How beautiful has this weather been recently? It’s like being in a different country, isn’t it? Oh wait, what is that rain and drizzle? Suddenly it’s freezing! All this weather change is giving me whiplash and all I can think about is being in a different country, laying on the beach and soaking up the sun rays. If only there was a way to transport Hawaii into our homes. Luckily, there is!

Why not relax in the garden under the shade of a beautiful palm tree. Although they can be a little pricey, they will transform your garden into a tropical paradise for you to relax in. The shade will keep you cool when lying under it and will make you feel like you’ve just stepped into Hawaii.

Turn your house into a little Hawaiian beach hut
Although simple and a little out-there, bamboo screenings on the outside of windows will make your home look like a little Hawaiian beach hut whilst keeping your house cooler. Bamboo screenings are known to stop 70% of sunshine from getting in through windows, meaning a cooler environment for you to relax in.

Bamboo is such an exciting thing to play around with. For this month’s interior design DIY, I’ve decided to show you how to make a Bamboo Wind Chime. Not only will this complement the summer evenings, but it’ll look gorgeous when it catches the sunlight and wind.

1. Buy some Bamboo either online or check out your local garden centre or nursery – you may even have some growing in your back garden. Make sure it’s healthy and isn’t rotting or splitting.

2. Cut the bamboo into six lengths, creating tubes by making sure each length is composed of two of the plant’s ‘sections’, with one end above the partition-like segment end, and the other below it, so you have an open tube to work with.

3. The first piece needs to measure 30cm and this will act as the base from which the other bamboo tubes will hang. Two further pieces will need to measure 30cm, two must measure 35cm in length and the final piece needs to measure 40cm. You should then have varying lengths and one base tube.

4. Then cut off the markings so that the tubes have a slanted edge.

5. Take the hanging tubes and measure 2cm down on the non-slanted end. Mark this with a pencil on all five tubes. Next, you need to drill a hole through the side of each marked tube so that the string can be threaded through.

6. On the base tube, you will need to measure in 5cm from the edge. This will be the location of the first hole. Continue to make measurements every 5cm so you're left with 5 pencil marks in total. Drill straight through these marks to the other side.

7. You now need to string your bamboo tubes together to create the finished piece. Cut five 70cm lengths of string. Tie a sturdy knot in one piece of string and thread it through the first hole on the top side through to the bottom of the base tube.

8. Pick up the 30cm hanging tube and thread the string through the drilled hole on the non-slanted edge. Push the string back through the bottom of the hole on the base and back through to the top hole, moving the knot out of the way so that the string can be pulled through. Secure the remaining length of string with another knot so there are two knots above the top hole. Repeat for each tube until all five are hanging from the base.

Enjoy watching and listening to your wind chime – hopefully the sun will come out to play!