All Posts By

Anita Holland

Steampunk Christmas Tree

Completed DIY Steampunk Christmas tree displayed on table with decorations

I’ve been steampunk mad all year, so creating this DIY Steampunk Christmas Tree: Upcycled Recycled Mixed Media Holiday Decor was inevitable. A reader’s comment on one of my previous projects—“I hope you make a steampunk Christmas tree!”—sparked the challenge, and I couldn’t resist. In true upcycling fashion, I built the entire structure from recycled cardboard, timber offcuts and found trinkets before giving it a mixed-media, industrial-chic makeover that’s sure to spark conversation this festive season.

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November 23, 2020 By

Steampunk Doorstop

Welcome to our next Int’l Bloggers Club challenge, “Don’t Sweater the Small Stuff,” and I’m thrilled to present Steampunk Sweater Doorstop: Don’t Sweater the Small Stuff, where a recycled sweater and a broken cement bottle transform into a striking, functional piece of Victorian-inspired home décor. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to turn project “fails” into a flourish, layering lace, leather and gears to create a doorstop that’s as practical as it is eye‑catching.

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March 22, 2021 By

3D Steampunk Heart

Final 3D steampunk heart Valentine’s display

If you follow my blog, you’ll know that last year I began exploring the wonders of steampunk, and now I’m totally addicted. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, crafting a 3D Steampunk Heart: Cardboard Upcycle DIY for Valentine’s Day seemed like the perfect next project. In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through transforming ordinary corrugated cardboard into a mechanical masterpiece layered with mixed‑media embellishments, blending vintage romance with industrial flair to create a show‑stopping decoration or gift that sings steampunk style.

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January 23, 2021 By

How To Make a Spiral Betty Cushion

Completed Spiral Betty wedding keepsake cushion with personalised text and tassels

I wanted to create a unique memento for my son’s wedding day, so I designed a Spiral Betty Wedding Keepsake Cushion to honour their special moment. In this Spiral Betty tutorial, you’ll see how to turn any high‑resolution photo into a captivating spiral design and press it onto a 45 cm cushion cover using your Cricut (or Silhouette Cameo). I’ll share every trick I learned—so you can avoid the mistakes I made and achieve perfect results first try.

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April 29, 2021 By

Zen styled garden decor

Finished Zen garden concrete decor displayed outdoors

From the moment I imagined my Cast in Concrete: DIY Zen Garden Decor, a peaceful accent gracing my yard, I knew I wanted a splash of colour and a reflective focal point. My new puppies, however, had other ideas—excavating every flower bed until nothing remained but bare soil. Instead of despairing over their enthusiastic digging, I decided to harness the chaos and create a small, vibrant structure crowned with a gleaming silver orb to catch the sun’s rays and restore harmony to my yard.

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February 15, 2021 By

Steampunk Prop Camera

Finished steampunk prop camera with metallic highlights on display

DIY Steampunk Prop Camera: Upcycled Cardboard & Mixed Media Magic combines vintage charm with eco-friendly crafting in one eye-catching project. If you’ve ever scrolled through DIY blogs and wished your photography staging looked as striking as theirs, you’re in the right place. I set out to create a steampunk prop camera from everyday recyclables—cardboard, a soda can, and resin charms—and transformed them into a mixed-media masterpiece that will make your photo backdrops pop. Follow along to discover how simple it is to craft your steampunk photography prop and elevate your shot‑styling game.

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November 7, 2020 By

Tips for Restoring an Antique Dresser

Finished Stained and varnished Mahogany dresser in sunlight

As a self‑taught DIY enthusiast with a passion for learning how to restore an antique dresser, I’ve built many pieces of furniture by improvising rather than following plans, because sometimes creativity thrives in chaos. While I lack formal training, I have a knack for spotting hidden potential where others see only rubbish.

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July 9, 2018 By

How to Repurpose an old desk into a Makeup Table/Vanity Table

Vintage desk repurposed into a Make up table for to store all beauty projects

Old study desks seem to have lost their charm in today’s market—they’re bulky, outdated, and often hard to sell. But with a little creativity, they can be turned into something both beautiful and practical. When my daughter recently bought herself a “beauty bar” (as they’re commonly called here in Australia), it sparked an idea. I had an old desk sitting in storage, and rather than let it go to waste, I decided to give it a new life. In this post, How to Repurpose an Old Desk into a Makeup Table/Vanity Table, I’ll show you how I transformed that tired old piece into a stylish and functional vanity that neatly stores all your beauty products in one organised space.

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January 12, 2018 By

Geometric Headboard Makeover

Headboard installed in daughter’s master bedroom

When my daughter moved into her new home on a tight budget, she needed furniture for four bedrooms, and new pieces weren’t an option. That’s why transforming an old headboard with a DIY geometric design became the perfect solution. In just one day, I turned a discarded four-poster bed headboard into a modern masterpiece that instantly elevated her master bedroom’s style and saved us hundreds of dollars.

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January 14, 2020 By

How to Make PVC Pipe Photo Planters

Completed PVC pipe photo planters with succulents

I’m thrilled to share my Personalised PVC Pipe Photo Planters project, which earned runner-up honours in a recent PVC pipe challenge on the instructable website I regularly contribute to. Inspired by my great-niece’s enthusiasm for watering plants—and her sometimes overly enthusiastic approach—I crafted these upcycled succulent pots for her to call her own. Each planter features her adorable photo, making it easy for her to identify and care for her plants while adding a charming touch to our garden.

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October 25, 2017 By

How to make a Halloween Skull Goblet

Upcycled Halloween skull goblet with black gesso base

I always joke that I love wine so much they don’t make a glass big enough for me, which is exactly why I created this Upcycled Halloween Skull Goblet into a Spooky Table Centrepiece for your next Halloween celebration. A few years back, my friends gifted me two of these jumbo 1-litre wine glasses as a joke—but they were too heavy to hold, so they ended up tucked away in a cupboard. With Halloween on the horizon, I decided to breathe new life into one of them by turning it into a skull-themed goblet that doubles as creepy table décor.

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August 12, 2020 By

Vanity makeover using chalk paint

Vanity makeover using chalk paint and wallpaper

Transforming a tired piece of furniture into something beautiful can be highly rewarding, and that’s exactly what inspired our DIY Chalk Paint Vanity Makeover with Wallpaper Drawer Accents. A friend asked me to breathe new life into a small vanity that was missing its mirror and had a broken drawer knob.

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May 14, 2021 By