Crafty caravan creativity, courtesy of Cassiefairy

Welcome Cassie to the world of Caravan magazine. Founder of cassiefairy.com, her pages and posts have won awards and been highly commended by Cosmopolitan, the Retail and Fashion Blog Awards, the Company Style Blogger Awards and more, but that's not what we're interested in.

Cassie’s work is so popular because her passion for DIY and creative projects inspires people. Finding a caravan for sale at £100, her project has been turned from a forgotten holiday option to home office full of style and trick touches that can be done for little outlay. It’s the perfect combination.

We talked to Cassie to find out what made her choose a tiny tourer as the home for all her hard work.

Why a caravan?

“As a full-time blogger I regularly work from home but, when I moved into a bungalow back in 2012, I no longer had space for a home office. I needed to find a space where I could write uninterrupted, which could double up as a creative space while I worked on sewing and craft projects.

“The lack of space indoors meant that the garden was the only option so I initially planned to build a shed and use it as my workshop."

-- This 1972 vintage caravan has been reborn. Click for more --

"Around the same time I spotted an old caravan for sale in my local town and the low price-tag of just £100 got me hooked. This was much less than the budget I had in mind for a shed and even though it was dirty and a little damp, the poor condition didn’t put me off and it was delivered to my garden the same day.”

Have you been on caravan holidays before?

“Yes, when I was a child my summer holidays were always spent in caravans. In fact I never stayed in a hotel or holiday cottage until I got married! Every year my family stayed in a caravan at Walton on the Naze in Essex and we still go back there for family holidays now.

“We’re hoping to continue the tradition for my niece and nephew – but nowadays my brother, sister-in-law and their two children are in a separate caravan so that my husband and I can still get some sleep!”

How long has the Sprite project taken so far?

“The caravan was delivered at the start of the school summer holidays in 2012 and I’ve been working on it ever since. The initial stripping out of the damp interior, repainting and fixing the windows was completed within a couple of months so I could begin using the space as my office fairly early on. I’ve just been adding to the interior decor, sewing soft furnishings and installing new storage as needed, and I’ve shared details of everything I’ve done over the years on my blog.

"I don’t think it will ever really be ‘finished’ but I love how I can adapt the space for different uses – it can grow with me!”

Where have you got your inspiration from?

“I get most of my day-to-day inspiration from blogs and Pinterest, and I make sure that I read a few personal style, business and design trend blogs every day. I also regularly buy craft, design and lifestyle magazines and love to discover new titles so I’ll try out something new each month alongside my favourites (Vintage Caravan Magazine, Mollie Makes, The Simple Things, Reloved and Vintage Life if you’re interested!)”

Are you pretty handy with DIY or have you had to learn a lot as you've gone along?

"I planned to do all of the work on the caravan myself and I really enjoyed transforming the caravan with a lick of paint, but I’ve had a lot of help from my husband who is fantastic with a saw and hammer!

“My husband and I also tackled the bigger tasks of re-lining the window trims and repairing the roof vent together in order to stop the damp seeping back in.”

Has it all gone to plan? What parts of the build have caught you out the most?

“Most of the makeover has gone to plan, with the exception of the windows. I invested in a roll of plastic trim to replace the existing crumbling seal because I wanted to ensure that the caravan was watertight.

“While repairing the windows, my husband and I discovered that the side window was glued in and couldn’t be opened, and when we loosened the silicone seal around the window, it slid right out of the metal frame!

“Luckily I caught it before it smashed on the ground so we were able to pop it back in but had to seal it up again to keep it in place. It would be good to get it the window working again but I’ll have to save up for a new fitted window so that’ll stay on my ever-growing to-do list for a while!”

What's your favourite aspect of the project?

“I love being able to work surrounded by nature, but without being truly outside. It’s always warm in my caravan and I can open the window all the way up and listen to the birds singing while I work at the table.

“I love having this light and airy feeling rather than being cooped up in an office, and I’ve got electricity running out to my caravan so I can use my laptop, sewing machine and even a kettle out there – perfect!”

What are your plans for the future of your caravan?

“I can’t imagine ever getting rid of my caravan and I hope that it will still be roadworthy if I ever need to move it to a new home! I love have a dedicated writing office and, since finishing the makeover, it has also become a spare room as well as my workspace.

“We have no space for a guest bedroom in the bungalow so whenever we have visitors to stay my husband and I will camp out in the caravan – and very cosy it is too! Sometimes my guests will actually ask if they can stay in the caravan while they are visiting us!

“It has also proved to be a great space for family meals as we can fit a long table in the caravan and can entertain up to nine people in there. We’ve had countless meals out there all year round, especially when summer barbeques have become overcast!
 

• For more information on Cassie’s caravan project and plenty more DIY bits then visit cassiefairy.com

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