Ideas

A new season always brings new energy, regardless of whether it comes with sunshine, rain, cosy fires or the anticipation of rest. It’s what keeps life interesting – these unavoidable changes, which allow us to keep going when things are not so comfo

IF YOU STUMBLE, MAKE IT PART OF THE DANCE. ■

DIFFICULTY: moderate TIME: year project ♥ fabric to embroider on♥ embroidery designs♥ embroidery thread♥ embroidery needle♥ embroidery hoop♥ sharp scissors♥ carbon paper♥ pen or pencil♥ spirits (to remove drawing lines)♥ batting♥ iron♥ towel♥ yarn fo

Sometimes a home is just meant to be. As this one was for Marga, who used to live a mere 500m away. ‘I always used to walk my dog in this street. The house never really caught my attention, but the street itself did. I’d always say, “If only I could

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: 2–3 days ♥ technical drawings on facing page♥ wood (we used beech)– 1000mm x 130mm x 28mm thick♥ cup square bolt with washer and wing nut, 6 x 65mm♥ 4m x braided lamp cord (we used black)♥ 1 x 15 amp 3-prong plug♥ 1 x lamp ho

Where for the past 10 years millennials have wanted a so-called pyjama lounge or home gym in any property they planned to buy or build, it now appears that the troubles of 2020 and the coronavirus have rearranged our priorities for how we live. Desig

STOP TRYING TO CALM THE STORM. calm yourself, THE STORM WILL PASS. ■

A strata is a baked savoury dish made from chunks of bread layered with a mixture of egg, milk, cheese and your choice of other flavoursome ingredients. It’s the ideal dish to serve for breakfast, but it can be served as a light lunch or supper too.

Early in the morning, her father would make the dough, knead it and put the cast-iron pot onto the coals. Bread-baking day during their summer holidays in the Cederberg is still to this day one of the best memories of her life. It was a whole process

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: half a day Use our designs on these pages to paint flowers on your door or wall. For the more intricate design above the door, we used carbon paper to trace all the elements. Paint the different sections using a thin art paintb

DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: 18 hours Fits shoe size 5–6 (heel to toe = ± 24cm, leg = ± 26cm) ♥ Katia Merino Baby yarn (or another 4-ply yarn such as African Expressions Soul)– 20g each: Red (4), Pistachio (14), Yellow (37), Rose (46), Dark Blue (5

Please note: This little rustic square pattern featured on multiple social media posts during the past few years and although many people have tried to trace the original designer of the pattern they have not been successful. Instagrammers also parti

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: about 55 hours If you have some leftover fabric and yarn from previous projects, then this little cloth is the perfect project for you! ♥ fabric to embroider on♥ embroidery design (on page overleaf)♥ embroidery thread♥ embroide

DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: 15–20 hours 23 x 17cm ♥ Kartopu Organica yarn (or another 4-ply cotton, eg Premier Cotton)– 80g soft pink– 40g black♥ 20cm matching colour zip♥ 25 x 38cm lining fabric♥ 4.5mm crochet hook for the cord♥ 3.5mm crochet hoo

VINTAGE LABELS AND BUTTERFLY ILLUSTRATIONS: WWW.ETSY.COM/SHOP/ARTGAZE ■

DIFFICULTY: challenging TIME: 1–2 days ♥ 2–3 large appliance boxes ♥ box cutter ♥ printed paper ♥ craft paint in the colour of your choice ♥ dowel stick (optional) ♥ hot glue gun ♥ glue sticks ♥ modge podge ♥ brush ♥ scissors ♥ brown paper packing ta

Some mornings I look out of the window and don’t know how I am going to get out of bed, or why I should bother. Even though the sunshine highlights all sorts of bright colours as it streams into the room, my mood is dull and dark, grey. On other days

DIFFICULTY: medium to difficult TIME: 5–6 days ♥ technical drawings on the facing page ♥ 1 x half sheet of 18mm pine plywood ♥ wood glue (Ultra) ♥ wood filler ♥ 3 cans of matt white spray paint ♥ 2 cans of sunshine yellow spray paint ♥ 2 cans of whit

Like many South African women, I have a domestic helper. And like most of us, I also work full-time. Until a pandemic turned everything on its head and suddenly I was living in a world where I still worked, but the house, as my son likes to say, ‘was

For Janine Honiball, who grew up on a farm, planting and sowing has always been an integral part of her life. When her health forced her in 2017 to cut out all colourants, flavourants and preservatives from her and her family’s meals, herbs were the