REVIEW: THE CRAFTY MINX AT HOME BY KELLY DOUST

THE CRAFTY MINX AT HOME

Author: Kelly Doust 
Harper Collins RRP $39.99
Review: Monique Mulligan 

When I saw blogger Kelly Doust’s  latest book The Crafty Minx at Home: 50+ handmade and upcycled projects for beautiful living I knew it was a book for me. Anyone who knows me will tell you I love op (thrift) shops and have found many a bargain by rummaging through such stores. Kelly takes this a step further – she has made bargain hunting into an art form and her book is testament to her passion for decorating vintage-style.

A lot of effort has gone into the design of this book – it’s gorgeous. The projects are laid out in a user-friendly fashion that will be encouraging to those less confident of their crafty skills. Flicking through the pages you can really see the joy Kelly has in creating a beautiful, personal home. The photos are appealing and inviting – as I sit here, I’m thinking of a few projects I want to tend to … and I’m wondering if I can fit in an op shop crawl on the weekend.

Kelly not only loves finding bargains, she loves making special items (often using clever finds, some of which I’m slightly envious of). Turning vintage lamps into a display piece, “renovating” book ends using porcelain figurines, turning old frames into keepers of new art … there are plenty of ideas to borrow so you can create your own treasured family heirlooms.

The book features 50+ immediately do-able craft projects and a wealth of advice on how to source beautiful vintage items and materials in flea markets, charity shops and auction houses, plus tips on how to display and use them in your home. I’ve made a list of To Dos (to go with all my other To Do lists) and I’m sure if you’re after a change to a home-made life, you’ll get plenty of ideas from this.

Here’s my list:

• Find a lamp for my bedroom that I can turn into so
  mething exquisite;
• Find a wingback chair that I can have upholstered and use as MY reading chair;
• Figure out where to hang the jarrah-framed mirror I found at the market last week … and make it a centrepiece;
• Find some old frames that I can do up;
• Find a vintage typewriter and a black Bakelite phone for my writing area;
• Make a mood board using vintage-themed fabric;
• Find a ladder I can turn into a bookcase;
• Make a vintage apron …

OK, that’s enough. But you get the picture.

This inspiring and practical guide is available from good bookstores and Harper Collins Australia. This copy was courtesy of Harper Collins Australia.