Lucy Loves… Handmade Hannah Crafts

Another small biz shout-out tonight and while it’s one that isn’t local to me anymore, I’m sure I still have a large Essex-based following. I’m talking about fabric fanatic, Hannah – at Handmade Hannah Crafts. Hannah has been running her business since 2012 and is based at her studio, in Hornchurch (which I always consider Essex, but it’s in the London Borough of Havering).

I first found out about Handmade Hannah Crafts through my mum, who purchased me a face mask and sent it with a cute note to my address – as at this point, we still weren’t allowed to see each other.

My mum knows me well and opted for a pink fabric – plain – but Hannah has a wide variety of colours and patterns – some are quite kitsch, but they are all incredibly striking… more on that later! The mask fits perfectly and came with some written instructions (how to put it on, how to wash it etc), but it’s all fairly simple. There’s wiring along the top to secure it around your nose, which is particularly ideal if you wear glasses.

The masks are available in four sizes and are priced at £7 each (with free P+P). You can see more designs and place an order through her Instagram page – there’s plenty of choice! If you’re not buying for yourself, they make great gifts for a friend or family member – and you could even choose a print or pattern that you know they’d love.

And then I found out that Hannah also sews scrunchies – and the 90s kid in me just jumped out. I’m gonna throw it out there and say that it was a trend that should never have died, but boy am I glad they’ve made a comeback! Making a purchase was just ideal with this gorgeous weather we’ve recently had – I’m forever rocking a high pony or mum bun these days, which also means I’m using the straighteners less – win, win!

I dropped Hannah a message over WhatsApp to see what kinds of fabrics she had in stock and she sent samples over of them all… when I say all, I think I got around 36 photos of varying colours, patterns, and styles. Making it so difficult to narrow down, I couldn’t resist but to buy four. I tried to go for colours and designs, not only that I liked the look of, but also knew I’d wear and would go with my wardrobe.

As you can see from the main image, I went with a plain fuchsia/hot pink, baby pink with white polka dot, orange/brown floral and fruit salad. Since placing and receiving my order, Hannah contacted me to say she’d got more fabrics so now I’m seriously contemplating buying more – one for each day of the week wouldn’t be unreasonable, right?

The scrunchies are so well made. I’ve got quite thick and heavy hair (although where it needs cutting and re-styling, it’s starting to feel thinner than usual, it could just be very lacklustre!), and I can manage to tie it around my hair three times – it feels secure and manages to withstand the weight all day. I’ve had a few compliments while wearing the scrunchies, but I find it impossible to get a decent photo of myself with one in, where you can actually see it properly. The scrunchies are priced at £3 each, and again P+P is free. I feel like they’re so unique, and so different to what is being sold on the high street. Payment can be made over PayPal, which I always find is super easy.

Not all items are available on Hannah’s Etsy shop, so I’d definitely recommend getting in contact if there’s something you’re interested in – especially as she also takes on commissioned items. I found Hannah to be incredibly helpful – professional and friendly. And having looked through the website, particularly at previously commissioned pieces, I would absolutely love a peg bag for the garden. Maybe that'll be my next purchase after all.

Love, Lucy xx

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