Tag Archives: DIY

DIY Destination Art

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You might remember a little while ago Anna from Angel in The North shared her fab modern china DIY with you all. Today she is back with a brilliant tutorial on how to create your own DIY destination print. It’s a thoughtful idea for a first anniversary or as a gift for friends who have moved house or are getting married, plus it’s budget friendly.

Over to you Anna!

I made this ‘destination print’ for my brother and his wife when they bought their first house recently.

Their travels together, whether for work or holidays, are a big part of their history. For example, they spent an incredible couple of months working together on a project in New Zealand, my brother proposed in Sardinia and they were married at Trinity Chapel, Dublin.

They’d also moved around a lot in London, all the time saving up to buy a place of their own. When they finally achieved that milestone, I wanted to give them a gift that was a fitting reminder of their journey, and to make it even more personal I decided I would make it myself.

And I was pretty pleased with the outcome – as were they, thankfully. In fact my sister-in-law said she’d been admiring similar things online and, before I told her otherwise, she thought I’d bought it. Result!

I used Microsoft Publisher but you can use any programme that allows you to create text of different sizes. Start with a blank document and set up your page as A3 size.

The background should be set as black and your text white. The font I used – the most like London transport typography I could find – was Gill Sans.

As you can see the font is of different sizes – the most important thing is that each line is full from left to right. Your text will vary in height, and you can make some lines bold, but you should try and keep the space between the lines even.

As you can see, my print has 11 lines of text.

I found the easiest and neatest way of adding the text was to create a text box going from one side of the page to the other, before writing your text inside. You can either play around, increasing and decreasing the size of your text and text box, or highlight the text and use ‘autofit’, which can be found in the format menu.

I chose to list special places and events between my brother and his wife, but I also added in the title of their first dance at their wedding, ‘Here Comes The Sun.’ It fitted in quite nicely just above their sun-soaked honeymoon destinations.

But the text can be anything at all that you want it to be.

When you’re happy with the design, print it off and then fit it in a black Ikea Ribba frame.

And there you have a handmade, personalised print which is a great gift to give for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. And the best thing, especially in these austere times, is that it only cost you a few quid and a bit of your time.

Thank you so much Anna! I love the strong typographical look to this print in black and white but you could also customise it with different fonts and a coloured background. Do let us know if you’ll be trying this DIY!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

PS! Find Anna on her blog Angel in The North and on Twitter @Angel_In_North

#JanuaryJoy – Home Spa

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I perhaps should have run this earlier in the month as it is definitely in the ‘budget friendly’ category of January’s activities but I also think it nicely rounds out the outside of your body in a month where so much emphasis is placed on improving the inside.

Home Spa January Joy
Image Credit

I was a late-comer to the concept of spa-days and still hesitate to splash out due to the cost, but I have since being a teenager set aside evenings at home to completely switch off, buff, polish and smooth myself into a state of complete relaxation and then slip into bed early to re-charge.

Here are my 5 easy steps to the perfect DIY home spa experience.

  1. Set the atmosphere. First and foremost, make sure the temperature is right, it’s simply not relaxing getting down to your birthday suit in a draughty house. Light a couple of scented candles, make sure you have towels warming on the radiator, a cover up or dressing gown and a magazine to hand if you wish. You might even want to play some music then start running your bath.
  2. Start at the top. Remove your make up (and nail polish if you’ll have time to paint your nails too) and then cleanse again for super clean skin. Pat your face dry then exfoliate (I use No.7 micro-dermabrasion exfoliator) and dry again. Lastly, apply a face mask to give it time to work while you are in the bath.
  3. Let your skin soften in the bath first then exfoliate. If you need to shave, do it after exfoliating. I prefer body scrubs with an oil base (like this one,) as they add extra softness to the skin. Exfoliate your entire body from the collarbone down, focusing on dry patches like elbows and heels and problem areas like the back of arms or waxed areas. Then do nothing else, just wallow. Read a magazine if you must.
  4. Extract yourself from the bath before the water gets cold and dry off, then slather yourself in moisturizer from top to toe. Gently wipe or peel off your face mask and moisturise your face.
  5. Wrap yourself up in a big fluffy dressing gown or your favourite pyjamas and either head straight to bed with a good book or to the sofa with a chick flick.

(You can incorporate a hair mask into this routine, washing your hair as soon as you get into the bath and applying it while you soak, but I find the hassle of blow drying afterwards negates the relaxation!)

I like to do this once a month at least (although as I write I can’t remember the last time I actually did!) and if you remember throughout winter you won’t have to make any effort at all to be summer skin ready when the warmer weather arrives!

Do you ever create a home spa and have you got any favourite products to recommend?

Love,
Rebecca
xo

#JanuaryJoy – Make something crafty

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Today’s post has been somewhat thwarted by the weather. Each #JanuaryJoy prompt was designed to get me to tackle some of the things I love spending time on but so often get overlooked for life’s mundane tasks. With all good intentions I had my craft supplies at the ready this weekend then was unable to get outside due to snow to do my spray painting and start today’s crafty experiment. But I thought I would share what I was planning anyway and make some suggestions for what you might embark upon.


Image Credit: Up in the Air Somewhere

If you have ever been on Pinterest, you must have seen this beautiful handmade gold stripe tray. Made by ceramics design store Up in the Air Somewhere on Etsy, it satisfies all my design lust and current love affair with rich glamorous gold. So I decided I would make my own.

Initially I planned to buy some clay and make its exact likeness, but not only is that time consuming, but it is also ripping off somebody else’s design. Whilst somebody may choose to do that in the privacy of their own home, I don’t want to encourage it here. I also wanted to keep the cost down, or I may as well buy the coveted ceramic tray, so I bought a simple (purple incidentally,) rectangular tray with handles cut out of the sides from Home Sense, (very similar in shape to this one.) I have worked with gold leaf before, so have a bit of a head start as it can be fiddly, but my plan is to spray paint the tray high gloss white and then tape on the striped pattern and gold leaf the exposed surface on the base of the tray’s interior before removing the tape to expose the pattern and sealing with a varnish.

If you fancy doing the same thing, a quick scout around the internet found me several tutorials of how other people have interpreted the design:

1. This one uses high shine gold tape to get the same effect
2. Use liquid leaf on a ceramic tray for an easy way of getting the glow of gold leaf.
3. The easiest way would be to use spray on gold paint like this (also simpler) design.
4. Or if you’re feeling wild, how about an animal print look?

Do you need a craft project?

Tell me, what will you be turning your hand to this January for a hit of creativity? Inspire me readers!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

PS, I’m also planning on making initialed or monogrammed thank you cards with my embossing tool. :)

Not being ‘the Mrs’

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Losing my Dad at 13 had a profound influence on me, but not just in the way it affected me at the time, but the way I looked at the future. It made me make a lot of decisions about the future – obvious ones like living for the moment and not dwelling on the retirement fund (who knows if you’ll get to enjoy it,) but also a pledge of independence.

I watched with pride the way my mum picked up the running of our household. I dont mean the day to day – obviously she already did the shopping, the cooking and the traditional roles any Mum would do in the home, (actually she was working by then too,) but also the more traditionally male roles. My Mum became our financial decision maker, book keeper, accountant and gardener. Looking around, many women in their fifties might have fallen apart, not even knowing where to start with household admin they didn’t normally even see. She was able to do it because she and my Dad had unusually always done things like that together and of course it would be obvious to say she also had to. I made me realise I never wanted to become the kind of woman or wife that ‘left things to him’.

A few years on, after only 3 years of marriage I can already feel us slipping into separate roles. I convinced myself it was delegation with things like holiday planning when I was too busy or looking for a new insurance quote, but I felt a bit guilty every time I asked Pete to take out the bin! It’s like that old leadership adage, don’t ask anyone to do anything you wouldn’t be prepared or able to do yourself.

More recently, its been all about DIY. For over months the cold tap in our bathroom had a washer problem and although the tap turned, no water came out. It wasn’t sudden, both of us watched it get worse for months and neither of us did anything until one day it stopped. I nagged (no, not my favourite word but I’m prepared to admit that’s what it was,) Pete for months, first to fix it and then to get someone who could. He actually didn’t know how to fix it but I wanted him to look it up or something, there’s always Google right? Of course the answer was that I could just as easily have done something about it myself instead of letting it become the butt of every argument. Eventually the tap got fixed (Pete’s solution was to replace the taps, but that’s another story) and before long there was another minor DIY job… the hook the blind cord wrapped around in our bedroom worked its way loose from the wall along with the surrounding plaster and we couldn’t raise the blind. We both carried on, the hook could be left in place and if you crossed your fingers, it might not fall out during the day, but obviously it wasn’t ideal. The nagging started again.

A couple of weeks ago one Saturday morning I realised, I was becoming that woman. The truth was that although I was busy, really I was also out of practice. I had gone from someone who used to put her own shelves up, to being scared to try to fix this minor problem because I didn’t know how to tackle it any more. So I went and found the tool box, customised some rawl plugs to fill the gap and used a shed load of no-nails to secure the hook. Not all that technical I know, but I felt empowered to start doing these things again. Next on my list is the broken bathroom window lock. I’m told you can buy new double glazing locks and fit them yourself…

I guess some women look at men taking the traditional male roles of DIY etc as being ‘looked after’ but I don’t need Pete to do this stuff to show he loves me, I need me to do them, to make me feel strong. So if the worst ever happens, I know I can manage by myself.

I’d love to hear your take on this readers, it’s high time we had a bit more life-discussion around here and I hope to be bringing you more posts like this, but they don’t work without your input and conversation. Do you DIY and how do you feel about apportioning roles in your relationship? Have I made you think about retaining your independence?

Love,
Rebecca
xo

DIY Decor Ideas

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I’m having a real surge of interest in my home again right now and for times like these, I like to store up snippets of inspiration I have found around the internet for when the urge strikes. I have been accumulating quite a Pinterest board on DIY projects although they range from fashion to interiors to party ideas. Today I thought I would round up a few of my favourite DIY interiors tutorials that might inspire you if you’re using the longer days to tidy up or do a spot of decorating and design projects.

Do let me know if you’re feeling inspired!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

PS You can follow me on Pinterest here and if you want to know what all the fuss is about or how you can use Pinterest – check out this tutorial over on Dream. Find. Do. A Bloggers Guide to Pinterest

A DIY: Hand distressed painted picture frames

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A couple of weeks ago I wrote about going to the Ruby Rhino Furniture painting workshop and all the inspiration and confidence it gave me to get on with a DIY painting project that I have in mind, (coming soon to the blog!) While we were there we also were allowed to paint a photo frame that we then took away with us to practice our technique and Hannah has very kindly allowed me to share a brief overview of what is involved. I’m pretty proud of mine!

I chose to ‘distress’ mine as it was my favourite look, but this was of course only 1 of several techniques we mastered on the day.

So here is how you could make something similar for your home, with thanks to Hannah and her Dad at Ruby Rhino for showing me the techniques.

1. First, take your chosen frame and give it a very light sand over to give the paint a ‘key’ (otherwise known as a bit of grip!) The paints we were using actually didn’t require this but I think it’s good advice for most projects, it certainly won’t do any harm.

When you are ‘distressing’ a piece, you remove a top layer of paint to show either a contrasting colour underneath, or perhaps to reveal the actual wood. In my case I wanted to have another paint colour coming through so I started with my base colour of mid-grey and gave it a single coat all over the frame.

2. After allowing it to dry, you then rub a piece of candle all over the frame, concentrating on the areas that would naturally get the most wear to make the distress look authentic – think about the corners and any raised parts of your frame. This is where your first coat of paint will eventually show through. Be liberal!

3. Next, apply a second coat of your contrasting paint – this will be the colour of the final piece and I chose a deep turquoise blue.

5. Once the top coat has dried, take a piece of light sand paper and start to buff off some of your top coat, gently revealing the colour underneath. This takes time and don’t go too heavily – or you’ll go straight through to the wood. Take it slowly and keep standing back to look at it and decide where it needs more distressing. Most importantly – know when to stop!

6-7. Once you are happy with the effect you have created, apply a layer of soft clear furniture wax all over the piece and allow to dry. Once dry, buff it off with a soft cloth, to seal your paint effect.

And voila!

The print you see here in the frame is by Brighton based photographer Cassia Beck on Etsy that Hannah sells in her shop. I decided to fill the frame there and then, as it’s often had to find something that suits once you get home and the photographs were beautiful – see more here.

Do let me know if you have any questions and thanks once again to Hannah from Ruby Rhino. I’d highly recommend the course if you have a project to plan, if only to give you the confidence to tackle to job!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

Friday Food: DIY Ombre cake

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So, since leaving the world of wedding blogging, I don’t have much occasion to delve into the wealth of pretty found on wedding blogs. I do however love my Pinterest account and find so much inspiration there. When there isn’t a wedding to plan I’m often found busy figuring out how to work something I’ve found there into my life instead.


Birthday sprinkles cake // Pink ombre cake with flags // Purple Ombre cake // Pink Ombre slice

Today’s Friday Food is an ombre cake, something I fell in love with and found via wedding pins but think works just as well as a celebration cake. I made this one to take to my work the day after my birthday to celebrate with them and thought I’d share some tips. There are a wealth of how to’s on various sites (See the list at the end of ones I read,) but really all you need is a dense-ish victoria sponge recipe and frosting. This is my own go-to Victoria sponge recipe (one of Florence’s actually!) if you need one.

For the sponge cake:8oz Self raising Flour
8oz Caster sugar
8oz butter (I usually use somewhere between this amount and half, depending how virtuous I’m feeling, it works just as well)
4 eggs
a splash of milk
and your chosen food colouring!

Buttercream Frosting:1/3 of a pack of unsalted butter
250-300g of icing sugar, according to taste.
a splash of milk

Method:There are 2 ways to mix a sponge, the easy way and the traditional way. If you have a food mixer there is nothing wrong with throwing everything into a bowl and whizzing it up. I’ve done this on many an occassion and it’s worked perfectly, save for the odd air bubble!.
If you want to do it properly, here’s how…
Add the butter and sugar together in a food mixer and ‘cream them’ until the sugar/butter mix is light pale and fluffy.
Next add in your (beaten) eggs and incorporate.
Lastly sift the flour in and mix together gently with your food mixer on a slow speed. Add a splash of milk to loosen the mixture if it’s too stiff, it should pour, but very slowly!
Now divide the mix into 4 equal portions. Keep one aside for the palest layer then add food colouring to the remaining three, to create a slightly more intense colour in each. I wanted mine pale so went easy on the colouring, but the strength of colour is up to you. Just go slowly, a little food colouring goes a long way!
Place each colour mixture into a separate 20cm cake tin and bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top. To test if they are ready, insert a skewer and ensure it comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

While your cakes are cooling, mix your frosting. Start with the butter in cubes, at room temperature and mix it (in your food mixer again) to become smooth. Add the icing sugar bit by bt and try not to make an icing cloud int he kitchen – you may want to add it by hand to avoid this then use the food mixer later on to whizz it up into a lighter frosting. Add a splash of milk to loosen it as required.

Assembly:Sandwich each layer together with a dollop of frosting, spread out to a couple of millimetres thickness. If your cakes are particularly ‘dome shaped’ on top you might want to slice them off to make them flatter and stack better.
Next use your remaining frosting to ice the sides of the cake using a palete knife to press it into the cake as you spread in one motion. Pay particular attention to filling in the gaps between each layer at the edges.
Finsh with the top! Don’t worry about having enough frosting, there is plenty here, but if you are concerned just apply a thinner layer and continue to build up evenly.
Decorate your cake as you see fit, I used simple sprinkles for a party finish!

Next step? Enjoy!

Feel free to shoot me any questions you have in the comments box, I’ll help if I can!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

Real Homes: Thrifted Colour

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This afternoon you’re in for a real treat with a real home tour by Zoe from Conversation Pieces. I knew as soon as I found her blog that I had to ask her to share her home with those of you who don’t already know her via her blog. As Zoe says below, it’s right up my street because of all the colour and the seriously quirky style she has curated through a mixture of ‘finds’, up-cycling and fantastic taste. I am more than a little bit jealous of her colour mixing skills.


When Rebecca first emailed to ask to feature my home, I was delighted… not the least because I’ve always loved how bright and colourful the Florence Finds logo is!

If you’ve come across my home before, you’ll understand why I think we’re a great match. If not, well, this little tour will probably show you why.

So… a little about me. Well, I’m an Edinburgh-based copywriter and freelance writer, who’s secretly a ‘frustrated artist’. Yes, my fondness of interior design comes from the fact that I can’t paint but I can paint furniture. (I think it’s why I also like styling and photography so much too!)


I’m also a bit of a thriftoholic (ok, maybe a big bit). My ideal day sees me hitting a car boot sale early and coming home with lots of lovely finds.

Our home gave me the perfect excuse to hone this ‘talent’… after buying it, we had next to no money (and no furniture) so decorating and furnishing our home had to be done on a very strict budget. Always one for a challenge, I became an expert at recovering old chairs from Freecycle, spotting bargains on ebay and tarting up charity shop finds.

Except that wasn’t the only challenge… the flat we fell in love with and moved into straight away was missing windows, had no heating, no kitchen, no modern plugs and no hot water. We must have been bonkers – but we were head over heels with the place! (The only low point was when my now husband tried to recreate a shower using a plastic bucket and some tepid kettle water over a freezing to touch cast iron bath… I may have uttered a few expletives that day!!)


Fast-forward three years and we still have some bits and pieces to do (no more than most people)… and we have a home filled with colourful things that make us smile. From our wedding sign that hangs in our kitchen to the felt ball rug I made in the living room, everything has a happy memory attached to it.


It’s not the first flat I’ve owned, but it’s the very first that anywhere has ever really felt like ‘home’. Though that’s probably more to do with who I live with… and that the fact that he loves as much colour as I do.

Are you not in awe of Zoe’s talent for combining her finds? This is the sort of home that always makes me green with envy. I never know how you make it look so cohesive, like all those things were meant to be together!

If you’re the car boot type (and I wish I could make myself forsake that Sunday morning lie-in!) then Zoe has some great tips here. Head over and have a look and do tell me your favourite part of her home, I’m way too in awe to choose! Thank you so much for sharing Zoe!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

Florence’s Florals: A DIY Easter tree

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Yay! Just half a working day before the long Bank Holiday weekend and I hope you all gain some inspiration for easter decor and general floral loveliness from todays post by Becky Hay from Blossom…

Hello Findettes, I hope this DIY post will bring a Bank Holiday weekend full of sunshine your way. Last month I mentioned that spring in the shop heralds the arrival of the Easter window. It’s one of my favourite displays of the year. A tree of branches decorated with colourful eggs, rabbits and chicks.

I can’t remember how old I was when my Mum first brought home the box of tiny carved wooden decorations to hang, but it has become as much a family tradition as the Christmas tree and I now uphold the tradition in my own home.

I’m not religious, more of a ‘Mother Nature’ kind of girl which is why I think the pagan tradition of the Easter tree appeals so much. The trees originate from Europe, most likely Sweden, where they are often decorated with feathers and eggs. Although decorations are widely available in the UK now, look out for the more unusual and intricate ones if you’re on holiday in Europe. I purchased the white eggs in the DIY photos below in Prague one November.

The two DIY’s I’ve created for you are, as always, to inspire you. There are no rules, just make what you fancy out of whatever you can find easily to hand. I’ve included some additional Easter tree images to give you even more food for thought as well.

DIY 1 – The Anything Goes Tree
What you’ll need:

  • A vase/ jug/ urn/ pot – choose something with a wide neck if you want to fill it with lots of flowers as well as the twigs.
  • Twigs – I used white Blossom in bud
  • A selection of mixed Spring flowers – I used Hyacinths, Narcissi, Tulips and Roses
  • A small piece of florist’s foam – soaked.
  • Decorations to hang

What to do:

  1. Wedge the florist’s foam into the base of your container before filling it with water.
  2. Arrange the twigs in the centre of the container using the florist’s foam to secure them.
  3. Take your largest flower, in my case, the hyacinths, and arrange them amongst the twigs.
  4. Next I placed the narcissi through the twigs and other flowers, cutting them at very different lengths. Florist’s tip – pick off the dried papery protective hoods from narcissi or daffodils before displaying them. Your design will be a little more polished.
  5. I cut my roses short and used them at the very neck of the container and finally added the tulips. Tulips continue to grow even after they’ve been cut so use them to flow through your arrangement. You can support their heads with the twigs.
  6. Once you’ve placed all of your flowers, make sure your container is topped up with water and have fun hanging your decorations.
  7. Keep the water level topped up and remove individual flowers as they wilt.

DIY 2 – The Simple Option
What you’ll need:

  • A vase or Jug
  • Twigs of your choice – I used contorted Hazel twigs which don’t need water and can be stored away and re-used next year.
  • Real eggs
  • Thin ribbon or very fine string
  • I used the small headed Narcissi Soleil d’Or but regular Daffodils will have a similar effect

What to do:
Firstly, I hold my hand up and admit that I didn’t make the hanging egg vases. I cheated and bought them. That’s not to say that you can’t make them yourselves with a little patience and a gentle touch!

  1. To make the vases you will need to gently take the top off your eggs, empty the contents out (I suggest into a mixing bowl, ready to be baked into a delicious cake) before rinsing the shell out. The tricky bit will be piercing the holes in the sides of the egg to thread a thin piece of string or ribbon to create your handle. I suggest using a pin and a cork to press onto.
  2. Alternatively, if you’re a boiled egg fan, just save the shells once you’ve enjoyed your breakfast!
  3. Hang your eggs and fill each of them with a little water.
  4. Cut your narcissi very short and place them into your egg vases.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter break and that this will inspire you to bring some Easter cheer into the house. Do let me know if you’ll be creating an Easter tree this year.

A display that cheerful can’t fail to warm your heart and home for Easter – I’m inspired to go and make something beautiful for my easter table now.

As always, Becky is around if you need to ask any questions, fire away and let us know if you’ve been inspired by her Easter tree.

Love,
Rebecca
xo

Florence’s DIY Mani-tips

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Hello lovelies!

This afternoon it’s a ‘beating the January blues’ kinda post, because what can possibly cheer you up more than a slick of colour on your nails?

You may be a regular getting your nails done, or have never ever had them done, either way, there’s always a time when you might need to paint them. For a special night out perhaps, or maybe you’re a regular polish addict and want to save some pennies by DIY-ing at home sometimes. For anybody who needs it, this is my DIY guide to painting your nails with success and the top products that I use each and every time to make it last.

The Products:
I am a firm believer in painting your nails properly. That means using a base coat and a top coat and I have 2 great recommendations for you.

Leighton Denny Base coat

First up. Leighton Denny Base Coat. This dries matte and I have no idea how it makes the colour cling on so well to your nail, but I couldn’t be without it. It’s quick drying too so needn’t add any time to your routine. It’s a little more than your average nail polish in terms of price but I’ve had mine for 3 years and it’s still going strong.

For a top coat, it’s the cheap and cheerful Rimmel Pro Super Wear Top Coat. This has 2 great actions – firstly it really makes a difference when it comes to chips and making the polish last, but it also gives a wicked shine to any colour. (Please note, this polish is clear, but mine has taken on the colour of the polishes I layer it over, most notably Rouge Noir.) ;)

On the left here, you’ll see my Leighton Denny Miracle Drops. These are a must for people who smudge out of impatience. You drop them onto the nail as soon as you’re done with your top coat and the chemicals suck the oxygen out of the polish making it dry quicker. You can apply several times if you’re in a hurry and it really works.

Bodyshop Almond oil nail and cuticle treatment

You will also see I have photographed a cuticle oil that I use occasionally. It’s cheap and moisturises the nails well -I used one before my wedding and dip in occasionally now, worth a try if you struggle with yours being dry or scraggy.

The How-To:
First up, start with clean, filed nails. I use the Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File and prefer mine short and square-ish. I bought the mini file (£12) over a year ago and it’s supposed to have a lifetime guarantee. It’s also make light work of the job – I hate filing my nails, surely we all have better things to do with our time?

Apply your base coat first coating the whole nail from the cuticle up and right to both edges.

Once that has dried, start applying your colour. The trick to looking like your nails were done professionally is all in the base of the nail. Try to make a straight line with a millimetre or two’s gap from the cuticle. I like to press the brush onto my finger half way up the nail then edge it down to create this line, before swiping it along the length of the nail. I do each nail in 2 quick strokes. Be decisive! It’s when you stress over getting it straight that you wobble! Like the base of the nail, don’t paint right to the edge of the nail either, it helps avoid mistakes and elongates the nail if yours are short.

If you’re messy (and it happens to everyone) just use the nail of the other hand to scrap it off, or wrap a bit of tissue tightly around a cocktail stick and wipe away – you can also do this at the end to tidy up if you dip it in a bit of nail polish remover.

How to paint nails

I applied 2 coats of this fab metallic white gold colour from Topshop – it’s like molten metal on and I’d recommend it for this time of year – it’s bright enough to look cheerful for spring, but also wintery with it’s glitzy edge. :)

Next apply your top coat. The Rimmel one has an extra wide brush so you should be able to do the whole nail in one coat, try to take it a tiny bit wider than the actual colour and slightly lower, to really seal in the edges.

Finish with the Miracle Drops and Voila!

(I took this photo less than 2 minutes after applying the miracle drops and you can see they are touch dry already. They wouldn’t take a big knock or swipe but the drops are incredibly good.)

Let me know if you like DIY-ing and found this useful or of course if you have any recommendations for products to try that make a DIY manicure easier.

Lots of fancy-fingered love,
Rebecca
xo