Making a house a home...

So it's been an exciting weekend in the world of Hannah...I went to see Switchfoot in Cambridge (amazing), catch up with old friends (also amazing), have a great chat with a 76 year old ex-jockey in Newmarket (hi Alfie, sorry I was so rubbish on the horse simulator), bake brownies (delicious), decide what to do with a donated beetroot and pumpkin (I'm thinking soup and pie)...and make a pretty heart garland to adorn our stairs! Some of this was planned, other parts, i.e. the horse simulator, were more of a surprise...and just plain random :)

We've lived in our little home for just over a year now and I love it so much. It's actually part of a converted mental asylum (un-p.c. I know, but it really was built to be an 'asylum' rather than hospital) which means it has gorgeous stonework and vaulted ceilings. But we've been pretty rubbish at getting round to those 'little touches' which finishes of the home. It's partly because we know we're only going to be here short term but it's mostly due to my inability to get round to things. I've been kicked into action after going round to our friends and seeing how lovely they've made their home...after only living there for one month.

So I decided to make a start on Sunday and make a heart garland. It's something I've been meaning to do since picking up some pretty craft paper in hobbycraft. And best of all? It took no time at all. Oh, actually, best of all was getting to peel off the glue from my fingers...it took me right back to primary school!

What you need:

Craft paper

Thin cardboard

Twine

PVA glue

Paint brush

Scissors

Pencil

1) Sketch two heart shapes (2 sizes) on to the cardboard and cut out to create your templates

2) Using your templates, draw out the hearts onto the reverse of the craft paper and cut out. Tip: Reverse the template when drawing on the second piece of craft paper to ensure a neat match when sticking them together.

3) Using the paintbrush, apply a thin layer of glue to the reverse of two of the hearts. Lie one onto the surface and position the twine down the centre. Apply the second heart and firmly push together. It's really up to you as to how much space you'd like between the hearts. A strand of 11 hearts with 6cm gap between hearts makes approximately a 4ft garland.

4) Next trim the twine (leaving enough to tie/secure the garland) and any uneven sides of the hearts. And then choose where you'd like to prettify.

Maybe a short strand to adorn a cupboard?

Or a longer strand for elsewhere?

I decided on the stairs.

Wherever you decide, let me know how you get on :) Right I'm off to massacre the above mentioned pumpkin in my attempt to make pumpkin puree for a pumpkin pie.