-
Upcycle – Welsh Dresser
I found this dark wood dresser in a charity shop a few years ago and loved the half circle designs and pane glass windows, plus it had great storage cupboards for toys and games. It was crying out for a bold colour to upcycle this welsh dresser. So I grabbed a can of peacock coloured paint that was suitable for wood and got painting. I like to see the original colour of the piece so focused on the drawers, cupboards and back of the piece while keeping the shelves original. To pick out the details, I used a drybrush technique on the patterns to make them stand out more. What…
-
Bedside table upcycle
An upcycled bedside table
-
Rope Rainbow Hair Clip Storage
After seeing a hair clip rainbow from the fantastic Nerdy Knits, I wanted to have a go at making something for my little one’s growing collection of hair clips and hair bands. After a lengthy discussion involving mermaids and unicorns, we landed on a rainbow hair clip storage solution. You will need: Macrame rope (I used 10mm thick) Wool in your choice of colours Ribbon for hanging Fabric Button Needle and thread Hot glue gun (or use the needle and thread to attach) I used the same method to make the rainbow as in my Rope Rainbow post, except I used three lengths and cut the rope long so there…
-
Fabric Paint Meeple Curtains
Another lockdown, another lockdown project! This time, I wanted to brighten up our games room by zshushing up some plain curtains with brightly coloured meeples. Read on to find out how I created these fabric paint meeple curtains with a homemade stamp. You will need: craft foam cardboard pva glue scissors or scalpel to cut out the foam masking tape fabric paint paint brush or roller to spread the paint curtains / material To create the stamp, I (full disclosure – my husband did this bit as he’s a lot better with the scalpel than I am!) cut a large meeple shape out of the craft foam and then stuck…
-
Upcycled fabric Christmas tree wall hanging
I have a quilted wall hanging that I made a couple of years ago and I love it, but it’s autumnal so I always feel I have to put it away at Christmas. This year I decided to make it reversible so that back is now an upcycled Christmas tree wall hanging and I can have it up in my house for longer! This was also a great scrap buster for green material! First, I edged the wall hanging with red material from an old pair of curtains. This formed a nice 4 inch border frame for the picture. Next I arranged a selection of green fabrics into a pattern.…
-
Easy upcycled face mask using a pair of leggings
I was so impressed when my daughter made this easy upcycled face mask from a pair of leggings that I wanted to share it with all of you! This pattern will fit a small adult’s face (the elastic is a little tight on me!) or a child. Firstly, take a pair of child’s leggings, ideally ones that have been outgrown or are never worn. Cut off the legs so you have about 22cm of fabric. Pin a 2cm hem each side. Sew the hems. You can use running stitch or backstitch or whip stitch if you don’t want the stitches to show. Make sure you leave a good sized channel…
-
Autumn Wreath
An autumn wreath made with leaves and conkers
-
Pallet den
A wooden den, made from upcycling pallets
-
Mosaic Splashback
After my son smashed one of my favourite mugs, I couldn’t bear to throw the pieces away. So, I began to collect any broken crockery that I particularly liked, mostly in blue and white with the thought that I’d do something with them some day. That day came when discussing what to do about a splashback. Here was an opportunity to use up my beloved smashed cups and plates and create a unique mosaic for the kitchen. First, I cut an offcut of plyboard to size to fit the space between my cooker and the extractor fan. Next, I started to place pieces of ceramic on it and soon realised…
-
Upcycled lampshade
This make was a quick upcycled lampshade after I managed to get a great lamp base from a freecycle group but wasn’t happy with my plain lampshade. I wanted a quirky lamp for my craft room and cream wasn’t going to cut it! So I took a small existing lampshade I already had, some wool from my craft stash, some pom pom trim in a gorgeous hot pink and my trusty glue gun to transform from drab to fab. First I glued some wool from my stash (similar to this in teal) to the inside of the lampshade. Then, I wound it round and round the shade until it was…
