October 2018

DIY Crayon Dripped Candle Holder...

When we were children, we made all the gifts we gave for birthdays and Christmas...

This drippy crayon candle was a popular one to make and gift.

So I thought it was a whole lot of fun,

and a great memory instigator to craft one for my middle deck makeover.

It looks fabulous on the old mosaic table.

To make:

You will need an old bottle with a neck to fit a candle.

(I used a wine bottle)

Some crayons in your chosen colours.

Matches or a lighter.

Newspaper to protect your work surface.

And two large stick candles.

Place one stick candle in the neck of the bottle.

Peel the paper off the crayons.

Light the second candle.

And place the crayon in the flame.

Drip down the neck of the candle in the bottle and onto the bottle.

Drip your crayons until you have your desired effect.

Place on your outdoor table.

Enjoy the ambient candlelight when alfresco dining.

For updates about the latest blog posts,

you can join for free HERE.

#diy #crafts #candles

DIY & Sewing Home Improvements....❥

So the past few weeks have been a little chaotic...

New double glazing and carpet have been put in Mia Bella Passions mansion.

This house is my mansion.

Did you know I have lived here for 30 years?

The double glazing in the living area of the house was a costly but necessary upgrade to make the home warmer for when the next winter comes.
Worth every penny already to be rid of all those old drafty doors and windows.

Gone also is the old forest green carpet and the peach carpet.

It was a half and half carpeted house.

The new carpet is dark black brown.

I love it.

It is so soft and squishy.

So when new things happen...it's nice to upgrade the decor too.

The first thing I did was to paint the bookshelf.

I left the sides wood and also the shelf bases.

It looks so farmhouse.

I'm in love with this too.

Then I sewed a new runner for the coffee table.

This easy sew runner is a breeze to make.

You can find the instructions HERE.

I had a piece of fabric left so I made a new pillow cover.

The forest of trees fabric design just freshens the whole tv room up.

The white guest bedroom headboard was looking a little dirty, so I recovered the headboard with a textured neutral coloured linen.

It was a great improvement,
as the headboard now matches the linen type fabric on the lamp.

Then I made a new headboard from scratch for the purple bedroom.

(Just get your hardware store to cut a piece of mdf or any other board to size).

I padded the board by stapling an old but still usable puffy mattress topper on to it.

Then I repurposed grey curtain fabric from an old curtain set to cover over the padding.

All using a staple gun.

It was a much-needed addition to this bedroom.
I also have another curtain in the grey spare so that will be used for a future DIY project of recovering the Roman blind in this room.

Love, love, love all my DIY interior decor upgrades.

The total cost to do all this was just $25 for the table runner fabric.

(I purchased this from Spotlight NZ Online)

Because everything else in the decor upgrade was created using saved or stashed materials, and paint I already had.

Get updates about the latest blog posts,

by joining for free HERE.

#diy #upcycling #repurposing #homedecor #sewing #homeimprovements

Stabilised Whipped Cream Frosting & Banoffee Slice...❥

Ever wondered how to get whipped cream firm enough to pipe in a piping bag?

Wonder no more, for I have the secret for you.

All you do is add a little gelatin to the whipped cream!

TO MAKE:
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of gelatin powder that is unflavoured over 2 Tablespoons of cold water in a small cup.

Microwave for 10 seconds on high. stir until dissolved

Cool for a few minutes then add 2 Tablespoons of runny cream.

This helps it cool down more.

Then whip 500ml of regular cream with 1 tablespoon icing sugar.

When soft peaks form, add the gelatin mixture to the whipped cream gently folding through to combine.

Place into a piping bag and pipe onto cakes, cupcakes, slices, or cheesecakes.

I used my stabilised Whipped Cream to decorate a delicious Banoffee Slice.

This is super simple to whip up for a quick dessert.

All you do is make a plain biscuit and butter crumb base.

Press into a slice or low-sided square pan.

Refrigerate until firm.

Top with sliced bananas.

Spread over the top one can of pre-made caramel.

Then over the caramel layer, some of the stabilised cream.

Place more cream in a piping bag.

And then pipe your stabilised cream on top in whatever design you like.

I used a Wilton 2D tip

Refrigerate again for 2 hours, then serve!

OH YUMMY!

You can print the recipes HERE.

For the latest posts JOIN :)

#stabilisedwhippedcream #cream #frosting #cakedecoration

Side Deck Makeover Reveal...

There were two things to finish before the reveal...

That was to refurbish both the cane two-seater couch,

And the outdoor dining table and chairs.

To refurbish the old two-seater cane couch...

I painted this in the same colour as the deck side table top in chalk paint.
Graphite.

The fabric was bought on sale from Spotlight New Zealand.

It is a waterproof, easy-wipe canvas.

Cheap as chips and perfect for seat cushion covers.

I made an envelope-style cover for the seat squabs.

Mainly because this makes the covers really easy to remove for washing.

Envelope cushion covers are easy to make.
Just Google search envelope cushion covers and you'll find the instructions.

It's the same concept but on a bigger scale for couch squabs.

The side table was a previous blog makeover...
You can read about the process and stencilling HERE.

To refurb the outdoor dining table and chairs which were cracked and sunbleached,
I used the same colour combination in Chalk paint.

These were so in need of a refurb...
just look at this chair!

Graphite for the top, and old white for the legs for the table,
and Graphite for the chairs.
The same outdoor canvas with palm leaf print used to cover couch squabs was used to recover the chair seat pads.

The wood parts have been waxed to help protect from the weather that sometimes gets in under this roof only, two sides open to the elements deck.
I love adding plants to dress the deck,
these are the new white pots.

These pots are plastic and were just $15 from Kmart!
I have gone crazy over these pots as they look expensive,
are top quality, plus they are light, so easy to move around.
There is an Aloe Vera plant hiding amongst all those pretty yellow violas.
I also added existing decor pieces to the makeover
- like this mosaic stingray that my son made when he was a child.

As well as this chippy iron hanger.
The anchor artwork is a previous blog creation.
You can find out how to make it HERE.

This enamel candle holder was in Briscoe's homewares sale.

- marked down from $69.99 to just $15!.

There are two baskets - for balls, cushions and throws for summer use.

The plants in this pot are Viola 'Penny Yellow'.
And Mother in laws tongue (Sansevieria).
Viola Penny, Yellow and White are my go-to annuals for my pots this year.
They are so hardy, flowering continuously!

You can find out how to make the DIY pallet anchor art HERE
The side deck makeover was long overdue.
It's fresh and pretty.
It's practical and usable.
And with summer coming, I can't wait to eat alfresco out here
and create wonderful family memories!

Get updates about the latest blog posts, by joining for free HERE.

#diy #deck #patio #outdoordining #outdoorliving #patiodecor #pottedplants #reburshish #furnituremakeover

It's All About Lavender....

This week's post is a garden one...

because it's chaotic here at Mia Bella Passions homestead!

It's school holidays - so we have the addition of little Miss Three and Master almost Seven!

PLUS three builders installing new double glazing in the living end of the house.

Add to the mix three very stressed-out cats!

Because of all those happenings, I just didn't get my planned DIY completed.

So this week's post is about my new plant.

A lavender.

It's called 'Lavender Avonview'.

Purchased to replace the Dutch Iris bulbs that have finished their Spring flowering in the office deck pot.
(Time to plant them out in the garden bed for next years flowering).

So in their place is now a Lavender'.
It is BEAUTIFUL.

'Lavender Avonview'

or Lavandula stoechas 'Avonview'

is a smaller growing lavender.

Perfect for the container...

and also garden beds and rockeries.

It is said to be a wonderful low hedge.
I've added a few purple petunias annuals to the pot too.
They will add to the 'pretty' when they flower and drape over the sides.

Compact but vigorous, this lavender thrives in sunny positions with well-drained soil.

Plus it tolerates coastal conditions and short periods of dryness once it is established.

Trimming after flowering helps maintain shape and more flowers!

I'm loving the shape, form and perfume of this lavender.

Its height is just 80cm by 80cm so it's perfect for my office deck pot.

The bonus is the bees LOVE it too!