Category: DIY

DIY Cross Stitch Set – Feathers

As it usually happens this time of year, I’ve been drawn to spending my spare time outdoors and haven’t picked up too many DIY projects. But last week, for some reason, I really fancied some cross stitch fun. I reached to my stash of assorted kits and decided to work on one I’ve been saving for absolute ages. I don’t know why, but I really liked this design, at least based on the packaging. So much so that I essentially kept it for a special occasion. Turns out, the special occasion was a random week in June. Why not! Although the set itself wasn’t perfect, I enjoyed cross stitching these feathers and it didn’t take me long to finish the whole project.

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DIY Crochet Set – Hot Air Balloon

It’s been over a year since I started cross stitching, and I really enjoy being able to pick a crochet set and work on it start to finish without the need to look up video tutorials every 5 minutes. The project I completed most recently was a cute hot air balloon key chain. I completed it last week, but I started it… last August! I brought it on holiday with me when I went to York, but didn’t finish it then. And when I got back home, I got distracted and put it away. And unfortunately, once I set a DIY project aside, I rarely pick it back up again. However, having made a New Year’s resolution to use up my DIY supplies, I decided to complete this crocheted hot air balloon. Here is how it went!

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DIY Cross Stitch Set – Neon Turtle

My most recently completed cross stitch project was a cute turtle in neon colours. It might be one of my favourite cross stitch projects to date! Partly because I love reptiles, and partly because the vibrant, neon colours of this design were super fun to sew. Although it was a large set (the kits I buy in TK Maxx usually come in two sizes, small and large), I finished it in just a couple of days.

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DIY Mini Cross Stitch Set – Lemons

When life gives you lemons… you cross stitch them in a cute design, apparently! At the beginning of May, the UK enjoyed a bank holiday Monday. I hoped to spend the extended weekend outdoors, enjoying long walks and maybe a day trip too. But first, I set my alarm for early Saturday morning, to go to the gym and start the weekend with a productive workout. 20 minutes into the training, my lower back decided it was a great time to flare up like it hasn’t in a long time. Well, I limped back home, and spent most of the weekend in bed. Frustrating, to say the least! To keep myself busy, I reached for a couple of DIY projects. One of them was this mini cross stitch set with a lemon design. It was quite fun to sew!

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DIY Cross Stitch Set – Horse

One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2026 was to refrain from buying too many new DIY supplies and focus on using up those I already have. So, I decided to work on this horse cross stitch set. I have to admit, I wasn’t too excited on sewing this specific design – I suppose there’s a reason why it took me about 2 years to get round to it! I love horses in the real life, but I don’t really like orange and brown as colours, and this design is full of them. Yet, I’m actually quite happy with how it turned out, it looks quite realistic. Last week, I shared my pony crochet project, so my recent weeks were pretty equine-focused. Luckily, I have now picked up a different cross stitch set, which doesn’t involve horses… but that’s for another day.

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DIY Crochet Set – Pony – Learning To Crochet

Last week, I shared a post about my 1 year journey learning to crochet. I’ve mainly used assorted craft kits, as they’re – in my opinion – the best way to pick up a new craft. Following even the simplest patterns was a challenge for me 12 months ago, but now, I usually manage to follow the patterns from assorted sets without major troubles. My learning journey continues, and today, I’d like to share my most recent crochet project: a cute pony stuffed toy.

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A Year Of Learning To Crochet – My First Projects – Coasters, Toys, Ornaments

One of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2025 was to learn to crochet. I originally bought some assorted DIY kits in hope that they’ll teach me everything I need, and I almost instantly gave up, after seeing the instructions. I had no idea what they meant or how to read them! Eventually, I forced myself to watch some video tutorials and have another go. And although it was a rough start, I think I managed to make really good progress over the last 12 months! I’m nowhere near being able to create my own patterns, but I can usually follow easy or intermediate marked patterns. Here are my completed projects in the first 12 months of crocheting, and things I have learnt from them. I’d say it’s a realistic progress line for an adult with a full time job and lots of other commitments – I had limited time for crocheting, but I still learnt a lot.

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DIY Painting By Numbers – Lake In The Mountains

This year, I set myself some New Year’s Resolutions. One of them was to limit purchasing new DIY kits and supplies and instead focus on using up the ones I already own – I have more than enough! So, recently, I decided to work on a painting by numbers set that I got for Christmas from my parents, probably 2 or 3 years ago. Oops! It’s not that I never picked it up because I didn’t like it. Quite the contrary! It was a really thoughtful gift, especially the design they chose – I love mountains with my whole heart, and the picture was just perfect. I just wanted to do it justice, and I felt like I never had enough time and mental capacity to do it well. But finally, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. It took me a while to complete it, but I’m in love with the final result!

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DIY Crochet Set – Jellyfish

Today, I’d like to share with you my recently completed crochet project – a cute jellyfish. Designed to be used as a keychain, though I decided to keep it as a small toy ornament. I particularly like how the tentacles turned out – I will definitely use the technique that I learnt in the future for other projects! I love the final result, but this project wasn’t free of disappointments. If you want to see a sad example of false advertising and cutting costs by a brand, keep reading!

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Mini Botanical Cross Stitch Designs – RHS – January, February, March

A year ago, I bought a cute set of 12 mini cross stitch projects, all in a botanical theme, branded by the Royal Horticultural Society. The set included one floral design for each month of the year, and I shared them with you every quarter. Today, it’s time for me to share the last three completed designs, for the months January, February and March, featuring snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils. A rather appropriate selection! I saw all of those in real life in London this quarter.

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