Christine Leech – författare

Embrace zero waste living with this collection of sustainable gift wrap solutions including furoshiki, the traditional Japanese technique of fabric knotting. What could be nicer than receiving a present AND the beautiful scarf it's wrapped in!Whether you use a vintage silk scarf or create your own fabric with patchwork, piecing and dyeing techniques, or reuse unwanted items to make quirky gift wraps - this collection is packed full of ideas for reducing waste.Other ideas include how to make present toppers made from unwanted fabric and yarn scraps to finish off your gift wrapping with a flourish.

Turn your kitchen into a waste-free zone with these crafty solutions for everything from 'unpaper' towels to reusable kitchen wipes and clever storage solutions.The zero waste movement is huge and this collection will help you to craft your own zero waste solutions - with just a few craft skills you will be able to turn your unwanted waste into storage and cleaning items for your kitchen.The kitchen is the heart of our homes and finding ways to make it feel healthy and wholesome are really important. From leftover food scraps to the endless packaging that our food comes in, there's so much that goes on in a kitchen and it's the place in our homes where we generate the mosts waste. Make your kitchen more sustainable with some clever craft ideas for reusing, upcycling and transforming waste. Whether you're a committed crafter or new to making, there is something for everyone no matter what your skill level is.Choose from projects and tutorials for the kitchen including sewing, crochet, patchwork, upcycling and reuse ideas. There are also some projects that require cutting, sticking and even drilling thrown in for good measure: learning how to do little bits of everything will give you a 'toolkit' to think creatively about how to reuse everyday things as you progress on your journey to zero waste living. Learn how to use up fabric scraps and old linen to create beeswax wraps for storing food; make your own paper caddy liners for food waste and create pots for growing kitchen herbs from empty bottles. Create a unique and practical apron from an old pair of thrifted curtains and sew some handy storage ideas for the family using pockets rescued from unwanted clothes.Upcycling and reuse gurus Emma Friedlander-Collins and Christine Leech show you how to turn your kitchen into a zero-waste zone with step-by-step instructions and some clever crafting. Packed full of original ideas, Zero Waste: Kitchen will help you to live the zero-waste way and improve your efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle while at the same time having fun.

Celebrate Christmas the zero-waste way with these crafty solutions for everything from Christmas tree decorations to advent calendars. The zero-waste movement is huge and this collection of crafty ideas will help you to create your own zero waste solutions for a sustainable Christmas.It's time to reclaim Christmas - this collection is all about using the things around you to bring festive cheer to your home. It's about crafting and creating together and using what you've got to make unique, unusual items that you can enjoy year after year. By crafting your zero-waste Christmas you are also creating memories ; something that cannot be bought online.Upcycling and reuse gurus Emma Friedlander-Collins and Christine Leech show you how to turn Christmas into a zero-waste experience with step-by-step instructions and some clever crafting. Whether you're a committed crafter or new to making, there is something for everyone no matter what your skill level is. Choose from projects and tutorials for a sustainable Christmas including sewing, crochet, upcycling and reuse ideas. You don't need to have lots of craft skills to create these projects, there are step-by-step instructions for each one. There are also instructions for the basic craft techniques such as crochet and embroidery so you can get stuck in straightaway. There are four different Christmas themed chapters: Hot; Frosty; Skandi and Retro so you pick your favourite style or mix and match for festive mash-up! Projects include Coffee Cup Baubles; a minimalist wreath made using an old cake tin; a milk carton advent calendar and some magical fairy lights made using takeaway containers. Choose your favourite projects from this collection of 24 projects including no-waste decorations for the tree and zero-waste gift wrap. Packed full of original ideas, Zero Waste: Christmas will help you to celebrate the zero-waste way and improve your efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle while at the same time having fun.

Pompoms are currently on trend, whether adorning a sweater, swinging from a bag handle or dangling from a keyring. But why have a plain pompom when you could have a tiny pompomeranian puppy, a cheeky smiley-face emoji-pom or even a spooky Mexican Day of the Dead skull pompom?With clear step-by-step photographs to accompany all the instructions – and with each pompom taking no more than an afternoon to make – Pompomania will show you how to give your pompoms personality. With no fancy equipment needed – you can make do with rings cut from cardboard and a pair of scissors – these pompoms are inexpensive to make for yourself or for others. Pompomania will add a serious amount of pomzazz to your world.

Paper — both affordable and universally available — is possibly the most versatile material in the crafter's kit box. In this new book from Quadrille's Simple Makes series, Christine Leech demonstrates 30 original and creative ideas for lovely papercraft projects. Some of the projects are simply drawn and cut, such as the fish mobile or rose gift tag, whilst others are constructed and glued, for example a cute yet practical stationery birdhouse that holds paperclips inside and has Post-It note tiles on its roof. A few slightly more advanced projects involve special techniques, such as the beginners' bookbinding method used to create the hand-bound Japanese-style notebooks or the wedding guest book, but everything is easily achievable by following the clear, step-by-step instructions and guides.