I had so much fun making these - minimal preparation and lots of decoration!
I have never worked with gold leaf before this month and it's SO strange. I had read how delicate it was before I opened it but I was still amazed by how delicate it actually is. You really cannot even breathe near it! I had a tiny brush ready but I found it best to tear it and place it with a tiny craft knife. It's amazing stuff and I think it looks stunning on the finished article.
You will need:
Good quality dark chocolate, one bar makes about 12
Crystallised rose & violet petals
Silver balls
Sugar decorations
Gold or silver leaf (make sure it says edible)
Other ideas: chilli flakes, sea salt, dried fruit, nuts
Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over hot water, or very slowly in a microwave, and remove the last lumps by stirring. Place a spoonful on baking paper and decorate. Cool in the fridge.
Just a simple one today. I love this idea because you can get so many amazing buttons these days so you can customise this to any room, colour scheme or person. Who doesn't love buttons?!
I've used magnetic tape, but it would be better to get hold of magnets and stick them on with glue, as the tape is not a very strong magnet.
I LOVE to travel. I love dreaming about travelling, planning trips and reminiscing about past adventures. So, a gigantic world map pinboard is exactly what I want to mark the places we've been, and get inspiration on where to go next. Plus, it's a lovely thing to have on the wall.
You will need:
Gigantic world map (mine is 1400mm x 1000mm) from Amazon
Foam core boards (picture below), enough to cover the size of the map
Cork tiles (picture below), enough to cover the size of the map
Duct tape
Pencil
Sharp craft knife
Contact adhesive
Spray glue
Pretty pins
A rather large floor space
Step 1:
Stick together the foam core boards using duct tape so that they are the same size or larger than your map.
Step 2:
Use the contact adhesive to stick down the cork tiles onto the foam board. Open the window if you have a strong glue!
Step 3:
Duct tape over the edges of the cork tiles (you might not need to do this if you have a really strong glue)
Step 4:
Lay your world map on top, lining up with two edges. Draw around the other two edges and trim down your board to match the size of the map. I found a metal ruler and a craft knife the best way to do this.
Step 5:
Use the spray adhesive on the back of the map and stick this to the cork tile side of your board. Leave to dry.
Step 6:
If you want to hang this map on the wall, the best way is to glue two pieces of wood to the back and screw some nails into these, and attach picture hanging wire. The map is quite heavy so make sure that whatever is in the wall is strong enough.
Step 7:
Pin all the places you've been and begin planning your next trip!
Chocolate tart is a classic but easy dessert, especially if you buy the pastry shells pre-made (like me!)
You will need:
Individual pastry shells or 375g ready to roll shortcrust pastry (bake at 200C for 12 minutes with baking beans and a further 10 minutes until golden brown), use individual rings or one large ring
250g good quality dark chocolate
250ml double cream
Garnish ideas: gold leaf, raspberries, stem ginger
Once the pastry shells are ready, heat the cream and chocolate very slowly in a pan until the mixture is smooth. Pour into the shells and top with your chosen garnish. Chill in the fridge for about an hour.
T-shirt transfer paper + clothing = endless possibilities. Just add an inkjet printer and an iron.
Learn from my mistakes - remember to reverse the text so that it comes out the right way when you iron it! (Luckily I didn't get that far). You can make the text a mirror image using WordArt in Micrsoft Word.
If you need more Easter treat inspiration don't forget my Easter nest post from last year. Click the picture below for the recipe.
