BURKATRON

keeping up with the cycle of washing, drying and packing away laundry feels never ending some weeks! my washing line gets a fair amount of use in the summer months so i decided to make myself a shibori peg bag to keep things neat and pretty!

today I have a fun little project for you; a tassel bracelet that you can make in a snip! I came across this cute idea from I spy DIY on pinterest and immediately wanted to try it.  all the items needed are easily available on eBay, etsy or in craft shops! Just follow the steps below to make your own DIY tassel jewellery: it's a really simple idea, mine took less than half an hour and there's lots of variations if you want to experiment... I think next time I'll opt for some chunky silver chains and different colour threads. have any of you made something similar.. would you try this DIY? back soon! caroline x

today I have an incredibly easy DIY for you! covering planters in fabric is a great way to decorate boring old pots and inject some fun into your decor. it's also quick and easy (my favourite combination) so even the laziest of DIY-ers could try this one! you'll only need a few things: terracotta planters work best for this craft project (glazed pots and PVA don't adhere well) I picked up this little pot for 75p in my local garden center! you'll also need a square of fabric, PVA glue and some scissors. first check your fabric to fits around your pot (you'll need the leave a few inches of excess to wrap over the rim and base) I found it easiest to work with a square shape of fabric rather than an rectangle as when you wrap you'll turn the pot diagonally.  brush on PVA glue to a small section of the pot and start to apply the fabric. simply work your way around the pot applying the PVA glue in sections followed by fabric (don't cover the entire pot with glue i...

I saw a gorgeous dress on the motel website.. baby doll shape.. cute daisy trimming.. yep it was a keeper.  however it occured to me I could probably make my own version for a fraction of the the price, I love it when a (thrifty) plan comes together! I went out to explore my local haberdashery and to my delight discovered the very same daisy trim.. mission accomplished!  so here's how I made my own easy peasy DIY daisy dress.. if you want to upcycle some of your wardrobe here's the basic steps: you'll need approx 1.5 meters of daisy trimming (available on eBay) an old dress (I've used an old topshop basic jersey dress) a needle and thread  decide where you want to add the daisies to your dress and pin the trim down to hold it in place. using a needle and thread sew the trim to secure it, repeat for all sections and remove any remaining pins.  that's it you're all finished! very quick, very easy and the perfect way to give an old dress, shorts or tee a new lease ...

I'm a huge fan of those lace trim shorts that have been floating around pinterest, I love pinterest for DIY inspo (and the endless snaps of delicious food... mmmm) I was originally intending to customise a pair of shorts but I changed my mind an opted for a super easy update for some of my crop tees instead. this little crafty project is really quick and perfect for beginners! you'll just need an old tee, some lace trim and a needle and thread.. I used a meter of lace trim for mine, it's easy to get hold of online or in your local haberdashery/craft department (I picked up this one in john lewis along with a few other designs!) if you're using a regular length tee simply chop off the bottom to the desired length.. taa daa one crop top! turn the tee inside out and lay the trim along the bottom edge, use pins to secure then sew into place. once you've sewn the trim into place, remove the pins, turn the tee the right side out and  you're done....easy huh?  you can ...

oh my gosh I'm such a hoarder!  if I step into a charity shop I undoubtedly exit with some more trinkets I don't actually need but have a wicked compulsion to collect (case in point my growing collection of miss matched teacups and saucers..) I love vintage teacups, I tend to justify collecting them so I can throw afternoon teas parties but more often than not they sit neglected and dusty amongst my other bits and pieces. so to cheer up my old china I decided to give it a new life as teacup candles! it's surprisingly easy (and darn quick) you'll just need the following: candle wax (500g was enough for 3 candles) pre dipped wicks (available here ) a double boiler (two saucepans will do!) old teacups first pick your teacups, I went for mismatched patterns as I wanted mine to be a little eclectic. now take your candle wicks and attach them to the teacup base so they don't move when your pour in the wax! (I just used a dab of super glue) leave them on some newspaper and...

I love hunting for old pieces of furniture! I never buy shabby chic distressed furniture -I've always found old pieces and done it myself (it's more fun and a lot more affordable)  I found an old pine bathroom cabinet for £3.. a perfect DIY candidate! the technique works on all pieces of wood furniture, I've upcycled wardrobes, dressing tables and chairs in the past.  lots of people have asked me how I've distressed my furniture so I thought I'd do a little tutorial for anyone who's curious to try it themselves! start out with your pieces of wooden furniture, whether it's a chair, table etc the most important part is sanding! I use a small electric sander to rub down larger furniture but something small can be done by hand with regular sandpaper! this part is really important as it removes any varnish and provides a 'key' or grip for the paint to adhere to. once you've sanded you need to apply a coat of primer (I've taped off the mirror on my...

I've been meaning to make a floral crown for ages (since last summer in fact) I never quite got around to buying the essentials so it was left on my neglected DIY to do list! the combination of sun and an urge to get away from my laptop finally got the better of me this week so here it is! it's so fun to make and not expensive either, mine came in under £10 and took me roughly an hour or so to finish! I'd love to make one out of fresh flowers but for the time being I opted for silk flowers which are easy to get hold of and last a lot longer! the main things you need are an assortment of flowers (available at craft or home stores- mine were from dunelm) garden wire and some fine jewellery wire. A pair of scissors or pliers to cut is also a must! measure and bend the wire to fit your head (make it a little bigger as the more flowers you add the tighter the fit will become) wrap another length of wire around the crown to make it more secure. now comes the fun part! start twist...

my geeky little habit and I are coming out of the closet. I am OBSESSED with writing lists, I can't sleep until I've written down everything thats bobbing about in my little brain. I'm also rather OCD about keeping all of my ideas and blog related scribbles organised so I've been keeping blog books since I started burkatron.   if I'm stressed the only things that straighten me out are a cup of tea and half an hour writing an action plan! I decided to make writing my endless 'to do' lists a little more fun and this strange scrap booking/crafting habit developed about 6 months ago.  I love buying notebooks; my favourite ones for blog books are the plain kraft  books from paperchase, a mix of blank and brown craft paper they're perfect for writing lists and come in lots of different sizes.  I stick in postcards, scrap paper or sketches. I store secret lists in envelopes stuck inside my books and generally collect lots of little memories and ideas which just...