Photograph pebbles,wheat,poppy fields or lavander farms close up (using flash)-get prise photos enlarged and put onto poster sized canvas. Cheaper than ikea!!!

Make your dinning room, modern and give the impression that it is ten times bigger than it is, by linning one wall with full length mirrors attached to the wall.

If you have unused paint left in a tin, store it upside down, when you want to use the paint again turn the tin the right way up and open.... that way there is no " skin " on the top of the tin as it will be at the bottom.....it works for me

Fill your window boxes with herbs instead of plain flowers. Camomile can be infused, to make a great cup of tea. Mint, rosemary, sage, and basil can be cut straight from the window, and added to pasta, sauces and stews. To save the window box becoming too green and boring, add some nasturtiums. Bring the garden into your kitchen, easy, healthy and it looks great.

i have one!! lol

use cheap shampoo to clean your bath, no nasty smell (even if it IS alpine fresh!! :S) and no worrying if you have rinsed it well enough before putting sensitive bottoms in!!
it also makes getting rid of soap scum & dirt sooooooo easy!!
Riah

remove stubborn paint stains from your hands by using sugar and butter

Remove old artex easily by painting with wallpaper paste, leaving for a while to soak in and soften and then scraping off with a wallpaper scraper, it comes off easily but may need a few coats if the artex is thick.

To Clean Brushed steel on appliances/fireplaces etc, try using either WD40 or Baby oil

Rather than buy an expensive new duvet cover each time your child likes a new cartoon character why don't you buy 20 flannels with different characters on and stitch them on to an old duvet cover. This will keep the child happy and your purse strings tight!!

Don't throw out your old shower body puffs, use them to scrub your bathroom tiles. the tiles will look like new.

do not throw out that old table -
I had a large and heavy tiled table so I removed all the tiles shortened the legs and painted it with blackboard paint now when I need to take messages I just write them on the board and clean off later........its great for friends who bring the children round too......keeps them amused for hours whilst we adults can chat !

for nice sparkly smear-free windows and mirrors use a baby-wipe.

when cooking spaghetti always add a little olive oil to prevent it sticking together when cooked, then rinse with boiling water

PUT A CUP OF WASHING POWDER IN YOUR WASHING UP BOWL OR WHITE CERAMIC SINK FILL WITH HOT WATER AND LEAVE TO SOAK FOR HALF AN HOUR TO AN HOUR, RINSE OFF AND YOU WILL APPEAR TO HAVE A NEW BOWL/SINK!!

When freezing minced beef, or any minced or diced meat for that matter, place in a large freezer bag and squash as flat as possible. Then fold down the top of the bag and seal with tape. - This means your meat will defrost in minutes - not hours!

When drilling in the wall stick lighter an enveloved where you are going to drill, to catch the dust as it falls. Then remove it and no dust on the floor, just a quick must when you want that new picture up in a hurry, but just done the hovering.

Speed up ripening an avacado by burying it in flour.

Change the colour of your cut flowers. Tint the flowers with food colouring. Put a few drops of the desired colour in the vase water , add cut flowers and eventually the petals will turn colour.

This is a quite and easy way to clean brass ornaments without the elbow grease. Take about 4 heaped tablespoons of Cream of Tartar and mix it with washing up liquid put into a basin of warm water and mix together. Place brass ornaments into it and leave for about 15 minutes remove rinse and dry with a clean dry cloth. The brass comes up lovely and shiney and does not tarnish.

If you spill coke or tea on throw overs etc use Baby wipes to remove the stain.

Use a slice of bread to clean roller blinds - it works it really does!!

If you ever have a little bit of wine left - in a glass or the bottle. Don't throw it away - freeze it . Then when a recipe needs wine you don't have to open a new bottle.

Keep your stainless steel oven and hob sparkling clean with a wipe of baby oil! it's a doddle!

Gloss painting? Nasty smell? Put a saucer of milk on the window sill and smell is much reduced!

Want to clean decorating paint, including gloss, off your skin easily?
Use liberal amounts of cooking oil to wash your hands, followed by gentle washing up liquid or bath soap. Cheap, already available in your home and kind, even to sensitive skins.