Crafty ideas for children

Meet me at Mike's was the name of a well-known but now defunct craft store in Melbourne, but its spirit lives on in this book. Compiled by the store's owner, the book is a handy source of inspiration for budding crafters with ideas on how to make baby clothing and soft toys to book covers and bags. Ideas were gathered from prominent craftsmen in Australia. Each craft comes with a full-size pattern. HK$230 at Mirth, Mezzanine Floor, Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang, tel: 2553 9811

Walls are a favourite doodling surface for children and this paper house gives them their own home to decorate. It has doors, letterboxes and windows, and the white walls on the inside and graphics on the outside offer plenty of scope for creative colouring. The house is big enough for children to enter and is made from heavy-gauge cardboard, so it can stand up to rough play. It folds flat when not in use. HK$139 at Toys Club, 1913 Horizon Plaza, 2 Lei Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2836 0875 or 5/F, On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central, tel: 2167 8474

For adults of a certain generation the original Ladybird series were the entry point into the world of children's books, and some of its craft books have found their way into a range of activity kits. The Vintage Ladybird kits and their retro-style packaging are a walk down memory lane for parents, and the contents provide all the materials needed to get crafty. Sewing and craft kits available. HK$200 at Petit Bazaar, 9 Gough Street, Central, tel: 2544 2255 or 80 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2528 0229