Maker Special: All things DIY and creating with Geneva Vanderzeil

Geneva Vanderzeil is a DIY and craft lover from Brisbane, Australia. She is also an author, stylist, maker and photographer. Spotlight has teamed up with Geneva to celebrate Make It Month and she has shared some of her thoughts on all things DIY and creating.

Why do I love making and creating?

There's nothing better than being surrounded by things in the home that you have made yourself. I love to create, decorate and celebrate at my home, so it's important to ensure that I can bring as much authenticity as possible by matching my own personalised aesthetic. Ultimately, the home is what you make it!

I consider myself a bit of a jack of all trades when it comes to crafting. I enjoy painting, clay projects and upcycling - there is really no limit to what I love to do. It's always about challenging myself and trying new things! You can never really make a mistake when you're creating something that is unique to yourself.

How should you get started when it comes to creating a DIY?

I encourage anyone who is thinking about getting started on crafting or diving into their first DIY project to take the plunge and to not worry about it being perfect as you'll learn so much throughout the process! There is something for everyone when it comes to making a DIY with endless supplies to craft with, whether it be making a vase, personalised storage or upcycling an old piece of furniture, there's always something fun to add.

My Make It Month DIY project with Spotlight

I'm all about championing self expression and have created a really gorgeous DIY Lion Toy Cart for my daughter as part of Make It Month. I had seen similar examples for sale, but really wanted to create something that was unique and one of a kind. It was so much fun being able to customise the colours and features.

Check out Geneva's Lion Toy Cart video.

One of the greatest parts of DIY projects is that no matter your budget and time, there's always an opportunity to get making.

For my DIY inspiration, check out @genevavanderzeil on Instagram and visit her blog Collective Gen.