Level up your locker: a cross-stitch makeover
We thought we'd seen it all when it comes to lockers. But we were wrong! When Chloe from Cotton Clara came to us with the idea of cross-stitching a locker, we were all ears (and all wondering: how?!)
While plenty of artists have put their own unique spin on a Mustard locker before, embroidery is definitely a first. But if anyone could do it, we knew it was Chloe from Cotton Clara. "I was slightly terrified of going wrong and wrecking a really beautiful piece of furniture," Chloe laughs. But as a seasoned crafter, she was up for the challenge. Spoiler alert: it involved safety goggles and a drill!
where it started
Chloe founded her UK crafting business Cotton Clara almost a decade ago. After the birth of her second son in 2014, she started selling simple cross-stitch kits on Etsy. She realised that aside from being a fun hobby that produced super gorgeous projects, cross-stitching was also bringing other surprising benefits to her customers.
"I'm passionate about how embroidery as a hobby can be an amazing self-care tool," she said. "It is so relaxing, it's so meditative, and the satisfaction of doing and completing a project is so good for the soul. And you can do that because it's so easy!"
"You've got to use both hands, so it makes you put your phone down."
Chloe believes there's one major reason behind the relaxation factor: "that mindful activity of repetitive stitching that is so good for you. You've got to use both hands, so it makes you put your phone down. It gives you time away from your screen." And she tells us, "We get so much amazing feedback from people who say that our kits have helped them get through difficult times. They use them as their self-care outlet. You can just do five minutes of stitching and you breathe, and your shoulders drop…it can help switch your mind off."
drilling down
That said, this locker glow-up was no beginner DIY! After some very careful measuring, it was time to get out the drill — eek! "The first holes I drilled were a little bit too small," Chloe explained, not realising that the thread would need to go through each hole up to four times. But she popped her safety goggles back on and gave it another go. And, just like Team Mustard, Chloe is thrilled with the results. "I love it. It looks even better than I imagined and I think I'm going to use it as my bedside table!"
We are also obsessed. If you'd like to give your own cross-stitch project a whirl, we recommend starting with something that doesn't require any drilling. "Most of our kits use really basic stitches," Chloe says. "It's like nothing else because it's so easy to pick up." For her, Cotton Clara is about more than just crafting. It's about passing on joy, and that's something we can get behind. Plus, we love knowing that we're supporting another female-founded business!
Oh, and rest assured: no lockers were harmed in the making of this project!
