DIY Pretty Fabric Wrapped Books...

Wrapped books are such a wonderful idea!

They add height and interest to a tabletop, shelf or sideboard vignette.

And they are such an easy thing to create!

Today I am going to make fabric wrapped books!

To make, you will need:

Old books (I used three)
Fabric
soft stick sellotape 
a ruler for measuring
a pen for marking size before cutting fabric
pinking shears

 I've chosen fabric in contrasting colourways
 that will compliment the items on my shelf.

 Because I want to reuse the books for future crafts, 
or to change the fabric colours, I am not using glue.

 The first step is to measure the fabric to cover the book from the cover.

 You need to allow fabric for the inside cover edges.
Also remember the spine of the book fabric allowance.

 These are my very vintage pinking shears.
Using these I am cutting an edge on the long length of the fabric top and bottom.

 Using a soft stick sellotape (one that removes without to much tearing to the paper cover) stick the fabric to the inside of the front and back covers.

On the outside edge you have the pinking pattern which also stops the fabric fraying.

 It doesn't matter if the fabric overhangs the book, 
or it shows a little cover if the cover is a complimentary colour.

This is was the shelf looked like before the books.

 This is with one book added.

If you are interested in finding out how to make the 
Mini Pallet Love Sign, you will find the tutorial HERE.

 And here is the shelf with the three pretty fabric wrapped books.
Essentially what you are doing is adding a riser.
The books are the riser (added height).

It's quite amazing what adding a little height with a riser can do to the visual of a vignette.
This is effective on a coffee table, side board or on a shelf, or bedside table.

For updates about the latest blog posts,

you can join for free HERE.

#oldbooks #craft #homedecor #bookstack #fabriccovered

The Pink Hyacinth...

The delightful scent and beautiful form make the hyacinth one of those most sought after flowering bulbs.

 If grown indoors the pot needs to be in a warm position.

 The position of the pot also requires good light conditions.

 Keep the soil slightly moist.

Too much watering will make the hyacinth grow tall and leggy.

The scent will fill the room the plant is in!

 To help stop the plants growing towards the strongest light source, just give the pot a half turn every day.

Once the flowering beauty has completed, you can plant it out in your garden for the bulb to grow and flower next Spring.

Hyacinths come in the most gorgeous colours.

I chose bright pink for a pop of colour in the decor,

but they come in a range of hues in the colours of white, purple, mauve, pink, and peach.
But:

For updates about the latest blog posts,

you can join for free HERE.

#pink #hyacinth #floweringbulbs

Classic Banana Cake...

Nothing beats a classic banana cake!

Always popular and delicious too.
Drizzle cake with passionfruit topping for an extra tropical flavour.

It's another sure-fire way to use up your overripe bananas in the fruit bowl!

This cake recipe is from the 'Edmonds Sure To Rise Cookery Book'.

You'll find this iconic cookbook on the shelf
 in most New Zealand Bookstores or supermarkets.

Or online via Fishpond.

This book is probably the most used in my cookery book collection.
It's so used the cover has come off and a few pages are loose!
I just bought my son a new Edmonds cookbook because he is about to leave home, and you simply must have this cookbook in your kitchen!

Banana Cake

• Ingredients: 
•  125g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
•   ¾ cup fine white caster sugar
•   2 eggs
•   1 - 1 ½ cups or 3-4 mashed ripe bananas
•   1 and a half teaspoons Baking soda 
•   2 Tablespoons hot Milk
•   2 cups white flour
•   1 tsp Baking Powder
• 
  
•   Chocolate Icing
•  1 and 1/2 cups powdered icing sugar 
•  1 Tablespoon Dark Cocoa Powder
•  2 Tablespoons of melted butter
• Milk to mix to consistency.

1. Method:
   
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356F). Butter the inside of a 20cm deep round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add the mashed banana and mix well.
5. Stir the baking soda into the hot milk and add to the creamed mixture, then sift the dry ingredients together and fold them through the creamed mixture.
6. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top, and bake for about 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
7. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. When cold ice with Chocolate Icing or dust with icing sugar.

For updates about the latest blog posts,

you can join for free HERE.

#banana #bananarecipes #bananacake