How to Add Six Chunks of Heavenly Chocolaty Designs to Your Home…

Chocolate. It’s comforting, stimulating, addictive and just plain good! But who knew the potential chocolate has to help us think inside and outside the box when it comes to home design? These six deliciously simple projects will not only elevate your choco warrior status as you recycle and upcycle, but they will also help curb your cravings for cocoa and make any chocoholic triangularly green with envy and smitten forever.

1. Upcycle an old chandelier using an array of chocolate wrappers.

Add shimmering colour to an unloved chandelier light fitting and create a collage effect using the foil wrappers from a variety of chocolates. They mould well to the curved surface and can be stuck together with a good quality, solid adhesive. You can also coat with P.V.A glue for added protection and sheen. It’s a messy job, but well worth all that surreptitious scoffing of chocolate.

2. Go cocoa retro with your own Andy Warhol inspired pop art.

Did you know that in the 1960s, collectable picture cards of Jacques Belgium chocolate would be tucked inside the actual chocolate bars? Sets of chocolaty-themed memorabilia cards like these can be purchased at a reasonable price from online marketplaces such as eBay, and they are perfect for easy and effective D.I.Y projects. Simply arrange multiple cards inside a recycled picture frame to create a colourful pattern and - Voila! Mouth-watering pop art at its best.

3. Make a puzzling fireplace feature using chocolate themed jigsaws.

Liven up a non-working fire surround using sections of pre-loved Cadbury jigsaw puzzles. Assemble the pieces first and then use some careful measuring, good spatial awareness and logical thinking to plan your layout design. Transfer and stick several pieces of the puzzle at a time with a spray fixative. Don’t forget to keep your sugar levels up with a regular dose of your favourite cocoa treats and before you know it, you will have created a delightfully quirky, chocolate-themed, fireplace surround for your home.

4. Create a sweet, chocolaty candelabra.

Whether you care enough to share, or whether you would rather unashamedly enjoy a solitary glass or two, look out for a bottle of chocolate-infused, red wine with a delectable label. Then prepare to transform the empty bottle into a choctastic, candlelit centrepiece. Simply fill with a not-so-secret stash of chocolate such as M&M’s (easier said than done as you will be tempted to taste for quality control purposes) and with the help of a little Internet shopping, seal the top with a wine bottle candelabra and chocolate scented candles. Mmm…

5. Write sweet somethings on your walls.

Feature walls don’t have to be bold to be beautiful. Wall quotes are another fun and elegant way to add personality to your home. If chocolate is your food of love, why not let it do the talking? There are plenty of inspirational and chocolaty quotes to be found on the Internet as well as tutorials in D.I.Y lettering. Not ready to unleash your own style of Shakespearean script just yet? You can always cheat and buy a wall quote decal instead.

6. Be prepared for chocolate cravings.

Stick your favourite chocolate bar in a box frame and use scrabble tiles to spell out what to do in case of a serotonin emergency. If the thought of untouchable chocolate is simply just too much to bear, you can always console yourself with the consumption of another, much bigger bar. No guilt necessary, as you will find that the discarded foil wrapper is just begging to be the next creative muse for your next chocolaty upcycle.