When summer vacation comes, a lot of students don’t know what to do with their free time. Some teens end up getting a summer job, while others attend camp, or go on vacation with their parents.
But 14-year-old Ellie Yeater, from West Virginia, knew exactly what she wanted to do with her summer. She would spend her time fulfilling her dream of transforming an old camper into a beautiful place where she could hang out with her friends. And the end result? This girl deserves all the praise in the world…In the summer of 2016, 14-year-old Ellie Yeater decided to completely renovate a camper from 1974.
She paid for it with birthday money and turned it into a beautiful space to call her own. All of the furniture had been untouched since the 70s and it needed a thorough renovation. “It needed work… lots of work,” Elli’s mom, Lori, told Woodcraft.
But Ellie was ready to take on her dream project, and she started by scraping the floors. Her father and brother are both expert renovators, and they were close at hand to help and guide her.
After scraping the floors and removing the rot, it was time to start decorating. The first thing Ellie wanted to change was the color of the camper.
She wanted it to give her own style, so she painted it a bright, beautiful blue called “mystic sea.” Now, it was time to tackle the inside. Ellie painted it a peachy color and accented it with aqua blue.
Ellie also laid down a brand new floor.
Gone were the old tiles from the 70s, and in were fresh, new wood-patterned ones.
In the space of one summer, Ellie turned the camper into her own private getaway — and it’s barely recognizable in the before and after pictures. Isn’t it impressive that a 14-year-old was able to pull off this project? Impressive!
While she was working on the project, Ellie got advice and guidance from her loved ones, who wanted to help her with her summer project.
And of course, they had a standing invitation to visit her in her camper.
“I have never told her that she couldn’t do anything. She has always been an out-of-the-box thinker. I don’t want her to ever feel she has to color inside the lines. I want her to color the entire page!” says Ellie’s mom, Lori.
Talk about doing something constructive over summer vacation! Awesome job, Ellie!
Please share if you also think that Ellie deserves two thumbs up for her great work!