Brainwaves weekly: fun tricks and tips for the home

BITE relief
We were going for a family day out with our dog Flame, and my daughter Georgia, 12, was worried about her getting hungry. So we came up with an idea. We had an empty coffee tub that was heading for the recycling, so instead we washed it out, filled it with Flame’s favourite doggy treats and popped the lid on. It made the perfect snack tin.
Becky Farren, Boston Spa, W Yorks

PLATTER from the heart
I was struggling to get my kids to eat the healthy food on their plates. So I had an idea. I got a couple of plates with compartments and arranged the healthy veg and nuts on it like a platter. They cleared the lot! I can recommend it if you have fussy little ones who won’t eat their veg.
Carys Siuda, Bangor, Co Down

STEAM work
We’re all looking at ways to save energy these days, and I’ve found my steamer saves me quite a bit on gas. I can cook all my veg in it at the same time — spuds on the bottom and other veg on top. You can even cook a whole meal if you add in a piece of fish to steam — it’s a great little money saver.
Hazel Robinson, Wakefield, W Yorks

Roll WITH IT
I love knitting and crocheting, but my needles and hooks used to get muddled up. It would take me ages to
find the right size whenever I started a new project. So I decided to make myself an organiser. I cut two rectangles from an old sheet, then folded up the bottom on both, but not to the top. I carefully stitched down the sides
before stitching pockets into them. Then I numbered each section with the size of needle or hook. Now I can find them easily and they roll up for neat storage too.
Isobel Scott, Strabane, Co Tyrone

WOOD you believe it?
When I picked up two pallets that were being advertised for free on a Facebook site, I decided to use them to create a card collection box for my best mate’s wedding. I cut them down and used screws and wood glue to stick the pieces together to form a box with a hinged lid and padlock. I painted on the word: Cards. Then I varnished the whole thing and decorated it with faux flowers. I’m very proud of how it turned out and can’t wait to see it in use
on the big day.
Laura Lamb, Wallasey, Merseyside

Twig or TREAT
I wanted a wreath for my front door with sunflowers and decided to make my own. I collected twigs from the garden, and used a glue gun and brown string to form a wreath shape. Then I bought some faux sunflowers and a few plastic flower buds from a charity shop and stuck those on. It looks so pretty and will see me through the autumn months.
Maria Elcoat, Kinellar, Ab’shire