switch to plastic-free cleaning: one-week plan and exact products i use

I love a good autumn wreath. There’s something so satisfying about gathering treasures from hedgerows and lanes — crisp oak leaves, curled beech, seedheads, and little pops of colour from berries — then arranging them into a cosy, natural circle for the door. Over the years I’ve learned to make wreaths that feel abundant and seasonal, but that also last without relying on floral foam. In this post I’ll share my favourite foam-free...

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Open kitchen shelves are one of those features I adore for their warmth and immediacy — they make a kitchen feel lived-in and personal. But they can also quickly become a display of chaos if you don’t have a plan. Over the years I’ve learned how to style shelves so they both showcase ceramics (those thrifted mugs and handmade bowls I can’t resist) and hide the clutter (tea bags, plastic containers, the electric whisk I use every week)....

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I’ve been making beeswax wraps for years — testing ratios, trying different oils and fabrics, and learning what keeps them soft and flexible instead of brittle and cracked. I make them for my kitchen, for gifts, and to replace cling film whenever possible. Below I’ll share the exact method I use, why each ingredient matters, and how to troubleshoot common problems so your wraps stay pliable and durable.Why beeswax wraps (and what keeps...

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I started bokashi composting in my tiny London flat because I wanted a low-odour, fast way to divert kitchen waste without hauling bags to a council green bin every week. If you're short on outdoor space—or have none at all—bokashi is one of the simplest, cleanest systems I've found. It’s compact, tidy, and forgiving. Below I’ll walk you through how I do it, what equipment works best in a small home, what to feed (and what to avoid), how...

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I love simple, seasonal dye experiments that feel a bit like slow alchemy — especially when they use things I’d otherwise compost. Recently I’ve been playing with dyeing linen using onion skins and black tea, deliberately skipping chemical mordants so the process stays accessible, low-waste, and safe for a small kitchen setup. Linen takes dye beautifully and its natural texture gives a rich, lived-in result that I always find...

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I love breathing new life into well-worn things, and old denim is one of my favourite materials to upcycle. It’s sturdy, full of character, and the indigo fades tell a quiet story that I want in my home. In this project I’ll show you how to turn an unloved pair of jeans into a textured lumbar cushion cover — a simple, low-waste make that works for renters and homeowners alike. I tested everything on my own sofa before sharing it here, and...

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I found my velvet sofa at a carboot sale on a rainy Saturday — a deep, slightly crushed green that had clearly loved several lives. The frame was solid, the cushions still plump, but the upholstery had a few faded patches and the wooden legs were scratched. I wanted to give it a new life without stripping it back to bare wood or spending a fortune on reupholstery. After some experimenting, I settled on a gentle, low-waste makeover using milk...

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