The Beat That My Heart Skipped – A blog dedicated to daily design inspirations. By Rohini Wahi.

I’m off to Brussels this weekend, just in time to stock up with chocolates for mothers day. To turn a pretty generic gift [even if it does taste good!]  into one that screams personality, I’ve decided to transform an old mobile phone box into a modern and fun chocolate box for my deserving mum.

It doesn’t matter what type or size of box you use, because with this DIY you make panels to fit the sides of the box, no matter the dimensions. You can also make dividers for the various layers of chocolates, and an insert for the bottom of the inside of the box – where you can leave any message you like for your mother as she indulges her way through the chocs inside.

I used some lettering I found on a flyer that came in a magazine, as I was drawn to the modern contrast of the pink, black, and white. But you can use any kind of writing cut out from a magazine or simply printed from the computer, use pictures, or family photos. You could even use monograms for your mother’s initial, like these free printable ones from Martha Stewart.

The great thing about the tissue paper layer is that, apart from giving the box a textured effect, it also covers any blemishes from cutting and sticking you designs on to the panels, giving it a much sleeker, and slightly mysterious, finish!

Not sure what I mean? Just give it a go and see for yourself!
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This week I’m handing over to the wonderfully talented Claire from Make Do Mend, for a simple yet beautiful DIY fabric corsage. For those who haven’t heard of them yet [pay attention!] Make Do Mend run clever craft workshops in pretty tea house venues all over London and the South East, which cover everything from knitting and basic sewing to experimental textile jewellery. What a great idea!

I think this corsage is so clever too – you can make it in your favourite colours and patterns and use it to adorn anything be it a bag, hair clip, to jazz up a cushion or just yourself! Anyway, enough from me and over to Claire…

Hi everyone! This is just one of the many simple yet stunningly effective patterns we demonstrate in our basic sewing workshop. You don’t need to have any previous sewing experience as all the sewing happens at the back of the corsage and so is hidden away. It also takes no time at all to make so it is unfussy, easy and quick – meaning there is no excuse not to make one!

You Will Need

A variety of fabric circles as wide in diameter as you want the corsage to be. The one I am working on here is 6cm in diameter. You will need at least 10 circles, but you can add as many as you need to make the corsage as full as you like.

Scissors or pinking shears, dependant on the edge you want to achieve.

Sewing needle and thread.

Safety pin or kilt pin, or hair slide, dependant on whether you want a brooch or hair-clip.
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Even though I’ve been living in my flat for over two years now, I can’t stop thinking about little projects to make it ever more my own.  My new years resolution was to stop thinking about these ideas and actually get on with doing them!

Little details can make the place feel so much more homely and I decided to kick start the year by transforming the last available inches of space in my teeny kitchen into something practical and fun – a chalk memo board.

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My friend Alice swears she’s had a basil plant for over a year, but fresh herbs only seem to last a few days in my care before wilting! I’m hoping having a nice window ledge box to keep fresh herbs in will inspire me to look after them better and actually remember they need a drink and a bit of TLC too once in a while!

This really simple DIY will transform any wooden box into a refreshing indoor herb garden. I got my box from Ikea, and it works wonderfully as it comes with a metal water-collecting tray inside.

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I always feel pretty underwhelmed with what the shops have to offer for Valentines Day especially as it all feels terribly impersonal. A small, thoughtful gesture means so much more, I think – and nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like a nice cup of tea!

This DIY for a secret message tea-bag is delicate, but none of the stages are actually hard to do. You can make them for your loved one or use them to spread the love to your friends and family, adding funny or sweet messages for each individual. The idea is you hide a tea bag with a secret valentines message inside a tiny stitched parcel which also has a message on the front. When the parcel is opened it reveals the message on the end of the tea bag which is displayed sweetly whilst you serve your loved one breakfast in bed!

You will need:

[1] A tea bag with a string [your loved one’s favourite blend, of course!]
[2] Thin card or paper – no smaller than A5
[3] Ruler
[4] Scissors
[5] Pencil and rubber
[6] Stanley knife
[7] Needle, thread and pins, thimble
[8] Rubber stamps [for decoration] and ink pad

Step One: Draw out the template for your tea bag.

It’s a good idea to do this on some slightly stiffer card and then you can re-use it as a template for the tea bag packets on thinner paper if you want to make more than one.
Measure out as per the measurements in the picture below, or if you have individually packaged teabags in the cupboard, just open one out flat and draw around it.

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