Colour From the Cupboard

Dip Dyed Tassels and String!

In this post we’re going to show you how to dye cotton string using food colouring. Remember those tassels we made a few posts ago? If you make some from cotton string they work perfectly for this project.

You will need:

Cotton string cut into lengths or several tassels made from cotton string
Food colouring
Water
Bowls (one for each colour)

Step 1.

First make sure your string is wet all the way through by soaking it in clean water for at least ten minutes.

Step 2.

While the string is soaking mix up bowls of food colouring. For each colour you want to use half fill a bowl with water and then add your chosen colour. Stir well to make sure it’s well mixed.

We’re using powdered food colouring here and a little bit goes a long way! If you’re using liquid food colouring you will need to add quite a bit to the water to get a strong colour.

Step 3.

If you want the whole tassel or piece of string to be one colour then carefully lower it into the bowl of food colouring and leave it to soak.

If you want to get an ombre (colour fade) effect then just dip one end of the tassel/string and leave it to allow the colour to travel up the string.

If you want to get really fancy then you could dip different parts of the string into different colours and see what happens!

Step 4.

Leave the string/tassels to absorb the colour for at least half an hour. The longer you leave them in, the stronger the finished colour.

Step 5.

Give them a quick rinse in cold water to remove excess food colouring and allow to dry. Don’t wash them too well or all the colour will come out!

Your string/tassels are now ready to use. Have fun and as always, don’t forget to show us how you get on!

Super Swirly Snakes!

Here’s a fun and easy way to make some hanging decorations inspired by snakes! We used card that was sparkly on one side but plain card works just as well. Hang them somewhere they’ll catch a breeze and enjoy watching them swirl.

You will need:

Thin Card or thick paper
Scissors
A plate or something circular to use as a template
Pencil
Colouring pens or crayons
String, thread or yarn
Optional: Print out of the snake template

Step 1.

Use the pencil to draw round your plate

Step 2.

Draw a spiral inside the circle, this might be a bit tricky so take your time! Turn your spiral into a snake, using our template as a guide

Step 3.

Decorate your snake using your colouring pens or pencils, remember to decorate both sides of the snake! We used fancy sparkly card so only needed to colour one side but if you have plain card you’ll need to colour both.

Step 4.

Very carefully cut along the spiral line to the centre (head of the snake.)

Step 5.

Attach a piece of string to the head of the snake (centre of the spiral.) Hang it up and watch it swirl!

Have fun and don’t forget to share how you get on with us!

Make Your Own Zentangle

Zentangles are a relaxing form of pattern making and make great colouring pages! In this post we’ll show you how to make your own. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like. If you don’t fancy making your own but would like to colour one in you can print our design and simply add your own colours.

You will need:

Pencil

Paper

Pen (a black fine-liner is ideal but a ball point pen or felt tip will also work)

Eraser

Colouring pens or pencils (optional)

Step 1.

Using the pencil make some sweeping lines right across the page. Press lightly with the pencil. Keep making lines until your page is divided into lots of smaller sections.

Step 2.

Still using the pencil start filling in the small sections with different patterns. Use your imagination and see how many different patterns you can create.

You could try:

Shapes such as circles, square, triangles or random blobs
Shapes from around you; leaves, rain drops, clouds, wood grain
Lines; straight, wavy, dotted, dashed
Patterns you like; maybe hearts, flowers, dots, zig zags

Keep going until you have filled each section with a pattern.

Step 3.

Carefully go over your lines with the pen.

Step 4.

Rub out your pencil marks. Make sure you wait until the pen ink has dried before you do this and work slowly so you don’t crease your beautiful drawing.

Step 5.

If you want to you can now colour it in!

Have fun and don’t forget to show us how you get on!

Terrific Tassels!

Tassels are really easy and fun to make and look great added to key-rings, as decorations or used to make a wrapped present extra special. Follow our instructions to make your own!

You will Need:

String, yarn or thick thread
A small piece of cardboard
Scissors
Ruler (optional)

Step 1.

Cut a rectangle of cardboard about 4 cm wide and as long as you want your tassel to be. So, if you want a 10 cm long tassel cut a rectangle of cardboard 4 x 10 cm.

Step 2.

Place the end of your yarn (or thread or string) at one of the narrow ends of the rectangle and then begin winding around the length of the cardboard.

Step 3.

When you’ve got lots of wraps (the more times you wrap the fuller your tassel will be) cut the yarn, ending at the same edge you started.

Step 4.

Cut a small length of yarn and slide it under one half of the wraps, tie it tightly around the yarn wraps at one end. Knot the two loose ends together to make a hanging loop for your tassel.

Step 5.

Carefully cut the loops of yarn at the opposite end of the cardboard.

Step 6.

Cut a longer length of yarn and wrap it around the tassel about 2 cm down from the end you tied off previously. Tightly knot the ends of this bit of yarn so it holds the tassel together and doesn’t come undone.

Step 7.

Give your tassel a haircut to tidy it up! Make lots of tassels and use them to decorate things. What else could you use to make tassels? Strips of fabric? Ribbon?

Have fun and don’t forget to show us your makes!

Delightful Decoupage!

In this post we’re going to show you how to turn an ordinary box into a special container using scraps of paper and glue.

Decoupage is a form of collage used to decorate furniture and small objects by covering them with coloured paper, magazine cutouts and other decorative elements.

You will Need

A box to decorate (a shoe box or small, sturdy cardboard box is ideal)
Papers to decorate with (scraps of wrapping paper and old magazines are perfect)
Glue (PVA if you have it but a glue stick will work just fine)
If you’re using PVA glue a spreader is useful (a piece of scrap card works well) and a small bowl to put the glue in and water it down
Scissors

Step 1.

Select your decorative papers and cut them into pieces. Try not to cut them too big or too small; anywhere between 2cm-10cm is ideal. Squares and rectangles are easiest but any shape is fine. You could cut out images and pictures you like form magazines such as birds, people or landscapes.

Step 2.

Cover one side of your box with glue then start sticking on your pieces of paper, overlapping all the edges slightly so that all of the background is covered. Fold your paper over the edges of the box as well to give a smooth, neat finish. If you’re using PVA glue it’s worth watering it down a little bit to make it easier to work with and so that it goes further!

Step 3.

Cover the other sides of the box in the same way. You might need to let them dry out in-between so you don’t stick to the table! Make sure you don’t have any gaps and that all the edges of your paper are properly stuck down. If you’re using PVA glue remember it dries clear so don’t worry if it squidges out a bit.

Step 4.

Leave the box to dry thoroughly. If you have any bits of paper sticking over the edges now is a good time to trim them off and neaten things up.

Step 5.

To make your box more long lasting (and shiny) you could finish it off with a coat of varnish or another coat of PVA Glue. You could even decoupage or paint the inside of the box as well.

Have fun and don’t forget to share your finished makes with us!

Paper Wreath

Here we show you how to transform some cardboard and old magazines into a beautiful wreath!

You will Need:

Cardboard
Pencil
Two plates, one bigger than the other
Old magazines
Scissors
Glue
A piece of string or ribbon

Step 1.

Use the pencil to draw round the larger of the two plates on your piece of cardboard

Step 2.

Place the smaller plate inside the circle you’ve just drawn and draw round it to give you two circles

Step 3.

Cut out the circles so that you have a cardboard ring

Step 4.

Tie a piece of string or ribbon onto the ring so that you can hang the wreath

Step 5.

Select green pages from your magazine (if you want green leaves, you could have any colour) and cut out lots of leaf shapes. Try and make them slightly different sizes.

We made ours by folding the magazine pages in half and cutting half a leaf shape which we could then open out, giving us a more 3D effect.

Step 6.

Start gluing your leaves onto the cardboard ring. Tuck them underneath each other and work your way around. We only glued the ends of our leaves so that they would stick up a bit and not be too flat

Work your way all around the ring

Step 7.

Cut some petal shapes and small circles from your magazines to make flowers

Step 8.

Glue your petals and centres on top of the leaves. Think about how many flowers you’d like and where you’d like them. I put a few on one side

When you’re happy with the arrangement hang your wreath up and admire your handiwork! Don’t forget to show us how you got on!

Fat Balls

One of our core beliefs at Heathlands is that we should do all we can to protect and encourage nature.

Recently we have donated some of our land to a local bee keepers group and they have been planting some wonderful species that will support both bee’s and other wildlife.

Over the winter we were also very fortunate to have 240 tree saplings donated by the Woodland Trust, with the aim of improving our migratory hedgerow with a diverse range of native species.

So how can you help nature while at home?

This week we’re making fat balls to feed wild birds! We hope you you enjoy our video, we had a lot of fun making it. Follow the link below:

Good quality bird seed
Raisins – optional
Peanuts – optional
Mealworms – optional
Suet or lard
Yoghurt pots
String
Mixing bowl
Scissors

Method:

Carefully make a small hole in the bottom of your yoghurt pot. Thread a length of string about 30cm long, through the hole and tie a knot on the inside. The string should be longer on one side than on the other.

The best ratio for this recipe is one part fat to two parts dry mixture. Mix all your dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Melt some lard or suet in a pan and add to the dry mix. Stir well until the fat has all been absorbed and the mixture sticks together.

Fill your yoghurt pots with the mixture and put them in the fridge to set for an hour.

Carefully cut down the side of the yoghurt pots to remove and hang in your garden for the birds to enjoy.

Shooting Stars!

Tonight is the “peak” or best chance of viewing the Lyrid meteor shower! This display happens every year and the meteors appear from near the constellation Lyra.

For your best chance of seeing a shooting star, look Northeast after 10pm and if it’s closer to midnight look more to the East. If you don’t know where to look, most smart phones have a compass app.

Remember to wrap up warm and don’t go out on your own! We advise having hot chocolate, a comfy seat and a blanket. Shooting stars can be seen from your garden. Try and stay away from street lights though, as these will make it difficult.

And most importantly. If you see one, don’t forget to make a wish!

Easy-peasy Chocolate Cake!

It’s great fun bringing you all these recipes, but how do I know they work? Well because while in isolation I’m making them too! With my little helper of course.

This week I wanted to find a recipe that our daughter could do, with the very bare minimum of help from me. So; no weigh chocolate cake it is!

You will need:

Ingredients:

1 cup of Self-raising Flour

1/3 cup of Cocoa Powder

1 cup of Caster Sugar – granulated will work too

1/3 cup of Butter softened

1/2 cup Milk

2 Eggs beaten

Equipment:

Cup

Mixing Bowl

Whisk

Cake Tin

Grease Proof Paper

Method:

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 170°C.

Melt your butter and measure out your ingredients and put them in a large bowl. There is no need for sifting or sorting.

Whisk the mixture well.

Line a tin with greaseproof paper and pour in.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let it cool and enjoy!

Cheats Sausage Rolls

How to make sausage rolls at home – this recipe will make 5-6 sausage rolls depending on how thick you make them.

Ingredients:

Pre-made puff pastry *

6 Sausages you like

1 Egg *

Flour * for dusting

Optional: black onion seeds or poppy seeds for decorating

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 190°C.

Remember; you should ALWAYS wash your hands before and after cooking. This is very important as you are handling raw meat.

Remove the casings from your sausages and whisk the egg in a bowl.

Roll out your pastry sheet onto a dusted surface to stop it sticking. Add your sausage meat in a line, leaving enough space to fold over the pastry and egg wash next to it.

“Crimp” the edges of the pastry with a fork and cut to desired length. Slit the tops, egg wash and decorate with seeds if you want to.

Place on a non-stick baking sheet or line a baking sheet with grease proof paper. Bake at 190°C for 20 minutes, allow to cool a little and enjoy!

Ingredients in BOLD * are allergens: gluten & egg.

Magic Pictures!

How to make your own magically appearing pictures!

This week we’re going to show you how to make magic pictures, they’re great for experimenting with water-colour paints and they make lovely cards.

You will need:

Paper
Water based paints (poster paints or water colours are ideal)
Paint brush
Wax candle or white wax crayon
Water

Step 1.

Use the wax crayon or candle to doodle a design on your paper; I know you can’t see it but don’t worry!

Step 2.

Start painting over your doodle with very watery paint, the wax will resist the paint and your design will magically be revealed! You can use several colours on each piece if you want to.

Step 3.

Let your design dry and then, if you want to, you could make it into a card to send to someone you’re missing at the moment.

Have fun and try lots of different designs, don’t forget to let us know how you get on!

Easter Cornflakes Nests

An easy and fun treat!

Ingredients:

50g Butter*
100g Milk or dark chocolate*
3tbsp Golden syrup
100g Cornflakes*
Chocolate eggs too decorate

Method:

Weigh out your ingredients. Put cornflakes in one bowl and chocolate / butter & syrup into another. Melt these briefly in a microwave or in the bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Pour your chocolate mixture over cornflakes when cooled a little and stir.

Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases arranged on a muffin tray (or baking sheet, if you don’t have one). And add two or three chocolate eggs on top to decorate!

Allow to set and enjoy 🙂

Ingredients in bold* contain allergens: lactose [dairy] & gluten.

Rocking Rabbit Card!

How to make a rocking card for Easter (or just for fun!)

As it’s nearly Easter we thought it would be fun to show you how you can make a rocking rabbit card. You don’t need many supplies and you could adapt this tutorial to make all sorts of other rocking characters.

You will Need

A piece of A4 card
A pencil
A circular template (for example a tub or plate)
A Glue Stick*
Googly eyes*
Yarn*
Tissue paper*

*If you don’t have these things you can use felt tip pens instead

Step 1.

Fold the card in half

Step 2.

Use your circular template to draw a half circle on the card, making sure the middle of the circle goes along the fold in the card

Step 3.

Cut along the line you’ve just drawn

Step 4.

Open the card out and check the fold goes down the middle of your circle. Draw two rabbit ears onto one side

Step 5.

Be careful! Cut out the rabbit ears along the pencil line but DO NOT CUT THE FOLD. If you have a craft knife and a cutting mat you might find it easier with these.

Step 6.

Your card should now look something like this, fold the ears up to make it more rabbity!

Step 7.

Decorate! Give your rabbit eyes, a nose, whiskers and a mouth. Fill the ears in with little pieces of scrunched up tissue paper. Or, you could just use felt tip pens or coloured pencils to draw your rabbit.

Step 8.

Almost Finished! Write a message in your card and check that it rocks then send it to someone special.

Shortbread

Welcome to the first recipe we are sharing that you can make at home!

If you are gluten or lactose free, substitute your flour and butter for what you would usually use.

Ingredients:

225g Plain Flour*
85g Caster Sugar
125g Butter*

For chocolate dipped biscuits use 200g of good quality chocolate, melted slowly in microwave or on the hob in a bowl over a pan of hot water. For Christmas shortbread add 1tsp of cinnamon, zest of one orange and 150g of dried cranberries*. Add the cranberries when the dough is thoroughly mixed. Preheat oven to 180° and line baking sheet with silicone paper or bakers parchment.

Method:

Weigh off all ingredients and add to bowl.

Rub all ingredients together as with pastry and turn out onto clean surface. Work dough together until it is smooth and pliable. *Add dried fruit / chocolate chips etc. at this stage if desired.

Flour surface and roll out dough to approximately 1/3inch. Cut out desired shapes and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes and place on drying racks to cool. And enjoy! These biscuits will keep for up to 4 weeks in an airtight container.

Ingredients listed in bold are specified as allergens.

Flour*: gluten

Butter*: lactose / dairy

Cranberries*: sulphites