Malvern woman creates 'lockdown zoo' for grandchildren

George the giraffe was Julie Thomas' first creation on 24 March 2020

A woman has made more than 200 animals from buttons and beads during the pandemic.

Julie Thomas, from Malvern in Worcestershire, began making the creations after her grandsons asked if she could create a giraffe from her collection.

Each morning she made a different animal and now has 240 pieces for her "lockdown zoo".

"It has been keeping me amused and making people smile," said Mrs Thomas.

Julie Thomas says she has enjoyed sharing her creations online

"Before lockdown they were just a collection of buttons and beads. I had experimented with making things like charms to hang on trees, but I had never attempted to make an animal, person or fairy before," the 65-year-old said.

She was on a video call with her grandsons Seb, seven, and Ralph, five, from her shed where she keeps her collection, when they posed the challenge.

Marina the mermaid was made on Valentine's Day

Using beads, Mrs Thomas has also recreated popular comic book characters including the Beano's Dennis the Menace and Gnasher

"I don't know why they chose a giraffe, but it worked fine," Mrs Thomas said.

"I showed them that one and every day the boys would challenge me to make another animal.

"I learned as I went along. It has been a really good way of bonding."

Each piece, she said, had taken a few hours - dependent on finding the right beads.

Cedric the centipede was made to celebrate Captain Sir Tom Moore's 100th birthday

Ferdinand the fox spider was inspired by the discovery of his real-life counterpart on Ministry of Defence land in Surrey

Mrs Thomas, who works as a graphic designer, has also made creatures to honour events over the past 12 months, including a centipede to celebrate the late Captain Sir Tom Moore's 100th birthday.

She has been commissioned to make pieces for friends and family and has been sharing her creations over social media, as well as setting up a website where the collection can be seen in its entirety.

"So many people have enjoyed looking through them," she said.

"It has been nice to share them."

Mrs Thomas says Mork and Mindy the meerkats, which she made for her birthday, are her favourites. Mork and Mindy was a US sitcom about an alien which starred Robin Williams and Pam Dawber