Hooked by a hook, why I'm not a Trebus, a craft project & a competition

I have always been a secret squirrel, never a minimalist. I like to keep stuff - so my partner has annoyingly nicknamed me Trebus. Unlike Trebus, I do like having some empty space around me and being able to find things, so I'm a great fan of storage: shelves, cupboards, wardrobes, chest of drawers, baskets, sheds, you name it, I have got it! Over the years I must have spent a fortune in Argos, Homebase, Ikea and B&Q as I lived in several different houses (owned and rented). However I also like going around charity shops, so I have bought and done up old furniture to use as storage. 

But what about small things to keep at hand or in view? That's when the humble hook comes into its own. So I jumped at the chance of reviewing a variety of hooks from Command, which you can buy from retailers and online. I do recommend visiting its website beforehand, which offers useful information, decorative inspiration and a tempting competition. 

Hooks are not only handy for everyday living but also great for special occasions (think Halloween, Christmas, Easter...) when you'd like to stick something on a wall without leaving a mark. That's what Command hooks and strips can offer you - damage-free hanging - which is perfect when you are renting a place and don't want to lose part of your deposit because your pictures or Christmas fairy lights left a mark or, worse, a hole on a wall. 

Win, Win! Check out www.commandstrips.co.uk for a chance to win one of three £150 Photobox vouchers and a 3M Command product kit.

Crafting corner: let your imagination run free

Forget hanging kitchen utensils or coats in a hallway, you can use hooks to create your own wall art. This pictorial tree would work really well to display family pictures - no hammer and nails required! 

Step-by-step guide to creating a memory tree

1. Choose the area in your home you wish to update: it could be a bare wall in your living room, a child’s play room or even your study. You will need to purchase a tree wall transfer in order to start off your design, unless you want to paint your own. 

2. Plan your colour palette. We worked on a cream wall and chose a brown tree transfer, so decided to keep our decorations to neutral creams and browns. You don’t have to stick to one or two colours though – why not go for a bold design?

3.  Pick out some items to hang on your memory wall. Perhaps you could focus on a specific event, such as your wedding, holiday or birth of a child - you could even turn it into family tree! Think about the shape of the items you are hanging and try to balance the display in terms of the composition.

4. To hang photo frames or canvases, you can use Command Picture Hanging Strips. You can take a small birdcage and clip photos or quirky post cards to it, and then hang it using a Command Clear Hook so that it blends in with the wall, or perhaps use the Command Clear Mini Hooks to hang lighter items such as a little trinkets or lighter cardboard decorations. These don’t leave any marks on your walls and remove cleanly and easily - perfect if you decide to swap or move any of the items at a later stage. But before you do, check the pack to work out which hooks suit each of your decorations the best, weight-wise.

5. Once you have decided on your arrangement, try laying out all of your items on the floor to see if the design works before you hang it. 

6. If you are using Command hooks or strips, it is recommended that you put them onto the wall and leave them for an hour to ensure that they stick before you hang your items. And there you have it! A beautiful memory tree that looks great in any room and is completely unique to you.