Easy peasy DIY craft kits

If you are feeling inspired by our gift guide for crafty chicas but like a touch of reassurance before you cut and paste, there's a whole raft of kits on the market that are perfect for more cautious crafters.

Book artist, illustrator and designer type Alice Melvin has teamed up with Tate to produce these fantastic and bang on trend Cut out and sew owl hand puppets. The clues are in the title - you simply need to cut out the owl shapes from the fabric and sew them together to make one big glove puppet and three hand puppets. If all sounds a bit complicated, do not fear as step-by-step instructions are also included. All this costs just £6.36.

A slightly more ambitious project is this Scots Guard cross stitch kit from London-based The Papered Parlour. They offer craft classes in everything from sewing to silver-smithing to screen-printing and are now offering a little piece of their creativity to those who live beyond the reaches of Clapham. This cute little figure is apparently part of a soon to be launched range called London in Stitches. The kit, which costs £15, includes needle, thread and screen-printed template. And, of course, instructions.

Finally, the deluxe option is from the hilariously named Wool and the Gang. It contains enough ethically sourced Peruvian wool to make your own grey snood. It's stocked by net-a-porter and, if they are on board, you know it's been given the official stamp of chic approval. The kit has everything, from wooden needles to a pattern and even contains an exclusive 'knit-a-porter' patch. Those seeking further guidance can plunder the videos on the Wool and the Gang website.

And with that, consider yourself fully kitted out...