DIY storage a success for Cassie's caravan project

  DIY: caravanning projects to try yourself

We love a bit of inspiration and originality when it comes to your pride and joy here at Caravan magazine. There are always ways to make your life that little bit easier, with a few DIY trick touches here and there.

We recently introduced Cassie and her Sprite caravan project, but her creative caravanning didn't stop there, as she explains...

"I’m delighted to have received so many positive comments about my fixer-upper and have been inspired to share more over the coming months.

"It’s true that I’ve been working on the renovation of my four-berth Alpine Sprite for nearly three years now and I’m constantly doing little DIY projects on the van while continuing to use the space as my home office.

"Every month takes me one step closer to a caravan – and workspace – that is dry, clean and usable so I’d love to share the progress with you as I continue to spruce up my Sprite."
 

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"The latest project has been installing some much-needed storage. When I bought the caravan back in 2012, the interior was crumbling and damp so it needed to be stripped back to an empty shell. While this gave me a lovely blank canvas to work on, it did mean that I had none of that oh-so-convenient cabinetry that caravans are famed for.

"I managed to keep hold of the bench seats and the little table so at least I had somewhere to write and sew but nowhere to stash my paperwork, supplies, books and materials. For a long time, everything was stored in stacking boxes and I noticed that I was putting off projects simply because I didn’t want to start rummaging through the boxes! It was definitely time to find some practical storage, and fast.

"The shelving solution I found (stackable children’s storage from Vertbaudet, if you’re interested) could be connected in any number of configurations and, as each cube was only 30cm, it took up minimal space while providing a lot of storage. The shelves came with fixings to secure the boxes to each other and to the wall so, even though my caravan doesn’t travel anywhere at the moment, it would still be safe and secure if I needed to move the van at all."
 

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"Doors (and drawers, although I’m yet to invest in them) can be added to any cube to make small cupboards and I can add more cubes as my storage needs grow. As you can imagine, I felt pretty chuffed when I screwed the last cube together and started loading up my bits ’n’ bobs.

"Completing this project has already made my life easier, as I know where (almost!) everything is and can lay my hands on the things I need within seconds rather than hours. I’m already thinking about getting a few more cupboard doors to stash away less-pretty items but I love having creative books and interesting materials to hand; just being able to see them inspires me and as a result I’ve been starting more DIY craft projects than ever – watch this space!"

• Cassie is the 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.

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