Brainwaves issue 16: fun crafts to try at home

Perfect foil
I hate throwing things away, so when I’d finished using a foil ‘happy retirement’ banner I’d bought, I wondered what else I could do with it. But as I decorated my granddaughter’s birthday cake, I had an idea. I turned the banner to the reverse side, which had a lovely glittery effect, trimmed it down and wrapped it around the cake. It looked great. 
Marie Maher, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield

WOOL power
As my friend loves ice-cream, I decided to make her a fun present. Using some spare wool, I made three pom-poms, two the same size, to look like scoops of ice cream, and a smaller red one to make a cherry to pop on top. I stuck them together using a hot glue gun, then made a cone out of brown craft paper and stuck the pop-poms on to that. I made a stand out of a cardboard box too, covering it in flower craft paper. I think it looks great — and it won’t melt in your hands! 
Alison Balch, York

Sticky solution
I love baking, but always got in a mess when measuring out sticky ingredients such as syrup or honey. But then I came up with the perfect solution. I weighed out my flour before pressing the back of the measuring spoon into it to create an indent. Then I just poured the syrup into that instead of getting it all over the spoon. It has made baking easier and much less messy! 
Kelsey Taylor, Doncaster, S Yorks

New suede blues
I’d ordered a new pair of suede boots, but when they arrived, they had a little mark on them and I wasn’t sure how to get it off. But after cleaning my carpets, I had an idea. I used a little squirt of carpet cleaner on my boots and they came up a treat.
Debra Coleshill, Reading, Berks

Cold comfort
My hip was swollen and I thought an ice pack might soothe it. Looking around, I tried to find something to create one and spotted an empty shampoo refill bottle. I filled it with water, then popped it in the freezer. Once it was cold, I wrapped it in a tea towel and stuck it inside my pants where it moulded around my hip, giving instant relief from the pain and swelling. 
Janet Price, Woodthorpe, Notts

Keep it clean
When I baked I always got covered in flour, so I was in desperate need of a proper full-length apron. Instead of spending money on one, I decided to make one out of an old hand towel I had. I cut it to the right shape and used the off-cuts to create the neck loop and ties, which I hand-stitched on, along with a handy pocket. It didn’t take long to make and I’ve since made others — so I have a stash of pinnies ready to keep my clothes clean and flour-free!
Linda Maddison, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancs