Pony McTate: How to spruce up your reading space

What would your ideal hideaway look like?

Staying indoors this long weekend? Hang in there, Pony McTate has the answer.

I spend a lot of my time daydreaming about the perfect little reading spot. More time than I actually get to spend in one, alas. My ideal hideaway would contain afternoon sun, a liberal dose of mustard and a clever shelving system to display my beloved books. Like this one. Isn't it fun? Rather than a shelf, your books sit magically on big wooden beads. It also works well for magazines.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Wooden beads in two sizes; big ones (about 3cm diameter) to hold the books and smaller ones (about 1cm diameter) for the ends.
• Cord: I used macrame cord. Make sure it will fit through the holes in your beads.
• Masking tape and paint to decorate your beads, if desired.
• A strong stick from which to hang your books (a length of dowel is good). If you want to hang heavy books, it will need to be extra-sturdy.

STEP ONE

Decorate your beads first, if required. I used masking tape to block out stripes on plain wooden beads, then painted the remainder. Once the paint has dried, remove the masking tape.

STEP TWO

Cut varying lengths of cord. Exactly how long you want them will depend on where you plan to hang your books. Having your books sit at slightly different heights is a nice touch.

Knot one end of the cord to your stick. I've indulged my inner macrame queen (everyone's got one) and gone for something a bit fancy. A bog-standard bow, tied securely, will also do the trick.

STEP THREE

Thread your beads on to the cords, one big bead and one little bead per cord. The little bead prevents your end knot from slipping through. Knot the end of the cord, trim any excess length and tuck the end back into the beads.

STEP FOUR

Now you're ready to attach your stick to the wall. You can use screws directly through the dowel and into the wall. Alternatively, screw two hooks into the wall and lay your dowel across them, thereby noting you would have just created a hook book nook.

To hang your books, simply open them and lay a cord down between the pages like a bookmark. The beads at the bottom will hold the book in place. Now where's that cuppa?

Deck the halls

Sort out all your festive decor needs this year at Plump & Co's upcoming XXL crochet wreath workshops. Plump & Co - famous for its sumptuously supersize merino yarns - and I will show you everything you need to create your own beautiful woolly wreath. And don't let your front door have all the fun - these modern wreaths make great handcrafted gifts as well.

The workshops run throughout New Zealand, no crochet experience is required and everything you need is included in the ticket price.

See plumpandco.com to book tickets and for more information.

What: Plump & Co Limited Edition Crochet Wreath workshops
Where: Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch
When: November 2-11