According to the University of Manchester, historian Dr Charlie Wildman has found that during the Great Depression of the 1920’s and 1930’s unusual levels of unparalleled creative development and innovation were prompted by the depression.

We are all much more careful with our hard earned cash and have really taken things back to basics, but there are things that we can do cheaply to bring a little cheer into our homes.

I love when I see rooms that have been decorated with things that have been made by hand. There is nothing better than a throw that your mother knitted or a ceramic creature your nephew made in art class.

One domestic goddess who really knows how to make something out of thin air is Martha Stewart. She is a crafting genius and even has a dedicated room in her home specifically for crafts. Have a look at the craft section of the website where you can even sign up for the ‘Craft of the day’ newsletter. There are some fanatic ideas for Halloween costumes, my favourite is the coffee-filter fairy godmother!

You know what they say… a craft a day keeps the recession at bay.