January 2022 in words and photos. Getting my craft on.

If you read my blog on a regular basis or follow any of my social media posts you'll know I publish a photo a day for #Project365, that I call #OneDailyPositive.

This is my 8th year of doing this, originally set up upon moving to Dubai from South Africa to motivate me to get out the house daily and find something to be positive about.

I do get out doors a lot, with dog walks and cups of tea outside even if it is raining, I just sit inside the shed door. but due to a kitchen refurb I've spent most of my time in my craft room on the top floor. Originally child 5s bedroom. The other room is used for storage, originally a rather expensive loft conversion for child 4.

I thought I'd share with you some of the things I've been making and plans for things to come.

So I started by recycling my lockdown crafts where I used items around the home. I'm still doing that but now I have all my furniture in so time to get my bake on and sewing machine in action.

MIL knitted the panel, I turned it into a cushion.

Alice in Wonderland inspired door.

Getting everything sorted and in order makes sewing so much easier.

Overlocker in for repairs.

Now I remember why I don't do zips.

I bought these curtains for our grandson, but they needed altering.

Always measure twice

and cut once.

Iron everything before sewing, makes it so much easier.

Neighbour requested a padded name for her daughters room

I of course now have to do Great Nephew and

both Grandchildren.

The boy next door turned 2 so I baked dinosaur biscuits and made toppers for the cakes. I had to bake next door.

I've already started to plan what I'm making for Easter, we're also making blinds for the kitchen and I'd like a notice board for the kitchen that will be a joint effort and once we reclaim the conservatory when the kitchen is finished I've got curtains to make for there.

I've also been making cards, mainly recycling old ones and I can't wait to get in the kitchen and do some more baking.

Are you creative? 

How to make bunting

There is loads of scrap material donated to Kungwini Welfare Organisation and as usual I found myself at the sewing machine making as much bunting as I could muster the energy to make. Over the last 2 years I must have made nearly 4kms of the stuff. Every year someone asks to buy it and new stuff has to be made to decorate the Nickel Xmas market the following years.

Having made the bunting for the market, I decided to make some to sell also and if you want to buy some it costs £5 for 3 meters and is pot luck which colour/pattern you get. Contact me on twitter @chickenruby or on my blog to place an order, send me your UK postal address and I'll send you my bank account details. All money raised will be used to purchase Educational supplies.

 Steps to make your own bunting

Use a template to cut out an equal number of pieces. I used a sheet of A4 paper and drew a diagonal line from the centre to the corners. For 3 meters you will need 9 flags, that's 18 cut outs.

Place 2 pieces right side in, sew the 2 long lengths and turn the right way round.

I used binding ribbon that costs around 35p per meter, approx 3 cm wide, fold the ribbon in half and sew the flags into the centre, creating a nice, neat hem.

I opted to sew the flags close to one another and some of them having buttons sewn between each flag.

If you want to order a specific colour and or length, I will need to quote you as I will need to buy material. Get your orders in quick as I'm in the UK 7th April and will need to make it before I leave or I can send it over in September or ready in time for Christmas.

67 minutes for Mandela

67 minutes for Mandela

This is how my volunteering work in South Africa started. I’d met the people at Kungwini Welfare Organisation through Santa Shoebox and they invited me to join them.

I stayed more than 67 minutes and I made 2 kms of Bunting (hanging flags) for decoration at their Nickel Xmas Market. I have worked there as a volunteer 2 days a week in the protective workshop and fundraise and raise awareness online through my own blog and their social media websites.

As an expat new in South Africa the opportunity to be involved with 67 minutes for Mandela allowed me the opportunity to engage in the community, meet people and do something good.

If it wasn’t for Santa Shoebox this opportunity wouldn’t have presented itself and therefore my suggestion for 67 minutes for Mandela this year for your company is to ask your employers to bring to work shoe boxes, wrapping paper, stickers and tape to spend 67 minutes wrapping boxes for Santa Shoebox to help us with the 6% shortfall we have where donors pledge but fail deliver, enabling us as volunteers to have boxes to pack with other donations we receive.

It’s a great opportunity for your employees to demonstrate teamwork and if you offered a small prize for the best decorated box or the most number of boxes wrapped, it would allow a little bit of healthy competition to show through.

Another way to support the Santa Shoebox project is by matching donated boxes collected by your employees and again you could introduce a competition for the individual and the department that collects and donates the largest number of items for each month and in total. Encourage staff to ask family, neighbours and friends to help them, developing awareness and community spirit.

Staff could bring and collect items throughout the year, Dedicate 5 months for collection of shoebox items.

April – Clothing

May – Sweets

June – Stationery

July – Toiletries

August - Toys

Santa Shoebox volunteers can arrange the packing of boxes, registration and allocate a facility or an age range for the boxes to be donated to.

www.santashoebox.co.za