More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Seamstress Sarah Greenwell is putting the sparkle back into Christmas this year by making sequinned masks.
And her bling face coverings have already taken off with orders coming in thick and fast.
With weddings, proms and gala balls cancelled, Sarah's work disappeared overnight with lockdown in March.
But grieving the loss of her mother at Christmas, Sarah – who runs her business Sarah Elizabeth Creations from her Cliffe Woods home – needed to do something to occupy her mind.
At the time PPE was running short, husband Darren suggested she should start making face masks.
The 46-year-old mum said: "I made 11 in an afternoon and delivered them to key workers in the village."
The word soon spread and over the last six months she has knocked out 450 face coverings using cotton she had stashed away for upholstery repairs.
She added: "At first I wasn't charging. It's a close-knit village and some who didn't like getting something for nothing thanked me with eggs, cakes, chocolate and flowers.
"With my wedding and prom dresses, I had plenty of silk and satin, but soon ran out of fabric and elastic for the masks, so I had to start selling them."
In August, a friend came up with the idea of using sequins she had for special occasion gowns.
Sarah, who is mum to Oliver, 21, said: "I'm a sparkly person and I thought it was a great idea. Nobody really knows what's happening over Christmas so hopefully this will create a little sparkle we all need."
Sarah advertised her festive idea on a Cliffe Woods social media and within hours she had 15 requests.
She started her business full time in 2012 from her home in Thames View after leaving a career in the construction industry.
She said: "I started sewing when I was a little girl making my own doll's clothes. I decided it was time to do something I really enjoy."
Her "going out" accessory, which she says is an "ideal stocking filler" comes in gold, silver, navy and turquoise sequins and are washable. They cost £10 each and you can order by emailing
shop@sarahelizabethcreations.co.uk or through her Facebook page .
Sarah is also making children's masks with designs from kiddies' movies £4 each.
