BUNDLES OF JOY Four craft kits that make for ingenious gifts

Use the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi to turn flawed into fabulous

Paint hanging planters as a striking way to display indoor greenery

Bundles of joy

GIVE THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY – GATHER THE MATERIALS FOR EACH CRAFT PROJECT, PHOTOCOPY THE INSTRUCTIONS AND PACK IT ALL INTO A CUTE KIT 

Treat tiny tropical plants to their own indoor terrarium Twist fairy lights around basket frames for glowing golden globes

Tiny terrarium

IN THE KIT Tuscan Path 370mm half barrel wooden planter, $33.98, I/N: 2890296. Cyclone stainless steel garden trowel, $10.50, I/N: 3360998. Eden 17cm glass bowl planter, $18.98, I/N: 0090799. Bottle Babies various terrarium plants. Scotts ‘Osmacote’ indoor plants premium potting mix, $9.98/10L, I/N: 0164627. Brunnings propagation sphagnum moss block, $34.42/500g, I/N: 2961891. Whites 10-15mm mixed jade decorative pebbles, $6.99/2kg, I/N: 0171107. Brunnings horticultural charcoal, $8.76/5L, I/N: 3016175, and propagation sand, $6.37/5L, I/N: 3018363. Trojan P2 dust mask, $12/pack of 3, I/N: 1662677. Ansell ‘Handy Fresh’ disposable gloves, $17.98/pack of 100, I/N: 4460461. Whites 50mm jute webbing plant tie, $18.49/33m, I/N: 3320008. Jars, Kmart, kmart.com.au. Background in Taubmans Heartfelt paint. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

How to do it

MATERIALS: Safety equipment (mask, gloves) • Glass planter or bowl • Potting trowel • Decorative pebbles • Horticultural charcoal • Moss • Potting mix • Tropical indoor plants • Spray bottle

1 Wash and dry the glass planter. Layer the base with pebbles (roughly 2cm deep, depending on planter size). 2 Over pebbles, spread a 2cm layer of horticultural charcoal (this assists drainage and helps to control fungus, bacteria and smells). Tip: Wear a mask and gloves as the horticultural charcoal may release dust. 3 Add a similar depth layer of moss, then a layer of potting mix. The planter should be about half full. 4 Place plants on top of soil. Spread out the roots and cover with a small amount of potting mix. 5 Add sand for decoration. Spray lightly with water. Mist whenever soil feels dry.

STYLE TIP

DECANTING THE CORRECT QUANTITY OF MATERIAL INTO JARS LOOKS SWEET, AND LETS YOU MAKE SEVERAL KITS FROM ONE PURCHASE

Painted planter

IN THE KIT Northcote Pottery Precinct Lite ‘Omni’ large bowl in White Terrazzo, $49.98/large, I/N: 2832582. Cyclone ‘Flexitec’ garden gloves in Teal, $15.98/small, I/N: 0033122. Spider plant. Kit Out ‘Hexagon’ hanging planter, $10, I/N: 0226725. Monarch ‘Pro Renovator’ wall paintbrush, $3.69, I/N: 1661750. Taubmans ‘Hi C Yellow’ sample paint pot in Lady Lime, $5.95/250ml, I/N: 1540718. Trojan P2 dust mask, $12/pack of 3, I/N: 1662677. Whites 50mm jute webbing plant tie, $18.49/33m, I/N: 3320008. Background in Taubmans Lady Lime paint. Jar, Kmart, kmart. com.au. RIGHT Prayer plant in Kit Out ‘Rectangle’ hanging planter, $10, I/N: 0226727, painted with Taubmans Happy Rose paint. Arrowhead plant in Kit Out ‘Pentagon’ hanging planter, $20, I/N: 0226726, painted with Porter’s Paints Mist paint. Dieffenbachia plant in Kit Out ‘Hexagon’ hanging planter, as before, painted with Taubmans Lady Lime paint.

IN THE KIT Two Lotus Collection 305mm hanging baskets with liner, $4.98 each, I/N: 2890422. Fairy lights, for similar try Lytworx solar LED fairy lights in White, $15/pack of 300, I/N: 0104260. Grunt 3.5mm starter cord in Black, $3.80/5m, I/N: 4310529. Crescent 150mm x 3.6mm cable ties in Black, $2.10/pack of 25, I/N: 4431120. Craftright 20mm combination pliers, $9.95, I/N: 0154791. Whites 50mm jute webbing plant tie, $18.49/33m, I/N: 3320008. Background in Taubmans Oyster Bar paint.

How to do it

MATERIALS: Safety equipment (mask, gloves) • Hanging planter kit • Screwdriver • 120-grit abrasive paper & sanding block • Cloth • Paint • Paintbrush • Potted plant

1 Assemble hanging planter according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 2 Lightly smooth over planter with 120-grit abrasive paper. Remove any dust with a damp cloth. 3 Paint planter and leave to dry. Tip: For more colour depth, apply a second coat, leave to dry. 4 Place potted plant into the pot supplied with hanger, then position pot in hanger.

How to do it

MATERIALS: Safety equipment (eye protection, gloves) • Cutting pliers • Two metal hanging baskets • 200mm black cable ties • LED or solar fairy lights (at least 12m long) suitable for outdoor use • Utility cord

1 Using pliers, snip chains from the hanging baskets, remove the ties holding the inner linings and take out the linings. 2 Position the rims of the basket frames together to form a sphere. Match up holes to thread cable ties, pull them tight to secure and trim excess with pliers. 3 Tuck the end of the lights into the join, then wind the string of lights around the sphere, wrapping through the frames to secure, leaving enough length to reach the power source. Note: Use solar fairy lights if there’s no outdoor power source available. 4 To hang the globe, knot utility cord to the base of basket and cut to desired length. Wind and knot the top around a stable beam.

Outdoor light ball

Kintsugi craft kit

IN THE KIT Paint Partner 3.6m x 2.6m plastic backed canvas drop sheet, $19, I/N: 1660308. Craft sticks, for similar try Craft wooden pop sticks, $3.50/pack of 150, I/N: 0289401. Selleys ‘Araldite’ 5 minute epoxy adhesive, $10.98/24ml, I/N: 1230054. Trojan 150mm scalpel, $4.98, I/N: 0191098. White Knight ‘Strokes’ enamel paint in Gold, $11.90/100ml, I/N: 1568463. Trojan P2 dust mask, $12/pack of 3, I/N: 1662677. Ansell ‘Handy Fresh’ disposable gloves, $17.98/pack of $100, I/N: 4460461. Whites 50mm jute webbing plant tie, $18.49/33m, I/N: 3320008. Craft size 0 nylon round paintbrush, $1.45, I/N: 0287023. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered. Background in British Paints Pale Eucalypt paint.

How to do it

MATERIALS: Safety equipment (mask, disposable gloves) • Broken ceramic item (plate, mug or vase) • Drop sheet • Two-part epoxy adhesive • Timber offcut • Wooden craft sticks • Craft knife • Oil-based enamel paint in gold • Fine craft paintbrush

1 Piece together the broken item. Tip: The epoxy adhesive dries very quickly, so protect your skin by wearing disposable gloves and cover the work area with a drop sheet or cardboard. 2 Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to activate the adhesive on a timber offcut, mixing with a craft stick. With the largest unbroken piece as the base, take the largest adjacent piece, apply adhesive along the joining edge, position it against the base and hold it until the adhesive dries. 3 Working from the largest adjacent pieces to the smallest, apply adhesive along the broken edges that join with the repaired base section, holding in position until the adhesive dries. 4 Carefully scrape away excess adhesive using a sharp craft knife, holding it at 45° to run over the surface. 5 Stir gold oil-based enamel paint with a clean craft stick. Using a fine paintbrush, paint over the joins and leave to dry completely.

Safety tip: Repaired items are not food-safe and might not be watertight, so must ONLY be used for decorative purposes.

Whether it’s blackouts, emergencies or adding ambience to a summer’s night outdoors, you’re never left in the dark with Energizer

Own the dark

Be prepared for your DIY and outdoor occasions this summer with Energizer Torches and Batteries to keep them powered up

With storms and blackouts, camping trips and bushfire prep – not to mention all those electronic Christmas gifts that come without batteries – summer is a peak period for portable power.

We’ve all been there – in the middle of an emergency repair, when a power outage from a storm suddenly leaves us fumbling in the dark. Or maybe we’re setting up the tent after sundown, waiting for roadside assistance at night or fixing something fiddly in dim light.

There are so many situations where a reliable, powerful torch is the best gift you can have. And when you need both hands free for a project, a lightweight headlight is an essential piece of safety kit. Equally crucial but easily forgotten are spare, long-lasting batteries.

POWER PLAYER

Handily, you can stock up on batteries, headlights, lanterns and waterresistant, shockproof LED torches from Energizer – a one-stop brand for durable, powerful and affordable lights and batteries. Its new Dolphin Compact Lantern is a portable and powerful product that can be used Batteries and lights      

During blackouts Storm season preparation Changing smoke alarms Upgrading security Fire season preparation Outdoor trips & recreation

for a wide range of outdoor and recreational activities. Plus, it’s tough, weatherproof and floats in water. Energizer has even considered late night camping readers, with a handy clip-on book light!

You can rely on Energiser for a reliable emergency supply of batteries. Power seal technology means the alkaline Max Plus range can be stored on the shelf for more than a decade without losing power, so there’s no excuse not to be ready with backups. You never know when you’ll need them – but you know you will.

1 Energizer ‘Max’ AA batteries, $19.90/38 pack, I/N: 4410862. 2 Energizer ‘Max Plus’ AAA batteries, $14.98/12 pack, I/N: 0048714. 3 Energizer ‘Max Plus’ D batteries, $12.40/4 pack, I/N: 0048712. 4 Energizer ‘Max Plus’ 9V batteries, $14.98/3 pack, I/N: 0048710. 5 Energizer ‘Dolphin’ mini compact lantern, $14.98, I/N: 0269978. 6 Energizer ‘Universal’ headlight, $14.98, I/N: 0125931. 7 Energizer 1000 lumen USB area lantern, $39, I/N: 0104010.