Today I’m sharing my Mixed-Media Assemblage Mannequin Torso (Steampunk-Inspired). I transformed a thrifted torso with found hardware, gears, and copper accents. This project blends upcycling, texture play, and bold metallic finishes. It’s perfect for artists who love layering and dimension. I’ll walk you through priming, building depth, and highlighting those raised details. Create a striking wall sculpture with budget materials and loads of character.
I’m thrilled to be part of this month’s “Do It Over Designers” Blog Hop, and this time the theme is lighting! For my upcycled lighting project, I transformed a recycled Downy Beads bottle into a stunning DIY mixed-media art Lantern. This unique lantern not only saves plastic from landfill but also becomes a charming centrepiece for your dinner table or shelf.
Looking for a creative way to upcycle old jewellery and add a touch of charm to your garden? These DIY beaded garden stakes, made with recycled jewellery and charms, are the perfect project! Not only do they make an eye-catching addition to flower beds and plant pots, but the beads also beautifully reflect sunlight. These unique garden decorations also make fantastic gifts for garden lovers. I loved how mine turned out so much that I couldn’t resist sourcing more materials online to create a garden collection and gift to friends and family!
If you are looking for a quick and easy DIY Halloween project, this spooky DIY skull bottle is perfect. Using simple supplies like an old ceramic bottle, serviettes, and a budget plastic skull, you can create a creepy Halloween decoration that looks like it is dressed in clothes. This project is also beginner-friendly for anyone wanting to try mixed media art assemblage without needing expensive tools or advanced skills.
Want to turn heads with a show-stopping, steampunk-inspired display? In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make feather angel wings using real feathers, recycled materials, and basic tools. These shapable wings were designed to complete my steampunk mannequin makeover, but they’d be perfect for cosplay, costume parties, or mixed-media art installations.
Bird strikes and bumped noses be gone—this month’s (IBC)International Bloggers Club theme is “glass etching”, and I’m tackling it with DIY sea glass “etched glass” sliding door safety decals that look professionally sandblasted but take minutes with a Cricut. After a recent window-cleaning session left my slider crystal clear (too clear for one poor bird), I finally cracked open the sea glass etch vinyl I’d been saving and created large, elegant decals that make the door visible without blocking the view.
My mischievous Jack Russell “terrorists” inspired this week’s project: Upcycle a Bamboo Steamer into a Macramé Wall-Mounted Toilet Roll Holder. Our toilet rolls used to sit on a floor pole—easy pickings! Moving the spare rolls onto the wall solved the problem, and a big bamboo steamer made the perfect, budget-friendly base. The basket looked plain at first, so I gave it a quick macramé rope makeover. The result is a tidy, dog-proof toilet roll holder that looks like it floats on the wall.
If you follow my blog, you will know that besides DIY, I also love creating mixed media assemblage art. I am always on the lookout for interesting items that can be turned into unique home décor pieces by giving them a mixed media makeover. On a recent visit to my local markets, I came across a quirky jelly bean dispenser in a junk box. The moment I saw it, I knew this jelly bean dispenser was destined for a steampunk makeover. With a bit of imagination, embellishments, and paint, I transformed this ordinary piece into a statement steampunk jelly bean dispenser that looks right at home on a bar counter.
I have recently taken a few months off from blogging to repaint the inside and outside of my house. Instead of putting the same wall decor back up, I wanted to create all new ones. My bedroom decor is all heavy wood with African themed bedding, so I wanted to try and create a geometric lion wall hanging made from faux leather.
This week’s project is for the International Bloggers Club (IBC) challenge. Our theme is “All Bottled Up”—make something using a bottle. If you follow my Facebook page, you’ll know mixed media bottle assemblage is my thing. I’ll admit, it felt a bit like cheating because this theme plays to my strengths. Mixed media bottle assemblage turns a plain glass bottle into rich, touchable art. In this post, I’ll walk you through the basic techniques for making a mixed media bottle assemblage, step by step. In this post, I’ll share 15 techniques I use to build bold, 3D texture on mixed-media bottle assemblage projects. More about IBC at the end of the post.
This DIY steampunk book lamp with a hidden clock began as my “Bodacious Books” project for the first IBC (International Bloggers Club) challenge of 2022. I turned a plain lamp and a papier mâché book box into a mixed-media statement piece that doubles as secret storage. If you love steampunk, texture, and upcycling, this easy tutorial shows every step, from cutting clean holes to adding bronze highlights and a working clock.
