If you’re after a quirky and budget-friendly Halloween craft, you’ll love these Halloween Skull Decor Characters Made from Shot Glasses and Toilet Rolls. What started as a case of buying the wrong-sized skulls online turned into a fun upcycled DIY project using recycled materials I already had at home. These spooky little figures make perfect Halloween table centrepieces or decorations for around the house—and they’re sure to bring a smile (or a scare) to your guests!
As an aged care nurse in a residential care home, I often step into the role of activities officer when our regular coordinator takes holidays. Knowing I’d be filling in for a full month, I wanted to create something fun, engaging, and interactive for the residents to enjoy. That’s where the idea for this DIY horse racing game came from. It’s inspired by a target shooting game I made in the past, which the residents loved.
This chair makeover was a happy accident that turned into a bold and beautiful experiment. While making a wooden stump lamp, I’d just finished applying varnish when the postie arrived. He delivered a long-awaited package—my blue mica powder for an upcoming epoxy resin project. In my excitement to open it, my knife accidentally sliced a sachet of mica, sending shimmering blue powder flying all over my still-wet varnish.
What happened next was pure magic. The powder bonded to the varnish and created a luminous finish that changed in the light. From that moment, I knew I had to test this shimmer on something else—enter the chair makeover.
I was scrolling through Pinterest one day when I stumbled upon some incredible mixed-media art projects. Instantly, I thought to myself, this is something I want to try. But after checking prices online and in-store, I was shocked by how expensive the supplies were.
Since I wasn’t sure if it was something I’d be good at, or even enjoy, I didn’t want to invest a heap of money in materials I might only use once. So, rather than researching the exact ingredients in each product, I simply looked around my craft stash and tried to recreate the supplies myself using what I already had on hand to make my own mixed media supplies.
I stumbled across a fireworks light bulb while browsing online, and it instantly caught my attention. I loved its colourful, glowing effect and couldn’t resist ordering one. But when it arrived, I quickly realised something disappointing: once placed inside a regular lamp with a lampshade, all the magic was lost.
Scrunchies are back! And if you’re like my daughter, you’ve probably built up quite the collection. She recently asked me to create a cute but practical display stand for her scrunchies to sit neatly in her beauty bar. I designed one from scrap wood, and it now doubles as a jewellery organiser too. Best of all—it didn’t cost a thing! This easy DIY is perfect for using up leftover materials and makes a fun, functional piece of décor.
Over the years, I’ve made several wine barrel tables—each one with its own unique feature. For this table, I wanted to try something a little more refined by adding a Greek key design to the tabletop. At first, I thought a stencil would do the trick. But all I could find were small repeats, which would’ve taken forever to line up, and I’m not the most patient DIYer.
Every year, our small town runs a Christmas light competition. Homes light up the streets, and many displays raise money for local charities. It’s a magical time and one of our favourite traditions.
My sister joins the competition each year, and this time she wanted something a little different — a giant “Santa Stop Here” sign for her front yard. The store-bought versions were all too small. So, she asked me to build her a custom sign.
Working in a residential care home for the elderly, one thing I’ve learned is that routines and visual cues are incredibly important. Many of our residents live with dementia or memory loss, while others simply lose track of the day from time to time. We’re often asked, “What day is it today?” more times than you’d expect. I wanted to create something practical yet beautiful—a large perpetual calendar that could be clearly seen from across the room and help residents stay oriented.
Working with Unicorn SPiT Gel Stain & Glaze had been on my wishlist for a long time. After seeing it used on countless DIY sites I follow, I was itching to give it a go. My very generous husband treated me to the full colour range, and from the moment it arrived, I was on the lookout for the perfect piece to experiment on. Since I was new to Unicorn SPiT, I wanted to start small. What really caught my attention was how the wood grain stays visible through the stain, creating a beautiful layered effect.
If you love a tidy desk and a bit of gamer-style ambience, this DIY LED Headphone Stand with Perspex Glow is a winner. I first built a simple stand for my husband’s headset; this version takes it up a notch with remote-controlled LED lights that plug into your computer via USB. The layered wood and Perspex create a gorgeous edge glow so your headphones look like they’re floating—day or night.
