A new book recently landed on my doormat which combines my love of upcycling and home-making. Creating the Vintage Look by Ellie Laycock encourages you to discover how to make unusual and unique homeware through 35 gorgeous step-by-step projects.
What I’m reading: Creating the Vintage Look
Upcycling is about taking something old, vintage, treasured, or possibly even broken and giving it a new lease of life by trying it into something new. It’s a thrifty way of decorating and enhancing your home that avoids waste, but is also stylish, and Ellie Laycock shows you how you can make truly beautiful objects from things you might have thrown away. Be inspired by the ingenuity of her projects – including turning old tin trays into chic magnetic noticeboards, using teapots as quirky planters, transforming a vintage fruit crate into a rustic bedside table, and converting metal jelly moulds into tea light holders.
All of the projects have clear instructions and artworks to guide you on how to make them, and a helpful techniques section will teach you any skills you need to know. I really enjoyed reading the book and the projects are fun and would definitely add a new dimension to any home. The book is divided into four sections around the home: Vintage Living Room (with projects such as vinyl record coasters, vintage tin clock, stamp collection placemats and jelly mould tea light holders); Vintage Kitchen and Garden (upcycled silverware hooks, tea tray magnetic board and cheese grater pen pot); Vintage Bedroom and Bathroom (mirror makeover, pillowcase laundry bag, soap dispenser jars) and Vintage Children’s Rooms (play stove, decoupage suitcase, tea card mini bunting).
A couple of the projects I’ve seen and tried before (such as the vintage tin clock and jelly mould tea light holders) but there are loads I haven’t seen before and have added them to my to-do list!
I found the sourcing vintage items pages really useful and have added a few new blogs to my reading list too! Top of my list is sourcing a vintage cabinet to make into a play stove for my daughter! So much more fun than the plastic versions I’ve seen.
Creating the Vintage Look by Ellie Laycock is published by CICO Books at £12.99, and is available from all good bookshops or call 01256 302699.
I LOVE that kids’ stove idea. When I was little I used to love making ovens and washing machines out of cardboard boxes – why have I never thought of this before??