This year, I’ve really enjoyed watercolour painting. I didn’t have much time to pursue this new hobby, but I still managed to complete simple projects every now and again. Last week, I spent some time on watercolour Halloween themed doodles. I couldn’t not paint anything for the spooky season! I played with different colours and shapes, but mainly stuck to classic Halloween themes. It was fun to paint the pumpkins and spiders, and I’m glad I finally managed to find some time for my watercolour endeavours. Now, I’m already looking forward to Christmas paintings too – they’re coming soon!
I feel like it’s been ages since I last posted about my crochet projects, so let’s fix it! My most recently completed piece is a crocheted owl, originally designed to be a key chain, but I left it as a small plushie. I bought this assorted kit quite a while ago – as per my New Year’s Resolutions 2026, I’m trying to limit purchasing new DIY sets and focus on completing the ones I already have. I procrastinated for quite some time when I got to the embroidery steps, but overall, I completed this project in relatively little time. Here’s my latest crochet piece, a cute owl.
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!
Earlier this year, I bought a set of 12 botanical cross stitch kits, designed by the Royal Horticultural Society. I had seen this set in several shops, and one day, I found it in TK Maxx at half the regular price. So, naturally, I got it! The mini cross stitch designs are labelled with months, and I decided to complete them in those months, and share the results every quarter. Today, I’d like to present the completed mini projects for October, November and December – featuring an anemone, a pansy, and a poinsettia. This makes 9 out of 12 designs from the set done!
Happy Halloween, almost! The spooky day is tomorrow, and what could be a better way to celebrate it than completing a themed, Halloween DIY project. This time, I had just the perfect one – I completed a cross stitch design featuring a classic Jack-o’-lantern. The final result looks cute, but cross stitching it wasn’t plain sailing. It turned out to be yet another assorted cross stitch kit with insufficient supplies. Luckily, I managed to figure out a solution.
I’ve been on a cross stitching journey for almost two years now, but it was only a couple of months ago when I first discovered half stitching. In Hobbycraft, I saw this assorted DIY kit for making an embroidered case for glasses, using a half stitching technique. I was intrigued! I loved the idea of trying a fun variation of traditional cross stitching, and I particularly loved the idea of making a functional item in the process. I bought the kit, and recently got around to sewing my embroidered sachet with a colourful forest design. It was really fun and satisfying, and I love the final result!
Earlier this year, I bought a box of 12 mini cross stitch kits – one for each month of the year – all with botanical designs, inspired by the plant collection of the Royal Horticultural Society. I had seen that set in various shops, usually priced around £20, which – in my opinion – is quite a lot for a cross stitch set, even one with several designs. But one day, I found that same set in TKMaxx, for just £9.99. Now that’s a bargain! I decided to complete each design in its designated month. I already shared the completed mini projects for the previous quarter. Today, I’m bringing you the next trio: designs for July, August and September. I enjoyed cross stitching the rose, sunflower and dahlia and I think they all turned out pretty cute!
Over the past nearly two years, I’ve completed numerous cross stitch projects. Today, I’d like to share with you the most recent one – a cute bookmark! This vibrant design was fun and easy to sew. Usually, my completed cross stitch projects end up in a storage box, but this time, I made a functional item that I can actually use. I followed a pattern from an assorted DIY kit, but you can use this idea to inspire your own cross stitched bookmark.
One of my New Year’s Resolutions for this year was to learn to crochet. It’s been a steep learning curve so far, but I’ve managed to make some progress. I’ve been able to make cute avocado coasters, but also a whole 3D tiger plushie. This time, I chose to work on a cute star keyring. I managed to successfully complete the project, and learnt a few things in the process!
It feels like it’s been a while since I last posted a new cross stitch project! I enjoyed some other crafts recently – some of them, like the acrylic stained glass ornament, you can already see on the blog. A few others will be shared soon. But today, I’d like to share with you a cross stitch project featuring a bee with a floral wreath. I have plenty of cross stitch sets at home waiting for their turn, but the colour scheme of this bee caught my eye. Also, a little fun fact: a bee is the symbol of Manchester, a city in Northern England that I often travel to for work. I actually took this project with me for a train journey to Manchester!
