Home-DzineIDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR HOME

June 2012

online

DESIGNDECORATINGDIY

DESIGNDECORATINGDIY

QUICK & EASYQUICK & EASY

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.

With Grand Designs Live out of the way, it’s time to get back to the business of Home-Dzine.

I know I have asked for your input before but if you have any ideas or suggestions for content for the Home-Dzine Online magazine, or any specific features youwould like to see in the magazine - or on the website - please drop us a line at home-dzine@iburst.co.za.

Enjoy!

Janice

a word or two

115 WINTER DECOR TIPS

PICTURE FRAMES

25 WINE RACK

29PAINTING MELAMINE AND LAMINATE FURNITURE

33REPURPOSE PLASTICBOTTLES

39DISCOVER THE GOODNESS OF HONEY

42 SPICE RACK

45TREES FOR A SMALL

GARDEN

49DIY PLANTER

STAND 52SALT DOUGH HEARTS

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Sleep ‘n Study Bed [SINGLE]

In a small bedroom there isn’t always room for a desk, so we’ve built one into the bed! Available in any colour. The beds comes with optional pullout trundle bed for sleepovers. All beds are manufactured using 16mm supawood for sturdy, strong design and finished in child-friendly paints. All beds available in single, ¾ (+15%) and double (+25%).

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Pullout bed accepts 150mm high x 900mm wide x 1700mm long mattress.

SPECIAL OFFER for Home-Dzine readers only!

CLICK ON THIS PAGE TO

ORDERPRICES VALID UNTIL 30 JUNE 2012

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When winter sets in we immediately start looking for ways to heat up our homes; rushing around looking for heaters, blankets and even thinking about installing a fireplace. But don’t behasty when making a decision – there are so many other ways to warm a home - without breaking the bank.

COLOUR The colours you choose for decorating a home can be warm or cool, or even both at the same time. By combining a colour palette of warm and cool colours you can create a room that feels warm in the evening and cool during daylight hours. The secret is in combining the right colours.

In this room [right] a combination of warm and cool colours are blended together, yet blend well to create a setting that is comfortable and relaxed, with pale blue accents to add just a touch of freshness.

The two main colours used in the room are a soft, sandy taupe on the walls and pale blue accent cushions. Other colours used in the room are shades of the same, either lighter or darker.

Light carpet, white trim and colourful art add to a cosy feeling that is not overpowering and still suitable for spring and summer living.

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If we manage to f ind the time, we want to show you how easy

it is to make a rustic coffee table similar

to the one shown here!

Add a splash of warm colour with Eurolux pendants

- available at Builders Warehouse

and lighting stores countrywide.

Wood is a beautiful way to add warmth to a room. The natural texture of wood can be enhanced with a Woodoc interior sealer and added stain concentrate to complement your existing room decor. Try Woodoc 5 for an absolute matt, or natural looking surface that is totally stain, water, alcohol and mark resistant.

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In this room setting we show the previous colours in reverse. A pale blue-grey is used on the walls and shades of taupe become the main colours used in the room.

Although the room appears visually cooler due to the wall colour, the mood and atmosphere takes on a warm feel that invites you to relax and be comfortable.

TEXTUREWhat adds warmth to the previous room and this room is the amount of texture. Upholstered furniture and rug underfoot are easy elements to add to a room, as are wood accent pieces. The beauty of wood instantly adds warmth to a room.

LIGHTINGWhen you think of a glowing fire youimmediately feel warmer.

Lighting offers a way to achieve the same effect. Soft, layered lighting throughout a room instantly adds a feeling of warmth.

Table lamps and floor lamps fitted with warm-white energy efficient globes not only adddecoration to a room, they are also perfect for adding a warm atmosphere to a cold room.

Shop the Eurolux range of fittings and you can add

texture, decoration and light at the same time.

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Luxuriously soft velvet cushions

are a surprisingly affordable way to warm up a room,.

Choose colours that match your existing decor or use them to add hot colour.

View the Eurolux range of decorative lighting to dress up

and light up your home!

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Switch off the heater and turn up the heat!

With the exception of draughty doors, windows are the main culprit when

looking at ways to warm up a room.

You will finda selection of products at your local Builders Warehouse for closing gaps and making sure that glass panes are well fitted, butcurtains are an easy way to warm up a room.

Mock suede curtains with block out or lining will instantly stop heat escaping from a room - and they look good too!

Make your own draught excluders for interior doors. If you keep doors closed and block of draughts it’s far easier to keep individual rooms warm and cosy.

Make two long pleather rolls and attach these to a pleather strip to fit under the width of the door.

Close those curtains

Snuggle upA luxuriously plush throw or blanket and you can wrap yourself in warmth. Snuggle up in front of the TV or pile them on the bed to retain body heat as you sleep.

A plush rug underfoot will take the chill of cold tiles or floors.Invest in a quality rug that you can use during the colder months to keep a room warm.

Warmth underfoot

Block off draughts

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quick and easy

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It takes a lot of planning to put together projects for a workshop. Not only do the projects have to be carried around, they have to work out well when it comes down to putting them together and making them look good.

When I was thinking of ideas for the projects we would do at Grand Designs Live, I was looking for ways to make picture frames that would be easy to do and not cost a lot of money. They also had to look good too!

For a previous project - my oversized clock in the Feb 12 issue of Home-Dzine Online - I used tongue and groove panels and the thought struck me - why not use these for picture frames as well. Tongue and groove is cheap, but the main advantage of this material for a picture frame is that it already has a groove in it.

The groove on a tongue and groove panel makes it easy to use these for

picture frames.

The tongue strip on tongue and groove panels is easily cut away with a jigsaw.

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Here’s how:

1. Once you have determined the size that you want your frame, use a mitre box and saw to cut the corner angles. Each strip has a 45-degree angle.

2. Join the corners together by applying wood glue and using corner braces and 12mm screws on each corner section.

3. I used pine moulding to build up decoration on the front on the frame. Again, the strips were cut in the mitre box and glued onto the frame front. You can add as little or as much moulding as you like.

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Finishing off

You can finish off your picture frame invarious ways. I used Rust-Oleum 2X in satin black and then added a strip of aluminium tape around the frame to add a metallic effect.

You can purchase aluminium tape at Builders Warehouse. It has a self-adhesive backing and sticks to almost anything.

And because we have used pine for the frame you can also stain with Woodoc Gel Stain or Woodoc sealer and stain concentrate in your choice of wood finish.

To find out how to make the tree design for your new picture frame, be sure to buy the August issue of Easy DIY magazine - on sale at your local Builders Warehouse or Builders Express store, or get in touch with Easy DIY at www.easydiy.co.za to subscribe.

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FANTASTIC FRAMESWhy spend a fortune on picture and mirror frames when you can make your own for practically nothing!

Timber frames, decorative frames and faux gilded frames are easy to make, even if you don’t own power tools.

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Gilded frames are one of those exquisite decor accessories that many yearn for but few can afford.

Found in luxury homes around the world, a gilded frames blends with traditional and even informal decorating styles to add a touch of glamour and glitz.

At the recent Grand Designs Live show we presented a workshop that showed how easy it is to make your own faux gilded frames for a fraction of the cost of buying one, and you can make these frames in any shape or style - all you require is a few supplies from your local Builders Warehouse and a dash of imagination!

The secret behind our gilded frame and how we managed

to make it so cheap, is to use extruded polystyrene moulding to

create the detail normally found on these types of frames - plus a

few more tricks!

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To make our frame we had a solid backing board, 2 side panels and a top and bottom panel of PG Bison SupaWood cut to size at Builders Warehouse. Of course, if you have any off cuts lying around - you can use these.

Our frame measures 350mm x 450mm but you can modify these measurements to make the frame any size you want.

Here’s how:

1. On the solid backing board, which is actually the front of the frame, place your chosen moulding around the edges. You will see that the corners have already been cut at angles with a mitre box and saw.

2. Mark the width of the polystyrene moulding with a pencil, so that you know how much needs to be cut out from the centre to create the front of the frame.

FRONT OF FRAME

BACK OF FRAME

You can use any width of polystyrene moulding and can also combine this with pine moulding and trim if you want to add even more detail to the frame.

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3. Use a drill/driver and 10mm wood bit to drill holes at all four corners inside the drawn mark and then cut this out with a jigsaw and clean-cut jigsaw blade.

4. If your cutting is uneven, sand the edge for a square finish. Use 120-gritsandpaper for areas that required quite a bit of sanding to even them out, or 240-grit sandpaper if there are only small bumps here and there.

5. On the back of the board you have just cut, use wood glue to attach the side, top and bottom panels. Let the glue dry before you continue with the next step.

6. Apply No More Nails adhesive to the front panels. Make sure to apply glue around the inside and outside edges.

7. Press the moulding firmly into place,checking that the corners are square. Wipe away any excess adhesive that oozes out before it has time to dry.

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8. After you have finishing gluing on themoulding you need to address gaps around the inner and outer edges. Around the outside edge I attached a 10mm strip of pine with No More Nails and a few panels pins hammered in here and there. I didn’t have time to attach strips of 3mm backing board around the inside edges, but that is what you would do.

9. To finish off and add atad more decoration to my frame, I applied a bead of acrylic sealant around the edge of the moulding and then ran string over this. The string resembles a barley twist once painted, and only you will know what was used.

10. Spray the entire frame with Rust-Oleum Universal - gold. Only apply a light, even coat and spray from a distance of 30 centimetres away.

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11. Spray on a second coat, but before the paint has time to dry, sprinkle the surface lightly with salt - normal kitchen salt or rock salt. The salt will not stick properly to the wet paint, but as the paint dries you can remove the salt with an old toothbrush and it will leave a pitted effect on the paint.

If you look at antique or vintage gilded frames you will notice that they are not

perfect and that age has taken its toll on the finish - this is what you want to achieve

and salt is an easy way to do this.

12. Spray on another coat of gold spray to finish off and let this coat dry thoroughly.

13. To age the frame you are going to use black acrylic craft paint that is watered down slightly. Apply this to the detailed areas.

14. Use a slightly damp cloth to remove the paint before it dries, leaving paint behind in the detailing and on the pitting. You can remove or add as much ageing as you wish until you are satisfied with the result.

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It’s so easy to create your own unique appliques or onlays for

picture frames with clay. There are many types of clay that

you can buy at craft and hobby shops, but we recommend air-

dry clay such as Das or Jovi. These clays dry overnight and do not have to be oven-dried.

Decorative appliques and onlays are available online but are priced from around $25.00 up to as much as $85.00 for the three designs shown here.

If you are lucky enough to come across plaster of Paris moulds in

nice designs, these can also be used to create embellishments

for picture frames and other projects. Attach your creations

with No More Nails.

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Stock Clearance

Shabby Chic Colonial Bathroom VanityFinished in your choice of colour with light, medium or heavy distressed finish.

500(D) x 700(W) x 850(H)

Excludes countertop, sink, and fittings.

Delivery R500 (under 20km) or arrange for collection from our offices in Randpark Ridge.

Call 011 475 6096 TO ORDER

2 x Units EX STOCK @ R1500.00 each(normal price R3000)

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hang ‘em

HIGHhang ‘em

HIGH

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Aidan Bennetts, Top Billing Present-er, made this modern wine rack at the Grand Designs Live expo. The ingenious design and elegant look are super easy and won’t cost a fortune.

Here’s how:

1. Glue together the two 200 x 850mm boards. Clamp to secure until the glue has dried - preferably overnight.

2. Measure and mark the boards as shown right. Each slot is 100mm in length and 30mm in diameter and there is a 100mm gap between each slot.

100mm

100mm

100mm

100mm

100mm

100mm

30mm

100mm

You will need:16mm PG Bison SupaWood cut to:2 of 200 x 850mm2 of 60 x 200mmCork tilesContact adhesiveJigsawDrill/Driver and assorted bits500W drill30mm MAD or spade bitRust-Oleum spray, satin black4 Keyhole bracketsWood glue

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3. Use a 30mm diameter MAD or spade bit to cut a hole to start off each slot. It helps to have a scrap piece of wood under the board to reduce chipping on the underside.

4. After drilling the hole, insert the jigsaw and cut out both sides of the slot. Repeat this for all the slots.

5. At the top and bottom of the boards, mark in 50mm from each side and drill a 3mm pilot hole.

6. On both smaller boards mark in 50mm from each side. Drill a 3mm pilot hole and countersink. Drive in 5 x 50mm screws.

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7. Before applying adhesive to the front, sand the side edges with 240-grit sandpaper until smooth. Spray the side edges, top and bottom with Rust-Oleum black spray.

8. Cut each cork tile to fit on the frontsection and then glue down onto the front of the wine rack. Wrap with masking tape and leave overnight to dry.

9. Attach two keyhole hangers to the top and bottom sections. Two hangers are required at each end for safe and secure mounting of your new wine rack.

MountingUse Fischer plugs and screws to mount your wine rack onto the wall, as the wine rack is heavy once stocked with wine bottles.

Drill holes to the same size as the wall plugs, bearing in mind that the drilled depth should be 1 centimetre longer than the length of the wall plug.

Now you are ready to stock up your new wine rack. The cork panel at the front will hold bottles firmly in place, but do ensure that you slipbottles firmly into the slots.

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Reuse - R

ecycle - RepurposeI inherited a drawer cabinet a few

years back when it still looked new, but now it’s ugly, scratched and stained. The finish on this cabinetis a paper laminate, which means it is very thin and has worn away in places. Definitely time for amakeover and a nice way to show you how easy you can update any piece in your home.

As with any project, the trick to successfully painting melamine or laminate is in the preparation. Spend time with proper preparation and you will end up with a job well done!

Most homes have melamine or laminate finishessomewhere in them, and many of us buy melamine or laminated furniture at least once in our lives. Not only is it this type of furniture affordable, it’s sometimes practical too. But over time these finishes do tend tobecome grubby, scratched and worn and need to be refinished, and you can givenew life to melamine or laminate pieces.

How to paint melamine or laminate

How to paint melamine or laminate

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• PREPARATION

Sanding is an important step in preparing laminate or melamine for painting. Don’t use anything but a Random Orbital Sander and 240-grit sandpaper.

WHY?An orbital sanding pad works continuously in an orbital motion. When fine sanding thissometimes leaves fine circular scratches on thesurface. A random orbit sander, although also moving in an orbit, has what I like to call a hiccup now and again. This hiccup causes the motion to be irregular or eccentric and does not result in a scratched finish.

With sanding you only want to de-gloss or gently remove the gloss from the surface of a project, without removing the paper finish or laminate surface, and for this reasona once-over with the sander will suffice.

• PAINTING

After wiping clean to remove all traces of dust you are ready to start painting.

No special paints are required and you won’t need a primer. There are, however, several paints that you can use to finish off and it alldepends on what you are re-finishing.

• ACRYLIC PVAAcrylic paints are the most common paints to use for finishing and you can choose frommatt, satin or sheen/gloss.

- Matt: I prefer to use matt paints for projects that require distressing or glazing, such as Shabby Chic and Cottage furniture, but these paints need to have a protective finish addedto them, as they are not easy to clean. You have a choice between an antique wax, wax polish or clear acrylic sealer.

- Satin: Washable to a degree, these paints offer a satin finish toa project and do not require any additional protection.

- Sheen/Gloss: Offering the highest protection factor and washable, these paints are suitable for closets and cabinets.

• WATERBASED ENAMELWith the introduction of waterbased enamel paints you have a more eco-friendly and durable paint option. These paints are more suitable for finishes that require constantcleaning or are subject to a lot of daily use, such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

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• APPLICATION

Use a paintbrush for a rustic or distressed finish and a foam roller where a smooth finishis required.

Apply two or three light, even coats rather than trying to finish the job with thicker coats,as a better bond is achieved between the surface and paint with less paint.

Always allow sufficient drying time betweencoats.

• DECORATIVE

It’s a matter of personal choice, but I find iteasier to paint the surface before applying any decorative trim. By doing it this way you don’t have to try and squeeze the brush into any edges or crevices.

Pine moulding and trim, extruded polystyrene moulding, beading, or other decorative feature can be attached to a project with No More Nails or Epoxy glue.

Use No More Nails for pine moulding or polystyrene and epoxy glue for metal, glass or mirror trim. After curing, you can use a small paintbrush to paint the trim to match.

You will f ind a wide range of pine

moulding and trim at your local

Builders Warehouse

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When using matt paint, I like to sand with 1000-grit sandpaper before distressing.

Because the finish on thedrawers is only a thin layer of foil laminate, the easiest way to create a distressed or aged finishis with paint.

You can use ordinary acrylic craft paint, mixed with about 25 percent water to create a suitable glaze.

Apply with a foam sponge or soft brush, so that you can get into all the details.

A lightly damp cloth is then used to wipe away the excess paint and leave behind enough paint to create the aged finish.

To protect the newly painted and distressed finish you canuse Woodoc antique wax, clear acrylic sealer, or Rust-Oleum spray polyurethane, all depending on the finalresult you want.

Finally, add new handles that match the look of the drawers. To attach the handles, use a tape measure to determine the centre point of the drawer and then mark at either side of this for the screw holes.

• DISTRESSING

• FINISHING

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Since its development earlier this century, plastic has become the most widely used packaging material. We use plastic to wrap, package, carry and protect most of the items that we buy from the supermarket. The uses for plastic increase daily as more and more manufacturers replace aluminium cans and glass with plastic.

This makes absolutely no sense to me. Agreed, it might make the product slightly cheaper, but is the end result worth the saving? Plastics might be used because they are cheaper but it is this same factor that makes plastic a huge pollution problem.

DON’T LET PLASTIC WASTE SPOIL OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY

Since the majority of plastics do not biodegrade or break down over time, and because more items are packaged in plastic, we end up with even more plastic pollution.

Take a look around your neighbourhood and you will see plastic bags on the side of the road, plastic bottles lying discarded, tons of plastic on our dumps, and even plastic in our game parks and washed up on beaches.

Since we cannot force manufacturers to stop using plastic, lets look at ways to reuse, repurpose and recycle.

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The are plenty of fun ways to recycle plastic bottles, but my favourite has to be using the base of the bottle to cut out a flower. You can use these flower shapes to designlight pendants, colourful fairy lights, hanging curtains, storage containers, and more.

Here’s how:

1. Use a sharp craft knife to cut off the bottom section of the bottle.

2. Now run the knife just about the moulded shape in the bottom of the bottle. Be

careful here and keep you fingers well

away from the blade. You can always

repeat the cut if you need to

cut lower or remove any rough edges.

3. Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint is ideal for spraying these plastic flowers. You only needone light, even coat and they offer so many gorgeous colours.

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What an amazing and unique idea - using plastic water bottles to create a dramatic arrangement of orchids and greenery.

If you are planning a wedding and looking for eco-friendly design options, here a wonderful idea that you can use to make floralarrangements for the reception hall.

The 2011 florists Symposium 2011 proved thatsustainable design can be playful and beautiful.

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A single woven tray is mounted with plastic bottles, some on top and other placed upside down on the underside of the basket.

The top level is filled with aselection of creamy orchids, while the bottles underneath have trailing plants that hang down gracefully over a table or banquette.

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The 2011 florists Symposium 2011 proved thatsustainable design can be playful and beautiful.

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food fun

The goodness of nature. Discover the benefits of honey and the benefits it can add toyour everyday life.

Not only is honey delicious on it’s own, it has a unique taste is the basis for many recipes passed down through the years.

But more than that, honey is also known for its health benefits and natural healingproperties.

Is you family missing out on a dose of nature’s own?

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The health benefits of honey havelong been realized by humans to treat a variety of ailments.

Honey contains powerful antioxidants with antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Its therapeutic uses have been researched and used in many hospitals. The nutritional and medicinal qualities of honey have been documented since ancient times. Physicians of ancient times have referred to the healing qualities of honey.

Honey from several species of bees was consumed to cure flu, to curecataract, glaucoma and coughs. In modern times, its use as a healing agent is equally popular. In 2007, in the Manchester Evening News in England,

the use of honey in a large hospital in New Zealand to control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other bacterial infections was noted; its antibacterial property to kill or inhibit is supported by many scientific studies in recent years.

[wikipedia]

For thousands of years, honey has been recognized as one of the most natural home remedies to treat a wide range of ailments and complaints including yeast infection , athlete foot and arthritis pain. Its antiseptic properties inhibits the growth of certain bacteria and helps keep external wounds clean and free from infection.

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FOR CUTS AND BURNS:

Honey has been used as a natural cure in first aid treatment for wounds, burnsand cuts as it is able to absorb moisture from the air and promote healing. Its antibacterial properties prevent infection and functions as an anti-inflammatoryagent, reducing both swelling and pain, and even scarring.

When honey is used topically, as, for example, a wound dressing, hydrogen peroxide is produced by dilution of the honey with body fluids and it is thehydrogen peroxide that acts as an antiseptic.

FOR HANGOVERS:

When you get a hangover from drinking too much alcohol, honey is gentle on the stomach and contains a mix of natural sugars such fructose that is known to speed up the oxidation of alcohol in the liver, acting as a ‘sobering’ agent.

Follow this recipe: 15ml of liquid honey with 80ml of orange juice and 70ml of natural yoghurt. Blend them together until smooth.

FOR SORE THROATS:

One of the better known health benefitsof honey is that it is able to help treat sore throats. Thanks to its antimicrobial properties, honey not only soothes throats but can also kill certain bacteria that causes infection.

Take a spoonful of honey to soothe the inflammation or gargle with a mixture oftwo tablespoons of honey, four tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. [ http://www.benefits-of-honey.com ]

A 2007 study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may

offer parents an effective and safe alternative to over-the-counter cough medicine. The

study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than no

treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold

medications.

[ http://live.psu.edu/story/27584 ]

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If like me you use a lot of herbs and spices in your cooking, this nifty spice rack is just what you need. Comprising a piece of thin sheet metal, small magnets, a thin frame & 4 capped screws, you can mount this anywhere in the kitchen for easy access to your favourite ingredients.

You will need:Piece of sheet steel cut to sizeThin pine moulding stripsNo More Nails adhesiveEpoxy adhesiveRust-Oleum 2X in your choice of colourDrill and HSS drill bitWorkbenchClampSafety glassesTape measure and pencilRound magnetsEmpty containers - see below

Recycle - Reuse - RepurposeYou can use any small container to hold your herbs and spices and you will find many in thehome that you already have, or use regularly. Purity jars, makeup pots, even glaced fruit or sprinkle pots. All of these are perfect for holding herbs and spices.

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Here’s how:

1. Use a 500W rated drill and 6mm HSS bit to drill a hole at each corner of the mild steel plate. Remember to leave enough space around the edge if you will be fitting a frame or strip of moulding.

DIY TIPWear safety glasses when drilling into steel, and be sure to clamp the steel firmly to aworkbench, leaving plenty of clearance underneath.

Start drilling on slow speed until the bit bites into the steel and then speed up.

2. Measure and cut your frame or moulding strips to fit around the frame. You canuse a mitre box and saw for this - no power tools required!

3. Attach the frame or moulding with No More Nails adhesive and leave to dry.

4. Spray the front and the plate and frame with Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint and let dry.

5. While you are waiting for paint to dry, mix and apply a small blob of epoxy glue to the back of each pot or container and pop on a small magnet. Once set, fill each pot with your favourite herbs orspices.

6. Drill holes in the wall and insert wall plugs so that you can mount the steel plate. Finish off with chrome screw caps.

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Mirror screws come with a chrome cap that fits into the top of the

screw head. These are perfect for finishing off when mounting mirrors

or decorative steel features.

Now simply place your herb and spice containers onto the spice rack. You can easily add your own special herb and spice mixes.

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gardening delights

Trees absorb sunlight, carbon dioxide and other pollutants that can limit the effects of urban heat islands and the impacts on your health. However, because they have a lengthy growth cycle, you must anticipate their development over time and the impacts they will have on your garden.

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Winter is the perfect time for planting a tree in the garden. However, it is better to wait until all chances of frost are well out of the way.

Not only will a tree add interest and visual height to a garden, they attract birds and wildlife and other outdoor critters. I have a large community of rain spiders in the garden, and even though I have a great fear of spiders, I have come to welcome these gentle giants.

Small trees and large shrubs are ideal for hot gardens that need some shady. They can also be used to block out sound and absorb pollutants. Since air pollution is a major environmental and social concern, especially in urban areas, home owners can do their part by planting trees and shrubs on their property.

In addition, a small tree, especially a deciduous variety, can shade your home in the hot summer months and in winter, the tree will lose its leaves and let the sun shine into the house.

Take note:

Before planting a tree in the spot you want, get informed:

• Check the height of the tree. A tree that grows to great heights should not be planted near electrical wires,

• How invasive are the roots. Trees that grows deep roots should not be planted near underground pipes or a pool. Deep rooted trees should also be kept far away from the house since the roots can damage the foundation.

If in any doubts, ask your nursery for garden centre for advice.

Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) is my personal favourite. When I first moved into my home Iplanted two trees in the garden, one in a fairly shaded spot and the other in full sun. Both have grown to a height of 5 metres and have a spread of 3 metres that overhangs and creates a lovely shady spot on the garden.

Fast growing, Ficus Benjamina has lovely glossy, deep green leaves and new leaves are a light green, providing a continuous contrast on its own.

Drought resistant, both trees have also withstood a

fair amount of frost over the year.

Note of caution: These trees have aggressive roots, so plant well away from buildings, pools and drainage or water pipes.

F icus BenjaminaF icus Benjamina

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Pompon tree (Dais cotinifolia) is a well-loved and indigenous tree that is fast-growing and evergreen tree. The tree reaches to a height of up to 5 metres, with a spread of 3 metres and presents candyfloss-like pink flowersin summer. Suitable for a small garden, the Pompon tree likes a sunny spot and is fairly drought resistant, so requires only an occasional thorough watering.

In very cold areas the trees may lose their leaves in winter, but in warmer climes these trees shed leaves only for a short period at the end of winter.

One thing to watch out for... these trees seed easily, so pull out seedlings as they appear.

Wild Pepper TreeWild Pepper Tree

Pompom TreePompom Treeim

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Wild Pepper Tree (Loxostylis alata) is an evergreen that thrives in warmer areas. This fairly fast growing tree reaches a height of up to 5 metres and a spread of 4 metres, the tree bears attractive creamy flowers in summer.Offering a wonderful contrast against the grey bark - new spring foliage is red.

Useful for screening, the Wild Pepper tree is an attractive tree for a small garden. This fairly fast growing tree will tolerate mild frost.

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Bladder Nut TreeBladder Nut Tree

Bladder Nut Tree (Diospyros whyteana) is a useful ornamental for a small garden. The tree takes on an attractive shape and has shiny green leaves.

This tree can be planted in a shady spot, which makes it suitable for compact townhouse gardens with only limited sunlight or for growing in a container on a shady patio.

Reaching a height of 3 metres, with a spread of 2 metres, this is a fairly fast growing tree that attracts birds with its small white flowersand fruits.

Leopard TreeLeopard Tree

The Leopard Tree (Caesalpinia ferrea) has a striking bark and is ideal as a feature in a small garden or on a pavement.

On our estate we have several Leopard trees planted on grassed areas and they have taken on an elegance and graceful shape. Whilst the trees are drought resistant, they are susceptible to frost.

Providing only dappled shade, the most attractive feature of this tree - besides its shape - is when the grey bark peels off to reveal dark brown underneath.

Note of caution: These trees have aggressive roots, so plant well away from buildings, pools and drainage or water pipes.

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MAKE A PLANTER

STAND

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More uses for Tongue & Groove panels

If you are buying T&G panels to make up the picture frame shown in this issue, chances are you are going to have some left over. Here’s a quick and easy way to make use of any left over panels.

When one of our buckets cracked at the base we thought about how to reuse, repurpose and recycle. Because it’s made of plastic and doesn’t biodegrade, we always look for ways to avoid throwing out.

Gardening can be backbreaking with all the bending down, so why not make a plant stand that uses our broken bucket and can be filled with a selection of vegand herbs for outside the kitchen door.

You will need:

Old bucket or containerT & G panels16mm wood screwsWood glueTape measure and pencilDrill/driver and assorted bitsJigsaw or hand saw

Here’s how:

1. The first thing you need to do ismeasure your bucket or container. Measure the width and length, as well as the height. If the container has a lip you will need to make allowance for this. Our bucket has a lip all the way around and rests on this in the stand.

DIY TIP:Use a Dremel

MultiTool and cutting disk to cut off any

handles that are in the way.

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2. Cut the T&G panels to length & width. Our stand has 3 panels that run across the front, back and sides - enough to conceal our bucket, so be sure to allow for the height of your bucket. Our legs are the height of the bucket plus an extra 20 cm for added height.

3. The three panels are screwed to the back of each leg, leaving a gap at each end wide enough to fit our side panels. On eachpanel, make sure that the groove is at the bottom facing towards the floor,so that they will not collect water and rot quickly.

4. Here you can see the gap left for mounting the side panels. Apply a bead of exterior wood glue or No More Nails adhesive to the edge of the front panels and the leg.

5. In addition to the glue, the panels we have also added a couple of panel pins. Remember when using panel pins that they must go in at an angle and not straight, or they will soon wiggle out.

Here is our completed frame, which we tested to ensure that the bucket fit nicely before spraying with three coats of Rust-Oleum 2X in gloss apple red.

If you prefer you can stain and seal with Woodoc 30 in your choice of wood tint, or even make a few of the stands and paint them in bright colours. They would be perfect for on a balcony.

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Be creative, use your

imagination, have fun!

SALT DOUGH HEARTSMake up your own colourful jewellery with salt dough hearts. You can also use this recipe to make pendants in any style or shape.

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1. Make up a batch of salt dough. You will see the recipe above. Use a cookie cutter to cut out your shapes.

2. You can use a tooth pick of skewer to make a hole in each shape.

3. Bake the cut shapes in the oven at 80-degrees C for 1 to 2 hours or until hard.

4. Use acrylic craft paint in assorted colours to paint the shapes, adding detail with different colours.

5. Thread coloured ribbon through the hole and tie in a knot at the back.

Salt Dough Recipe:1 cup salt2 cups flour1 cup water

Thanks to amazing mae and her daughter Mallory for this wonderful project.

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IF YOU ARE TACKLING ANY TYPE OF DECORATING, HOME IMPROVEMENT OR DIY PROJECT - WE WANT TO KNOW! IN FACT, WE WANT TO SHARE YOUR PROJECT AND ENTER YOU INTO THE QUARTERLY DRAW FOR BOSCH, SKILL AND DREMEL TOOL HAMPERS.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS USE YOUR BOSCH, SKIL OR DREMEL TOOLS TO MAKE, REPAIR OR INSTALL AND SEND US A FEW ‘BEFORE’ AND ‘AFTER’ PICS. THEN TELL US HOW YOU TACKLED THE PROJECT.

SEND IMAGES AND DETAILS TO: home-dzine@iburst.co.za

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TAKE A LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULE FOR 2012

More great projects for you to make and take homeBeginners & Advanced Workshops

Basic Electrical and Plumbing WorkshopsSoul Sisters for our Cape Town DIY Divas

Basic WeldingCareer Workshops

Every Saturday morning from 09:00 to 12:00at a venue near you.

www.DIY-DIVAS.co.za