Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2021 i Ideas

Whichever way you look at it, Christmas simply won’t allow itself to be ignored. This time of year is just too beautiful and full of life and love for that. We can mutter about the Christmas songs that have already been playing in shopping centres since October, and become grumpy about the pressure that gifts put on our nerves, patience and budgets, but by December we are all carried away by the excitement of the festive season. This is precisely where the problem lies. If you leave everything until the bug bites you in December, you know you’re in for trouble. The shops are full, the shelves are empty and time is limited. So why not reduce the stress with a bit of advance preparation? For this issue, we decided…

AIR-DRY CLAY BRACELETS DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: one day YOU WILL NEED ♥ air-dry clay in the colours of your choice (we used JOVI and DAS products)♥ cake roller♥ craft knife and cutting mat♥ metal ruler♥ cardboard TO MAKE 1 Work with one colour at a time, because after you have rolled out each colour, you need to thoroughly clean your cutting mat and roller. Break off a piece of clay about 3 cm wide, wrap up the rest and store it in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. 2 Roll the clay into a sausage shape in your hand. Place it on your cutting mat and roll it with the cake roller to an oblong shape about 5 mm thick. NOTE: Don’t roll the clay too thin, because…

DIFFICULTY: very easy TIME: very quick – you can make enough in a morning to decorate your whole tree YOU WILL NEED ♥ templates on page 48♥ white medium-weight cardboard♥ tassels that match your colour scheme♥ baker’s twine or embroidery yarn to hang up the decorations♥ punch♥ glue gun♥ craft knife and cutting mat TO MAKE 1 Copy the templates on page 48 in the desired size onto white cardboard. 2 Use your craft knife and cutting mat to cut out the decorations neatly. 3 Punch a hole in the top of each decoration. Thread through a piece of twine or embroidery yarn and secure it with a knot. 4 Use your glue gun to stick a tassel onto the bottom of each decoration to finish it off. Tie the…

TIME: a few hours DIFFICULTY: medium YOU WILL NEED ♥ template on page 49♥ medium-weight cardboard in various shades of brown♥ charcoal cardboard♥ balsa wood♥ black and white print of flowers♥ 3mm double-sided mounting tape♥ eucalyptus leaves♥ colourful paper flowers♥ craft knife and cutting mat♥ spray glue♥ glue gun♥ small ornamental bird TO MAKE 1 Use the template on page 49 to cut the reindeer shapes in the desired size from the various shades of brown cardboard. Use the charcoal cardboard for the eyes and nose. 2 Use your craft knife to cut the reindeer antlers from the balsa wood. 3 Cut a circle 30cm in diameter from the black and white floral image and stick it with spray glue onto thick cardboard for backing. Cut the cardboard to fit…

Cocofeatures.com Rue Sainte Catherine, the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, is right in the centre of the old district of Bordeaux. It is lined by elegant 18th century buildings, some with ornate facades and wrought-iron balconies. One of these buildings is where Chloé Battesti’s apartment is located. Chloé lives in California most of the year and rents her apartment to travellers via Airbnb. The two-bedroom apartment is one of the most popular in the city and is generally always booked. But it is well worth trying your luck… As you enter the apartment, you are immediately charmed by its beautiful high ceilings and floor-toceiling windows that flood the space with light. Chloé, together with a local architect, totally remodelled the apartment and gave it back its original character while…

FESTIVE NUT BISCUITS Makes: about 12 Preparation time: 1 hour, plus chilling Baking time: 15 minutes Oven temperature: 180°C ♥ 100g (250ml) blanched almonds (or peanuts for a cheaper option)♥ 160g (190ml) sugar♥ 270g (500ml) cake flour♥ 3ml ground mixed spice♥ 3ml ground cinnamon♥ 230g (250ml) butter♥ 2 large egg yolks♥ 65g (125ml) icing sugar, for dusting♥ 125ml smooth cherry or raspberry jam, chocolate spread, or caramel treat 1 Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan until light golden. Cool completely then process with 60ml sugar in a food processor until still slightly coarse. 2 Mix the flour, spices and ground nuts together in a bowl. 3 Beat the butter until light. Add the remaining sugar and beat well, then add the egg yolks. Fold in the flour and…

SPICED BRANDY TOFFEE SAUCE Makes: 4 small jars Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: about 45 minutes ♥ 425g (500ml) sugar♥ 2 sticks cinnamon♥ 8 cloves♥ 8 star anise♥ 140g (150ml) butter♥ 30ml golden syrup♥ 250ml cream♥ 150ml brandy♥ 15ml grated orange zest 1 Put the sugar and 100ml water into a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. 2 Add the spices, increase the heat and allow the mixture to simmer gently without stirring until it begins to turn a golden colour. This should take about 30 minutes. 3 Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the whole spices. Stir in the butter, syrup, cream, brandy and orange zest. 4 Continue to cook over a medium heat until the mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally.…

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: half a day YOU WILL NEED ♥ box template on page 126♥ decorative shapes on page 126 (or use small ornamental birds; available from superfloral.co.za)♥ medium-weight cardboard in the colours of your choice♥ craft knife♥ cutting mat♥ metal ruler♥ punch♥ glue gun or double-sided adhesive tape♥ bamboo skewers TO MAKE 1 Copy the box template on page 126 in the desired size and use your craft knife and metal ruler to cut out the box shape from cardboard in the colours of your choice. 2 Punch the holes in the cardboard as indicated on the template. 3 Fold the box and stick it together with your glue gun or doublesided tape (but don’t glue the top closed). Make sure that your folds are crisp. You can use…

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FRUIT CAKE Make sure you ‘feed’ your cake with brandy over the next couple of months so it is well matured and ready to eat in time for the Christmas celebrations. Makes: 2 x 15cm cakes (or one 20cm) Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus soaking time Baking time: about 3 hours Oven temperature: 140°C ♥ 500g (660ml) fruit cake mix♥ 200g (260ml) cranberry and raisin mix♥ 100g pitted dates, chopped♥ 100g (200ml) glacé cherries, halved♥ 100ml brandy CAKE ♥ 225g (410ml) cake flour♥ 5ml ground cinnamon♥ 10ml ground mixed spice♥ 225g (375ml) dark brown sugar♥ 225g (240ml) soft butter♥ 4 large eggs, lightly beaten♥ 15ml golden syrup♥ 100g (250ml) chopped pecan nuts or almonds♥ zest and juice of one orange♥ extra brandy, to feed the cake 1 Put the fruit…

Perfect ‘on the road’ crochet project as one variegated ball of yarn is used to make many parts of the project for an interesting and surprising effect – so no need to carry lots of yarn with you. Crochet only the head instructions if you want to make plain baubles for your tree. DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: a few days YOU WILL NEED ♥ 50g African Expressions Joy in natural – will make 3 heads – or about 15-20g of yarn if you want to use mini balls of yarn♥ 15g light grey DK yarn for donkey’s head♥ 15g red yarn♥ Starke 6 Change of Scenery for head coverings (the yarn is variegated and makes a delightful variety of colour combinations)♥ small amounts of the following yarn colours: brown, black, grey,…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: a few hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ 3 x tree templates on page 40♥ white cardboard (250gsm)♥ creative paper in this issue (or use paper in the designs of your choice)♥ 24 small boxes (we used 3 sizes of matchbox-style boxes)♥ numbers 1-24 in design of your choice (look on the internet or at a craft shop)♥ craft knife♥ cutting mat♥ metal ruler♥ glue gun♥ double-sided tape♥ small sweets TO MAKE 1 Copy the tree designs on page 40 in colour onto white cardboard. You will need 24 trees in a mixture of the three different shapes. 2 Cut out the trees neatly with your craft knife and metal ruler. 3 Cover some of the little boxes (or all of them, if you prefer) with colourful paper.…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: about half a day YOU WILL NEED ♥ stable and Nativity templates overleaf♥ balsa wood 1cm thick♥ white medium-weight cardboard♥ double-sided adhesive tape♥ masking tape♥ craft knife and cutting mat TO MAKE 1 Copy the stable template on page 70 in the desired size and attach it to the balsa wood with masking tape. Cut it out neatly with your craft knife. 2 Copy the Nativity scene on page 71 onto the white cardboard and cut out the pictures with your craft knife. 3 For the standing figures, cut blocks of balsa wood for the foot pieces – the block must be slightly bigger than the base of the figure. 4 Cut a slit along the length of each wooden block and slide the figure in carefully.…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ gingerbread dough ♥ templates (on page 93) cut out of paper ♥ sharp knife ♥ ruler ♥ royal icing ♥ piping bag ♥ number 1 small round nozzle (optional) ♥ sweets and sprinkles of your choice, to decorate GINGERBREAD ♥ 125g butter or baking margarine ♥ 100g brown sugar ♥ 130g golden syrup ♥ 10g molasses ♥ 300g cake flour ♥ 5ml bicarbonate of soda ♥ 10ml ground ginger ♥ 2,5ml mixed spice ROYAL ICING ♥ 1 large egg white ♥ 300g sifted icing sugar ♥ 20ml lemon juice Make the gingerbread dough by melting together the butter, sugar, syrup and molasses over medium heat. Sift the dry ingredients together and make a well in the centre. Pour the melted butter mixture into the well and…

What does your favourite Christmas-tree decoration look like? Many of us take the time-worn tinsel stars or special glass baubles that have been loved since childhood off the tree after the celebrations are complete, and carefully store them for use again next year. Inspired by this sentimental take on Christmas, why not use all sorts of upcycled elements – think vintage silver gravy boats, handmade cards and tree decorations artfully fashioned from charity-shop light fittings – to set the scene for your festivities this year? Here are some great ideas to get you started. AMBER GLOW Enchantingly rustic, this inviting Christmas table combines organic charm with an industrial edge. Rich tones of amber and ochre are set against sparkling glassware and the gleam of heirloom silver for a warm and…

DIFFICULTY: average to difficult TIME: one day YOU WILL NEED ♥ pattern on page 44 ♥ T-shirt fabric for body and various colours for clothes ♥ matching machine thread ♥ polyester toy stuffing ♥ fabric pen or ordinary pencil ♥ black, brown and white embroidery thread ♥ glue gun TO MAKE 1 Trace the pattern for all parts of the fox. Refer to the pattern to see how many of each piece you have to cut out. 2 Begin by stitching all the contrasting pieces for the upper body together, as well as the upper part of the pants. Pin the sleeves to the arms and the upper part of the pants to the legs with right sides facing. Stitch and iron flat. 3 Leave open the top of the…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: approximately 2 hours per ornament (15 hours for the 7 ornaments) YOU WILL NEED ♥ designs for your ornaments (page 45)♥ 2 balsa wood sheets 1,5 x 100 x 915mm♥ carbon paper and a pen or pencil♥ art knife or scissors♥ cutting mat♥ sharp pin♥ Cotton Perle No 8♥ embroidery needle♥ sharp scissors♥ wood glue♥ fine sandpaper or nail file♥ smooth nail♥ hammer 1 Trace your designs onto the balsa sheet using carbon paper and a pen or pencil. 2 To cut out the shape of your ornament you can use scissors or an art knife and a cutting mat. For some shapes we found that scissors worked better and for others, an art knife. Just make sure that, whichever option you choose, it is sharp. Cut…

DONKEY YOU WILL NEED ♥ template on page 40♥ 1,8m x 0,5mm wire♥ karakul wool♥ merino wool in grey, white and black♥ 2 toy eyes♥ contact adhesive♥ small pieces of black fur fabric♥ felting needle♥ ribbon TO MAKE 1 Referring to the sketch on page 40, make a framework using the wire. 2 Wrap the entire framework in karakul wool, giving a base for the merino wool to be attached to. 3 Starting with a small piece of white merino wool, cover the muzzle of the donkey and then needle felt this wool in place. Use the needle felting action to create a slight hollow on either side, indicating the nostrils, as well as a mouth area. Using two small pieces of wool, attach these for the white circles around…

(See page overleaf for instructions.) The smell of jasmine in summer takes me back to my childhood home… Scents awaken such powerful pictures in our minds and our memories. When you inhale a lovely fragrance, your nervous system releases feel-good endorphins and serotonin. These improve your mood, make you happy and aid relaxation. Using scented items in your home – your sanctuary – will add a sense of joy and serenity too. UPCYCLED CANDLES Give plain store-bought candles a scented makeover with these easy steps. Package them in upcycled glass jars which can also be transformed into candleholders. DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: one hour SCENTED CANDLES YOU WILL NEED ♥ plain candles (we bought colourful ones from @home)♥ essential oil of your choice♥ toothpick TO MAKE 1 Light the candle and…

SPICED ALMOND CAKE Makes: 1 x 20cm cake Preparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: 35-40 minutes Oven temperature:170°C ♥ 6 large eggs at room temperature, separated♥ 190g (225ml) sugar♥ 7ml each grated lemon and orange zest♥ 2,5ml ground cardamom♥ 125g (400ml) desiccated coconut♥ 250g (625ml) ground almonds or almond flour♥ stencil of your choice, to decorate♥ icing sugar, to decorate 1 Beat the egg whites until stiff. Set aside. 2 Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and creamy. Beat in the citrus zest and cardamom. 3 Fold the coconut and ground almonds or almond flour into the egg-yolk mixture. 4 Add a third of the beaten egg whites to the cake batter and fold through. Add another third of the egg whites and fold through gently before…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: about an hour to make a lot YOU WILL NEED ♥ art pictures in this book♥ white paper♥ kitchen string♥ medium-weight cardboard♥ double-sided adhesive tape♥ punch, craft knife and cutting mat♥ battery-powdered LED candles (available from superfloral.co.za) TO MAKE 1 Copy the art picture or creative paper of your choice onto white paper and roll it into a cylinder. Stick the sides together with double-sided tape. 2 Punch three holes at the top of the cylinder, evenly spaced apart, and tie kitchen string through each hole. Tie the ends of the string to each other at the top. 3 Use your craft knife to cut out two thin strips of cardboard. Cross the two strips over each other and stick in place with double-sided tape at the…

WRITE TO US & WIN! The writer of this month’s winning letter will receive the following Gatineau products to the value of R1 515: Primrose Gel Cleanser, Gentle Silk Toner and Perfection Ultime Lip Balm SPF15. Gatineau products combine natural ingredients with cutting-edge biotechnology to create advanced skincare. Gatineau was established in 1932 by Jeanne Gatineau, a pioneering figure in the beauty field. You can find Gatineau products online and in selected Woolworths, Truworths and Dis-Chem stores countrywide. WINNING LETTER KEEPING BUSY Since the onset of Covid-19 I’ve been keeping busy: tidying, creating interesting recipes, crocheting, writing and more. Because I’m mostly at home now and have the time to do so, I’ve also started eliminating clutter and getting my life in order. The strange thing is that if Covid…