Blooming Lovely Wall Hangings

Sep 7 2008 Justin And Colin

Tricks Of The Trade

Hot buy - welove the floral wall plaques that form part of Matalan's Neo Natural home trend for 2008. A combination of understated elegance, nature and glamour and an absolute steal at just £6 each.

For more on Matalan's key home trends click on www.matalan.co.uk

How frustrating is it to buy a scented candle or fragrance, then simply throw away the fancy box? We box clever by keeping ours to re-use as sorting pockets in drawers. They are ideal for holding smaller items such as coins, keys and sewing supplies. The perfect way to find what you want, when you need it.

Here's a great tip for cleaning stains from granite surfaces. Simply use a cut lemon sprinkled with salt as a non-abrasive cleaner. On a red wine stain, leave the lemon juice/salt mix for an hour and the offending blot should disappear completely.

The easiest way to clean baked-on food from inside your microwave is to use vinegar. Half-fill a coffee mug with budget malt and pop in the micro for two minutes. Next, take a cloth and wipe away the gunk. If it doesn't completely budge, simply repeat and cook for a little longer.

Organise home paperwork with great storage boxes from TK Maxx (www.tkmaxx.co.uk) Folder, files and boxes are all available in stitched leather, mock croc and great hip colours - guaranteed to make home filing a joy.

Dartington Crystal at Tesco Direct...whatever will they think of next? Athena bowls from £22, curve oval vases from £37.50 and Florabundance vases from £22.50. It's crystal clear where to shop (www.tesco.com).