Made with love

MAGNETIC WALL VASE

Say it with flowers with this twist on the classic bouquet created by florist Rebecca Const, of Leederville-based Fox & Rabbit.

You will need:

• clear plastic container — a vase-like shape to hold flowers (we used a Tupperware one)

• marker

• jigsaw

• sandpaper

• spray paint

• electrical tape or masking tape

• 2 strong magnets

• hot glue gun

• fresh flowers

How to:

1. Draw a shape across the front of the container, to make it lower than the back but still high enough for water and flowers. This will be the guide for cutting with the jigsaw.

2. Use the jigsaw to cut out your shape. Be aware that, when heated, the plastic will try to reseal itself. Sand down the edges so they are smooth.

3. Tape the sides and front of the container and spray-paint the remaining exposed plastic. This should colour the back and bottom panels only, leaving the sides and front clear. Leave to dry.

4. Glue magnets to the back of the container using glue gun.

5. Arrange flowers in the container and fill to three-quarters full with water. Stick to the fridge or any magnetic surface.

PRINTED TEA TOWEL

Eko Pam, from StudiOH!, explains how to make a pretty printed tea towel.

You will need:

• plain tea towels (100 per cent cotton is best)

• freezer paper (from the fabric counter at Spotlight)

• scissors or craft knife

• Permaset screen-printing ink (from art supply shops)

• sample paint rollers (from hardware or paint stores)

• glue

• iron

Printed Tew Towel. Picture: studiohworkshops.bigcartel.com

How to:

1. Create a pattern — we used a pink and red geometric motif — on A4 paper, either by drawing or printing out a stencil.

2. Roughly trace around the tea towel on to the freezer paper to determine how much paper you will need. Cut to size.

3. Stick your stencil on to the non- shiny side of the freezer paper and cut out the shape using scissors or a craft knife.

4. Iron your tea towel so that it has no creases and then place the freezer paper shiny side down on to your tea towel, then iron gently making sure there are no bubbles or bumps in the paper. You can use a medium to hot iron for this. The freezer paper needs to be totally stuck to the tea towel.

5. Spoon some of the ink into the sample roller tray and cover your roller in ink. Roll ink over the shape so that it is completely covered in ink. Aim for a thin, even cover of colour.

6. Allow the ink to become almost touch-dry (about 5-10 minutes depending on how hot it is). Gently peel off the freezer paper.

7. Once the ink is totally dry iron your tea towel according to the instructions on the ink container. This heat-sets the tea towel so that it can be washed without fading.

PHOTO TILES

Interior designer Christie Blizzard created these quick and easy photo tiles for less than $10. “These are a great DIY idea for Mother’s Day because they are affordable, long-lasting and can be made to suit any decor and truly are a gift from the heart, ” she says.

You will need:

• tiles (from hardware stores)

• images

• Mod Podge or similar varnish (from craft stores)

• scissors

• paintbrush

• felt (optional)

How to:

1. Select an image the same size as your tile. You can use wallpaper, wrapping paper, photos or if you are computer-savvy, whip up something in Photoshop and print it out.

2. Trim image so it fits to the size of the tile.

3. Paint a thin layer of Mod Podge on the back of the image and on to the tile. Press the image to the tile and let dry.

4. Once dry, paint the Mod Podge on top of the image and let dry.

5. If you like, fix felt to the back of the tile.