Through sustainable upcycling and thrifty decorating, crafter Jodie May Seymour created her dream cottage in the south Norfolk countryside. She shares her tips and tricks in a new book.
So many people say I’m not crafty, I could never do that. And you absolutely can,’ says Jodie May Seymour.
She has created two gorgeous homes on a budget – and her wedding was handmade too – through upcycling and thrifty decorating.
And with her new book, A Handmade Cottage, Jodie, who lives in south Norfolk, hopes that she will inspire others to get creative and give their own homes the personal touch by restoring old furniture, repurposing forgotten fabrics and decorating using whatever nature has to offer.
There are thrifty and sustainable ideas for every room of the house, and an introduction to some of the most useful craft and DIY techniques, such as sewing, sanding and painting.
The book is packed with projects, ranging from easy no-sew cushions to decoupage, how to turn vintage tablecloths into curtains and creating a dried flower chandelier.
Almost everything can be made by an absolute beginner, but there are also projects that will appeal to the more skilled crafter.
Jodie is also a singer-songwriter and, as she explains, she discovered the joy of crafting during a break from music.
‘Back in around 2003, I was signed to Sony Music. This was back in the days when labels used to sign artists and develop them. After a while I realised I wasn’t quite happy where I was – the music I make is a bit like Kate Bush and the record label wanted it to be more Britney.
‘When I left the label, I wanted to take a break from music and because I’ve always been creative, craft filled that gap.
‘Crafting is such great therapy, I recommend it for anyone, just for relaxation. I guess it’s like gardening, when you’re doing it your mind is quiet and it really helps with anxiety. I think it’s fabulous – it's good for the soul, but you can also create a beautiful home for yourself and save so much money in the process.’
A big inspiration was her mum’s cousin, Rita.
‘She was a lovely soul - very crafty,’ says Jodie. ‘When we went to visit her in Yorkshire I fell in love with her house – it was very much like mine is now, funnily enough - it was full of antiques. Not long afterwards she died, and she left me all her crafting things.’
When Jodie moved into her first home with her now-husband, musician and songwriter Andy, she took her crafting up a notch.
‘I couldn’t find the things I wanted to fill it with furniture-wise on the high street and I realised that the things I loved were antique, rustic and shabby chic style – and when I went looking for them they were unbelievably expensive and we didn’t have much money.
‘So, I just thought I’ll have a go at making them myself – I take after my dad – and I just started painting furniture and making curtains, creating the things that we needed.’
Not long afterwards, Jodie started a craft club – the Cottage Crafters - so that people could swap skills such as crochet and cross stitch.
‘It started with me and my neighbour Ros, we put an ad out and waited for people to come and it grew to 15 ladies. We’d meet and drink tea and create, which was just lovely.’
Jodie took the same DIY approach to her wedding.
‘You think, that’s going to cost a lot, those types of flowers are going to cost a fortune, so I thought let’s just have a handmade wedding. It was such a lovely thing to do because then it wasn’t just about the wedding day. I’ve got two photo albums, one of the wedding day and then one about the six months leading up to it of the different days with friends and family making things. I spent a day making cake toppers with one friend, a day making bunting with another – we saved a fortune.’
When Jodie and Andy came back from honeymoon, she decided to set up a craft and rustic living blog to share her projects, which she called A Handmade Cottage.
‘I’m not particularly skilled in anything, but if you just have a go you realise how easy some things are. I get a bit overwhelmed by measurements and too many instructions and I think it puts a lot of people off, so I wanted to have very simple projects on the blog.’
It led to a column in her local newspaper in Hertfordshire – and a craft slot on ITV’s This Morning.
In 2018 Jodie, Andy, their baby daughter Frankie and Jack Russell Ralphy relocated from Hertfordshire to an 18th century flint house, nestled in the south Norfolk countryside.
‘When we viewed the house it was love at first sight,’ says Jodie. ‘Where we live reminds me of Lark Rise to Candleford. I love the pace of life, everyone has time to talk to you.’
She also loves a trip into Norwich, and finds it hard to resist a snoop around Loose’s Emporium in Magdalen Street.
She has really enjoyed putting her own stamp on their Norfolk home.
‘It’s a very old house, so I’ve been careful not to change it too much,’ she says.
‘I’ve decorated everywhere and sourced and upcycled the furniture. We’ve worked an awful lot on the garden, creating little paths and making it magical for my little girl – the kind of garden I would have loved to run around in.
‘And doing her room was a joy – you can have so much fun creating for a kid’s room. I think that may have been one of my favourite chapters in the book.’
Jodie says that she has loved working on the book.
‘I really loved the writing process, it was a bit like crafting, I found it quite therapeutic to sit and write,’ she says. ‘I enjoyed compiling everything I’ve ever made in one place.
‘And I also really enjoyed writing the chapter on decluttering – it’s not just about making your house look lovely, it’s about it feeling lovely when you walk through the door too. I think sometimes we don’t realise how we can have some things in our house that can have quite a negative impact.
‘After that I was like, I need to take my own advice more!’
Jodie’s husband, Andy, got involved in the book by taking the photographs. He is in two bands and is a songwriter – he recently co-wrote the track This Life with Gary Barlow for Take That’s album of the same name.
Since finishing her writing project, Jodie, who is also a singing teacher, has been working on her own album with Jon Kelly, who has recorded with a host of big names, including Kate Bush.
But she always has a craft project or two on the go too. On the day we speak, she’s decoupaging a coffee table.
‘I was meant to be painting the shed, but you’ve got to go when the mood strikes,’ she laughs.
A Handmade Cottage: The Art of Crafting a Home by Jodie May Seymour is published by Murdoch Books, £23. Look out for workshops with Jodie at Jarrolds in Norwich this autumn. Details will be available at jarrolds.co.uk
