Finishing stitches are the most satisfying hand sewing stitches there are. Learn how to make a catch stitch, ladder stitch and rolled hem stitch in three simple steps.

There are so many different ways to sew with a needle and thread. In this post I explain three of the most useful hand sewing stitches that will serve you well in any sewing project, big or small.

There are many ways to tie a knot - even in hand sewing! Here I explain the most important knots for starting and finishing your sewing project.

This leaf (or feather) must be one of the easiest macrame crafts you can do if you just want to see if macrame is the craft for you (or your children).

A fantastic small sewing project to get accustomed with your sewing machine as a beginner is making scrunchies.

Newborn babies' eyes are only just learning how to focus, and a Montessori Munari mobile, because of its high contrast, helps them with this.

To teach small children about the concept of time, there are a number of fun tools you can use: the phenology wheel and the perpetual calendar.

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

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!

Use chocolate coin wrappers to create these Christmas decorations

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.

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!).

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.