When it comes to gifting things to the people we love, we are sure you won’t feel any surprise at all to learn that we’re massive fans of making things ourselves whenever we can. Of course, we also value the thought that goes into store bought gifts, whether we are giving or receiving, but we just get such a great sense of satisfaction watching our friends and family’s faces light up when they open something we made for them ourselves! Sometimes, however, a gift that we purchased rather than something we made is simply the best idea, but that does not mean we can not get crafty with the gifting process in some capacity. Lately, we have been completely obsessed with the idea of making our own gift wrap, particularly when it comes to gift boxes!


If you are going to go to the trouble of making DIY gift set and homemade gift box, would you rather go all out and make it incredibly special, like something the recipient might want to keep and continue to use? Then we’d absolutely suggest taking a look at how creative ideas made this stunning closing box features layered tiers for different gifts and trinkets. Besides that useful feature, the way they decorated the outside of the box with lace, pearls, and flowers is nothing short of gorgeous! If we received this box, we’d use it as a jewelry box and place it on our dresser.


By now you’ve probably seen one of the most popular trends for coloring hair: hair chalk! From runways and music festivals to Halloween and fun nights out with friends, hair chalk is a go-to for adding a quick dab of color to hair both easily and affordably.


Hair chalk pen is a stick of color, similar to regular chalk, but is given its color by mixing a variety of ingredients together. While hairstylists and suppliers have their own process of making it, the typical ingredients are mixed with dry pigment, some chalk, and a binder, according to Thaneeya McArdle, a pastel artist at Art Is Fun. While you theoretically could use regular chalk on your hair, it wouldn’t have the same colorful effect or work the same way chalk made specifically for hair works.


Whether it is occupying the kids during school holidays with rock painting or just decorating everyday household possessions, acrylic paint marker pens have huge appeal. In fact, some prefer them over traditional artist acrylic painting using a brush and palette. Why is this so? And what makes a good acrylic paint pen set?


You will have come across oil-based paint pens if you’ve ever used a pen where you have to vigorously shake the pen so the ball bearing can mix the paint with the oil before use. Being oil solvent based, these markers leave a strong odour and are, therefore, not ideal for (or around) children or for use in poorly ventilated areas. Oil-based markers will take much longer to dry than acrylic ones. Though they can be used on similar surfaces to their acrylic counterparts, oil-based markers will behave slightly differently. The paint tends to sit slightly better on porous surfaces and offers the advantage of not having to be ‘sealed’ (more on this later). That said, on non-porous surfaces, such as paper and card, they are more susceptible to bleeding on the surface.


Acrylic is a favored painting medium for both beginners and professionals alike for its easy setup, quick-drying properties, and malleable nature. Made out of pigments suspended in acrylic polymer, acrylic paint is water-soluble but becomes water-resistant when dry. A highly flexible paint medium, acrylic will provide a crisp, graphic paint edge that can be easily used to create thick paint strokes or thin washes, and it is suitable for use on a wide range of surfaces. Depending on your project ambitions, you will want to consider key factors such as color saturation and selection, permanence and finish, as well as viscosity and malleability. Our picks below will help you find the right acrylic paint set for your needs.


For beginners looking to hone their acrylic painting skills, this acrylic paint set of two dozen 12-milliliter tubes of paint from Colore is ideal. Providing an excellent selection of colors, this student-grade paint is suitable for use on a wide range of surfaces including canvas, paint, wood, fabric, and rock. Featuring a smooth texture for easy blending, this paint is quick drying and durable, with a glossy finish.


Liquid chalk sets are small but mighty. They can be used for a wide range of purposes, varying from decoration to personal or even business purposes.