diff --git a/sandbox/uber.css b/sandbox/uber.css
index cc063fab8..86b89d451 100644
--- a/sandbox/uber.css
+++ b/sandbox/uber.css
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@
   height: 8;
   min-width: 80;
   background: dark_blue;
-  margin-bottom: 4;
+  padding: 1 2;
 }
diff --git a/sandbox/uber.py b/sandbox/uber.py
index 00582f0cf..09edc0bc3 100644
--- a/sandbox/uber.py
+++ b/sandbox/uber.py
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ class BasicApp(App):
 
     def action_increase_margin(self):
         old_margin = self.focused.styles.margin
-        new_margin = old_margin + Spacing.all(1)
-        self.focused.styles.margin = new_margin
+        # new_margin = old_margin + (1,1,1)
+        self.focused.styles.padding = (1, 1, 1)
 
 
 BasicApp.run(css_file="uber.css", log="textual.log", log_verbosity=1)
diff --git a/src/textual/css/_error_tools.py b/src/textual/css/_error_tools.py
index 48d69c173..68ffc23e2 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/_error_tools.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/_error_tools.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def friendly_list(words: Iterable[str], joiner: str = "or") -> str:
     Returns:
         str: List as prose.
     """
-    words = [repr(word) for word in sorted(words, key=str.lower)]
+    words = [repr(word) for word in sorted(words, key=str.lower) if word]
     if len(words) == 1:
         return words[0]
     elif len(words) == 2:
diff --git a/src/textual/css/_help_text.py b/src/textual/css/_help_text.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b1dc29381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/textual/css/_help_text.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from textual.css._error_tools import friendly_list
+from textual.css.scalar import SYMBOL_UNIT
+
+
+def _inline_name(property_name: str) -> str:
+    return property_name.replace("-", "_")
+
+
+def spacing_help_text(property_name: str, num_values_supplied: int) -> str:
+    return f"""\
+• You supplied {num_values_supplied} values for the '{property_name}' property
+• Spacing properties like 'margin' and 'padding' require either 1, 2 or 4 integer values
+• In Textual CSS, supply 1, 2 or 4 values separated by a space
+    [dim]e.g. [/][i]{property_name}: 1 2 3 4;[/]
+• In Python, you can set it to a tuple to assign spacing to each edge
+    [dim]e.g. [/][i]widget.styles.{_inline_name(property_name)} = (1, 2, 3, 4)[/]
+• Or to an integer to assign to all edges at once
+    [dim]e.g. [/][i]widget.styles.{_inline_name(property_name)} = 2[/]"""
+
+
+def scalar_help_text(property_name: str) -> str:
+    return f"""\
+• Invalid value for the '{property_name}' property
+• Scalar properties like '{property_name}' require numerical values and an optional unit
+• Valid units are {friendly_list(SYMBOL_UNIT)}
+• Here's an example of how you'd set a scalar property in Textual CSS
+    [dim]e.g. [/][i]{property_name}: 50%;[/]
+• In Python, you can assign a string, int or Scalar object itself
+    [dim]e.g. [/][i]widget.styles.{_inline_name(property_name)} = "50%"[/]
+    [dim]e.g. [/][i]widget.styles.{_inline_name(property_name)} = 10[/]
+    [dim]e.g. [/][i]widget.styles.{_inline_name(property_name)} = Scalar(...)[/]"""
diff --git a/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py b/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
index c059d8cc8..b6265daa3 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ when setting and getting.
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import inspect
 from typing import Iterable, NamedTuple, TYPE_CHECKING, cast
 
 import rich.repr
 from rich.style import Style
 
+from ._help_text import spacing_help_text, scalar_help_text
 from ..color import Color, ColorPair
 from ._error_tools import friendly_list
 from .constants import NULL_SPACING
@@ -98,7 +100,10 @@ class ScalarProperty:
             try:
                 new_value = Scalar.parse(value)
             except ScalarParseError:
-                raise StyleValueError("unable to parse scalar from {value!r}")
+                raise StyleValueError(
+                    "unable to parse scalar from {value!r}",
+                    help_text=scalar_help_text(property_name=self.name),
+                )
         else:
             raise StyleValueError("expected float, int, Scalar, or None")
         if new_value is not None and new_value.unit not in self.units:
@@ -368,7 +373,16 @@ class SpacingProperty:
             if obj.clear_rule(self.name):
                 obj.refresh(layout=True)
         else:
-            if obj.set_rule(self.name, Spacing.unpack(spacing)):
+            try:
+                unpacked_spacing = Spacing.unpack(spacing)
+            except ValueError as error:
+                raise StyleValueError(
+                    str(error),
+                    help_text=spacing_help_text(
+                        property_name=self.name, num_values_supplied=len(spacing)
+                    ),
+                )
+            if obj.set_rule(self.name, unpacked_spacing):
                 obj.refresh(layout=True)
 
 
diff --git a/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py b/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py
index a78344c59..d44e882d5 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from typing import cast, Iterable, NoReturn
 import rich.repr
 
 from ._error_tools import friendly_list
+from ._help_text import spacing_help_text, scalar_help_text
 from .constants import (
     VALID_BORDER,
     VALID_BOX_SIZING,
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ from .constants import (
 )
 from .errors import DeclarationError
 from .model import Declaration
-from .scalar import Scalar, ScalarOffset, Unit, ScalarError
+from .scalar import Scalar, ScalarOffset, Unit, ScalarError, ScalarParseError
 from .styles import DockGroup, Styles
 from .tokenize import Token
 from .transition import Transition
@@ -160,12 +161,20 @@ class StylesBuilder:
                 self.error(name, token, f"invalid token {value!r} in this context")
 
     def _process_scalar(self, name: str, tokens: list[Token]) -> None:
+        def scalar_error():
+            self.error(name, tokens[0], scalar_help_text(property_name=name))
+
         if not tokens:
             return
         if len(tokens) == 1:
-            self.styles._rules[name.replace("-", "_")] = Scalar.parse(tokens[0].value)
+            try:
+                self.styles._rules[name.replace("-", "_")] = Scalar.parse(
+                    tokens[0].value
+                )
+            except ScalarParseError:
+                scalar_error()
         else:
-            self.error(name, tokens[0], "a single scalar is expected")
+            scalar_error()
 
     def process_box_sizing(self, name: str, tokens: list[Token]) -> None:
         for token in tokens:
@@ -287,7 +296,7 @@ class StylesBuilder:
             self.error(
                 name,
                 tokens[0],
-                f"1, 2, or 4 values expected; received {len(space)} values",
+                spacing_help_text(name, num_values_supplied=len(space)),
             )
         self.styles._rules[name] = Spacing.unpack(cast(SpacingDimensions, tuple(space)))
 
diff --git a/src/textual/css/constants.py b/src/textual/css/constants.py
index d738a8341..17abc9525 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/constants.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/constants.py
@@ -31,4 +31,4 @@ VALID_BOX_SIZING: Final = {"border-box", "content-box"}
 VALID_OVERFLOW: Final = {"scroll", "hidden", "auto"}
 
 
-NULL_SPACING: Final = Spacing(0, 0, 0, 0)
+NULL_SPACING: Final = Spacing.all(0)
diff --git a/src/textual/css/errors.py b/src/textual/css/errors.py
index d4196db4e..45be6062d 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/errors.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/errors.py
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from rich.console import ConsoleOptions, Console
+from rich.padding import Padding
+from rich.traceback import Traceback
+
 from .tokenize import Token
 
 
@@ -18,7 +24,13 @@ class StyleTypeError(TypeError):
 
 
 class StyleValueError(ValueError):
-    pass
+    def __init__(self, *args, help_text: str | None = None):
+        super().__init__(*args)
+        self.help_text = help_text
+
+    def __rich_console__(self, console: Console, options: ConsoleOptions):
+        yield Traceback.from_exception(type(self), self, self.__traceback__)
+        yield Padding(self.help_text, pad=(1, 0, 0, 1))
 
 
 class StylesheetError(Exception):
diff --git a/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py b/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
index 8ff1382e9..507289ec0 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from typing import cast, Iterable
 import rich.repr
 from rich.console import Group, RenderableType
 from rich.highlighter import ReprHighlighter
+from rich.markup import render
 from rich.padding import Padding
 from rich.panel import Panel
 from rich.syntax import Syntax
@@ -88,13 +89,7 @@ class StylesheetErrors:
                     )
                     append(self._get_snippet(token.code, line_no))
 
-                final_message = ""
-                for is_last, message_part in loop_last(message.split(";")):
-                    end = "" if is_last else "\n"
-                    final_message += f"• {message_part.strip()};{end}"
-
-                append(Padding(highlighter(Text(final_message, "red")), pad=(0, 1)))
-                append("")
+                append(Padding(highlighter(render(message)), pad=(0, 1)))
         return Group(*errors)
 
 
diff --git a/src/textual/geometry.py b/src/textual/geometry.py
index 1a8ab67bc..be617d57f 100644
--- a/src/textual/geometry.py
+++ b/src/textual/geometry.py
@@ -640,7 +640,9 @@ class Spacing(NamedTuple):
         if pad_len == 4:
             top, right, bottom, left = cast(Tuple[int, int, int, int], pad)
             return cls(top, right, bottom, left)
-        raise ValueError(f"1, 2 or 4 integers required for spacing; {pad_len} given")
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"1, 2 or 4 integers required for spacing properties; {pad_len} given"
+        )
 
     @classmethod
     def vertical(cls, amount: int) -> Spacing: