artandcraftvalley

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Crafty Thoughts: Cross-stitch tools vs Railroad Stitch

Cross stitch kits are a popular hobby at the moment, and there are a range of tools and tips to help you get the best out of them. For cross-stitchers, here’s the Giddy Stitcher, a youtube cross-stitcher, reviewing cross stitch laying tools vs using the Railroading stitch technique to get flatter stitches. She has a range of other guides and techniques that might be of interest to the amateur or…

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Crafty Thoughts: Making Fimo Gemstones

There are a lot of tutorials for making Fimo and polymer clay gemstones online. It is a fun way to use up spare clay and make something rather unique at the same time. However many of these tutorials require Mica powder, leaf metal, UV resin, etc. This one by Lovicraft stood out as it can be done with several basic colours of polymer clay and a gloss varnish – and the earring and necklace…

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Happy Easter

Happy Easter Holidays Looking for Arts and Crafts to keep everyone occupied over the Holiday? Have a look for Easter gifts and presents for everyone

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Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all our customers from Art and Craft Valley!      

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New style from old clothes

  Looking to add some new style to your old clothes, consider Tie-Dying them. It’s a simple and fun exercise to add some new colour and make something fresh and exciting. Scrunch the clothes up, tie them into knots, add the dye and leave it to soak in. Once the dye has soaked in for a few hours, rinse the clothes off and see what crazy patterns you have come up with. A great way to re-invigorate…

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Quick Sale: Patterns from 50p

It’s 2025, and Art and Craft Valley is welcoming it with a quick sale and a clear out! Knitting patterns in the discount box are now 50p each. The sale is while stocks last, so if you are looking for a project for the next year stop in and stock up on your patterns (and maybe some extra yarn).

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Transfer images with Mod Podge - or without?

Hope you all had a good Christmas, and now we are back after the break with another craft idea. There’s a technique floating around for a while that lets you make your own image transfers with a printer and Mod Podge. Effectively, you make the stencil, then your the glue to transfer only the ink, not the paper to the wood or other surface. But did you know that you can do a variation with some…

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Block Printing for Kids

Block Printing Kits Here’s a new craft for kids of all ages (and if you think you are too old for this, you aren’t), with a fun introduction to Lino printing. These kits contain everything you need to get started with block printing in a safe and fun way, without – importantly – the need for sharp craft tools. It includes 6 PrintFoam sheets, a pencil, waterbased block printing ink (red), washable…

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Make your own Stained Glass for Christmas

Glass Diffuser kit at Art and Craft Valley Stained Glass kit at Art and Craft Valley Coulsdon For Christmas 2024, you can find a range of craft kits in store including Pyrography and calligraphy or even Rock Painting, but for this update we’re focusing on stained glass. There are always a range of ink and glass paints in store, but if you are just starting, looking for a new project, or want to…

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22 years of Art and Craft Valley

That’s right – AC Valley turns 22 today. 22 Years of Art, Craft, Wool, Knitting, Sewing, Painting and many more crafts.

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Tutorial: Sequined Pudding decoration

Making sequin decorations with polystyrene shapes is an old technique. When I first encountered this forty years ago, it was called pinfleur, but since then it has been called pin-art, sequin art and many other names. Whatever its name, this is the technique of making decorations by pinning sequins to polystyrene shapes. It is an easy craft to start, and a good way to pass the time. With gentle…

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Christmas Materials

With Christmas now less than a month away, there are Christmas fabrics in stock at Art and Craft Valley. Pre-patterned with everything from stars to christmas trees, this fabric is great for projects including table runners, napkins, scarfs, table clothes, and many other craft ideas for the season. You don’t even have to sew. A couple of pieces around the base of the christmas tree make a great…

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Canvasing the Neighbourhood

Daler Rowney Painting easel at Art and Craft Valley Coulsdon There’s a new range of canvases and painting equipment in at Art and Craft Valley – but mainly Canvases. Daler and Rowney Stretched Canvas are available in a range of sizes, so many in fact that they don’t all fit on the shelves. With a 250gsm, acid-free stretched canvas, on a heavy 3D backing, ready for use, these canvases are suitable…

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A Warm Glow for Bonfire Night

Glow in the Dark acrylic Paint at ACValley.co.uk Glow in the Dark fabric Paints at ACValley.co.uk With Halloween just behind us and Bonfire Night parties incoming from Friday the 1st to November the 5th, why not go for a safe glow? There’s a full range of Glow in the Dark paints, and make-up, and craft kits, in store at Art and Craft Valley at the moment. We have spray paints, for your wood,…

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Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!   A time for all things sinister and crafty… (and knitting.)

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Quick Halloween Costume Part 2: Make the Tunic/Dress

Orange and witch Halloween fabric at Art and Craft Valley Coulsdon For the second part of this no-sew Halloween costume tutorial, we cover making a tunic or dress to go under the cape. A witch is easy: black for everything, so you can use the same material for this as for the cape. If you have done a lace cape, you might want something sturdier though. For a Prince or Knight, a Tunic above the…

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Quick Halloween Costume Part 1: Make a Cape

Fabric racks at ACValley With Halloween coming up, here’s a quick idea to make a basic costume. If you don’t want to buy a costume, or left it to the last minute and now they’re all gone, here’s an easy guide to making a costume that can be easily modified to be a witch, a prince, or a princess…or a lot of other things depending on how you adjust it. Remember, this is a quick tutorial so it is…