DIY Auntie Makes Spectacular Playhouse For FREE In Lockdown Using Leftover Wood
- Sammie Jackson, 31, needed to find an affordable gift thanks to the pandemic
- She decided to make a spectacular playhouse
- Sammie managed to do it for free using leftover wood headed for the tip
If you have loads of birthdays coming up and have been dreading the impact on your bank account, take a leaf out of this inspirational auntie’s book.
Sammie Jackson, 31, a chef from Preston, wanted to make something spectacular for her niece Luna’s fourth birthday but was low on cash due to the pandemic.
Instead of splurging on a present, Sammie put her hard work and creativity into an amazing gift for her niece and created an incredible playhouse - all for free.
Sammie used leftover wood from a neighbour that was heading to the tip, and spent just £7.80 on curtains and £7.99 on blackboard paint.
Sammie told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: “It was my niece Luna's fourth birthday over the summer and with me being a chef I had no job due to the coronavirus so I had to come up with something for her birthday.
"My neighbour has fully renovated his house and had lots of wood going to the tip that had screws in the wood.
“I just measured the space in the garden and started pulling out all the nails and screws and we reused the screws and wood to create the frame.
“So I used all the scrap wood and nails in the wood to make the frame and then also used old shiplap from my partner's garage.
"After we did the frame, we decided to have windows so measured the wood and cut it all down to size and reused the screws.
"The playhouse didn't cost me a penny to make - it took just three days of hard graft while Luna was at her grandparents.
“It took three full days, nine to 12 hours a day, to cut, build, sand and paint and I only spent £7.80 on curtains: the entire playhouse was free to build.
"We have also made a blackboard with her name on it from a small old pallet and scrap chipboard. We bought blackboard paint from B&M, which cost £7.99."
Sammie is delighted with the final look of her playhouse - and unsurprisingly, Luna loves it too.
"Luna absolutely loves her playhouse,” Sammie adds.
"If anyone would like to try this at home, see who's getting rid of wood.
"As long as you have the measurements for the base and height for the walls, you should be fine.
“It’s so easy to put together - cutting the wood to size was the hardest part but that’s just because it's so noisy!
“Make sure you have a packet of extra-long screws which we had spare.
"This project was so good to do during the lockdown as it was fun and easy.
"Luckily we had paint already in the house and the wood and screws free from a neighbour."
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Luna is so lucky to have such a dedicated auntie!
“Sammie’s DIY project proves that even if you’re on an extremely strict budget, you can create something - and it’s even more special that Sammie put her hard work and love into this project rather than just splurging on something expensive from the internet.
“Chat to neighbours and look on local selling sites such as Facebook Marketplace to find materials you could use that would otherwise end up in a tip!"
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