I love January. I love the promise of a whole new year lying ahead, to use as I please. I love the weather and the watermelons, and the sound of schoolchildren practicing war-cries in preparation for sports day. But most of all, I love new diaries. So in celebration of the start of a brand new year, I thought it would be fun to investigate some crafty diary, calendar and organiser ideas.

Photo calendar
Print out one of these free calendars, or create your own using a programme like Publisher. Then have the calendar photocopied onto a large sheet of cardboard, so that there is a substantial border around the edge. Decorate this border with a selection of special photos (and scrapbooking embellishments if you like). You could do a theme (photos of flowers, for example, or sunsets), or you could use pictures of your children or pets, or even pics that remind you of special events and outings you enjoyed during 2005. If you like, you could have the completed calendar laminated - which would allow you to make erasable notes on it as well, of course.

Diaries and organisers
If you have a teenage daughter or niece, make her a Denim-covered Diary to use for jotting down all her secret thoughts and dreams. All you need is an old pair of jeans, a blank journal, fabric paint and glue. And here's a simple idea for making your own journal, using minimal materials and no complicated techniques. If you like the idea of using a kit, then head over to Craft & Hobbies Boutique and order the Organiser Kit, complete with cardboard, craft paper, decorations, stickers, ribbon, notepad and calendar inserts. The kit, pictured below, is currently selling for R89.95.
Cross-stitch your way through the year
You can buy a Cross-stitch Pattern-a-day Boxed Calendar from calendars.com, and you'll have a new pattern to work on for every single day of 2006! There are a number of other boxed calendars in their range, featuring crafts such as knitting, crochet, scrapbooking and quilting.

Colour-in Calendar
Download this sweet Hedgehog Calendar, and let your children have fun colouring in the designs. I have my set of 36 Colleen pencil-crayons now (Waltons stocks them, if you're looking), so I may just do this one myself.

Colourful finger puppets, a funky zebra, a cuddly rabbit in dungarees, a bright and cheery clown - you'll find patterns for all these and more in Knitted Toys by Fiona McTague. If you're a granny-to-be, give the matinee jackets and bootees a miss, and rather knit up a few of the gorgeous creatures in this month's prize! To enter, send an email to competition@redballoon.co.za with the word 'December' in the subject line, and name one of the patterns in Knitted Toys. The winner will be contacted by the 3rd of February 2006. Congratulations to Janine Barnard, the winner of our November competition - she'll soon be quilting like a pro!

Candlemaker's Deli will be holding two candlemaking workshops during February at Woman's Value in Cape Town. For more info contact Angelique at candledeli@pacchem.co.za. Herzlia High School will be holding a craft market/fun day on Sunday 12 March 2006 to raise money for charity. The market will take place at the school from 10am. Stalls are now available for rental at R150 each. Contact Marion Stein on (021) 712 2677 or 083 708 9333 for more info or to book. Di Muller is inviting all bear-lovers to come and celebrate Bears By Di`s 25th Anniversary with her on Saturday 25 March at 2pm, at Bear Cottage, 26 Van Wagering Street, Bothasig. Anyone who has ever bought a Bears By Di bear, elephant, cat, duck, rat, etc. is invited to bring him/her along for a visit; there may even be a prize for the oldest one brought along. Entrance is free and you're welcome to bring a friend. Phone Di on (021) 558-3436 to RSVP.

Jo-Ann Bannister will be holding the following soapcrafting workshops over the next few weeks: 4 February: 9am: Valentine's Day Soapcrafting (R80.00) 11.30am: Soap Scrolls (R90.00) Book for both classes and pay R150.00 11 February: 9am - Bath Delights (R100.00) 11am - Health Soaps (R80.00) Book for both classes and pay R160.00 Venue: Next to Jo-Ann's shop, at High Street Shopping Village, Bellville. Booking is essential. Contact Jo-Ann at glorioussoap@iafrica.com or on 083 603 0196. A note about the Wilderness Craft Market: The market, now in its 10th year of operation, supports the Sanparks Honorary Rangers, who use the funds to upgrade and assist the Wilderness National Park. You can visit the market on the 2nd and last Sunday of every month (on the banks of the Touws River), and you will find top-quality crafts made by the talented crafters of the Garden Route.