I’ve made a few bears over the years for my nieces and nephews. The first one I made was for my firstborn nephew and I didn’t even know if I’d be able to sew a whole bear when I started. However, I got a pattern and gave it a go.

I’d previously worked at The Bear Factory as a weekend job when I was a student but, if you’ve ever been to Build-A-Bear (as it’s now called) you’ll know that it’s more bear-stuffing and a small bit of stitching rather than actually making a bear from scratch.

But at least I knew the anatomy of a bear, I had an idea of how squishy I’d need it to be and had the knowledge to finish it off, so I figured I would have a go at making the limbs, body and head too. I chose some secondhand material including offcuts from an old shirt and got to work.

Long story short, I loved making the bear and grew quite attached to it through the making process. The only thing that made it easier to let go of him was the knowledge that he was going to my nephew.

I’ve since made another similar bear for my niece using a slightly smaller version of the same pattern. I’ve also made Red Ted, (pictured at the top of this blog post) who still lives with me.

For my next two bears, I used the Bear Making for Beginners Charlie Bear pattern. As the pattern pieces for bears are only small, I was able to upcycle the baby clothing of my other niece and nephew to create memory bears for them.

Most recently, I’ve made the Sophia Rabbit pattern for another niece. This is a much smaller pattern, which makes it more intricate to sew but it’s adorable! I’ve also moved on to using safety eyes and joints – which brings me on to the reason I’m doing some bear repairs now.

When I made my first bears, I didn’t have any of the bear-making equipment that I now have, so I didn’t have any eyes or joints, extra strong threads or a doll/bear-making needle. I had just used wool to stitch the limbs onto the bears and I’d used buttons for the eyes. Therefore, the bears were not suitable for playing with by children and were purely decorative.

Even though they hadn’t been played with, after 12 years of the bears just sitting in the nursery on a shelf, the wool had degraded. The poor little bears had each lost some limbs, their faces were frayed and some of the eyes had popped off.

So my niece and nephew brought the bears back to me for a ‘bear repair’. I was rather happy about this because it gave me the chance to use the skills I’d learnt since making more bears. Plus, I could replace the eyes with real glass eyes rather than buttons and embroider the face properly.

You will need

• 5-inch doll/bear needle
• Extra-strong thread
• A pair of glass eyes
• Embroidery thread and an embroidery needle
• Buttons

I ordered my supplies from Amazing Craft, which has been my go-to shop for bear-making items since I met them at The Handmade Fair ten years ago.

I choose dark smoked topaz eyes, which gives them a gorgeous expression – more so than black buttons. I also picked up extra-strong thread for the joints, some embroidery thread for the faces and a second doll needle.

Once you’ve got a big 5-inch doll needle, it becomes really easy to repair old bears and cuddly toys – so easy in fact that I enlisted my niece to help me. After a safety briefing (of course!), she was able to follow along with the instructions as I showed her how to insert the new glass eyes.

There’s a really handy video on how to insert glass eyes on the Amazing Craft YouTube channel, which is where I first learnt how to add eyes to the soft toys I make.

My niece had some more cuddly toes in need of eyes, so we also repaired her fluffy zebra toy and koala bear. This gave her a great sense of achievement and it was fun to do a craft together.

When I’m making bears nowadays, I always use safety joints and safety eyes. These have to be clipped in inside the pattern pieces during the making process and ensure a safe connection for these little parts. They also allow the limbs and head to move, as do cotter pin joints, which is a sweet touch.

However, because my niece and nephew’s bears are already constructed, I would’ve had to cut open the limbs and body and remove the stuffing to be able to use safety joints and eyes – basically, I’d be almost starting over and I don’t think the fabric would have survived this.

So, I decided to use the same extra-strong thread that I’d used on the eyes to create button joints to make sure the limbs won’t fall off again. Again, a 5-inch bear-making needle is essential as you need to be able to pass the needle all the way through the body of the bear.

Now, both bears are back to their best, with beautiful eyes and a newly embroidered smile.

The glass eyes mean the bears are still not suitable for young children to play with, but my niece and nephew are now high-school age so I was able to brief them about the safety of the eyes, which are now attached with the extra-strong thread, so they should be secure enough.

Let me know if you’re a fan of bear-making in the comments below, I’d love to hear what cuddly creatures you’ve made. Plus, please let me know if you’re thinking of taking up bear or doll-making yourself. I hope this blog post will have inspired you to give it a try.

Pin it for later

If you want to keep your children entertained during the half-term holidays, why not try this crafty project to spark their creativity? It’s a great opportunity to teach them how to sew and they’ll love using something they’ve made themselves.

Get warm, snug, and ready listen to aquatic tales (or tails!) with this fleece mermaid tail blanket. The blanket should be long enough to reach to your child’s chest: this blanket, made for a five-year-old, is 40in (1m) long. You can adjust the measurements to suit the size of your little one.

This project has been kindly supplied by Laura Minter and Tia Williams, the authors of the fabulous Mermaid Craft book. You can buy 52 Assignments: Mermaid Craft from Gifts to Me for only £4.80 (+P&P)! Usual RRP £5.99. Visit giftstome.co.uk and use the offer code R5807. Offer ends 21st May 2025*

You will need

• 80in (2m) of dark purple fleece
• 60in (1.5m) of pale purple fleece
• 40in (1m) of pink fleece
• Scissors
• Pins
• Tailor’s chalk
• Sewing machine
• Coordinating sewing thread and lighter colour sewing thread
• Download the Mermaid Tail template

Step 1

Using the diagram as a guide, draw out the main body of the blanket onto the piece of dark purple fleece, using tailor’s chalk. Cut it out, then cut out another identical piece from pale purple fleece. Using the diagram as a guide, draw and cut out the fin from the dark purple fleece.

Step 2

Cut rows of scales from each colour of fleece. Vary the size of the rows to fit across the blanket at each point. Start at the bottom and pin the scales onto the front piece, overlapping the scales and alternating colours as you work your way up.

Step 3

Starting from the bottom, sew along the top straight edge of the scales, moving the overlapping scales out
of the way as you go and removing the pins. Repeat to sew all the scales in place.

Step 4

Trim the excess scales off the sides of the blanket, following the line of the main piece underneath.

Step 5

Cut two strips of dark purple fleece measuring 4 x 30in (10 x 75cm). Fold and pin one strip over the top of the scaled blanket piece to conceal the raw edges. Sew 1⁄4in (5mm) in from the edge of the strip. Repeat
for the plain blanket piece.

Step 6

Pin the blanket pieces right sides together. Sew along both sides with a 1in (2.5cm) seam allowance. Trim the excess fabric. Keep the bottom of the blanket open.

Step 7

Use tailor’s chalk to mark decorative lines onto the tail fin. Sew over the lines using a lighter colour of thread.

Step 8

Sandwich the tail fin into the bottom of the blanket, with an overlap of 1in (2.5cm). Lift the bottom row of scales out of the way, then sew from the top of the blanket, with a 1⁄2in (1cm) seam allowance.

And there you have it – a fleecy mermaid tail blanket that’ll keep you cosy and will be fun to snuggle into.

If you fancy trying another craft, there are loads of different projects in the Mermaid Craft book, which is available at the bargain price of only £4.80 (+P&P Usual RRP £5.99) when you use the offer code R5807 on the Gifts To Me website before 21st May 2025.

Plus, I’ve shared an easy kids’ knitting project to knit a cute frog friend so be sure to check out that step-by-step guide too!

Let me know if you have a go at making this project yourself – I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments benlow and you can tag me in your photos on Instagram @cassiefairy.

Pin it for later

Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience

A bedtime story is always a lovely thing to experience with the youngsters in your life so here’s a way to make it even more special in the run-up to Christmas. Sure you might have already been reading some festive stories together but this thrifty DIY project makes it into a bit of an exciting treat too.

The idea is for children to have a mystery Christmas-themed book to unwrap and read before bed each night of in the run-up to Christmas. In this instance, I’m talking about the 12 days of Christmas, so there’s certainly still time to join in with this festive make and to make your own book advent calendar to use before Christmas this year.

The excitement of this calendar is in the children choosing one book to unwrap each night, not knowing what story is inside the gift wrap. If you have a few children in the family, they can take it in turns to choose and unwrap the book.

You can either wrap up any existing Christmas storybooks you already have or head out to the charity shops or school Christmas fairs this weekend to buy some low-cost secondhand books. The books don’t need to be big, expensive or new, they just need to be a quick festive story for bedtime – how lovely.

I set myself a limit of £1 for really special books, but the majority were priced at just 50p, so my 12 Days of Christmas calendar could have cost a total of just £6.

It’s a good idea to visit independent charity shops in your local area as they have great items to discover (alongside the festive books) and any money you spend with them will have more impact on the charity and will help to keep it running.

Once you’ve gathered together 12 books (or even 24 if you’re doing the whole advent period) you just need to wrap them up and pop them in a festive gift bag or a box, ready for the children to choose one surprise book to unwrap each evening.

There’s no need to buy new gift wrap for this – the more different colours and patterns the better, as it makes the pile look more exciting!

We’ve all got old ends of gift wrap from previous years lying around, haven’t we? And I’ve also reused some paper that I’d kept hold of after it had been used to wrap gifts last year. It couldn’t be a more thrifty project to make!

The fun of this advent is that it’s naturally something that the little ones will be opening in the evening – so it won’t ‘get lost’ amidst their other advent calendars with chocolates and toys that they might be opening in the mornings.

Plus, it signals that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep: youngsters should be in their PJs and ready for bed before they get to choose their mysterious festive-themed book for the night.

This is a project that I’ve done myself this year for my nieces and nephew so I thought I would take some snaps and share this with you in case you fancy making one for your own family this year.

Plus, once you’ve bought the books, you can re-wrap the books after Christmas (again using this year’s used gift wrap that you’ve salvaged) and pop them away with the rest of your Christmas decorations, ready for next year.

If you have friends or family members who also have young children in the family, you could each create a book advent calendar and then next year you can swap the whole set of books to rewrap, so each family has a whole ‘new’ selection of stories to read during advent.

If you don’t have time to gather together the books this year, why not keep an eye out for festive books throughout the year and put together this advent calendar ready for next year? I’m planning to add another 12 books to our collection so that it will run for the whole advent period from the 1st December next year.

I’ve been collecting books for just a couple of weeks but I spotted some appearing in the charity shops as early as September, so you could just buy one 50p book each week during the months before Christmas and you’ll have bought enough for a whole advent calendar before you know it. And you’ve spread the cost too!

I hope you have a fun time hunting for books, re-using your wrapping paper and reading those festive stories in the run-up to Christmas. Please leave me a comment to let me know how you countdown to Christmas in a thrifty way, I’d love to hear about your homemade advent calendars!

Here is my previous DIY Christmas tree advent calendar if you want to check out that project for more thrifty inspiration too.

Pin it for later

If you’ve got an old piece of clothing that you want to revamp, it’s a great idea to add a touch of embroidery. This not only allows you to cover up any marks or pulls in order to give your shirt, jacket or jeans a new lease of life, but it allows you to customise your clothing, making it truly personal to you.

It’s also a lovely idea to use embroidery if you’re making a gift for someone special; I’ve previously been given beautiful embroidered hoops as special gifts from my talented friends and I really appreciate the time, effort and love they’ve put into the pieces.

Inspired by traditional Mexican embroidery, this motif is designed to fit on the yoke of a blouse, or around the neckline, and looks most effective when embroidered with colourful threads. If your shirt or blouse doesn’t look like the one in the photograph, the motif can easily be adapted to fit.

And, of course, you could use any fabric item you like – from pillowcases and tablecloths to trouser pockets or shirt cuffs – just adapt the design to fit the space you have available.

You will need:

• Cotton shirt or blouse
• Embroidery hoop
• Crewel (embroidery) needle
• Permanent or erasable marker
• DMC six-stranded thread in these colours:
• fern green 703
• forget-me-not-blue 794
• poppy 606
• orange 740
• amethyst 553
• bubblegum 956
• sunshine yellow 444

Stitches used: chain stitch, French knot, satin stitch, split stitch

This motif can be used on a variety of different garments. Here it has been added to a shirt, either side of the front button fastening. It would look equally good on the bodice of a plain dress and could easily be adapted to a child’s dress. This shirt has pintucks, creating a textured surface, but this is not an obstacle to adding embroidery: you do not need to start with smooth fabric.

Here’s the template for you to save and print for this project:

Flower Embroidery by Susie Johns, GMC Publications, RRP £16.99

Step 1

Trace or transfer the Mexican blouse motif from page 81 on to the left-hand side of the shirt, reversing it for the right-hand side. You can use a ballpoint pen, as all the lines should be covered by embroidery stitches, or an erasable marker if you prefer. Position the design high on the yoke, above the bustline.

Step 2

Select your colours and place the fabric in an embroidery hoop. You will need a small hoop that can be moved from place to place to work on different areas of the design. Work the stems in chain stitch, using fern green 703. Use two strands of thread throughout the project.

Step 3

Fill in the leaf shapes with satin stitch using forget-me-not blue 794. Start by working a few stitches down the length of the shape before working the satin stitches close together across the shape; this will help to ensure good coverage.

Step 4

Use poppy 606 and orange 740 for the petals of the top flower. Work the stamens in split stitch using two strands of amethyst 553, with the anthers in satin stitch using sunshine yellow 444. Still using sunshine yellow 444, fill in the flower centres of the three smaller flowers, then use amethyst 553 for the petals.

Step 5

For the remaining large flower, fill in the petals using satin stitch and bubblegum 956. For the two smaller flowers, fill in the centres in sunshine yellow 444 then complete the petals using poppy 606. Using orange 740, fill in the circles in satin stitch, leaving a small gap in the centre. Finally, work a French knot in the centre of each, using sunshine yellow 444. Work the two sides of the blouse to match.

And there you have it – a beautiful embroidery design to prettify any piece of clothing you have. This gorgeous project has been kindly provided by Susie Johns and is taken from her amazing Flower Embroidery book.

Flower Embroidery by Susie Johns, GMC Publications, RRP £16.99, available online and from all good bookshops.

Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience

I’ve rented homes for most of my adult life and I know how important it is to keep the property in good condition in order to get your deposit back when you choose to move. In fact, I’ve basically repainted the house each time that we’ve moved.

But there’s one thing you can’t easily refresh – the flooring. Whether carpets, laminate or lino, its always a big and expensive job when you have to replace it so I think prevention is the best method here, which is why I’ve come up with a quick and easy DIY project to make your own runner rug.

This can help to protect flooring from wear and tear in high-traffic areas – think hallways, walk-thru living rooms and at the back door in the kitchen. If you’ve covered up the flooring, the rug will take all the impact of walking through these areas and keep your deposit safe!

Plus, it’s a great way to add a dash of personality to your rented home. Alongside curtains, cushions and bedding, adding a rug lets you add a pop of colour or some pattern to the otherwise neutral interior. So you can feel like your home reflects your own style of decor, even without decorating any walls.

I’ve shared this full renter-friendly DIY project on the Do It With Cans tutorial website, where you can find lots more inspiration for upcycling and decorating. All the projects use craft and DIY materials that can be bought in cans, as metal is endlessly recyclable and therefore a more sustainable way of upcycling.

Be sure to check out my step-by-step guide on How to DIY a Custom Runner Rug to Protect Flooring if you want to create this project yourself. All you need is a jute or signal rug that you’d like to upcycle – the best part is that you can use an old secondhand rug and paint over any marks to cover up stains.

By the way, in the photos of my living room above, you can see another of my projects – how to upholster a padded topper to convert a coffee table into a footstool. Another added bonus is that if the design you stencil onto your rug becomes scuffed in the future, you can easily bring it back to new with a quick refresh with spray paint – or completely change the colourway to match when you get new soft furnishings or move house.

Please let me know in the comments below if you have a go at making this runner rug for yourself, and I’d love to hear what shapes or designs you decide to go for (there are many ideas in my Do It With Cans tutorial). Also, I’d love to see photos of your creations so please do tag me in your snaps on Instagram @Cassiefairy.

Pin it for later

In my house, if there isn’t a dedicated space to store something, it’ll get left out on the side and a mess will usually start to accumulate around it. So there has always been a pile of post, papers and lists on the countertop in the kitchen, which quickly becomes a place that all odds and ends of items end up – a torch, batteries, keys, pencils and so on.

I wanted to create a place where all this could be stashed away but I couldn’t fit an extra cupboard into my kitchen. So, I came up with the idea of creating a ‘command centre’ for my home using an old frame that was missing its glass front.

This is a renter-friendly project as it can be hung on a wall the same as any picture frame – you just need to check your rental agreement for the guidelines for hanging pictures. I’ve shared the full step-by-step guide to DIY your own command centre on the Do It With Cans website so be sure to check that out.

The whole back is painted with chalkboard paint, providing the ideal space to create a shopping list that everyone can add to when a grocery item runs out. It also gives you space to write reminders, to-dos or notes to other family members when you’re heading out. Attaching a piece of chalk to the side of the frame using string helps to make this extra easy.

The command centre is also a place where all the family can hang their keys – so no more last-minute scrambles looking for lost keys. Plus, you could write on the chalkboard to label each hook with the name of the person whose keys belong there, or you could write ‘shed’ or ‘garage’ to make it easier to grab the correct key.

You can hang up mail on the bulldog clip as soon as it hits the doormat, keeping the hallway much tidier. You can never find a pen when you need one, but now they’ll all be in the upcycled tin can along with a torch, scissors, screwdriver or other practical essentials.

Any picture frame is suitable for this project so you can go as ornate as you link in a traditional, period interior or you can use a broken wooden frame for a more rustic look. I’ve spray-painted my melamine frame to match the UPVC kitchen door I’d previously painted but you could use any paint, stain or varnish to coordinate with your interior.

Head over to the Do It With Cans website to see the DIY guide to make your own handy command centre from an old picture frame. Plus, while you’re there, you’ll find plenty of upcycling ideas and interior decor projects all using DIY supplies in sustainable metal cans, which are endlessly recyclable.

Let me know if you have a go at making this command centre for yourself in the comments below and I’d love to see photos of how your own command centre turns out so please do tag me on Instagram @Cassiefairy. Happy DIYing!

Pin it for later

This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content

If you want to tackle those DIY tasks yourself, you can definitely do it – you just need to put some work into learning some simple skills and gathering the things you need to achieve the project. With the right knowledge and a little bit of practice, you’ll be getting DIY projects done quicker and more easily than you ever thought you could.

Here are three tips that helped me when I started DIYing and I’m sure they’ll be handy for you too:

1. Know What Tools & Equipment You Need

Every DIY project needs specific tools and equipment to get it done so it’s always worth gathering these together before starting anything. You wouldn’t want to be in a position where you need to rush out and get something in the middle of a project. This has happened to me on more than one occasion!

Think of a DIY project like baking a cake – you need all the ingredients on the list to be able to cook it, don’t you? There’s not much point in trying to make a cake if you don’t have any eggs in the house. Although I did try to do this once, because ‘the internet’ told me you could substitute eggs for apple sauce. It turns out you can’t. Unless you want an inedible cake that even the birds won’t eat when you put the crumbs out on the bird table!

Sanders, hammers and similar tools will all be obvious, but many projects require specialist items such as stainless steel flanges, castors or brackets. Consider exactly what you need in order to get the job done, and head to the hardware store if you need to pick up anything you don’t already have.

The bonus is that, once you have a stock of screws, tools, sandpaper and so on, all your future DIY projects will go much more smoothly.

2. Learn How To Plan

Plenty of DIY projects take a decent bit of time. There will be specific steps involved and you’ll need to be aware of them in advance. Again, like reading through the recipe before you start baking, if you figure out the steps you need to take, you can cut down the time and effort any DIY project takes.

For example, if you know that you will need to wait for some filler to dry before you can paint your project, you can prioritise the filling task first and then get on with other elements while it dries, such as measuring, cutting, assembling etc. By knowing how to plan out the steps of your project, you’ll make the entire process a lot easier for yourself.

So, once you’ve got your tools and equipment ready, sit down and map out what you’ll need to do for a project. While this could take a little time, it’ll be more than worth it to avoid waiting around literally watching paint dry when you’d rather be getting on with the project.

3. Don’t Be Afraid Of Mistakes

There’s always a chance you’ll make mistakes when you’re doing any kind of DIY project. In most cases, these will be relatively minor. That doesn’t they’re a bad thing – instead, look at them as learning opportunities.

You’ll know how to avoid making the same errors the next time around, so there’ll be nothing to worry about when you pick up your tools to DIY in the future. Figuring out how to fix a problem or come up with an alternative method is all part of the fun of DIYing – even if you have a step-by-step guide that you’re following, the project YOU are doing will be slightly different and will need adjusting to suit the materials and tools you have.

You don’t need to do any courses or spend a lot of time trying to become a DIY expert. Instead, it’s just a matter of knowing what materials you need and figuring out the steps to complete the project. Once you do, you shouldn’t have a problem completing any DIY projects in the future.

I hope this blog post has given you the encouragement to have a go at trying DIY for yourself. Let me know your DIY success stories in the comments below, I’d love to hear what you learned and how you achieved your projects.

Pin it for later

This blog post is a collaborative post. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content

If you’ve only got the drawers left out of an old chest of drawers and have been wondering: ‘How can I upcycle these drawers?’, there are a few things you can do with them, including under-bed storage and creating a work-from-home desk or console table. And smaller drawers are ideal for this bedside cabinet project…

You will need:

• Old slim chest of drawers
• Thin plywood
• Wood glue
• Wood filler
• Rust-Oleum Surface Primer in White
• Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch in Gloss White
• Set-square
• Hand saw or jigsaw
• Drill with a drill bit to match the screws and wood screws
• Screwdriver
• Sander and sandpaper
• Corner brackets
• Legs and matching screw-plates

Step 1

Remove the middle drawers from an old chest of drawers. You’ll be using the top and bottom drawers and the surrounding frame for this project. Mark the point where the bottom of the top drawer meets the frame. Using a set square, mark this line across the sides and back of the frame.

Step 2

Use a handsaw or jigsaw to cut along the line to cut off the top of the frame. Repeat the measuring and cutting steps on the bottom section of the chest of drawers, this time marking a line at the top of the bottom drawer.

Step 3

Use the top of the frame as a template to mark out a new base piece on thin plywood. Cut out the new base using a hand saw or jig saw. Repeat this step, cutting a second piece to make a top for the bottom drawer.

Step 4

Line up the piece on the base of the top frame and use a drill to pre-drill some screw holes around the frame. Remove the ply wood and add a line of wood glue around the frame before putting it back in place. Screw the base to the frame and allow the wood glue to dry thoroughly. Repeat this step to add the new top to the bottom frame.

Step 5

Give the bedside tables a light sanding all over and then fill all the screw holes with wood filler. Allow to dry before sanding smooth. Wipe away any dust.

Step 6

Give the bedside tables a coat of white primer. Allow to dry before painting with a top-coat of white gloss spray paint. Allow to dry and add a second coat if needed.

Step 7

Attach the leg screw-plates to the front of each bedside table and screw the legs in. Position 2 corner brackets at the very back of the underside of each beside cabinet. Screw into the base, leaving one side of the corner bracket facing downwards. Use this bracket to attach the bedside cabinets to the wall beside the bed.

If you would prefer freestanding bedside cabinets rather than wall-mounted tables, you can add four screw-in legs to each drawer unit.

Top tips

If you only have old drawers but no frame, you can still turn them into a bedside cabinet like I did with in my guest room DIY bedside table project. Simply build a frame to fit around the drawers and add legs to make the cabinet whatever height you wish.

When painting your bedside cabinets, why not go for a bold colour to add a contrasting accent colour to your bedroom? Or simply spray paint the legs in a bright neon or metallic tone to make a feature of the mid-century style legs.

I’d love to see how you get on with your own bedside unit DIY projects so please tag me in your photos on Instagram @cassiefairy.

Pin it for later

Add a touch of vintage Hollywood glamour to your interior with a bulb-lit mirror. And the best part is that you can DIY one yourself!

A wide frame is essential for this project, as the wood needs to be wide enough to drill holes that are the same diameter as the bulb covers. You could use fairy lights with smaller bulb covers if you want to recreate the same look on a narrower or smaller frame.

Solar-powered fairy lights are ideal for this project because the solar cell can be kept on a windowsill and attached to the lights when needed, allowing you to take advantage of free energy from the sun. Let’s get started with this fun project:

You will need:

• Wood filler
• White chalk paint
• Gold paint
• Low voltage solar-powered bulb fairy lights
• Screwdriver
• Drill
• Forstner drill bit to match the size of your fairy light bulbs
• Sandpaper
• Paint brushes
• Glue gun with glue

Step 1

Carefully dismantle the mirror so that you can work on the frame without damaging the glass. Lay the mirror face-down on an old towel to protect it as you work. Unscrew any old fixings or hanging brackets.

Step 2

Working on the front of the frame measure and draw a line along the centre of the wood on both uprights and across the top.

Space out the fairy light bulbs so that they are evenly distributed around the frame. Measure equal distances between the lights and mark these points on the central line. These are the spots to drill the holes.

Step 3

Choose a Forstner drill bit that is slightly wider than the diameter of the light bulbs. Use the cutter to drill holes at all the marks around the frame.

If you want the light bulbs to sit further forward you can use a smaller Forstner drill bit to cut smaller holes, or recess them into the frame by using a wider drill bit.

Step 4

Sand all the edges of the holes and give the entire frame a quick sanding down. If there are any old screw holes or dents in the frame, use a wood filler to fill the holes and, once dry, sand it smooth.

Step 5

Paint the frame on all sides, including the inside edge, as this will be reflected in the mirror once the glass is reinserted into the frame. Paint as many coats as needed to get the coverage you require.

Once the paint is dry, use a small paintbrush and gold paint to highlight the edges and details around the mirror.

Step 6

Remove the fairy lights from their bulb covers. Use a hot glue gun to add a ring of glue inside each hole and glue the bulb covers into the front of the frame.

Once the hot glue has set, push the fairy lights into the bulb covers from the rear. Use electrical tape to attach the flex of the lights to the back of the frame.

Step 7

Put the mirror back into the frame and add a hanging hook to the back to hang it on a wall, or stand it up on a dressing table.

And there you have it – a vintage Hollywood-style mirror to light up your bedroom or dressing table – ideal for getting ready for a glamorous night out.

Let me know if you have a go at making your own light-up mirror in the comments below and I’d love to see your projects so please tag me in your photos on Instagram @cassiefairy.

Pin it for later

When my favourite pullover got a big hole in it, I decided to use the fair isle design as the front panel for a scatter cushion to dress up my sofa for the festive period, using a pillowcase (that I’d accidentally burnt with an iron!) as the backing.

That was my first attempt at upcycling a Christmas jumper into a cosy cushion and I loved making it. I’ve since had a few other festive knits that have shrunk in the wash or have holes in them, so those are also ideal for turning into seasonal cushion covers.

You can use these cushions to add a festive touch to any room in your home, simply choose jumpers that coordinate with your bedding or dining chairs.

Here’s a handy tip – If you are using an old pillowcase for the back of your cushion, you can use the already hemmed edge as the top piece of the envelope flap to save time on sewing a new hem.

Let’s get stuck into this festive sewing project:

You will need:

• Old/felted/ripped festive jumpers
• Old pillowcases or leftover fabric
• Cushion pad
• Zip to fit the width of your cushion pad
• Sewing machine
• Needle and matching thread

Step 1

Using an old, felted or damaged festive jumper, cut along the side seams and remove the sleeves to create a panel of woven fabric to use as the front of your cushion.

Measure out the size of your cushion pad on the fabric – or use the existing cushion cover as a template – and add 1.5cm larger on all sides before cutting out a square of jumper fabric.

Step 2

Use an old pillowcase or a leftover piece of fabric to create an ‘envelope’ back for the cushion. Measure a piece of fabric that fits halfway across the square of jumper and hem one edge.

Step 3

Cut a second piece of fabric the 2/3 of the size of the cushion front to form the inner part of the envelope back. You can hem one edge if you like to keep things neat, but it’ll be inside the cushion so feel free to skip the hemming process if you prefer!

Step 4

Layer up the cushion with the largest pillow back facing right side up, then the half-size piece facing right side up, then the jumper fabric with the right side facing down.

Pin around all edges of the layers and then straight stitch around all four sides, 1.5 cm in from the edges.

Step 5

Neaten up the edges by running a zig-zag stitch over them to prevent fraying. But feel free to skip this step if you’re short on time, as the edges won’t be seen inside the cushion.

Cushion option 2

If you have a jumper with a pretty pattern on both sides, you could simply turn the jumper inside-out and run a straight stitch across the chest of the jumper, just below the arm holes.

Trim off the arms and neck, then turn back the bottom edge of the jumper and insert a zip that runs along the width of the jumper.

Turn the cushion covers right-side out and insert a cushion pad through the ‘envelope’ flaps or the zipped opening. Plump up your cushions and dress up your sofa for the festive season.

You can embellish the festive design on the jumper to add a little extra sparkle to your cushions. Either hand-stitch with metallic embroidery thread, add little beads or use the decorative stitch settings on your sewing machine to enhance the pattern with gold thread.

Let me know if you have a go at making upcycling your old Christmas jumpers yourself in the comments below and I’d love to see what you make so feel free to tag me in your photos on Instagram @Cassiefairy.

Pin it for later