After repainting our home inside and out, I stood back to admire the fresh finish—then those tired retractable awning blinds stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. They were faded, brittle, and falling apart from years in the sun. In this post, DIY Retractable Awning Canvas Replacement, I’ll show you how I replaced both awning canvases myself for about $300 after receiving an $850 quote. It was far easier than I expected, and the result lifted our street appeal instantly.
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.
I didn’t plan a Shou Sugi Ban project, but this Snakeskin-Effect Shou Sugi Ban Wall Art began as a shortcut and turned into a stunner. I wanted to learn basic wood carving and thought wavy grooves would be a simple start. A quick experiment with burning and sanding revealed a dramatic snakeskin texture that appears intricate but utilises straightforward steps that can be repeated.
When the theme for this month’s International Bloggers Club (IBC) challenge was “cardboard creations,” I felt stuck for ideas—until inspiration struck from one of my failed mannequin projects. That moment sparked the idea for this unique tutorial: How to Make a Cardboard Bust using recycled cardboard boxes and a plastic mannequin as the base. It’s a perfect blend of DIY craft and mixed media sculpture, and a great way to repurpose cardboard into artistic home décor.
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.
This week, I’m sharing my latest project for the International Bloggers Club (IBC), where our theme this month is “Mystical Makes.” If you’re wondering what that means, I had to Google it too! It refers to creations inspired by mysticism or religious symbols. My first thought was Buddha—an element that seems to appear everywhere around my home and garden. So, I decided to keep it simple and create a Buddha air planter.
This week’s project for the International Bloggers Club (IBC) challenge has been a fun one! The theme is “Broken China,” and while I wasn’t able to source china from the local charity shops, I dug through my cupboards at home to find a unique teapot that could be turned into a functional and decorative birdhouse and feeder.
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know I recently welcomed two new Jack Russell terrors into our family. Yes, “terrors,” not terriers, as these two little pups have kept me on my toes with their mischievous ways! One of their recent destructive moments led to a creative solution for an ongoing garden problem. Let me share how I turned a ruined futon into a stylish and functional plant stand for my garden corner.
A few months ago, I shared a Shou Sugi Ban wall hanging, and the response was huge. So many people asked how the colours were achieved. In this tutorial, Colouring Shou Sugi Ban: 8 Tested Ways to Add Vibrant Colour to Burnt Timber, you’ll see exactly how to prepare the wood, apply colour without blotches, and seal it so the grain glows. I also compare different products side by side, so you can pick the look you love.
I usually have no trouble keeping my garden in shape, but this border has been a pain for years. With all the rain here in Australia, the flower beds have been overrun with weeds and grass. Every year I strip this bed back, and every year it all returns. So this year I’m trying a different approach—a low-maintenance flower bed using bicycle tyres and hollow logs as planters.
