A mum has upcycled a tired old Wendy house in her back garden into an incredible pink cottage for her daughter, complete with flower boxes, a balcony and even a slide.
At the beginning of lockdown, Gemma Stanford, 35, from Leicestershire, made it her mission to transform the "complete eyesore" of a Wendy house that sat in her garden in time for her daughter's first birthday, coming next week.
You can see the stunning results in her video here:
Completing the project on a minimal budget, with materials scoured from the likes of B&M and The Range, Gemma has taken the Wendy house from drab and lifeless to pink perfection.
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The house - painted a pretty baby pink - features a balcony with a slide leading off into a small garden area, wrapped by a white picket fence.
It's decorated with flower wreaths, fairy lights, watering cans, bird boxes and even miniature wall lanterns. Dreamy!
The mum-of-one told Tyla: "I bought my house five years ago and the basic shell of the Wendy house was there. We didn't have any children at the time and thought it might be useful for chickens.
"It mainly housed spiders and patio furniture and has been slowly rotting away. You couldn't even step inside as you sunk through the floor!"
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Gemma explains that after having her daughter, Pip, last year she decided to use her maternity leave (and lockdown) to transform the structure.
"I had a little girl last year and have been on maternity leave throughout lockdown," she explains.
"The Wendy house had become a complete eyesore and I had to decide to either get rid of it completely or give it some serious TLC and so the project started."
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Gemma said she spent "hours" looking for Wendy house inspiration on Instagram before deciding on a theme.
Explaining the extent of the job, she said: "It needed a complete new floor, repairs to the walls and repairs to the roof.
"It was blood, sweat and tears. I had Pip strapped to me in a baby carrier for most of it! My family all mucked in and Rose Cottage was born."
Incredibly, Gemma says that Rose Cottage cost her shy of £300, with DIY materials and decorations scoured on the cheap.
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She says: "The decorations were mostly bargain finds in The Range & B&M plus some bits from eBay and Amazon. The wreath on the door is from Etsy."
We have a feeling Pip is going to adore her new Wendy house. Are we allowed to be jealous we didn't have one of these as a kid?
As for the next project, Gemma explains there's still work to be done inside.
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She says: "The inside of the Wendy house is still a blank slate and the idea is the interior will be kitted out as she grows up. I have an idea for a little kitchen and seating area."
Nice one, Gemma. Now we just wish we had an adult-sized version for ourselves...
Featured Image Credit: Gemma StanfordTopics: Home, DIY, Life, Garden, Interiors