Easy to make paper envelopes and pockets that can be glued into a diary or journal to help keep important bits of paper safe.

Greek Kourabiedes and Austrian Vanillekipferl were a feature of Advent in my childhood. Little did I know they are related!

There are so many ways to tie ribbons into bows - and the best technique is not the one we use for our shoe laces!

A pine cone is such a simple treasure from nature, I actually think it doesn’t need to be improved - but Christmas wants red and gold, so out comes the gilding wax!

Making your own Christmas wreath is such a creative and rewarding activity, and doubly so if you do it with friends.

Use chocolate coin wrappers to create these Christmas decorations

In the age of abundance so much is consumed and quickly disposed of. Wrapping gifts sustainably can make a very small but important difference - choose the right gift wrap and ribbon and learn a new wrapping technique that can reduce waste.

I have created a free template and tutorial for this DIY paper bauble (although it's only 2D) that can be hung on your Christmas tree or attached to a gift. It's got a secret pocket for a small gift.

I participated in a mince pie taste test this week - it was more difficult than I thought it would be and the result was quite a surprise!

Folding square or rectangular pieces of transparent paper into geometric shapes and then assembling them into a star is an almost magical process.

The Froebel star (sometimes referred to as Moravian star) is a paper craft that most likely originated in Scandinavia where it was already widely practised in the 18th century - for example in Denmark these stars are known as 'Julestjerne'. But there is more to their history and the reason why they are commonly known as Froebel stars or Moravian stars.

Straw stars are one of the oldest Christmas decorations. There are beautiful and intricate variations that can be complicated to make, but this is a simple version that children as young as 7 can muster.

Another simple paper craft for a big impact over Christmas are these modular stars. All you need is a few pieces of paper and some scissors (no glue needed!).

Who would have thought that you could make something so delicious from a tin of pureed pumpkin, but these biscuits are so delicious they will become a staple in our home every autumn. Because pumpkin puree comes in 425g tins, this recipe makes rather a large batch of biscuits, but I prefer that to having half a tin of pureed pumpkin left over that I wouldn't know what to do with (other than blending it into a vegetable soup). Having said that, the batter freezes very well and

Folded paper bell decoration - just a few origami-style folds help you to create a beautiful 3D shape for a hanging Christmas ornament or mobile.

A quick paper craft using a single square of paper, this is a lovely decoration for your home at Christmas or any other time of year.

Nature has been very generous this year, giving us an abundance of berries, nuts and acorns. And who doesn't love a conker when it first pops out of its shell, all shiny and smooth? The leaves are also about to fall down from the trees in all shades of red and brown, and they can make a beautiful table and window decoration. There are various ways to preserve leaves : Press them Dip them in wax (beeswax or paraffin) Soak them in glycerine The first method dries out the leaves

I used to work in a busy corporate job in London, and would sometimes go to life drawing classes after a long day at work. What struck me every time I went was how much this activity helped me to switch off from my day at work. The life drawing sessions always followed the same structure: In the first part, the model would change positions every 2 minutes and we had to sketch very quickly. The aim of this was to encourage us not to overthink what was in front of us, but to ge

Crafting at Christmas is a must in my family. But the run up to Christmas can also feel hectic, so here are some quick projects that you can turn to if you are itching for some pre-Christmas crafts.