Journal

Notes on paper, colour and putting a room together, from the people behind Aala India. Everything here is written by us, and we say what we know.
Two footed paper mache bowls in warm greige on a white background, the smaller holding dried red petals and a skeleton leaf, the larger dried seed pods and grasses
Potpourri bowl ideas: where to put it, how to display it and how long it lasts
Potpourri bowl ideas for autumn, spring and Christmas, where to put potpourri and where not to, how long it lasts, and how to refresh it without harming a paper bowl. Read more...
Colour-block bell garland made by hand, with bells in navy, white, red, maroon, pink, yellow and sky blue, hanging from two hooks on a white background
Christmas mantelpiece ideas, plus how to dress the sideboard
A mantelpiece can take a garland, a few small groups of ornaments and not much else. How to dress one, when to keep decorations off a mantel above a lit... Read more...
Christmas decorations gathered under a tartan bow on a white background: red and cream spotted baubles, a striped candy cane, a white gift box with a red ribbon, a striped oval and stars in red, yellow and white
Christmas gifts for the home, by budget
Christmas gifts for the home, sorted by budget: decoration sets under £20, bauble and bell sets up to £30, a set of nine and a garland up to £50, and... Read more...
Six red and white painted Christmas decorations, four round baubles, a drop and a star, with their twine loops gathered together on a white background
How to decorate a Christmas tree, set by set
How to decorate a Christmas tree in the right order, from the lights to the final edit, and how to build the whole tree around two or three matched sets... Read more...
Three paper mache bowls on a plain white background: a small oatmeal bowl on three short legs, a sand-beige footed bowl and a chalky off-white bowl, each holding dried botanicals
Housewarming gift ideas: one good object, not a hamper
The questions people ask about housewarming gifts, answered plainly: what makes a good one, what is traditional, when to give it and whether to wrap it, plus new home gifts... Read more...
Four red and white toadstool Christmas decorations hanging from jute loops against a plain white background
Christmas centrepiece ideas using a bowl
Christmas centrepiece ideas built around one bowl, for dining, round and coffee tables: what to fill it with, what to lay around it, and what a paper bowl should never... Read more...
A small and a large footed paper mache bowl in a natural mud finish on a white background, holding dried petals and dried seed heads
Key bowl ideas for the hallway and front door
A decorative bowl for keys by the front door gives your keys one home. Where it should sit, what suits a console table, whether a bowl beats a tray, and... Read more...
Four green and white Christmas decorations on a plain white background: two white geese with jute scarves, a harlequin-patterned drum and a checked bauble
What to put in a decorative bowl for Christmas
Baubles, pine cones, whole clementines and dry Christmas potpourri: what to put in a decorative bowl for Christmas, how to style one on a dining table, and what to keep... Read more...
Honeycomb paper Easter decorations that fold flat for storage
How to store Easter decorations so you can use them again
Most Easter decorations are not lost. They are put away in April and found the following March crushed, damp or tangled. An hour of care, material by material, and where... Read more...
Honeycomb paper Easter bunny decorations opened into three-dimensional shapes
Easter decoration ideas for the home and table
Easter is a long weekend, not a month, which makes anyone sensible reluctant to buy things that sit unused for fifty weeks. Ideas built around that: an Easter tree, Easter... Read more...
Three paper mache bowls stacked on a table, a hand lifting the top one
How to look after paper mâché
Paper mâché is easy to live with once you know what damages it. Is it waterproof, is it flammable, can it go outside? How to dust it, what to do... Read more...
Rustic beige paper mache decorative bowl holding dried botanicals
What to put in a decorative bowl (and what not to)
Whole fruit, potpourri, pine cones, decorative balls and keys: what works in a decorative bowl, room by room and by shape, and what will quietly ruin a paper mâché one. Read more...
White paper mache decorative bowl holding potpourri, styled on a coffee table
How to style a coffee table with a decorative bowl
A coffee table is the hardest surface in a room to get right. These coffee table decor ideas start from one decorative bowl: get the scale right, build in three... Read more...