Craft Projects

3D Steampunk Heart

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.

Continue Reading →

January 23, 2021 By Anita Holland

How To Make a Spiral Betty Cushion

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.

Continue Reading →

April 29, 2021 By Anita Holland

Zen styled garden decor

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.

Continue Reading →

February 15, 2021 By Anita Holland

Steampunk Prop Camera

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.

Continue Reading →

November 7, 2020 By Anita Holland

How to Make PVC Pipe Photo Planters

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.

Continue Reading →

October 25, 2017 By Anita Holland

How to make a Halloween Skull Goblet

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.

Continue Reading →

August 12, 2020 By Anita Holland

How to Make a Steampunk Hat

Yes, you guessed it, I’m back again with another steampunk project, and this time I’m showing you how to create a DIY Mixed Media Steampunk Hat. I’d been hoarding this empty plastic bucket in my shed, waiting for inspiration—and once I realised its potential, a steampunk hat popped into my head. I’ll guide you step by step through adding layered textures, crafting resin gears and rubbing on copper highlights to turn an ordinary bucket into a bold steampunk hat—and then into a show‑stopping lamp.

Continue Reading →

September 5, 2020 By Anita Holland

Stiletto Ring Holder

When I spotted a pair of stiletto heels for just $10, I had to have them, only to discover that standing still was the only thing I could do in them. That sparked my Steampunk Stiletto Ring Holder: Upcycled High Heel Jewellery Stand project, a tutorial that shows you how to transform uncomfortable heels into a show-stopping, mixed-media masterpiece. Whether you choose to display yours as a unique ring holder or—if you can walk in high heels—strut out in truly one‑of‑a‑kind footwear, this technique lets you personalise every detail to make your shoes as distinctive as you are.

Continue Reading →

April 27, 2020 By Anita Holland

How to make a Spellbook

With Halloween creeping upon us, conjure up this DIY Eerie Mixed Media Spell Book for Spooky Halloween Décor to wow your guests with a haunted grimoire centrepiece that showcases your creativity. Thanks in part to Harry Potter, spell books have become a must‑have prop, and this tutorial walks you through every step—from preparing the pages to adding polymer‑clay eyes and resin skulls—using supplies you likely already have at home.

Continue Reading →

August 23, 2020 By Anita Holland

Book repurposed into a Jewellery Box

With the shift towards e‑readers, tablets and audiobooks, printed volumes are becoming relics of the past—but that doesn’t mean they belong in a landfill. In this tutorial, From Page to Treasure: How to Repurpose an Old Book into a Stunning Jewellery Box, you’ll learn how to transform a neglected hardcover into a functional, mixed‑media keepsake that celebrates recycling, reusing and repurposing.

Continue Reading →

May 18, 2020 By Anita Holland

How to use Iron On Vinyl

This month’s International Blogger Club (IBC) challenge is all about “Local Love,” so I set out to celebrate Australia in style. My project transforms a simple cushion using my Cricut into a tribute to our sunburnt country by layering a rich brown leather map of Australia with sparkling holographic iron‑on vinyl silhouettes of our native wildlife—kangaroos, koalas, platypuses and more—scattered across the continent like glittering gems.

Continue Reading →

September 21, 2020 By Anita Holland

Halloween Flower Arrangement

YAY, it’s nearly Halloween and my favourite time of year for crafting: the Spooky Skull Halloween Table Flower Arrangement Tutorial shows you how to create a hauntingly stunning centrepiece that will wow your guests. I love Halloween because it’s the one time of year you can let your creepy side out to play—perfect for adding a dash of eerie elegance to your party décor.

Continue Reading →

October 19, 2020 By Anita Holland

Steampunk Books

I’ve been on a mission to make my final steampunk project photos truly pop, so I designed these DIY Steampunk Prop Books to add Victorian flair to every shot. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to upcycle old hardcover books using waterslide decal paper, chalk paint and clear acrylic sealant to create eye‑catching steampunk book props. Follow along and master this easy technique—no fancy tools required!

Continue Reading →

January 10, 2021 By Anita Holland