On her award-winning blog, Dainty Dress Diaries, Catherine Carton welcomes us into her ‘floral, chalk-painted, tea-dress-wearing corner of the internet’.
Here, in her first book, she shares over fifty of her favourite creative projects – upcycling, crafting, sewing, painting and gardening – many of which take unloved items and make them shine again.
Getting crafty is fun, but it also gives us a few moments of peace in our hectic, plugged-in lives. Spend an afternoon making rose-scented soaps or sewing a memory cushion; reuse old crockery and learn to strip paint and upcycle furniture; or get your garden blooming with simple raised beds or a buzzin’ bee hotel.
The projects within these pages are for everyone, so take a break from the world, reignite your creative spark, and make your home a little bit more beautiful!
Introduction page 9
Chapter One: Crafternoons and the Power of Pause
Rose-Scented Melt-and-Pour Soaps 14
Clay Leaf Trinket Bowl 17
Sweet Night s Pillow Spray 20
Mercury Glass Effect Vases 22
Teacup Candles 24
Flower Letters 26
Pumpkin Spice Wax Melts 28
Découpaged Clothes Hanger 30
Bouquet Boxes 32
DIY Bath Shelf 35
Chapter Two: A Stitch in Time
Sewing Essentials 40
Sewing Machine Guide 42
Envelope Cushion 44
Super-Quick Scrunchie 48
Reusable Makeup Pads 50
Reusable Dish Scrubbers 52
Pompom Cushion 54
Fabric Clothes Hangers 57
Beautiful Bunting 60
Memory Cushion 64
Sparkly Christmas Stockings 68
Easter Bunnies 72
Easy-Sew Kids Apron 75
Pencil Case 78
Chapter Three: Reuse and Refresh, Small
Milk Carton Baskets 84
TP Treasure Boxes 88
Tin Can Candles 90
Bicycle Wheel Wall Art 93
Fabric Zip Pouches 96
Vintage Plate Clock 99
Glass Bottle Vase 102
Chapter Four: Reuse and Refresh, Big
Second-Hand Treasure Hunt 108
Upcycling Essentials 112
Planning and Mood Boards 115
Painting Furniture 118
Painting Flat-Pack Furniture 120
How to Strip Paint 123
Fireplace Upcycle 126
Kitchen Cabinets Makeover 130
Skirting and Architraves 133
Dreamy Dollhouse 135
Chapter Five: Let Yourself Bloom
Gardening Essentials 140
No-Dig Raised Bed 146
Raised Bed with Legs 150
Painting Outdoors 153
Tyre Planter 156
Teacup Bird Feeders 158
Garden Chair Shelf 162
Gorgeous Garden Pillows 166
DIY Garden Apron 170
Herbal Tea Garden 174
Buzzin’ Bee Hotel 178
Sewing Terminology 184
All about Paint 187
Index 189
