of chimney smoke, too

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

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From our April issue…

More fun with paint…

5 times fictional socks stole the show

Photography from Darning: Repair, Make, Mend by Hikaru Noguchi (Quickthorn)

Famous socks we have known and loved

Ever since we were inspired by the feature on darning in our February issue, we’ve been valuing our socks just a little bit more. We’ve also been remembering the times when socks were the real stars of the show in some of our favourite books and plays. 

Fox in Socks’s socks (From Fox in Socks, Dr Seuss)

Fox in Socks and his sidekick Mr Knox tongue-twist their way around a box, a pair of socks, and lots more things that rhyme. No, we don’t know what it was all about either. 

Harry’s sock (given to Dobby in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, JK Rowling)

House elves are given their freedom if their master hands them clothes. Cunning Harry hides one of his socks in Tom Riddle’s diary, which he gives to baddie, Lucius Malfoy, knowing that Malfoy will fling the book at his house elf, Dobby, freeing him from Malfoy’s clutches.

Hickory Dickory Dock, Agatha Christie

In this Poirot mystery, a sock takes an unexpectedly central role in a brutal murder. We won’t spoil it for you. 

Malvolio’s stockings, Twelfth Night, Shakespeare

Puritanical Malvolio is set up with a fake letter, purporting to be from the object of his desire, Olivia, begging him to wear yellow stockings and his legs ‘cross-gartered’, and his silly socks are his comeuppance.

William Brown’s socks, the Just William stories, Richmal Crompton

William Brown’s wartime socks were more usually more darning than knitted wool, famously inching down his legs beneath muddy knees at every opportunity; they took on a character all of their own. 

We were always mesmerised at the amount of darning William Brown’s mother had to do and slightly jealous we didn’t know how to darn properly ourselves. So we’ve put that right with a feature in our February Thrive issue. Turn to p110 where you can learn the only two stitches you need to know to darn absolutely anything! With photographs and instructions from Darning: Repair, Make, Mend by Hikaru Noguhi and photographs by Wakana Baba and Noriaki Moritani (Quickthorn).

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More from our February issue…

More simple skills to learn…