DIY Projects

We've all been trained to be a consumer. When we break something or "need" something we rush out to the local super store to buy what we desire. Although we may need to buy at times, there are several opportunities for DIY projects with items that you already have! Participating in DIY projects does not mean your things will look "used" or trashy. In fact, the vintage/re-used/shabby chic look has been popular for a very long time. I remember my mom doing DIY projects my entire life. They always turned out adorable and received loads of compliments. I have received the same praise in my own places I've lived. DIY projects also promotes the three R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle which helps us to be good stewards of our things (and in a roundabout way, our earth!)

I'd like to share with you some of my favorite DIY tasks.

Crocheting/Knitting

Too often times we purchase things, which if we take a little time, we could make ourselves. An art which is quickly becoming lost with my grandmother's generation is crocheting and knitting. Not only is it an enjoyable thing to do and easy, it's easy to make things like scarves, bags, dishcloths, pot holders, clothes and much more.

Pinterest > Crocheting

I've recently been making dishcloths. They're made from 100% cotton yarn and are reusable... and I made them myself! There are several cool color combinations that you can purchase and the price difference between making your own dishcloths and buying a set of 4 at Wal-Mart is huge.

Walmart Dish towels set of 4 - $11.79
100% cotton yarn for crocheting - $1.50-$2 (2-4 cloths per ball depending on the size you're making the cloths)

My mom has crocheted dishcloths that she's had for several years and they still work as well as they did the first day my grandma made them and gave them to her. Also, I learned how to crochet from my mom, boyfriend's mom and a DIY crochet book. The time I've spent bonding with both my mom and my boyfriend's mom is something that you can't place a price tag on. Would I have received that bonding time in a Wal-Mart trip? Hell no.

Gardening

Instead of buying "special" sticks to mark your rows, grab twigs from your yard (or from your neighbor's yard) and break them into pieces to mark each row. If you need to remember what you planted, use different weather resistant items around the house to mark the sticks. I've used duct tape, markers, made markings with my knife and other random markers outside like old corn stalks from last year to mark the corn.

Too much harvest at the end of the season? Try canning! Canning is an excellent way to preserve all the goodies you grew that season and have yummy treats through the winter. Last year from a very small crop of tomatoes and peppers, we made 15 jars of salsa. We gave several away, ate several ourselves and still have at least 3 jars left over! The cucumber plant was one of the most successful in the extreme heat last summer. We had more cucumbers than we knew what to do with so I started looking around for some ideas. The tastiest idea I found was putting cucumbers in a mason jar with vinegar, condensed milk, onions, salt and pepper. If you like vinegar, you will love this tasty treat.

Tasty Cucumbers In A Jar

1 lg mason jar 

1 onion sliced 

1-2 Cucumbers (depending on size) sliced

1 sm can Condensed Milk 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon pepper

--Add all these things to mason jar then add vinegar to fill the jar. Seal lid onto jar and shake to mix ingredients. Let sit in fridge for 2 hours for best taste. (I love to add more vinegar as the amount in the jar goes down!)

Save your seeds! At the end of the year, research what is best for saving seeds for each of the things in your garden. Let seeds dry in plastic containers with no lid then store in brown bags. The seeds will have enough air to dry out and won't get to moist over the winter. Now you won't have to buy seeds next year! (or at least as many)

Used Furniture

This is similar to the concept of Eco-stores. The idea is to take furniture that is structurally sound (or sometimes even not, with tools you have or borrow you can easily fix furniture) with poor looks and remodeling it into something that actually looks and acts like a proper piece of furniture. Last summer when my boyfriend was moving into his house and out of the dorms, he didn't have a single piece of furniture for the house. Craigslist is an excellent resource for free things. I looked in the Free section on the day of the move (our friend was moving on the same day and had a moving truck he was willing to use to pick up and deliver furniture for us) and found a complete sectional listed. The couch had gotten a little wet from the rain the previous night so we let it sit in the sun for a week. When we brought it in I cleaned the couch and now there is a complete sectional in the living room for free! Another trick is to go to craft stores and sift through the clearance fabric bin. Often times you can find cool fabrics which you can use to cover beat up furniture and make it look nice again.

Lastly....One of my favorites

As a college student and avid reader, I read A LOT. Often times I find myself flipping between different parts of a book or needing a bookmark so I can easily find where I was. Often times Post-Its are expensive and not always at your disposal. Make your own bookmarks! While working in an office supply store right after high school, I found pre-wired manilla shipping tags. In one container are at least 50 of these tags. They're very easy to write on or, my favorite, put stickers and quotes on them. (I'm also a sticker nerd) Not only do I have a sturdy, easy marker but I'm also constantly reading inspirational quotes and being uplifted during stressful study sessions. Positivity is amazing! Bookmarks are also a very easy and cheap gift.

Other Ideas

The ideas for DIY projects are endless with a little creativity but these are just some of my favorites. The internet is a great tool to find projects other people have done. One of my favorites is Pinterest but Google is just as great of a tool. Below are some links I've found for great DIY project inspiration. Often times you may not have every thing listed in someone else's DIY project but it's very easy to improvise! Be creative and think outside the box :)

Pinterest > DIY & Crafts

Pinterest > DIY Home Projects

DIY Network

31 Insanely Easy and Clever DIY Projects