Home-Dzine Online March 2012 by Janice Anderssen

online

Home-Dzine IDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR HOME

March 2012

QUICK & EASY PROJECTS

DESIGN DECORATING DIY

a word or two

4 UNEXPECTED COLOUR

10 EASY HOME DECOR ... What a show! By Saturday my voice was starting to give up on me, Nina said “No More!” and Nancy was worn out. To all our faithful supporters, thank you for stopping by. Now we start putting ﬁnishing touches to projects for the next issue of Easy DIY magazine, and getting ready for Grand Designs Live in May.

HAVE FUN WITH STRING

Don’t forget to drop us a line at any time (home-dzine@iburst.co.za) if there is a particular project you would like to tackle.

PALLET REVOLUTION

Enjoy!

Janice Home-Dzine Online is written and compiled by Janice Anderssen. All projects in this issue, or any other issue, remain the property of Home-Dzine and Janice Anderssen, or the respective copyright holders, and may not be copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

REUSE, RECYCLE, RESTORE

GLASS CLASS

PAPER PENDANT

STAND A CHANCE TO WIN BOSCH, DREMEL & SKIL TOOLS HAMPERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SODA BREAD

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEND ‘BEFORE’ & ‘AFTER’ PICS OF YOUR HOME IMPROVEMENT OR DIY PROJECT TO ENTER.

GROW YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES * DIY STRAWBERRY POT

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

35 A ‘TWEET’ PROJECT COMPOST BASICS

NO SPACE IS TOO SMALL

52 42

DIY SUN LOUNGER / TABLE

unexpected

colour Renowned designers around the world are making use of colour in the most unexpected ways. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that long ago when colour was limited to not more than 3 in any room, especially when using the 60-3010 rule based on the design principle of 60 percent for the main colour, 30 percent for a complementary colour and 10 percent for accent colour. Nowadays, however, interior designers are adopting a more casual approach to the use of colour in rooms, which is great news for anyone who loves colour. Frank Roop is one of my favourite interior designers when it comes to using colour in unexpected ways. A casual living space (above) is transformed with a multitude of colours that include orange, green, magenta, blue and teal, enlivening and brightening the room and instilling an atmosphere of relaxed comfort. 4

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting to know that colour is not limited to strict rules and that you can play around and have fun with the rooms in a home. The most important things to bear in mind when choosing colour for a room - or your home - is to stock up on paint swatches to see how the colours work in your rooms before painting.

decor and design

All paint manufacturers, and in particular Prominent Paints, produce booklets and colour swatches for you to make the right colour selection and ensure that the colours you choose work well together. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also lucky enough to have access to the Internet to be able to view colour combinations in-situ via the various interior design websites.

If you have never attempted a painting project before, using colour - as opposed to white and beige - can be daunting, but you will soon see that paint can change the atmosphere, set the mood and create a visual impact.

The best place to look for colour inspiration is in the room - or your home - itself.

Calm and Serene If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for soothing, calm colours, be guided by Mother Nature. Shades of blue and green against a pale blue or cream - or even crisp white - background do wonders for a any room for relaxation.

It is essential to pick colours that you feel comfortable with. To love the home you live in, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t paint the walls in a colour simply because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fashionable or trendy but rather settle on colours you already prefer or want to introduce into your living spaces.

source house & home

Add energy to a neutral white space with bold accessories A studio apartment is transformed into a bright, Scandinavian-inspired and multi functional space. A natural sisal and cotton rug anchors the living area, ďŹ lled with inexpensive furniture. In the corner, a plywood panel wallpapered with a colourful ďŹ&#x201A;oral pattern acts as a large art piece. (A cheap and easy way to add style to a rental without angering the landlord.) Fern leaves mounted in picture frames create an affordable art wall above the couch.

GIVE YOUR HOME THE ULTRA LOOK The Ultra Range represents the pinnacle in decora�ve coa�ngs. The range boasts pure acrylic formula�ons with a life expectancy in excess of ten years, ensuring excep�onal quality with absolute peace of mind. Ultraprime, Ultrama�, Ultrasheen, Ultragloss, Ultrasa�n, Ultraearth and Ultrashield provide the ul�mate surface protec�on in almost any colour imaginable. The Ultra Range is the ul�mate in luxury and quality.

ULTRAMATT is a high performance non-drip superior quality pure acrylic emulsion. It has brilliant smooth, ultra luxurious, classic ma� ﬁnish. Formulated for interior use on walls, ceramic �les, wood, steel, galvanized iron and ceilings. Ultrama� provides a long las�ng, extremely durable ﬁnish that is stain and steam resistant and full scrubbable.

ULTRASHEEN leaves a long las�ng, extremely durable ﬁnish that is stain and steam resistant and fully scrubbable. Ultrasheen contains fungicide to eliminate fungal growth. For interior use on walls, ceramic �les, wood, steel, galvanized iron and ceilings.

QUICK & EASY HOME DECOR Need a place to rest your feet when watching the telly? This month’s quick and easy home decor project is an upholstered storage ottoman with place to rest your feet, storage racks on the side, and extra seating when unexpected guests arrive. You don’t have to faff around with a sewing machine to make this upholstered ottoman. In this project we will show you how to easily ﬁt a comfy cushion to your project.

You will need:

16mm PG Bison SupaWood as per cutting list 2 x 1 metre long x 10mm dowels Wood glue Drill/Driver + assorted bits Countersink bit Orbital sander + 220-grit sanding pads 4 brushed chrome legs 50mm thick medium-density foam cushion Fabric to cover Staple gun Jigsaw and clean cut blade Clamps Tape measure and Pencil

CUTTING LIST 2 2 2 2 2 1 10

400 200 250 250 430 400

1000 430 430 462 400 800

16mm supawood 16mm supawood 16mm supawood 16mm supawood 16mm supawood 16mm chipboard

front/back sides bottom rack back sides top sides back seat base

HAVE ALL YOUR TIMBER AND BOARD CUT TO SIZE FOR EASY ASSEMBLY

Choose from two ﬁnishing options for your new ottoman: Use Rust-Oleum 2X universal metallic to spray the dowels in matt silver or pewter. For the ottoman you can use Prominent Paint Premium or Ultrasheen to paint the frame. Apply paint with a foam roller, using an artist’s paintbrush to get into corners.

DIY TIP: Have your foam cut to the exact size required. If you cut yourself you will have uneven edges which may show through the ﬁnished cushion.

quick and easy

FINISHING OFF YOUR PROJECT

Alternatively, take the ottoman outside and spray with Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint. Remember to cover the dowels in the rack to protect them from overspray!

462mm

A od b plywo

oard

400mm 40mm

250mm

1000mm

430mm

1. Use a jigsaw to cut out the side panel on both sides [A]. Drill a hole with a 10mm wood bit to insert the blade to cut the long, straight line.

2. Drill 2mm pilot holes and countersink for positioning the side bottoms [B]. Position the side bottoms against one side panel [A] and screw together.

3. Cut 4 or 6 dowels to 440mm length and spray with Rust-Oleum metallic silver. When dry, measure in and up on both sides and drill 10mm holes to a depth of 5mm each side. Insert dowel in one side.

4. Attach the other side as per step 2, inserting the other end of the dowels as you pull together.

5. Insert the rack back on top of the side bottom and drill pilot holes through the sides, countersinking before screwing in place.

6. Screw the side top [C] at each end. Fill all screw holes with wood ďŹ ller. Once dry, sand smooth. Sand all edges with 180-grit sandpaper to prepare for painting.

7. Make up the upholstered seat as shown below. This is an easy way to make a comfortable seat for your new ottoman and requires no sewing skills.

8. Attach the upholstered seat to the ottoman frame by screwing battens along the length of both sides. This allows for easy removal of the seat should you ever need to reupholster.

Place the foam on top of your fabric and seat base over the top of the foam.

Repeat for the opposite side, pulling the fabric tight as you work. Repeat for the other two sides.

Fold fabric over and staple to the underside of seat base. Start at one side, placing staples along the edge but leave a gap at the corners.

Trim off any excess at the corners and fold to create a neat corner before stapling down.

VINYL FLOORS JUST A CLIC AWAY

New click system for luxury vinyl tiles Luxury vinyl floors are now just one click away with Belgotex Vinyl’s new Seneca, the company’s latest glueless installation system for luxury vinyl planks.

Seneca is designed as a simple tongueand-groove click system that clips individual vinyl planks together to create a seamless, smooth finish that is easy to install, yet stylish and waterproof. No more messy glues, sticky fuss or lifting, the interlocking joints simply clip together to provide a water-tight solution to transform any floor in an instant. What’s more, vinyl floors offer customers all the good looks of natural wood species, down to the plank width and textured finishes, without the drawbacks or expense! Available in eight natural wooden shades. Suitable for heavy residential to light commercial installation, Seneca boasts a protective wear layer that ensures it won’t scuff or scratch and is guaranteed for 5 years.

www.belgotexfloorcoverings.com (033) 897-7500 or Cape Town (021) 763-6900 or JHB (011) 380-9300 or Durban (031) 313-9600.

HAVE FUN WITH

string

With nothing more than a piece of board, felt, some nails and thread, you can create unique works of art for a home. image 123rf.com String art is nothing new, dating back hundreds of years in its original form of weaving. Over the years it has been re-invented to the simpler form we see today.

Softboard is the easiest board material to work with for the backing, but you can also use BisonBord, plywood or PG Bison SupaWood. Cover the base board with black felt by wrapping around the back of the board and securing with staples, drawing pins or tacks.

Step 1

If you have a pattern, place this on the board and secure with tape. Hammer panel pins around the edge of the board, leaving a 2 to 3 centimetre border all around and then remove the pattern.

Step 2

Tie string to a corner nail, then loop the string around the nail diagonally across from it.

Be creative! Try out different designs and mix colours.

Step 3

Continue looping the string around each nail - and its diagonal counterpart - until ďŹ nished. For best results, keep the strings taut and close to the top of each nail when looping them.

Step 4

Attach a centred picture hanger to the back of the board and hang.

PALLET

Revolution

We love the fact that you can pick up old pallets for free, and with some cleaning, a bit of stain and seal, or a couple of coats of spray paint, you have furniture that costs practically nothing! 18

PALLET

Revolution There seems to be a great drive into creating new from old. And what I call the ‘pallet revolution’ is not far behind. Used pallets are no longer discarded, but seen as items of potential treasure and best of all furniture. The ﬁt beautifully into the distressed look that is ever so popular today.

Step 1 - Sanding

If you want to have a smooth look – sand down the visible area of the pallets. If you prefer a rugged look your work will be less.

Step 2 - Painting

Depending on the either the clean or rugged look you want, you would be applying either one or two coats of paint. We used Rust-Oleum 2X spray primer and then ﬁnished off with a coat of Rust-Oleum 2X white spray paint.

You will need:

Two old pallets 4-6 Upholstery feet Wood screws for attaching feet Sheet of safety glass to ﬁt pallet Wood Glue Rubber bumper pads White paint – or colour of preference Rust-Oleum Frosted spray – optional TOOLS Sander + 120- and 220-grit sanding pads Drill/Driver plus assorted bits Drill bit for pilot hole

Step 3 - Attach feet

Decide on a conﬁguration for your table. I opted to place the top pallet up-side down in order to have a more visual display for coffee table books. This also enabled me to place some smaller sized books into the mix as the bottom slats are too far apart. Drill a small pilot hole - take the width and breadth of the feet into consideration when determining you position. 19

Step 4 – placing the pallets

One thing I have learned is that pallets are definitely not made to exact size – so you might find that the two pallets will not fit exactly – but that ends up being part of ‘the look’. I used No More Nails (and a couple of bricks for added pressure) to stick the two pallets together.

Hall Stand/Coat Rail You will need:

1 pallets with slats fairly close Rust-Oleum 2X in colour of choice Stencil of choice or vinyl sticker* Various knobs and handles TOOLS Sander with 120-grit sandpaper Drill/Driver + assorted bits

Step 5 – Attach table top

Because the glass sheet is so heavy it does seems to stay in place with little help. Place a few rubber bumpers here and there on top of the pallet to grip and support the glass top.

*I found a design I liked on the Internet and enlarged it onto clear vinyl contact. The clear contact has a grid on the back to ensure your picture stays in proportion.

Here’s how: Step 1 - Sand Sand down all the areas that would be visibly displayed and painted. I decided on spray paint for the smoother look.

Step 2 - Painting I started with Rust-Oleum spray primer. You might ever like the look once you have painted the primer as it brings out the grain on the wood.

Garden Table

http://www.joyeverafter.com

Mark the area that requires the bottom colour. In this case I marked off a circle from the

centre. Spray and make sure the paint is completely dry before continuing. Place stencil as desired and spray second colour.

You will need: 2 pallets 2 x 76mm wide PAR pine planks 4 castor wheels with screws 8 L-brackets 20mm wood screws Woodoc Imbuia Gel Stain Woodoc 30 sealer First determine the height and then subtract the height of the casters and pallets. Cut the pine to length for the additional legs. Join the legs as shown right. Attach the legs to the top of the lower pallet and also the underside of the upper pallet with L-brackets and screws.

Step 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Attach knobs/ handles Place and mark before positioning and pick screws that will go through the width of your wood.

After attaching the 4 casters we decided a little colour might look nice. We chose Imbuia stain and ďŹ nished this off with three coats of Woodoc 30. I really like the dark look and the size of the table is perfect for our patio.

Paint a tin in earth tones and use a small butterďŹ&#x201A;y stencil or stickers to embellish. Pop in your gift and ďŹ ll up with shredded paper or sphagnum moss.

Use Rust-Oleum 2x spray paint to colour the outside of a tin. Apply delicate embellishments with a hot glue gun.

Felt and ribbons wrapped and glued on a tin can make wonderful gift containers. Add some colourful ribbon and shredded paper and... Hey Presto! 22

You will ﬁnd a variety of upcycling projects for tin cans on the Home-Dzine website and this is one more way to put empty tin cans to good use.

Here’s how: Step 1 Wash your cans clean and dry thoroughly. If there are any glue strips left behind, use Sticky Stuff remover or acetone (nail polish) to remove. Step 2 Use a pair of pliers to press down any sharp edges around the inside of the can. Step 3 Use a 3mm HSS bit to drill two holes at either side on top of the can. These holes allow you to insert the handle. Step 4 Cut a strip of medium-thick wire to a length that creates a nice handle and thread each side through the back of the holes you drilled.

Reuse - Recycle - Repurpose

If we all looks for ways to reuse, recycle and repurpose everyday items, we could cut down on the amount of rubbish thrown away every day. While tin cans can easily be recycled, here’s a way to repurpose them into gift containers and save yourself some money!

Step 5 There are so many different and wonderful ways to ﬁnish off your gift container, depending upon the occasion. See some examples on the opposite page.

GLASS CLASS While many provinces in South Africa have recycling processes in place, there are still other areas that sadly fall behind. Instead of throwing out glass bottles, jars and other glass containers, upcycle them into creative home decor.

LEFT: Wine bottles make wonderful candle holders, especially candles that have been decorated. Use craft glue to afďŹ x dried ďŹ&#x201A;owers to your candles and dress up a side server or table.

Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is not far away, so keep some of these ideas in mind for gifts. All you need are a few purchased items to upcycle glass jars into gifts made with love. LEFT: Beads in harmonious colours are placed on thin elastic and popped onto a glass jar to make an easy and attractive vase for a table top or bedside table. BELOW: What a great way to reuse Mason jars. A piece of sponge is wrapped in colourful fabric and popped on top of the jars to make a handy pin cushion. Fill the jar with sewing supplies and you have a mini sewing container.

LEFT: If you have a glass cut, or know how to cut glass bottles, add some pewter art to your cut glass containers.

PAPER

PENDANT

Still got some paper cups left over from a party, or ice cream cups? Use them to make this contemporary paper lantern. All you need is the paper lantern frame, a Dremel glue gun and the paper cups. If you want to add colour, use RustOleum 2X spray paint to ďŹ nish off.

A clever solution for storing and extending the life of herbs. The Herb Keeper is perfect when you wish to enjoy ﬂavourful meals with the addition of fresh herbs. Herbs are sold in bundles and for most recipes a bundle is too much. What happens to the leftovers? If they are not used right away most of what was bought is thrown out. This herb keeper will preserve a large amount of your herbs, ensuring they’re fresh for your next meal. Use it for all types of herbs and asparagus. Conveniently ﬁts in most refrigerator doors: The Cuisipro Herb Keeper comes in 2 convenient sizes so you can choose the one right for you - a large one that handles multiple bunches of herbs and the compact size for a single pack of herbs.

The size of the herb keeper is large enough to accommodate bulk herbs. Simply place herbs in tray and drop herb stems in water. Your leftover herbs will last for weeks. The removable tray suspends at midpoint of unit to load or take out herbs. The tray holds herb bunches together for easy access with no need to take the tray out of the container. The tray has holes so the water hydrates the herbs. Suspend the tray and holes are there for drainage making the Cuisipro herb keeper mess free. There is no need to unscrew from the bottom to reﬁll. Stems are immersed in water for freshness and hydration which extends the life of herbs beyond just refrigeration. 28

food fun

soda bread You know those days when you really feel like a loaf of freshlybaked bread still warm from the oven, but you don’t want to have to mission to your nearest bakery or, even worse, wait for the bread to rise? Not only do I have the answer, I have the answer that is healthy and good for you (well, as good for you as bread can be) and only has six ingredients! Woohoo! And (wait for it) one of those six ingredients is sour milk. So let’s recap: You’re at home, you feel like delicious home-baked bread, and you have some sour milk taking up space in your fridge. Within an hour, you can transform those thoroughly undesirable circumstances into a loaf of soda bread. True story. This recipe comes directly from my Irish grandmother, so it’s the real deal (soda bread is traditionally Irish) although I sometimes make a few tweaks… Here it goes. 29

Mix together: 1 cup ﬂour, 1 cup nutty wheat (or wholewheat ﬂour, or digestive bran, depending how nutty you want it to be), 1/2 heaped teaspoon bicarb of soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon brown sugar. Then add 1 cup buttermilk / plain yoghurt / sour milk and mix with your hands (deliciously squidgy!) until it forms a dough. Turn the dough onto a baking tray in whatever shape you like (oval is the most common) and wet the top with water. You can cut a cross into it if

you like, and if you want to get fancy you can sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top. Bake at 180°C for 45 mins to 1 hour, and eat warm with lashings of butter and mature cheddar. My dad always says that it’s better the next day, but I think that’s just what his mom told him so that the whole loaf wasn’t eaten before it cooled. This recipe doubles up to make a larger loaf (i.e. to feed more than 2-3 hungry people).

GROW YOUR OWN DELICIOUS STRAWBERRIES http://www.my-easy-cooking.com 31

Strawberries were cultivated by the Romans as early as 234 BC and in mediaeval times strawberries were regarded as an aphrodisiac. In South Africa strawberries were introduced in 1656.

Planting It is important to plant strawberries at the correct time of the year as the crop is sensitive to changes in daylight length. Strawberries require at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

You can purchase strawberry pots at your local nursery or garden centre. February/March is the best time to start preparing beds or pots of planting. Dig in compost or add a couple of handfuls of general fertilizer. You can plant the seedlings during March and April. Strawberry plants should be planted at the correct depth (not too deep or too shallow). The crown of the plant must be 32

above the soil surface. Plants should not be spaced too densely as this will create favourable conditions for pests and diseases.

Caring for Fertilise monthly with a product rich in potassium and nitrogen and water lightly every two to three days. When fruit starts to ripen, water less but don’t allow the soil to dry out completely. Red spider mite on the underside of leaves could be a problem for strawberries. Spray with Ludwig’s Insect Spray to deal with adult mites followed a week later by 5 ml Ludwig’s Rose Spider Mite Spray. As the plant matures, control the amount of runners or offshoots, as these affect the amount of quality of fruits. For the best ﬂavour, allow the fruit to ripen on the plant before picking. Store any picked fruit immediately in the fridge, where they will last for a few days.

Plastic storage containers are easily upcycled into a great potting container for strawberries. You will need:

university of california

2 plastic buckets or containers Hessian bag or sheet Rich soil to ďŹ ll Strawberry plants Drill/Driver Holesaw Rust-Oleum paint for plastic

Step 1 Mark for the holes and use your drill/driver and a hole saw to drill out. You also need to cut out the base of each bucket.

Step 2 Place the buckets on top of each other. Line with hessian and ďŹ ll with rich soil.

Step 3 Spray the buckets with RustOleum spray for plastic. Cut the hessian where the holes have been drilled and pop in your strawberry seedling. 33

1. A grinding wheel comes 2. For detailed areas that in useful for removing require attention, a large areas of rust on the Dremel MultiTool takes chairs and tables. Buy a the work out of hard to set that works with your remove paint and rust. drill to cut down on time spent sanding.

3. Two coats of Rust-Oleum Universal metallic in dark bronze and this garden set is good to last a few more years.

http://charlieandjo.wordpress.com

Although starting to show rust, this Bistro set was restored and given a new lease on life with Rust-Oleum Universal spray

gardening delights

Tweet Bird House

Birdie decor is tweeting in every home. We show you how to make this gorgeous bird house as a decor accessory for your home, and also include some wonderful ways to incorporate birdie decor in other ways.

This project is not for the birds - it’s for me! I love the birdie look that is popular at the moment and decided to make a decorative bird house as a decor project. You will need: Drill/Driver + assorted bits 16mm wood screws Medium panel pins Hammer Wood glue 40mm spade/MAD bit or hole saw 220-grit sandpaper Acrylic PVA - any colour - base coat Paintbrush Your choice of ﬁnishing

CUTTING LIST 1 250 2 250 2 140 2 200

250 290 190 200

12mm supawood 12mm supawood 12mm supawood 12mm supawood

The MAD-bit replaces augers, spade bits, brad bits, routers and chisels to form holes, channels and mortices in all kinds of timbers and laminates. base front/back sides top

Here’s how: 1. With the exception of the base, which is glued and screwed to the front and back sections, all pieces are glued and clamped together until dry. 2. Sand all edges with 220-grit sandpaper until they appear shiny. This prevents the SupaWood from absorbing too much paint. 3. Apply a base coat of acrylic PVA and let this dry. 4. Now you can paint your bird house in a colour, or choice or colours. You can decoupage with fabric or paper, or anything else you can think of! 36

200mm

150mm 140mm

200mm

190mm

Apply PVA base coat to the entire bird house and let this dry. Lightly sand with 220-grit sandpaper.

Paint the base with PVA in a teal colour and the roof in a bright leaf green and let dry. Rub the edges with a candle.

Now paint again using leaf green for the base and teal for the roof. Find similar projects at http://www.plaidonline.com

Use 80-grit sandpaper to Use a stencil and stencil Use 80-grit sandpaper to sand all the edges or areas brush to apply your choice roughen the design that where you applied candle of design. Let the paint dry. you just painted. wax. Wipe clean.

Use a wood bit to drill a hole for your dowel or twig to ďŹ nish off the bird house.

GOOD TO KNOW

After I made the bird house I came up with the idea to turn it into a lamp. I will be drilling a hole into the base and adding a lamp assembly. You can stand the bird house on a table, mount it onto a wall, or hang it up. If you want to put the bird house outside, use pine or plywood as a 38

Birdie Tool Hanger Finish off your new bird house with four eyelet hooks at the base for mounting your essential garden tools.

Bold Birdie Make a splash with bold, bright contrasting colours. All you need is some craft paint.

Birdie Decor Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be shy... there are so many ways to incorporate birdie decor into your home!

Pretty Darn Tweet You can ďŹ nish off a bird house in so many different ways. Try a combination of decoupage and stencilling for a country style bird house.

RAW MATERIAL

HALF-FINISHED

Compost is nature’s free gift to gardeners and worth its weight in gold. It not only adds nutrients to the soil, it also has the special ability to do two things at once: It helps soil retain water and nutrients and it keeps soil wellaerated.

FINISHED

The very same process of decomposition that creates compost from garden and kitchen waste is a key to sustaining life on earth. Every living thing that dies unlocks nutrients for the following generations of plants and animals. Incidentally, even “finished” compost continues breaking down at a slow rate in the garden before becoming stable humus (a complex mix of minerals and organic residue). Most compost is not fully broken down, which benefits gardeners because particles of unfinished material improve soil texture by creating tiny air pockets as it decays. This further promotes the microbial activity essential for healthy soil. The simplest way to make compost is to pick an out of the way place in your garden and start a pile of grass clippings, raked leaves, other garden waste and non-meat kitchen scraps (meat will compost, but attracts flies and rodents).

The best things in life, like home made compost, are free. Earthworms play an important role in converting organic waste into rich humus, by pulling down any organic matter deposited, such as leaf fall or manure, either for food or when it needs to plug its burrow. Once in the burrow, the worm will shred the leaf and partially digest it, then mingle it with the earth by saturating it with intestinal secretions. As well as dead organic matter, the earthworm also ingests any other soil particles that are small enough and grinds everything into a fine paste which is then digested in the intestine. When excreted, minerals and plant nutrients are made available in an accessible form. Worms are also invaluable in keeping the soil structure open, creating a multitude of channels which allow the processes of both aeration and drainage to occur. Thus the earthworm not only creates passages for air and water to traverse, but is itself a vital component in the living biosystem that is healthy soil.

Every time you collect garden waste, add it to the pile. Within a couple of months you can begin scooping ﬁnished compost out from the bottom of the pile. Your compost should have plenty of worms and other small critters, which are at the top of the decomposer food chain, as well as centipedes and other predators, which, in turn, feed on the decomposers. These critters create no problems in the garden.

You can make batches of compost more quickly by regularly turning the compost pile. An overly wet, unturned pile may also become smelly because a saturated, oxygenpoor pile encourages anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria produce methane, which has that characteristic “sewer” smell. A garden fork is the best tool for turning the pile because it helps break up matted grass clippings and other matter. A shovel or spade is OK, but more unwieldy to work with. Plus a fork grabs more of the compost at one time. Don’t turn the pile before it’s ready. As microorganisms begin breaking down the matter, temperatures in the centre of a good-sized pile reach quite high. Turning the compost at this point will actually slow down the composting process. The signal that compost is ready to turn is when the interior temperature of the pile drops to about the same temperature as the outer layer. Turning the pile at this point restarts the composting process by introducing air and new material into the centre of the pile.

If you live in a townhouse apartment or flat, you can still compost indoors Toss vegetable and produce scraps (finely chop or run through a blender first) into a plastic garbage bag. Mix in one cup of garden or lawn soil (potting soil won’t do) for every two cups of kitchen scraps. The soil provides the microbes that start the composting process. If material is dry, add a quarter cup of water. The material should be moist but not soaking wet. Keep the bag sealed and shake once a day to keep contents mixed. Open the bag for a few hours every three days to let air in and moisture out. If the odour is strong, the contents are too wet. In four to six weeks after the time you stop adding scraps, you should have finished compost.

Content August Home Publishing

Turning the pile

The key to good designer furniture is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s functional and built with quality materials. This piece has dual purpose, with the curved side like a timber hammock and the ďŹ&#x201A;at side to serve as a raised deck, table or bench. 42

You will need: Use the project diagram on the following page to cut your materials to size. You can use reclaimed decking, hardwood ďŹ&#x201A;oor planks, or PAR pine for this project. You will also need: Wood glue Wire nails Strip of aluminium or long steel rule 40mm wood screws TOOLS Jigsaw and clean cut blade Drill/Driver + assorted bits Countersink bit Sander Hammer Compass Tape measure Pencil Clamps The new Dremel SAW MAX allows you to cut a wide variety of materials accurately and straight. The Saw Max is ideal for this type of project and will reduce the amount of time you spend on cutting.

Finishing In order for your new furniture to last, you will need to seal all the surfaces with Woodoc 50 or 55. Apply three coats as per the instructions. PROJECT DARRYL CHAPMAN MAIN PICTURE SUE FERRIS

Woodoc 50/55 comes in readytinted or clear, or you can add your own stain concentrate.

1. Cover the outside face of the plywood side frames in Woodoc 50 or 55 and leave to dry. On the raw side, mark a central point 183mm from the ends, using a compass to draw arcs for the ends.

2. Along outer edge mark 253mm from ends - at centre mark 150mm down for base of curve. Tap nail at centre and 5mm from 253mm marks, ﬂex an aluminium bar to mark out an arc.

3. Square lines across the side frames at 183mm and 700mm from the ends. Mark the position of the ﬁve side slats with 12mm gaps. At the squared lines, pre-drill two 3mm holes for each slat.

4. Apply wood glue to the slats, positioning with 12mm spacers, clamping and securing with 30mm screws from the inside through the pre-drilled holes.

5. Use a jigsaw to cut along arcs to make the rounded ends. Sand and apply the ﬁrst coat of sealer to the sides before continuing the assembly.

6. Drill and countersink holes to secure cleats ﬂush to the ends of the crossbraces using 40mm screws. Make three holes in each cleat, perpendicular to the others, to secure crossbraces to the side frames.

7. On the inside of a side frame, secure the crossbraces inside the 183mm lines with 40mm screws through the cleats. Attach the other side frame, securing with screws.

8. On the cross-cladding slats mark 45mm from the ends, 15mm from the edge to drill and countersink holes for screws.

9. Position top slats with 3mm gaps at ends, 5mm gaps at centre, working towards centre, leaving a 19mm overhang and securing with 40mm screws. Use spacers to maintain the gaps. 45

NO SPACE TOO SMALL Whether you have a small balcony or a large garden, utilising the outdoors is just one of the easy ways to increase living space. Here, in South Africa, we have beautiful weather for most of the year. We are not plagued by smog and don’t have to live with acid rain. Here are just a few ideas to inspire you to move outdoors! Today’s lifestyle embraces both interior and exterior space, especially in view of our beautiful climate. Yet when laying out and planning outdoors spaces, very few expend the same effort as they do when designing their indoor living spaces. More often than not it’s a case of placing the braai, buying some garden furniture and setting up a garden umbrella. Outdoors provides us with the opportunity to increase our living space from spring

ABOVE: Low hung concrete benches and restored sleepers create a private retreat that allows you to sit and view the almost endless views. through to autumn, and even in winter in some regions, so be as creative outdoors as you would indoors; bring out some colourful cushions, add decor to your table, and most importantly, light up your exteriors to light up the setting and set the mood.

ABOVE: There are so many affordable ways to create practical and attractive seating for outdoors. Two large plant pots filled with New Zealand Flax are framed by a boxed top. Use PAR pine planks to make the box and seal with Woodoc 50 or 55. You will find this project in the Garden section on Home-Dzine.co.za

RIGHT: Create a garden that you can enjoy both indoors and outdoors. A feature or focal point is just as important in a garden as in a home. Adding colour to a bold wall is just one way to create a focal point.

LEFT: In our hot, sunny climate, shade is essential. While you may enjoy sitting out in the sun, your guests might prefer a shady spot. Adding a pergola is as easy as buying the materials and putting a couple of weekends aside to build it. Invite some friends around to help and make it a fun event. Your local Builders Warehouse has everything you need to build a pergola or patio roof. OPPOSITE PAGE: Building a fireplace or installing a fire pit allows you to enjoy your extended living space in spring and autumn, as well as the summer months. Using basic bricklaying skills you can easily design and create a small fire place that will warm up the space during the cooler months. LEFT: Colour belongs in a garden just as much as in a home. Coordinate your accessories to match and add a splash of colour. 48

Outside lighting is just as important as your inside lights – they set the tone for your home and can create a warm welcome. When extending your living space outdoors, your patio and garden should be lit accordingly. Decorative Lighting Coloured lights can create wonderful impact. Yellow lights are often chosen for outdoor lights because yellow is better at repelling insects than any other colour. Here are some key things to bear in mind: Make use of light and shadows to create depth. Shadow creates intrigue and interest as much as light does. For instance you can silhouette plants and illuminate a tree for stunning impact. Focus on speciﬁc features throughout the depth of the garden – for instance a shrub at the back, a water feature half way across the garden, and a pretty ﬂower bed at the front.

A farmyard full of cute animals Tell everyone in your family to start saving toilet roll tubes - you will need a lot if you want to make these cute farmyard animals. You will need: Toilet roll tubes Craft paint Colourful pipe cleaners Buttons 52

Bostik clear glue Craft scissors Coloured craft paper Small paintbrush

craft project designed by http://craftsbyamanda.com

Be creative, use your imagination, have fun!

Step 1 Use your craft scissors to cut the toilet roll tubes in half . Try not to squish the tubes too hard while you hold them, as this will spoil the shape.

Use your scissors to make the ends as neat as possible.

Step 3

Step 2 Paint your tubes with craft paint and a small paintbrush. The colour should match the animal you are marking. For example: Pink for a pig, yellow for a chicken, white for a sheep.

Once the paint has dried, you are ready to start gluing on the different pipe cleaners and coloured paper cut outs. Use your scissors to cut everything to the right length or shape, and then stick onto the tubes with clear glue.

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULE FOR 2012 More great projects for you to make and take home Beginners & Advanced Workshops Basic Electrical and Plumbing Workshops Soul Sisters for our Cape Town DIY Divas Basic Welding Career Workshops Every Saturday morning from 09:00 to 12:00 at a venue near you.