Practical projects and tips for the backyard DIY fanatic
Decorative Throw Decorative throws are very much in vogue and they add a cosy touch to your living room or bedroom. But you don’t have to go to the expense of buying one. Instead, use your sewing machine, leftover furnishing fabric and Rita Hill’s...
Easy Drawing Have you ever been asked by your children to draw a person or an animal, only to have your drawing skills let you down? Don’t worry, using Rita Hill’s step by step instructions even the most ordinary artist can produce a masterpiece, and save...
Family Tree A shoe box in the bottom of the cupboard is no place for your precious family photographs – why not use them to put together your own family tree? It’s fun, and it’s really easy if you use the special fold-out family tree chart in the...
Fashionable Fabric Bags This trendy fabric bag won’t break the bank, but it will rival any designer creation for style and panache. Choose any two fabrics that look great together. One will make most of the bag, the other will be the lining and the decorative...
Finger Painting – The French Alternative Homemade finger paint can be a lifesaver when the kids are bored. The paint is simple to make and you’ll probably have most of the ingredients in the pantry. Ingredients 1 cup cornflour 1 litre...
House Of Red Branches In Don’s opinion Australia is leading the world in exciting garden design, particularly for smaller gardens around ordinary domestic homes. He looked at an innovative city garden in Melbourne which makes the most of restricted space and...
Italianate Courtyard Con Bilionis loves Italy and everything Italian, so he asked landscape designer Paul Bangay to transform his featureless courtyard into a fabulous Romanesque entertaining area. When talking about design in a restricted space, Paul emphasised the...
Leaf Loo Paper – The French Alternative If you find yourself stranded in the loo without any toilet paper, don’t worry. Jackie French has a green alternative! Tree Mallow or Lavatera (Lavatera arborea) This famous dunny ‘leaf’ used to be known...
New Millennium House The owner of this fabulous, ultra modern beach house has combined vibrant colour, cutting edge design and the latest technology to create a home for the new millennium. Peta worked closely with designers and architects when planning her fantasy...
Nindooinbah On a clear day you can stand on the verandah at Nindooinbah and see about 110km (60 miles) over the water and across the valley. Nindooinbah is a local Aboriginal word meaning ‘the place of ashes’. In times gone by the Aborigines used to camp...