If you’ve always been a creative person, you probably thought up the wackiest summer projects as a teen.
With a good few weeks of freedom stretching ahead of you, the choice was entirely yours – would you attempt to write a book, sew your own clothes, or try out something even more adventurous?
14-year-old Ellie Yeater chose option 3: she decided to be about as adventurous as it got.
The teen wasn’t happy with doing the typical summer break stuff. Instead, she set herself the project of a lifetime and bought a 1974 camper to renovate.
The camper cost just $200, and Ellie used the money she’d saved up from birthdays and chores.
Ellie then used another $300 from her piggy bank to buy the materials she’d need for the renovation, including decor, paint, and flooring.
She snapped a photo next to the camper after she first bought it, knowing it’d be her “before” shot in her project.
She also took photos of the inside of the camper, which had definitely seen better days.
The curtains were stained, the wooden furniture was old and shabby, and the kitchen was several decades outdated.
Before she could start on the fun stuff, the first job was to completely clean out the camper from top to bottom.
She worked closely alongside her grandad, who was able to teach her some of his carpentry skills when they pulled up the old flooring and put bracing on everything.
Ellie decided that she wanted her camper to look much brighter and airier than the original van, so she chose a peach and aqua blue color scheme.
She painted the inside of the camper, then replaced the floor tiles under her grandad’s watch. Her mom and grandma got involved too, making curtains and seat covers for the camper.
Finally, the major DIY stuff was finished, and it was time to furnish Ellie’s new hideout.
The decor Ellie selected is unique to her own personal tastes, and included a mannequin with a vintage camera around its neck, framed quotes on the walls, and a vintage blue fan.
Looking at the finished living area, it’s unrecognizable from its former self. The space is colorful and relaxing, and filled with positive quotes.
Speaking to Woodcraft, Ellie thanked her family for their role in helping her with her tiny home, admitting:
“I couldn’t have gotten this far on this project without my family helping me bring my vision to life.”
But even so, this is an impressive feat for a 14-year-old to pull off! She learned a lot during the project, from carpentry and painting to sewing and decorating.
Ellie doesn’t have big plans for her camper – she just wants to use it as a relaxing hangout space and for sleepovers.
She’ll undoubtedly be the envy of her friends when they see what a cool space she has all to herself. We can see this being a trend that catches on.
It’s not something that every 14-year-old would want to do, but Ellie’s mom explained that her daughter has always had an ambitious mindset. She said:
“I have never told her that she couldn’t do anything. She has always been an out-of-the-box thinker. I don’t want her to ever feel she has to color inside the lines. I want her to color the entire page!”
Sounds like fantastic parenting to us! Let’s hope her story inspires many more teen creatives going forward.
