Caroline Burke | Burkatron

this year I discovered cuttings and it's fast become a thing for me... my poor plants keep getting snipped so I can cultivate baby versions around the house.

I've been really looking forward to sharing this DIY with you guys! I've never painted ceramics before (legit. so. much. fun.) it's perfect for updating plain old tableware and the possibilities are endless..

today's DIY is a quick little discovery! when james and I went to stockholm our apartment had a wooden test tube display that I loved so I went hunting for some test tubes on amazon..

I have to hold up my hands and admit to being the ultimate geek when it comes to succulents, I just think they're so darn beautiful!

so when I saw a tray of succulent babies in homebase a week ago I knew it was a sign that I had to make that terrarium I've been planning for so long. it's incredibly simple to do and they're such low maintenance rascals that even my special ability to kill plants is challenged..

you need a few basic things to put together a terrarium:

a selection of succulents/cacti (try garden centres/ikea/eBay)

a glass bowl

cacti/succulent compost (available in most garden centres)

gravel

sand

crushed charcoal (this is harder to find but is only there to minimise odour so is optional)

take your glass bowl and start to layer up the ingredients! the gravel base layer helps the plants with drainage, top with a layer of charcoal followed by a layer of sand (remember to keep the layers neat and even as it'll look nicer in the glass bowl!)

next is the succulent compost, I added a few inches in total (it depends on the size of your plants) remove the succulents from their pots and massage the roots to loosen up the root ball before you pot them into the compost.

I added a layer of gravel to the top to neaten it all but you can also add a layer of moss too.

water them verrrry lightly, you should aim to keep the terrarium only slightly damp. it shouldn't really be bone dry either but don't get carried away as too much water will make them rot! I might invest in a water sprayer to mist them as the succulents in my bathroom seem to love the humid moist environment and I rarely ever water them!

I love my DIY terrarium so much! 

I have a few baby succulents left over so I'm going to find some other ways of potting them.. maybe in some of my old china tea cups?

do you like?

caroline x

I have been dying to share this DIY because I had so much fun making it and it's CRAZY EASY! the idea  came from my pearl lowe vintage craft book which I modified to make coasters instead of wall tiles. I'm always seem to have a cup of tea in hand so being a bit of a monica I like to have plenty of coasters dotted about my house..

You'll need a few items 

patterned/scrapbook paper

pva glue

wall tiles

felt fabric squares

clear acrylic sealer

you'll usally find the pva, sealant and tiles all in your local b&q/homebase type of stores. The paper and felt is easily availble in craft shops or online!

to start cut your paper into squares slightly smaller than the width of your tiles. take your pva glue (remember that fun stuff from primary school..) and apply a light layer to the tile before you position your paper on top. coat the top with pva to secure the paper and leave to dry; apply a further layer to really seal everything in place.

once the pva layers are fully dry you need to seal the tile properly with a waterproof sealant, I've used a clear enamel spray suitable for ceramics (it seems to have worked a treat as the tiles are nice and glossy) I'd probably advise you to use at least 2 coats of sealant to be on the safe side.

to finish off simply glue a square of felt (slightly smaller than the tile) to the underside of each tile so that it doesn't scratch your work surfaces when you leave them down. once the felt bottoms are dry your coasters are good to go! 

I think they'd make cute gifts tied up with string and handmade gift tags but I'm going to keep this batch for myself!

what do you think.. would you be tempted to try making your own?

caroline x

I have a super duper easy DIY for you today.. and a little something extra too! 

you may remember my tote wash bag DIY from a few months ago using my cricut mini cutting machine? (have a peek here to see it in full) well the lovely cricut people have offered me a machine to give to one of you too! it's one of the best craft tools I've ever used and I'm sure that anyone creative would love to get their mitts on one so I said yes please!!

so back to my DIY, it's not one I'd planned specifically for valentines but it involves hearts so I guess it's in keeping! 

I recently discovered iron on heat transfer film and it's pretty cool stuff! it's perfect for using on cushions, bags and t-shirts (and on this occasion pillowcases!) I loaded a sheet onto my cricut cutting mat and used the cricut software on my laptop to select a heart template, once I'd adjusted the size I hit cut and my machine got to work! (if you're feeling nosey there's a clip of me cutting out these hearts here!)

I know you won't all have a cutting machine but don't worry you can cut out the heart shapes by hand too it will just take longer! 

peel off your hearts and place them onto your pillowcases, place a tea towel over them and get ironing! you'll need to apply lots of heat to secure the transfer in place, once it's fully adhered peel off the shiny protective film that covers the transfer (the film I've used had full instruction so make sure to check out the manufacturer recommendations)

that's it.. easy peasy pillowcases huzzah!! you can also cut out fabric hearts and stitch them on as an alternative.. either way it's a fun and easy update to bedlinen (I think this may be the first time I've posted a picture of my patchwork quilt? it took me years to finish as I kept forgetting about it.. do you like it?)

so if you'd like to win one of these little cutting machines just enter the rafflecopter draw below.. this mini will cut out the most intricate designs, it's perfect for card making, labels, paper crafts, home decor and all kinds of creative projects so I hope it's something you'll enjoy!