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Thrifty makeover: part two

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X-Ray production team X-Ray production team | 19:31 UK time, Monday, 21 September 2009

A mum given a master class in thrifty redecorating continues her makeover challenge.

With not one but two children's bedrooms to transform, mum-of-three Jayne Thomas, from Tenby, was in need of inspiration. On the to do list were a new girly room for six-year-old Heulwen and new boys' pad for twin brother Iolo and big brother Trystan.

We teamed Jayne up with queen of thrift and member of our viewers' panel - the X-Ray 100 - Angela Dooner. She gave Jayne a crash course in how to make items from beanbags to bunting.

Next, the pair hit the streets of Tenby for Angela's insider guide on where to pick up low-cost fabrics. Angela is a regular customer at the town's many charity shops where she loves to rummage through the fabric rails for hidden gems. The remnant shelves at the haberdashers are another favourite source of bargain buys.

Shopping done, it was down to Jayne to get cracking on redecorating the two large bedrooms - in just two weeks.

The Thomas family kept a video diary of their progress which revealed the challenge wasn't all plain sailing.

Jayne removed what she believed to be a "peelable" border, only for the paint to come away too so she had to paint the whole room. Not sanding down the wardrobes sufficiently resulted in an unusual streaky paint effect.

Jayne was impressed that the whole family pitched in to help. Dad Roger joined the family for a trip to a fabric sale and helped produce the video diary. The children turned their hand to painting walls and stools, dying fabrics and even making and decorating cushion covers.

Jayne, meanwhile, was glued to the sewing machine creating quilts, cushion covers, beanbag covers and more. On several nights she worked until the early hours of the morning to get the job done.

Angela had been inspirational but her thrifty expertise proved tough to match.

Jayne remarked: "Angela said you could do a quilt in a day. Well she can. I can't, it's been nearly a week!"

The result

Two weeks later, Rachel returned to check on Jayne's progress and asked how the makeover had gone. Jayne said: "There's been a lot of work gone into the rooms. There was a lot more work than I'd planned. A lot of sewing - but it's been well worth it."

She felt she had definitely saved money as every fabric she had used was either on sale, very cheap or recycled bedding from charity shops.

So would she do it again? "Definitely... but not too soon", was the verdict.

Angela was also keen to see what her protégé had achieved, so joined Rachel on a tour of the renovated rooms.

In the boys' room, Angela and Rachel were impressed with colourful quilts Jayne had made from strips of a stripy duvet cover and old sheets. Bright homemade bunting with the boys' names hung on the wall above homemade stripy headboard covers.

In the corner stood little stools that Jayne had discovered in a particularly grubby state in the garage and repainted red with a little help from the children.

Asked whether she was pleased with the room, Jayne said: "I am pleased. I wouldn't have done any of this had I not met Angela."

Next door in Heulwen's new bedroom, the star creation was a pink and white quilt made using recycled and dyed sheets and printing. The filling was a cot fleece bought from a charity shop for £3 while the entire quilt cost £10 to make.

Jayne had also been very resourceful by making the cushion cover, pillowcase and beanbag cover from one multicoloured £7.70 tablecloth.

Jayne spent less than £100 on each room so has definitely mastered the art of thrift and most importantly, the children were all thrilled with their newly decorated rooms.

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