Home improvements: Protect your surfaces

We personally like the idea of a hot pad that is handmade from pebbles. It’s easy enough to make and can be turned into a fun DIY project for you and the kids.

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Hot pads are always handy to have around – whether you are laying down steaming dishes, teapots or trays, you should always try to safeguard your surfaces with some kind of protective layer.

We personally like the idea of a hot pad that is handmade from pebbles. It’s easy enough to make and can be turned into a fun DIY project for you and the kids.

There are two ways to go about this. Since there is a notable dearth of both rivers and rocky beaches in the UAE, you can wait until you are next on holiday to collect some pebbles, which also means that your hot pad will be a souvenir of your travels. Or you can buy some from your nearest garden centre. Either way, you’ll need flat pebbles of a similar depth. The idea is that when they are laying down flat next to each other, they will form a level surface upon which to rest your pots and plates. You can choose to have all your pebbles in one colour, or play around with different shades.

Use a glue gun to attach your pebbles to a base of some sort – either a thick piece of felt or a block of wood.

sdenman@thenational.ae