When people ask to buy tie-dyed clothes from Tie Dye High Five, Hannah Bailey's tie dye shop, she sells them a kit instead. "Buying is cheating, because you can create it yourself," she says.

Tie-dyeing is dressmaking's grungy little sister: you can make something unique and wearable within minutes, rather than months, of practice.

This craft series, first published in the latest issue of Oh Comely with photos by Liz Seabrook, will provide a step-by-step guide on how you too can tie-dye at home, and will give instrucitons on how to create your own Stripy Scarf, Crumple Coat, Swirly Pocket Tea and Bleached Black Jeans. Inject some colour into your tired and worn winter clothes, and you'll feel as though summer's already here. 

First up, the Stripy Scarf. 

You Will Need: 

A scarf made of natural fiber (cotton, linen, rayon etc.)
One sachet of dye in a colour of your choice
Rubber gloves
A bottle with a squeezy nib
Elastic bands
A washing up bowl
Salt
A plastic bag and a plastic sheet

Always work in a well-ventilated area and use rubber gloves when handling dye.

The Subtly Stripy Scarf. 

One. Soak your scarf in a salt solution, following the instructions on your dye packet.

Two. Prepare the dye in a squeezy bottle according to instructions. We used a 1/4 sachet of Dylon's Ocean Blue, which we mixed with 100ml warm water. Give the bottle a good shake.

Three. Squeeze excess water out the scarf, leaving it damp. Lay it out on a flat surface and accordion-fold it lengthways; it's a bit fiddly, but it doesn't need to be perfect!

Four. Secure it into segments with evenly-spaced elastic bands; the closer together they are the more stripes you get. Grab your bottle of dye and carefully cover alternate segments with dye. Make sure you get right into the creases, but remember to be neat.

Five. Leaving the elastic bands in place, pop your scarf in a plastic bag. Make sure the dye doesn't touch the plain segments. Close the bag and leave it in a warm place for 24 hours.

Six. Take out your scarf and rinse it with cold water until the water runs clear. Take off the elastic bands, leave to dry and admire your creation!

How often do we let one of our senses fall to the sidelines? We revel daily in music for our ears and food for our tongues, but rarely do we celebrate fragrances for our nose. 

In steps Odette Toilette, "purveyor of olfactory adventures". 

Mad about scents and perfume, Odette began her work in 2010, after she had a 'curious idea for a bizarrely-formatted event about fragrance'. She works with scent-enthusiasts across London to find new ways of bringing the subject to life, hosting scented retellings of Greek mythology, collaborating with poets, and using fragrance to support people with dementia.

This week she is co-hosting Sip/Sniff, an evening combining wine and perfume that, when paired together, evoke outrageous personalities. We spoke to her about her work, inspiration, and favourite smells. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work. 

I am a scentaholic who hosts fragrance events and experiences. I also write about perfume. 

How did you fall into the delectable world of scent? 

'Fall' is a good word because it did happen that way. Scent was something I very much kept apart from work as a private and precious interest. It all started as a result of feeling that there should be something out there to satisfy the curiosity of people intrigued by fragrance. As a subject, scent demands an event: you have to be there to smell the stuff. Once the events started, it grew and grew until it became my job. 

What do you love most about what you do? 

There are two things. The first is when someone leaves an event with a slightly peculiar but wonderful look in their eyes, because they've been switched on to a new way of thinking about scent. The second is when you unwittingly reunite someone with a lost favourite of theirs, or use a fragrance which they love. 

Tell us about the events you host. 

They're themed journeys that get people sniffing, talking, sampling and thinking. The way we manage it is to come up with a subject to go with the scent, which offers an alternative angle on the subject. For example, coming up is Sip/Sniff, a wine vs. perfume night where we compare between the two and get everyone discussing why some scents and wines work together, and why some jar completely. Then in March there's an event called Scent and Scandal at the Crazy Coqs cabaret lounge, which involves high tea followed by an interactive talk on perfumes and the outrageous personalities of London's night-club scene in the 20s and 30s. 

What's your earliest encounter with scent? 

I had a doll called Strawberry Shortcake: when you squeezed her tummy the smell of (very iffy) strawberries would be emitted. My sister and I used to torture my grandad with that doll; he absolutely hated the strawberry scent so we would squeeze it in his face. Kind grandchildren!

What smell would you bottle and sell if you could? 

I would bottle the smell of sweet peas, my favourite flowers. There aren't any sweet pea absolutes for sale right now, so perfumers have to simulate the fragrance through other materials. Whether many would buy it? I don't know, but I'd get through a few bottles at least. 

Odette is hosting Sip/Sniff tomorrow at Stories on Broadway Market, East London. 

Jamie Collins is a third year contemporary craft student at Falmouth University, and also the brains and hands behind the two metre-tall chair that currently stands in Truro Cathedral. He works from a studio located in the milking parlour of his parents' dairy farm, and spends his days perfecting his beautiful wooden pieces and pulling sawdust from his hair. We interviewed him about traditional crafts, working with wood, and his hopes for the future.

What is it about wood that you enjoy working with?

What I love about wood is how the same material can be so different every time I use it. The grains and knots often determine the shapes and lines which gives a piece its character and charm. The same material gives us musical instruments, professions in carpentry, transport within the boating industry…the list goes on. The versatility of wood never ceases to amaze me.

What inspired you to work with wood?

Coming from such a rural part of Devon, there's an array of trades where tradition is still very much alive: thatchers, stonemasons, tree surgeons etc. I wanted to stick with tradition, and hope that one day I can gain recognition as a wood worker. Since starting my course I've had the opportunity to work with all sorts of different materials, from glass to steel and ceramics to pewter; that said, none gave me the same fulfilment as wood.

What’s the story behind your two metre tall chair?

As part of our third year brief we had to work with outside organisations and communities, and I chose Truro Cathedral. The work started with intensive research into the seating of the cathedral and the general history of religion. During the 1700s, an estimated 950,000 London residents were unable to access their place of worship, and in those days seats were rented out by wealthier churchgoers. Reflecting on this, I wanted to replicate the traditional church chair, using height and dominant presence to symbolize hierarchy and status, resulting in my two metre chair.

What's a day of work like for you?

Once initial research is carried out and plans are drawn, work can begin. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a drawing transformed into reality. Numerous cups of tea and a few splinters later, you're able to take a step back, contemplate, and maybe do some tinkering before putting down my tools. It's rather a consuming job, and after a day's work you often find yourself at home emptying your pockets and pulling sawdust from your hair.

What do you hope for after you graduate?

Luckily my workshop at home will allow me to continue after graduation; my intention is to gradually build recognition as a maker, and see where it goes from there. To be a freelance designer from scratch is an ambitious task (there's undoubtedly an element of wishful thinking involved), but until graduation is over and reality sets in, ambition is all you have.

An exhibition of Jamie's work will be at Truro Cathedral on the 17-27 January. 

If you wander into the workshop or sewing room of a discerning textile-lover, Selvedge magazine is the title you're likely to find lying, well-thumbed, in a corner. We went off to their Winter Fair in the hope of unearthing some fabric-based treasures.

The vibrantly-coloured knitwear by Gabrielle Vary was hard to miss...

...and so was the well-stocked rack of John Arbon's socks. 

It was nice to encounter an old friend in the form of Merchant & Mills. Their sewing shears seem just the right mix of practical and elegant.

Other favourites were Original Little Bird's map print fabric, Fogle's leather bags, and The Printed Peanut's ready-made pass-the-parcel.

A little while back, Oh Comely was lucky enough to be asked to award a prize at the design and craft fair Made London. With four floors filled with finds, from the daintiest of jewellery, the finest of knits, to the most delicate porcelain we have ever seen, deciding as best in show was no easy task. 

However, after much deliberation we chose Rowena Brown, whose dear little ceramic houses in the calmest of colours (and strung with hemp string for hanging), quietly stole our hearts. We hope it made her day, as handing her the winning rosette certainly made ours. 

You'll be able to read a full interview with the lovely Rowena in issue 19, but in the meantime do visit her website to find out more.

To pin your own (virtual) rosette on an in-show favourite, why not make a jaunt to Made Brighton, which is taking place this weekend between the 21st and 24th of November in the Brighton Dome. Packed with over 120 original makers and designers, it's geared to be a wonderful event, and a must for any crafty folk. Click here for more information.

Folksy.com is an online marketplace featuring British-made crafts and art. It showcases the work of around 15,000 makers, and is a darn good website from which to snoop on the UK's craft scene.

And now, enter a new book project from Folksy: Revealing Craft. Folksy have picked thirteen out of 1.5 million listed products, and are telling the story of where they came from; who made, inspired and loved them into life. 

Sheffield photographer India Hobson has worked for sixteen months to produce the photographs for Revealing Craft, visiting artists in their studios and snapping them in action. The team are collaborating with the print company Dust to produce a beautifully-crafted book.

All the project needs now is Kickstarter funding: £6,500 by 24^th November to cover the costs of production and printing. If the target is reached, the first edition will go out for Christmas. Donate as little as £14 and you'll receive a print of one of the images from the project. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to support the wealth of crafting talent the UK has to offer, as well as something independent and deserving.

Photo: India photographs Northfield Primitives. 

Is there anything so tacky and innocent as a Party Ring? Let’s be honest, they don’t taste great, but looks-wise they are a definite winner. So colourful, pastel and sweet, their cheerful exterior makes up for the flavourless experience of eating them.

The recipe I tried is from the London Baking blog, and the end result proved to be much tastier than the shop-bought ones. Plus, there’s a world of fun to be had splattering food dye across biscuits. Creating edible Jackson Pollocks is a winning way to spend a rainy evening.

Party Rings

For the biscuit:

200g plain flour
90g butter
100g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ a tsp baking powder
½ a tsp salt

For the icing:

300g icing sugar
food dye in colours of choice

One. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract.

Two. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir together to form a dough. Some gentle kneading is useful at this point.

Three. Wrap in clingfilm, and leave in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Four. Preheat oven to 180 C. Roll out the dough on a floured surface, and cut out round shapes roughly the size of a Party Ring (I used the lid of a jar). Cut out the hole in the middle (I used the lid from the bottle of Vanilla Essence).

Five. Place on a lined tray and bake for around 12 minutes. Don’t let them get too golden brown as Party Rings are quite pale.

Six. While they’re cooling, make up a big batch of very thick icing sugar, and split into different bowls. Colour each bowl with dyes of your choice.

Seven. Once cooled, dip your biscuit face down into a bowl, to create the base colour. Next, get a spoon and drizzle lines of a second colour across the biscuit. Take a toothpick and drag it across the lines, to create the marbled effect.

Eight. Repeat with different colours, then leave them to set. Put them on a plate and have a party.

Bompas & Parr are the food mavericks who set a steamship in 55,000 litres of jelly and built the world's first chocolate climbing wall. 

We interviewed Sam Bompas in the latest issue, and he gave us two recipes for jelly space cocktails. And you know what that means? Now it's your turn.

Here's your challenge: make a jelly inspired by outer space.

The prizes: four Oh Comely subscriptions.

How to enter: Email [email protected] with a photo and your recipe by October 14th.

Inspiration: There's a printer-friendly version of Sam's recipes here if you'd like to have a go at them, but your jelly can be anything at all. We're looking for desserts joyfully tacky enough to be served at the afterparty of the 1977 Star Wars première. Rainbow colours, stars and flying saucer sweets are encouraged. Look, it just has to be better than our gelled moonshot, okay?

We'll be putting all the entries up on the old Facebook, so include a website or blog link with your entry if you'd like that included.

T&Cs: 1. The competition closes on 14 October. 2. One entry per person. 3. There is no cash or other alternative to the prizes stated. 4. Any entries may be published on ohcomely.co.uk and its social media platforms with credit.