Stacey Solomon's close friend Dilly Carter tells Closer what happens behind the walls of Pickle Cottage at Christmas.
With a little help from her friends and family, craft queen Stacey Solomon is glueing and glittering her way to the perfect homemade Christmas. The festive BBC special Stacey Solomon's Crafty Christmas will explore budget-friendly ways to cut costs and epicycle, as Stacey transforms a neighbouring barn into the ultimate Christmas grotto.
And one of those friends helping create some festive cheer is organiser extraordinaire Dilly Carter. When asked about what makes the show so magic, Dilly says, "It's Stacey, obviously! The show is about achievable family fun that everyone can do. I think that's really important given the circumstances we're in at the moment, and the show is about bringing everyone together. That's what Stacey does best."
After working together on Sort your Life Out, Dilly says it was a no brainer to partner up with the presenter this Christmas. "I love Stacey. She's the loveliest, kindest, warmest person- and what you see is what you get!" she gushes.
And working alongside Stacey hasn't only taught Dilly some nifty tricks-she's also found herself a friend. She says, "It's like we've known each other for 20 years! We're so different, but that's why we work- opposites attract in the best possible way."
Throughout the show, Stacey transforms a neighbouring barn into the home of Christmas- and Dilly confirms what we all knew, that Stacey and Joe's Pickle Cottage is the "home of crafts." She laughs, "We've spent days organising her crafts together. It's just boxes and boxes of artificial plants and brown paper. Everything you can think of- glue guns and all- it's there. It's like going to a little crafting warehouse!"
And Dilly is impressed that Stacey never leaves a craft job unfinished adding, "Everything she starts, she finishes- and does it really well! I might be able to organise all the products but getting me from start to finish is a comical journey."
With the cost-of-living crisis at the forefront of everyone's minds, the show will help to bring families around the country some much-needed cheer this winter. Dilly explains, "This Christmas, more than any other, people are looking to make their own decorations and use what they've got in the house. People aren't going to go out and spend a fortune on decorations- we're just not in that environment right now. And that's why I think shows like this are so lovely. They're not just warm and fuzzy- they teach people, 'I have that in my house, so I can do that' or 'I haven't got £100 to spend but I do have £10.' Everything is budget friendly."
Stacey is known for sharing her crafts with her 5.4 million Instagram followers, and during the show viewers will see her recruit her loved ones to help- including husband Joe Swash and her son Rex.
In fact, Dilly says that Stacey's inspired her to take up crafting with her own daughter saying, "I've found it really bonding- and I've learned that the imperfect things are the best."
Stacey might be the queen of crafts, but Dilly is influencer royalty in her own right- as a professional organiser to the stars and a presenter on BBC's Sort Your Life Out.
Sharing some tidying tips, Dilly says, "The most important thing is to get organised and have a place in your house specifically for wrapping and crafting. Lay out all your tools so you can focus on the craft- because often when we can't find something, that's when we give up. And finally, make sure you have a bin! there's nothing worse than a messy craft station."
For anyone looking to declutter their life in 2023, Dilly says that the key is to create a plan. She says, "Never give up- there will be an end. make sure you write down your before, during and after. Once you visualise it, everything becomes easier. And January is all about 'new year, new you'- but each day is an opportunity to change."
Watch and stream Stacey Solomon's Crafty Christmas on Thursday 15 December 2022 at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.