DIY | recycle

White, minimal and free. I really liked the shape and size of this Vanish washing powder pot so I planned to use it as a mould for my DIY concrete planters, but as I removed the labels I came to realise I preferred just the way it is.

You can use it for a verity  of things.  

white plastic pot | £0.00

total cost | £0.00

DIY | customisation

People customise their food and drinks everyday, yet when something is designed, manufactured then purchased, the purchaser commonly stops the design process there.

Yes, not everything needs to be customised, but making something more suited to your needs is a good thing.

I have been asked to style a SS15 look book this weekend which brought on the  reason for the rant on customisation. I was after a minimal double strapped sandal, much like The Row's SS15 and after seeing the collection I was styling and discussing with the designer he also agreed this type of sandal was perfect.

After a long time looking I decided they don't yet exist. So instead I customised some I found on the internet.

DIY | storage solution

   

Spending Christmas in my (what seemed huge) family home back in Southampton was lovely, Christmas is defiantly one of my favourite times of year, but when I got back to my tiny flat and bedroom in London, I was stuck for space. I couldn't quite believe how much stuff I had acquired over the holiday. I have a place for everything and every place was taken but instead of popping to Goodhood and buying some beaut storage boxes from HAY even tho I really wanted too I choose to reuse the boxes some gifts came in. I felt I should as one of my new year's resolutions was to 'spend less money' and its only the 4th.

 I spray painted the boxes matte black and matte white. The spray paint is from Leylands.  It only took about 10 minuets to spray them however I would recommend spraying them outside as I nearly choked myself and Sunny to death doing them in the studio this morning.

Hope you like.

boxes - recycled | £0.00

matte spray paints | £2.75

total | £5.50

DIY | twenty fifteen

The new year always excites me. 

It feels like a fresh start, a time to improve and a time to achieve. Something that never fails to make it onto my New Years Resolution list is 'be more productive' which is why a calendar is essential. 

Click here to download and print this minimal and clean twenty fifteen calendar. 

DIY | christmas decorations

These hanging bauble clusters are made from wire, small matte and shiny silver baubles and are taped to the celling with masking tape. They are going to be hung above the dinning room table where our christmas lunch will be served (once I have made a few more of them).

They look really clean and modern and will be an alternative to the standard table decoration. You can hang them all at different heights and do as many or as little as you want.

Using the wire simply add a bauble one at a time then twisting the wire to hold the bauble in place creating a round shape making them as small or big as you wish.

Wire | £1.00

Baubles | £1.00

    Baubles | £1.00 

Total | £3.00    

PLACES | the laundry

You'll find me at the Laundry most Sunday's at their bar/canteen. In fact, I am heading there after this post. They do the most incredible weekend brunch and cocktails, plus their rustic meets modern interiors are amazing.

It's a really close walk from London Fields/Broadway Market and I would recommend it to everyone.

DIY | concrete columns

After obsessing over concrete for a few months now and not finding anything I really liked for less then £35 I decided to give ago my self.

It was one of the most straight forward DIY’s I have done and it they worked out to be so cheap so I am glad I didn’t end up buying anything.

I brought the concrete mix and matte spray paint from my local DIY store and have been collecting recycled plastics to use as moulds for a few days.  I used classic plastic drinking cups and a washing powder pot. You can make these as shallow or deep as you want, and can be used to store anything small. At the moment I am using them and a cactus planter, candle holder and a ring pot.  

1| mix concrete as instructed on concrete mix packaging
2| pour concrete mix into moulds
3| use a pillar candle or a plastic cup to create the bowl (these can rise so place something heavy on top)
4| leave for 24 hours then pull plastic off and take candles out
5| use masking tape and matte spray paint to decorate if you wish 

DO: use plenty of cement when mixing so it goes a nice light grey colour [unlike my cup ones]
DONT: use any metal as a mould as you will never get it out

concrete mix | £5.99

[used 1/2 of bag, if not less]

total cost of each pot | £1.00