DIY & Crafts is one of the main topics I cover on The Creative Cottage and I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time in honor of my Aunt Laurie Hale Swift. My aunt was a wonderful, creative, generous soul who unfortunately lost her battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January of 2021. IPF is a respiratory disease associated with inflammation and scar tissue formation in the lungs and the life expectancy of someone diagnosed with IPF is only 2 to 5 years.
My Aunt Laurie spent many years working as an elementary school teacher and she always had many fantastic ideas for making various art and craft projects. It was always a treat when I got to visit her the few times I traveled to Aiken, South Carolina for the holidays or on my way to visit another part of the USA.
My Aunt Laurie was married to my mom’s youngest brother Richard – AKA Uncle Knucklehead or my Uncle Dick. My aunt and uncle’s son and daughter (my cousins) and their families also lived nearby which was nice. I would drive up from Palm Beach County Florida and my mom would fly down from Upstate NY so it was always like having a mini-family reunion each time I visited the Aiken area.
Fun Arts and Crafts Projects
Laurie always had a space in her home, either a dedicated craft studio or corner of an office, to work on her creative visions including DIY home decor, art dolls, funky clothing, and more. Her last creative space was a small area in her laundry room, just off the dining room kitchen area. She kept this space filled with many great craft magazines, decorative papers, colorful fabrics, and other arts and crafts supplies. I couldn’t wait to visit her as she would always have a new idea for a craft project to work on while I was there.
In addition to her interior crafts space, she also had a dedicated She Shed in the backyard that was my version of a dream artist retreat. Her she shed was surrounded by my uncle’s beautiful flower gardens and landscaping projects – he certainly has a green thumb just like many of our other family members. Laurie’s outdoor creative space was a favorite with her grandchildren who spent many hours making homemade glitter glue slime and other fun craft items any time they came over for a visit.
So, in the spirit of celebrating her amazing life, I’m sharing a few photos of My Aunt Laurie’s She Shed, decorative found items, and creative DIY home decor projects.
Aiken Dinner Celebration
This is a favorite photo of my Aunt Laurie and Uncle Dick enjoying a night on the town dinner in Aiken, South Carolina.
Garage Workshop
As you drive up to my Uncle Dick and Aunt Laurie’s home in Aiken, SC you travel down a tree-lined driveway and arrive at the two-car garage which also doubles as my uncle’s storage area and workshop. Their 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house, with a large screened porch, is to the right of the garage.
Bird and Butterfly Garden
My aunt and uncle’s house in Aiken, SC has a large screened-in porch in the back. This image was taken on a very hot and humid July day from the porch looking out onto my uncle’s circular garden. He added a nice water fountain feature and filled this garden with herbs and flowers to attract birds and butterflies.
Aunt Laurie’s She Shed and Home Decor Photo Gallery
Exterior of Aunt Laurie’s she shed in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s she shed at twilight in Aiken South Carolina 
Interior of Aunt Laurie’s she shed in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s master bathroom in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s joy bathroom display in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s master bathroom art display in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s motivational display in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s master bedroom jewelry display in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s jewelry display wall in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s arts and crafts wall in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s arts and crafts display wall in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s shabby chic green cabinet in Aiken South Carolina 
Closeup of Aunt Laurie’s shabby chic green cabinet in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s office and meditation space in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s reading nook in Aiken, South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s office library in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s We Are Family bookcase display in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s laundry room craft studio in Aiken South Carolina 
Aunt Laurie’s laundry room craft space in Aiken South Carolina
My Aunt Laurie Hale Swift’s obituary can be found on the Shell House-Rivers Funeral Home website.
Let’s Keep in Touch
Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email: info@thecreativecottage.net and I just might feature your story in a future blog post.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
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