How to make a tea cosy

Brighten up the breakfast table with a handcrafted tea cosy. Top textile designer Lisa Stickley shows you how to make a tea cosy:

Tea, cake and .... the radio in the background are all particular favourites of mine. This is a nice easy project to ensure that your tea will be steamy hot even after the cake is gone!

Print v iPads: books win!‏

Although e-book readers might be heralded as the future of literature but a new report shows that it's still quicker to read the old-fashioned print version of a book. However, the study found that although traditional printed books are faster and 'more relaxing' to read, but iPads and Kindles are 'more satisfying'.

The bookcase you'll want to live in

The Ark bookcase is for storing your books. But it's also for so much more . .

Fairtrade towns to top 500‏

Fair trade is growing fast with ever more Fairtrade towns that promote ethical shopping and even twin with their producer communities. A decade on from Garstang in Lancashire being declared as a Fairtrade town, the Fairtrade Foundation is set to crown the UK's 500th Fairtrade town, with Basingstoke and Deane borough in England, Fife in Scotland and the Welsh town of Llanelli all in the running. Fairtrade groups are as likely to be found in urban areas as in rural idylls. Twenty-three London boroughs have Fairtrade status, and Fairtrade cities include Edinburgh, Cardiff and Liverpool.

Being at a computer makes us crave chocolate

Computers can make you fat - and not just from lack of exercise! Research shows that staring at a computer screen makes us work up an appetite for sweet treats like chocolate cake and biscuits. It is thought that the mental stress of computer work triggers changes in blood sugar and hormone levels that trick the brain into thinking it has worked off lots of calories that need replaced.

How to pour the perfect cup of coffee

The Guardian reports on years of research that have resulted in the discovery of the definitive way to pour the perfect second cup of coffee.

Hedgehog voted number one Icon of the Environment

The humble hedgehog – immortalised by the character “Mrs Tiggy-winkle” in Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s books – has been voted by the public as England and Wales’ number one Icon of the Environment. As part of the Environment Agency’s 10th anniversary celebrations people were asked to take part in an ICON of the Environment poll and to nominate and vote for their favourite environmental icon, at the official ICONS – A Portrait of England website.

From a field strewn with more than 70 nominations, the hedgehog emerged victorious ahead of the otter, red squirrel, and oak tree, with bluebell woods rounding out the top five.

Don't forget SuperBadger

SuperBadger is Tearfund's Facebook campaigning application. It allows Facebook users to send emails direct from their profile to the people making the decisions. Whether it is badgering politicians about climate change, or badgering supermarkets to stock more Fairtrade products, start badgering now!

• Find SuperBadger on Facebook now (Facebook sign up required)
• You can also follow SuperBadger on Twitter and SuperBadger's very own blog