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3 Simple DIY Christmas Decorations to make at home
If you're already hanging out for Christmas, you're not alone. We all need some joy this year, so it makes sense to get in early on the holiday spirit. One way to do that is with DIY Christmas decorations. (It's easier than you think!) Channel your...
How to make a quilt from start to finish: Part 3
This is the third episode of Making a Quilt From Start to Finish with Monica Poole. In the last episode Monica showed how to join your blocks together using the quilt as you go method, how to join the blocks together to form rows and how to join the...
How to make a quilt from start to finish: Part 2
This is the second episode of Making a Quilt From Start to Finish with Monica Poole. In the last episode, Monica covered the basic tools for beginner quilters and how to cut out and make a basic stitch and flip block. If you haven't done so already...
How to make a quilt from start to finish: Part 1
Have you ever wondered how to make a quilt from scratch? Quilt designer and sewing tutor Monica Poole from Pattern Poole shows us everything you need to know about making a quilt from start to finish in this three-part series. About this quilt. This is…
DO try this at home: 10 fun indoor activities for kids
We're all spending more time than usual at home right now. So if you need some new inspiration to come up with fun activities for the kids, you're not alone. Especially if you're looking for the kind of projects with minimal running and shrieking, and...
DIY Book Week Costume: How to make a kids' Gumnut Baby costume
It’s nearly time for CBCA Book Week. If you’ve got kids in primary school, you'll know what that means: time for some literary-themed kids' Book Week costumes. (And plenty of reading, of course!) One book that never goes out of style is Snugglepot and...
How to sew: Katie Parrott's beginner sewing tips
If you want to learn how to sew, then you might be wondering where to start. We spoke with seasoned sewer and body positive fashion advocate Katie Parrott to give you her six tips and tricks to help you on your way. Kit & Storage - While there’s a huge...
6 simple (and simple-ish) sew projects to try
It's our biannual 12 Days of Sew - a mini festival celebrating all things fabric, needles and thread. So we've pulled together six of our all-time favourite simple (and simple-ish) sew projects for everyone to get involved. Whether you’re at the...
National Science Week: 3 easy science experiments for kids
Who says science experiments for kids can’t be fun? And messy? And cute? And a bit gross? Just in time for National Science Week, we’ve concocted three easy hands-on projects that little ones will love. Because sometimes the best science experiments...
Gold! Gold! Gold! Get ready to support your team
Time to brush up on the national anthem and get into the green and gold! We’re cheering on Team Australia as they take on the world’s best in Tokyo, and we can’t wait to see how everything plays out. Watching our athletes swim, run and cycle their way…
Creating Kids' Birthday Cakes
How to make a number cake? Or should we say how '2' make a number cake? In this simple step-by-step video, you'll be taken through the basics for creating kids birthday cakes using their age as the theme. We start with a number '2' cake but you'll see...
Maker Special: All things DIY and creating with Geneva Vanderzeil
Geneva Vanderzeil is a DIY and craft lover from Brisbane, Australia. She is also an author, stylist, maker and photographer. Spotlight has teamed up with Geneva to celebrate Make It Month and she has shared some of her thoughts on all things DIY and...
How to make a DIY Backdrop for Parties
Parties are simply easier to organize when there’s a theme attached. It makes the table settings, decorations and even the food much more seamless to manage when there’s a theme or colour scheme to follow. One great way of communicating the theme to…
Fine Motor Clothesline - Make Learning Fun!
This activity is perfect for developing a number of early learning skills including number recognition, 1:1 correspondence, subitising and of course fine motor skills. These fine motor clotheslines are super easy to put together and are lots of fun to…
Fine Motor Fridays - Creating STEM Learning Resources in the classroom
In Australian education, our school curricula can feel overcrowded, over-planned and overwhelming. The first things to be dropped off the end of the week of Reading, Writing and Mathematics activities are hands on craft and Art-based tasks that build…
3 ways with…a white t-shirt
We’ve all got a white t-shirt or two tucked away in the wardrobe or at the back of a drawer. If they’re not getting quite enough love as-is, it might be time to customise them into something more special. Here are three super-easy ideas for snazzing…
3 craft projects to do in front of the telly while bingeing on Netflix
It might not be mid-winter yet - we know because we can still feel our toes – but there is definitely a chill in the air. This means you’re officially allowed to sit in front of the telly and craft. Whether you’re curled up in front of your favourite…
Learn at home: Ally's tips & tricks to make it feel more like a classroom
How can other teachers set up their workspace to make it feel like the classroom? For many of us teachers, our classroom is our second home and hold a lot of inspiration for what we do each and everyday. Transfer whatever draws inspiration for you in…
Where I craft: Kate's home studio is pink & sparkly & super-organised
Former teacher and professional creative Kate Fisher is the artist behind KatFish Collection, a range of acrylic jewellery and bespoke pieces that's cute, colourful and sparkly - just like her craft room. Here, Kate shows off her wares, and her...
These DIY flower dangles are super pretty & easy to make
Flowers will never go out of fashion - and with fake flowers, you don’t even have to worry about them losing their bloom! This quirky and creative floral project will bring colour and cheer to a teen bedroom, lounge room or home office, or really...
3 fun projects to make with your kids (even if you're not super crafty)
We get it. Not everyone thinks of themselves as a crafty person. We could tell you that we believe everyone is capable of making cool stuff with their hands. But it's easy to forget that when the only things you have time to stitch are loose buttons...
How to get (back) into art as an adult
You'd be hard pushed to find a kid who doesn't love mucking around with paints and coloured pencils. But for some reason, many of us lose touch with our inner artist, sometimes even before we reach double digits. Perhaps it's when the teacher tells us...
Home decor ideas to make your home a peaceful and tranquil space
Home is your sanctuary � your place of refuge � where you can turn down the volume of life and detox from the distractions of the world. Now more than ever, we need tranquility in our homes, and we can do that by introducing the appropriate colours�
Spring is coming! Refresh your home with these simple home decor ideas
Unbelievable as it might seem, spring isn’t too far off. And with it comes the opportunity to freshen up your place with a good old spring clean and some clever home decorating. So if you’re already pining for warmer weather, here are some spring…
Winter blankets: Create the cosiest bed ever with these layering tips
Everyone loves snuggling into a cosy bed when it’s cold outside, don’t they? Creating a winter-time nest by layering plenty of winter blankets and throws makes for a bedroom style that’s warm and welcoming – the perfect place to sip on a cuppa or read...
How to give your interior design a luxe lift
You don’t need a passport or a plane ticket for international travel this year. Instead, why not take a first-class trip across the globe without leaving the comfort of your own home by drawing from the many luxurious yet affordable elements of the...
Creating a Winter Coastal theme for your home
The delights of the beach are not just for summer. Walking on the sand beside a wild ocean on a stormy day, the wind in your hair and winter woollies wrapped tightly around you, might be a far more idyllic scenario for some people than battling the...
How to make your bedroom cosy during a change in season
A Bedroom makeover is more achievable than you think. Creating a tranquil, cosy, beautiful bedroom as the season’s change is within reach. I promise you don't need to spend thousands of dollars or too much time creating a dreamy new space.
You're Never Too Old For Fairy Lights
Oh, the humble fairy light: a sharehouse staple and classic feature of any self-respecting holiday display. There’s something a little magical about that glow. Beads of light strung up from the roof are reminders of everything from childhood parties…
Real Plants? Faux Plants? Here's How To Mix Them Together
Nature has provided us with a lot of options when it comes to modern-day house plants. Apartments now overflow with flax and ferns, and it feels like half of Australia has taken to collecting cacti, succulents or spider plants. It’s a trend we’re…
15 Lazy (& Incredibly Satisfying) Things To Do Around The House This Afternoon
Ahhhh, a weekend afternoon with nowhere to go and nothing you have to do. Is there anything more blissful? We support your right to do absolutely nothing, if that's what you're after. But if you want some low-impact activities to enjoy while lazing…
In bloom: 5 ways to decorate with fresh flowers
Whether you're lucky enough to have someone give you flowers, or you buy them as a treat for yourself (or maybe you're a talented person who grows your own in the garden), there's nothing like having fresh blooms around the place. Here are five ideas...
Lara Jean, Claudia Kishi Or Regina George: Which fictional teen's bedroom is your design crush?
Even if it’s just a few boy-band posters on the wall, a lockable diary with ‘Keep Out’ on the front and a string or two of fairy lights, every teen bedroom tells a story. For most of us, it’s the first time we really get to have a say in our surroundings.
Decorating with teens: How to style a bedroom you'll both love
Your baby’s all grown up - well, semi grown up - and wanting a bedroom with fewer dinosaur, fairy and farm animal designs. Time to sob a tiny bit in the corner and then plan to create a space you can both live with and love. Think of this as a bonding…
5 ways to (sort of) organise your teen's stuff
Most parents know the mix of dread, shame and horror that comes when you force open your teenager’s bedroom door. It’s OK, you’re not alone. Teenagers and messy bedrooms go together like coconut and lamingtons. But there are ways you can help them…
Get inspired with Lulu's bedroom makeover
Meet Lulu. She’s 13, and her bedroom at her dad’s new house used to be a bit… meh. Lulu knew she didn’t want a kid’s room anymore, and she had a few ideas of what she liked (including lots of flowers!) But she and her dad didn’t quite know how to…
Video: Watch Lulu's bedroom makeover
Lulu just turned 13, and needs a fresh "grown-up" bedroom at her dad’s place. Watch her and her dad put together a whole new dream bedroom, taking in greenery and gold accents and photos of all her favourite people. There’s a revamped desk designed for…
7 ways to relax when you don't have a lot of time
If we had our way, there would be a certain number of hours in the day when we're on duty - then plenty of time to recover from the stress of it afterward. Instead, most of us are being pulled in a million different directions, with not much chance to...
Paula's creative home is kid-friendly & full of crochet
Right now, crocheter Paula Risanto is feeling a bit envious of her one-year-old son, Ren. He gets to wake up in what was - until recently - Paula's dedicated craft room, complete with wall of yarn, neatly filed craft books and accessories, and a heap...
Share the scares: Easy Halloween costume ideas for couples, families and furry friends
Whether Halloween this year is a party, some socially distanced trick-or-treating or a spooky Zoom hangout, dressing up is a big part of the fun. So why not share the fun with your nearest and dearest? Couples costumes let you get playful with your…
DIY Father's Day cards for crafty kids
What do dads love more than terrible jokes and bear hugs? Handmade gifts from their kids, of course. Father’s Day craft ideas are great for keeping kids entertained and helping them make all the special stuff that ends up going ‘straight to the pool…
Tis the season: Our best Christmas in July ideas and projects
Here in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas usually means prawns and watermelon and Santa in boardshorts. Maybe sweating over a Christmas pudding if you’re really dedicated. It’s not the ideal season for a lot of traditional Christmas-sy things like egg...
Alisha Henderson's 10 Tips To Elevate Your Cake Making Skills
Looking to step up your cake making game? Then look no further. Baking queen Alisha Henderson from Sweet Bakes has shared her must-know tips to help you create your next show stopper party cake. Use a cake-table. If you want to create perfectly smooth...
Some of Australia's top cosplayers share their costume tips
Cosplay is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world. And no wonder – there’s something pretty appealing about dressing up as your favourite movie, game or comic book character. Everyone wants to be a hero sometimes, right? Or an alien, witch…
9 weird holidays to pop on your calendar
We all know how to celebrate the big stuff. Kid's birthday party? Bust out the chocolate crackles. Christmas time? Fire up the fairy lights and keep the cat out of the tree. But what about those smaller, quirkier holidays? It turns out the calendar is...
Happy birthday parties at home: celebrating in isolation
We are living through some odd and anxious times right now. Most of us are shut inside. Even if we're lucky enough to be working from home, days can blend into one another - a bit like that weird week between Christmas and New Year's. We're seeing...
Adulting: do you need an emergency gift stash?
Who among us hasn't forgotten Auntie Sue's birthday brunch till the very last minute? Or blanked on the number of parties your kids seem to be attending every Saturday afternoon?Who among us hasn't forgotten Auntie Sue's birthday brunch till the very...
