DIY Day

We like to make things and we love finding cool new projects to do. DIY Day's theme allows us to share some fun tutorials and ideas we've found, and maybe some of the projects we've done ourselves. We make a lot of things for our own homes and children, as well as gifts for friends. Doing it yourself allows you to choose the nicest, prettiest fabrics, the colours you want and the ideas you want to try. You can recycle, upcycle and modify clothes, linens and just about anything you can think of, and there are tutorials out there for so many things that you'd be hard pressed not to find help when you need it. As our friend Audrey says: 'I can do anything with the internet and a staple gun'.

Today's DIY is in anticipation of the upcoming long summer holiday here in South Africa, when we all tend to do a bit of travelling around the country and there are also lots of parties and occasions when the youngsters might need a little nap. It's also camping season. The first tutorial we have for you is the Sleepover Sac by The Home Ec Teacher's Daughter. Because, really, trying to stuff sleeping bags back into those teeny sacks they come in is more frustration than we enjoy.

 

The pic is not so much for a tutorial as for a great idea. The pic shows the Bed in a Bag by Great Little Trading Co. If you haven't the time or inclination to make your own, this really is a lovely product. But for those of us on a limited budget, I love this idea gleaned from Pinterest: to make your own version, sew five pillowcases together and then pop the pillows in and there you go. You can easily fold this up and make a bag for it, or add handles to either end so it's self-carrying. To wash it, just slip the pillows out of the cases and pop it in the laundry. Perfect.