Bespoke is the new luxury, if you believe the forecasters, but then they also
predict a return to genuine craftsmanship and a look that speaks less of
sleek uniformity and more of the hands that made it. Look at Armani Casa’s
huge-weave banana-fibre baskets and irregular mosaic bathroom sets, or
nomadic-style embroidery-trim sofas by Marcel Wanders.
The rediscovery of the one-off wonder could not be more timely for anyone on a
budget this Christmas, as there are plenty of presents that you could easily
make yourself. Handmade can be both spectacular and spectacularly personal.
Take your lead from designers who excel in the gorgeously hand-crafted.
Scour Liberty, look at the art-crafter Donna Wilson’s cushions, toys and
blankets, and check out the design duo Spina’s luxurious coral or
mother-of-pearl curtain ties.
What’s more, it is notable that big-name designers such as Lagerfeld and
Armani are among the leading exponents of the joys of handmade one-offs. Not
that we need their approval — designer endorsement is so last season.
CUT-AND-PASTE LAMPSHADE Great for designer-fabric fans
This is not as tricky as it sounds. You will need a glue gun and some fabric
glue, an old drum lampshade and enough Stick It self- adhesive PVC to go
around the shade, plus a couple of centimetres extra. For a quicker version,
buy a Stick It Lampshade Kit, which includes a wire interior frame, a
selection of fabrics, scissors, a tape measure and trimmings. Bias binding
is good for a professional “finished” look — buy twice the circumference of
the lampshade, so you have enough for the top and bottom.
1 If you have an old lampshade, remove the fabric and trimmings, until
you are left with just the frame. Measure the circumference of the frame and
add 1.5cm, then measure the height. Cut a rectangle of Stick It PVC to these
measurements.
2 Place the rectangle on a flat surface and gently peel off the backing
paper to reveal the sticky side. Gently press down the fabrics (or pictures
— you can stick anything to this), smoothing with your hand to avoid
wrinkles and air bubbles. Leave a 1.5cm strip uncovered at the end to stick
the overlap to. I combined a section of an oriental hand-painted scarf with
two classic Missoni prints for a modern take on patchwork. Once you have
stuck everything down, trim anything that spills over the edge of the
rectangle.
3 Using a glue gun, quickly slick a 10cm line of glue along the side of
the top and bottom of the frame and hold the PVC firmly to it, fabric side
out, starting with the side that has the 1.5cm sticky strip. Continue all
the way around, then stick the overlap to the 1.5cm sticky strip. The top
and bottom edges might need covering, in which case, glue co-ordinating bias
binding all the way around to finish.
Stick It self-adhesive PVC, £13 per metre, from fredaldous.co.uk. Stick It
Lampshade Kit, £10, from martin-dannell.co.uk. Bias binding, from John Lewis
or any haberdashery shop
RETRO SHOE BAG Great for party girls who carry ballet pumps in their
handbag
1 Take some swish 1960s fabric — I used the remnants of an old dress
here — and draw a rectangle a few centimetres bigger all round than the
shoes you are making the bag for. Add 3cm more to one of the short ends for
the drawstring opening. Cut out two pieces of fabric to these measurements.
2 Place right sides together and stitch around three sides, so it looks
like a sunglasses cover, leaving 3cm unstitched at the top of one side.
Finish the raw edges by folding over twice and sewing.
3 At the open end of the bag, fold over the raw edges twice and iron
flat, then fold this in 2cm and sew to create a tube for the drawstring.
4 Attach a safety pin to some ribbon and pull it through the drawstring
channel. I added appliqué wording using Bondaweb (sticky stuff that you iron
on, available from craft shops. It acts like a washable double-sided tape,
meaning you can adhere fabrics together without having to sew them). W
Siligum firmly around the face to ensure you get an impression of all the
detail. Leave for 30 minutes, until the mould has set.
TIGER-HEAD CUFF LINKS Great for City boys or anyone who wears a suit
Buying gifts for men is a nightmare — they are shamefully unhelpful about
anything they do want. However, any man who wears a suit will need cuff
links. This is where men are often prepared to go a little outré, so you can
afford to have fun.
1 To make the mould, quickly mix together some Siligum; it comes in two
parts and the idea is to knead it like bread until blended. Next, squish the
face of a child’s small plastic toy into it — I used a tiger’s head. Push
the
2 Next make the cast: fill the mould with Alginate, pushing it into all
the crevices. Finish flat at the top of the mould. Remove from the mould
carefully at the appropriate time.
3 Once the cast has set, paint it with gilding paste. After 10 minutes,
carefully brush over with silver leaf. Applying this is a bit like covering
with very fine tinfoil — be extra gentle, as it tears easily. Next, buff
with a soft cloth and spray with fixative.
4 Using ceramic glue, such as Araldite, stick Swarovski-crystal eyes in
place and the cuff link to the back of the head.
Siligum, £8 for 100g, Alginate, £12 for 500g, Gedeo Gilding Paste, £3.50,
and silver leaf, £6.95 for 25 sheets, all from Cass Arts; cass-arts.co.uk.
Fixative, £4, and Araldite, £5, from amazon.co.uk. Swarovski crystals £3.50
for 100 x 2mm crystals, from crystal-beads.co.uk. Cuff- link backs, about £5
for 20, from eBay
CHALKBOARD HERB POTS Great for food lovers or people who often kill plants
(as they can quickly change the label)
1 Clean and thoroughly dry a stack of terracotta pots. Mask off the top
band of the pots, turn them upside down, then spray with a few fine coats of
chalkboard paint.
2 Leave 15 minutes between each coat — they will be completely dry in
30 minutes. Then you can get busy with the chalk.
3 Fill the pots with soil and plant herbs or give the recipient a piece
of chalk and a packet of seeds with the pot to encourage them to grow their
own.
Plasti-kote Chalkboard, £6 for 400ml, from DIY shops
VINTAGE-PLATE CAKE STANDS Great for girls who love high tea
These are the easiest gifts to make by far — the process is little more than
sticking a candlestick to the bottom of a plate. So, rather than spending
time messing about with a glue gun, you can focus on the more enjoyable task
of picking the prettiest plates. The place to go for this is eBay, but
exercise caution: florals can look predictable, so buy bird, clown or
oriental-themed plates, and use either metal or cut-glass candlesticks for
the stand. For stability, buy ones with a much wider base than top.
Different heights look incredibly pretty grouped together, but the shorter
the stands are, the sturdier they will be. My hot tip is to look for vintage
coloured glass in green and coral — so chic.
1 Pick the pieces you want to put together and test them out — the
plate should easily balance without glue. Clean and dry both the candlestick
and plate, then place the plate face down on a flat surface and mark the
centre of the back with a marker pen.
2 Squeeze out a little ceramic glue, such as Araldite, and mix
according to the instructions. Apply to the top of the candlestick, then
gently place this on the mark on the back of the plate. Leave for 10
minutes, then press down firmly, clearing away any excess glue. Tape the two
pieces together and leave overnight. Easy.
Araldite, £5, from amazon.co.uk
HIGH-COLOUR CANDLEABRA Great for lovers of shabby chic who should now move
on
The one used here was a charity-shop find, and all its parts could be
unscrewed, so it could be painted quite easily, but masking off sections
will have the same results.
1 Give the candelabra a good clean, scraping off any old wax, then
spray in sections using candy colours. I sprayed the arms and base of mine
in bubble-gum pink, the middle candle cup in aubergine and the main stem in
apple green.
2 Leave 5 minutes between each coat (at least two) — it will be dry in
30-45 minutes.
Paints used: Plasti-kote Super Heather Violet Satin, Super Warm Aubergine
and Super Apple Green Satin, £6 for 400ml, from DIY shops
TRAY CHIC Great for anyone — design it according to the recipient’s
taste
1 Screw some handles (from any DIY shop) into the sides of an old
picture frame (any frame with a flat border wide enough to attach handles to
will work). You might need to drill into the frame, depending on the
handles. Superglue is the lazy option.
2 Prepare the object to be placed inside. If you are using fabric, iron
it and secure onto thick card or chipboard; for images — I like the idea of
1960s Playboy covers — use Spray Mount (from art shops) to fix them onto a
sturdy backing. Next, place the original covering glass on top.
3 Position these inside the frame and secure the back tightly to the
frame. I decided to cover the frame as well, but don’t bother unless you are
really keen, as it takes a lot of meticulous cutting with nail scissors.
Assuming you don’t bother with the edges, you should be finished in minutes.
Anyone for tea?
The best things in life are free
Remember in Friends when Joey gave out vouchers for an hour of Joey Love?
Depending on your lifestyle choices, it may not be appropriate to hand many
of these out, but giving a “promise coupon”, to be redeemed at the
recipient’s leisure, is light on the wallet and could well be the best gift
they’ll get this year.
Bedtime story A promise to come round and read for an hour/a bedtime/a
whole book. Delete depending on how patient you are. Not as creepy as it
sounds, especially if you have a voice like Stephen Fry.
An hour’s silence Offer to remove everybody from your friend’s
life for an hour (or more, if you are generous). Take them to the park or
pub — anywhere far away.
Decorating A pledge to come and finish off the grouting will make you
the most popular Handy Andy since Changing Rooms.
Sunday roast Make it all back to yours for a sophisticated
luncheon/old-fashioned knees-up, depending on your friends.
Housework We all know a harried mother with a pile of laundry larger
than the bags under her eyes. Be a bit selective, though: you may regret
offering to iron for a friend with five children.
Masterclass Whether you’re an expert at making jam or jamming on a
guitar, someone will want a taster class. What better gift is there than a
spot of self-improvement?
Baby-sitting A willing childminder on the night of a party is worth its
weight in gold.
Playlist Some people’s music tastes need a little re-education,
so make a mix CD or iPod playlist and set them back in the groove.
