I use my home as a canvas for art but neighbours have accused me of ‘polluting the environment’

An artist who transforms the front of her house to match seasonal events has revealed her neighbours mostly love her residential creativity – although some have suggested the displays might not be eco-friendly.  

Carmen Croxall, 35, from Exeter, Devon, has just spent £900 making her rented home look like it’s made of chocolate, investing five weeks in making ‘chocolate bricks’, 12 huge daffodils, a picket fence and an Easter bunny.

The mum-of-two is known for transforming her property and  began by turning it into a gingerbread house for Christmas 2022. She also created a Valentine’s Day love heart display in February but said this creation will likely be her last.

Exhausted from her projects, Carmen, who shares her art using the handle @clashcreativehome said she is worried about the ‘pressure’ of creating something better and wants a ‘rest’.

Carmen used MDF to create the 200 chocolate squares which now cover her home, surplus foil purchased from a food factory for the fake foil and made the daffodils using a plastic water jug, electric wire, yellow duct tape and yellow nylon and fabric.

Mum-of-two Carmen Croxall, from Exeter, has cheered up her neighbours with three lavish seasonal displays, spending nearly £900 on her latest Easter extravaganza 

The project, made from mostly recycled materials or purchases from local businesses, cost her £898.50.

Carmen, owner of a company called the Prop Factory, said: ‘I love the daffodils so much. When I told my partner I was making 12 he asked why I don’t just make two or three, but I think what makes them exciting to look at is the volume of them and my front garden is tiny – it’s bordering on ridiculous which I love.

She adds: ‘I do it all for me and I think that is what makes my content authentic.’

Carmen started to plan her Easter house three months ago but spent five weeks making and installing the chocolate house.

Using reclaimed materials and spending hundreds on making the displays look professional, Carmen has won praise from her neighbours – but says the effort and money may stop her doing any more

For Valentine’s Day, Carmen covered her house in sweets and Love Heart candy

Ahead of Easter, she’s spent £212.50 on giant yellow daffodils and printed off 200 chocolate squares to clad on the front of her rented home

She printed 200 chocolate squares, easter eggs and the 5ft chocolate bunny on MDF costing £320 and bought £5 scrap foil packaging to decorate the roof of her house.

Her giant daffodils cost £212.50 in total and are made from a plastic jug, electrical wire, yellow polyester lining fabric and nylon, duct tape, reused cushion stuffing, pipe cleaner and garden wire for the leaves.

She created a picket fence around her garden using old bed slats and pallet wood for £120.

Carmen tries to use recycled materials where she can – using off-cuts from previous projects to save on the cost.

She said: ‘This time round I knew technically three months in advance I was going to do it so I had more time to think about ideas.

‘It took five weeks solid to make everything. However, I spent more time on the things I plan to keep as a permanent fixture like the picket fence, and I made sure the daffodils were made really well too.

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An impressive Valentine’s Day design saw a giant pouring tube of Love Hearts outside her house, along with a Hansel and Gretel inspired front door

And for Halloween, she used a balloon display in purple, orange, green and black

The reclaimed foil came from a factory and cost Carmen just £5, she says…but her decorating costs can quickly add up 

‘Sewing the roof took five hours and making the daffodils took over a week.

‘I repurpose as much as it again as possible.

‘Also, a lot of my materials are bought second-hand or salvaged in the first place.

‘My gingerbread house is going to a local shopping centre to be made into a carnival float, my love heart display is being made into a love heart wall in my office.’

Carmen says her neighbours have mostly welcomed her wacky designs – although she has seen her work called ’embarrassing’ by a passer-by, with others suggesting the designs aren’t eco-friendly. 

She said: ‘The community as a whole are totally amazing, I often post in a community forum with updates, and everyone comments the most amazing things, it makes me so happy.

‘My 13-year-old doesn’t like what I do to the house.

‘He tends to stay in his room out the way, his windows are covered now by a huge sheet of tin foil, so he is well hidden.

‘My three-year-old probably thinks everything I do is normal as it is all he has ever known, just me constantly decorating, painting and crafting.

‘He loves helping me and is starting to pick up on things like the names of things I use like ‘cable ties’ and ‘pompoms’.

‘He is very hands on and sits on my lap while I’m sewing, helping me guide the fabric and also loves painting.’

Despite the success of her projects, Carmen thinks this new design will be her last.

She said: ‘I feel maybe this might be the last extreme house transformation I’ll do.

‘Firstly, because I’ve started to worry that whatever I do next might not be as good, and I think I will put so much pressure on myself to make it even better.

‘I actually felt stressed for a few weeks creating the Easter house because of the pressure I created for myself.

‘Making three themed house displays consecutively has meant there is a lot of tidying to be done.

‘It’s nice to go out with a bang.’