LOCKDOWN has given many people the chance to get their creative juices flowing with DIY craft projects.
Not immune to the boredom one can experience in isolation, Stacey Solomon has been using the time to spruce up her home with hand-made items created using "junk".
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The Loose Women star, 30, from Essex, has kept fans entertained with a host of incredible home makes – most of which use old items lying around the home.
From garden herb racks to stationary holders for her kids, there appears to be no end to Stacey’s talents.
She usually shares her incredible craft projects on her Instagram to her 3.3million followers.
Here are some of the big DIY projects that you can replicate at home on the cheap…
Flower Letter
Stacey wrote on Instagram: “So I see these letters everywhere and they’re so lovely so thought I’d try and make one for my dressing table.”
The savvy mum set about bringing her creation to life using cardboard, an old cereal box, fake flowers, fake leaves, spray paint and a glue gun.
First she printed off her S letter, and then cut it out of cardboard, before adding a cereal box edge that was 4cm thick round the edge using glue.
Then she spray-painted the whole thing white, and then used her glue gun to add fake white roses and artificial leaves that she bought from eBay and Amazon.
She was very finished with the finished result and said: “It’s a bit rough around the edges but I love it.”
Herb Garden out of Rubbish
Stacey revealed the amazing herb garden she created out of rubbish for next to nothing.
The TV personality said that she had used old “junk” from around the house instead of buying plant pots.
She then shared a before and after snap of the wooden unit she repainted white to keep her garden on.
Captioning the finished product she wrote: “My new herb garden made from old junk, I love it so much, just need to keep it alive now.”
Rainbow Candles
Stacey also shared exactly how she makes rainbow candles out of old crayons, but says you’ll need ‘a lot of frigging patience’.
The mum-of-three decided to give homemade candles a go as her boys wanted to make “key worker candles”.
So the Loose Women panellist dug out all the bits of old crayons she had lying around, and sorted them into colours.
She said you’ll need: "Some crayons, wicks (you can get them anywhere online).
“And some empty jars (ours are empty mint sauce & mint jelly jars).”
Start by getting your wicks, and using a glue gun to stick them to the bottom of the jar.
Stacey uses a peg to hold them in place while she pours the molten crayons in, but you can always try it without.
After you’ve sorted your crayons into colour groups, melt them in a glass bowl above a saucepan of boiling water.
Pour each colour into the jar, making sure you leave enough room for the other colours.
She layers up the candles with each colour, adding she ended up using “way more crayons than this in the end”, so make sure you’ve got a stash before starting.
They then added rainbow decorations on top before trimming the wicks, and they’re ready to be lit.
Dream Catcher
The thrifty mum used a few cheap items to make a dream catcher, and said making it was perfect for “taking her mind away from the world.”
Stacey wrote on her Instagram Stories: “I’m so in love with it and actually so proud. It was the best thing for taking my mind away from the world as well.”
Stacey explained how she bought the dream catcher hoop on Amazon, and wrapped it in string.
She then looped the string round the edge and then kept going until she reached the centre, to make the spiral pattern.
After trimming the hanging string, Stacey then added some crystals and flowers as she “loves a gem & a fake scrub.”
The finished result looked very impressive and as though it could have been brought in a shop.
Pencil Cases out of Rubbish
The celeb mum has revealed how she transformed an empty ketchup bottle into nifty pencil cases for her kids.
She begins by cutting the bottle so it is divided into ⅔ an ⅓ and then using a glue gun, she applies a layer of glue to one side of the zip.
She then wraps the glued side around the inside of the larger part of the bottle, squeezing to secure it in place.
The mum then unzips the other side of the zip, applying a layer of glue with the gun once more and attaching to the lower half of the bottle before fastening the zip shut.
Stacey added: “Aaawww they were so quick and easy… just cut where you want the opening, glue the zip on both sides and fill.”
Meanwhile her son Leighton made his case out of a Fanta Fruit Twist bottle while Zachary chose a Robinsons squash bottle.
Twig Photo Frame
The Loose Women star has revealed an amazing photo frame she made out of old twigs, and it didn’t cost her a penny to make.
Taking to her Instagram stories, the mum-of-three revealed how she made the “quarantine memory catcher.”
She used two sticks as the base, attaching four pieces of brown string between the two using a glue gun.
Stacey then decorated the twigs using leftover fake foliage, revealing that she picked up hers from eBay for just a few pounds.
She finished the frame off with a string of fairy lights, and then used miniature clothes pegs to attach photos to the strings.
Turned an Old Watering Can into a Light Display
Instead of chucking away an old watering can, Stacey decided to give it a new lease of life.
She added an old pair of battery powered fairy lights inside, and then attached the can to her fence, dangling over her flowers.
At night, she turned on the lights to reveal the beautiful display she had made for free.
Smellies into Garden Pots
Stacey sorted through her stash of "smellies" and neatly arranged them using old plant pots.
In a series of short videos on her Instagram Story, the TV star revealed how she had decided to get her messy collection of candle sticks, wax melts and diffuser solution into order.
However, rather than place them all into standard shop-bought organisers, she decided to use old pots she had lying around the house – such as old plant pots.
Captioning a clip of her hosing them down, she wrote: "Went into the junk box and pulled out every old pot I could find."
She then filmed herself arranging some of her larger scent bottles into the unlikely containers, which as well as those fetched from the garden also include used glass candles.
The mum-of three-then shared before and after pictures showing how she had transformed the disordered pile of smellies into a super-neat set-up.
DIY Bird Bath and Feeders from Old Candles
Posting on her stories, the Loose Women panellist said: “While the pickle is asleep and the boys have a break I’m going to make something out of my empty candle pots!
“Left these soaking all night now peeling off the labels. Flying them to an old chopping board we don’t use.”
Armed with four used containers, and a wooden chopping board, Stacey stuck them on with a glue gun before drilling a hole through the board.
She then showed off the finished job, which is perfect for summer and is attached to her garden fence.
Pencil Containers from Cans
Stacey showed how she turned old soup tins into rustic pencil pots in a bid to "keep her mind busy."
Looking for something to make out of the tins she'd been collecting, Stacey decided to use a few to organise her boys' stationary.
Sharing a step-by-step tutorial on her Instagram stories, she started by removing the wrapping from the cans to reveal the exposed aluminium.
She gave them a good rinse with soap and water to remove any remaining food particles before sanding down the rough edges.
Armed with nothing but brown twine and an old knitted onesie, the clever entertainer thought to decorate the soon-to-be pencil pots in the most simple yet crafty way.
Old Perfume Bottle into Stylish Vase
The star revealed she had kept the empty bottle of Chanel No 5 as it was a sentimental gift from her 25th birthday.
Posting on her Instagram story, she wrote: "So while the pickle is napping… I'm going to try and turn this perfume I got for my 25th birthday that I've hoarded for five years into a vase.
"I love what it looks like and it's so special to me I didn't ever want to get rid of it but it's dirty and the last drop of perfume is stale so it needs a make up."
She started by taking pliers to the spray part of the bottle, before scrubbing it with a kitchen sponge and funnelling some sweet smelling diffuser oil in.
Stacey explained: "Taking the sprayer off was the trickiest part – had to be gentle and patient.
"Then wiped it clean so I don't ruin the label. Refilled with some diffuser oil.
"Then I just measured and cut down some little fake flowers to put in. Easy but it makes such a difference."
Old Colander into a Hanging Plant Pot
The celeb mum showed how to turn a basic kitchen item into a beautiful outdoor feature.
While cleaning out her kitchen cupboards, Stacey discovered she had two very similar items – but only has a use for one, and thought to turn the unused colander into a hanging flower pot.
Stacey took some fake hanging vines she already had and mixed them with a bunch of daffodils to make a colourful flower arrangement.
She then placed the flowers inside the colander and attached an old metal chain which she'd secured using safety pins.
Reuse Old Diffusers
Stacey showed how to reuse empty diffusers to keep your home smelling amazing.
Stacey started by removing the lid of the Pomegranate Reed Diffusers, which appear to be from Aldi.
She removed the labels and washed them thoroughly under water to remove any sticky residue.
In a bid to get creative with her new and improved diffusers, the Loose Women panellist wandered out to her garden and returned with a handful of white pebbles which she popped inside each of them.
To create the beautifully smelling fragrance, she filled each of the pots with Ashleigh and Burwood Lamp Fragrance Oil in Patchouli.
And just when you think she'd done enough, the DIY fan decided to take it to the next level by adding a beautiful floral touch.
She cut down some white roses she had laying around the house and stuck them inside the pot along with the existing reed sticks.
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