Do it yourself (DIY) is
building, modifying, or repairing something without the aid of experts or
professionals. The popular culture phrase "do it yourself" had come
into common usage (in standard English) by the 1950s, in reference to the
emergence of a trend of people undertaking home improvement and various other
small craft and construction projects as both a creative-recreational and
cost-saving activity. Subsequently, the term DIY has taken on a broader meaning
that covers a wide range of skill sets. [1]
"Our educational system,
in its entirety, does nothing to give us any kind of material competence. In
other words, we don't learn how to cook, how to make clothes, how to build
houses, how to make love, or to do any of the absolutely fundamental things of
life. The whole education that we get for our children in school is entirely in
terms of abstractions. It trains you to be an insurance salesman or a
bureaucrat, or some kind of cerebral character." [2]
[2] Ref.
Watts, Alan et al. "Houseboat Summit" in The San Francisco Oracle,
issue #7. San Francisco
DIY websites
Needless to mention the
quantity of websites out there that deal with one or another aspect of DIY, from
simple tasks like glueing or drilling a hole, to complex ones like how to make
your own biodiesel, to canning your own food, or even building a railgun ! What
normally would suffice would be to search online for what you want to make or
instructions for making it. This section therefore does not intend to replace
the obvious. No. What we would like is for you to have a "jumping
station" where you could access available web resources for DIY, from one
location, easily.
The list, does not attempt to
include all ; just the more frequently popping ones :
Wiki-How. A good place to
start for any kind of project. Particularly the Home and Garden section. You
can get great high-level information, and it can give you a general sense of
whether or not the project is something you’d like to attempt.
ManMade, creativity and
the handmade life for the post modern male, with videos, instructions, and
original how-to content, and design inspiration created by both women and men.
Instructables users upload
step-by-step instructions for everything from solving a Rubik's cube (without
moving the stickers) to packing a suitcase—but it's the reuse of unwanted items
and the make-your-own-anything instructions that keep the eco-minded occupied.
Lifehacker is all about
"getting things done"—and if you like getting things done with your
own two hands, check out the site's list of projects that include links to
how-tos on making your own butter (hello, eating local), creating a postage
scale with office supplies and spare change, and turning spare materials into
electronics cases.
Lifehacker's more
technologically-oriented brother, Gizmodo scratches the DIY itch for
the geeks in your life, with instructions for building your own PC or making an
iPhone charger out of a classic rotary phone. Bonus: having obsolete
electronics do double-duty cuts down on waste (and on buying new).
Make for the gadget
junkie in everyone. Tech junkies and DIYers collide! The online community for
readers of Make magazine has tips and projects for anyone interested in
repurposing outdated technology or people looking to make things using items
around the house. This is a grown-up’s science fair with projects that are
useful, fun and a little off-the-wall.
Make : Projects is a living
library for makers, a how-to community hosted by MAKE magazine. Here you can
build something from our growing cookbook of projects, tweak existing projects
to improve them, share your own step-by-step instructions, discover new ideas
and techniques, and learn how to make just about anything. And it's a wiki, so
everything is hackable. Connect with the collective smarts of the maker
community!
Homesessive's
DIY projects contains videos to instruct you in modifications or constructions you
can make around the house, mostly for decoration.
Apartment
Therapy's DIY section with unique ideas and projects for the home. That is an
extensive section featuring modifications and instructions to make new, a very
nice before and after section for inspiration, plus a wealth of information
with regards to décor styles etc.
The DIY section form Popular
Science magazine is also a very interesting repository of diy projects and
solutions, leaning more toward science projects.
If the projects in your
digital subscription to Craft magazine aren't enough to
keep you busy, put the publication in your RSS feed: the frequently updated
blog is heavy on fabric crafts, like knitted scarfs, hand-sewn stuffed animals,
and baby shoes with light-up firefly appliques.
While Green Upgrader offers tips and
tricks for greening every part of your life, the DIY blog makes change easy and
accessible: fold used cereal boxes into gift packaging; upcycle mini blinds for
a chic lampshade—or find links to stores and products that help you upgrade to
green.
Do It Yourself tackles the
bigger home improvement projects that always look so doable on Home Depot commercials—like
adding light fixtures, putting in a patio, and building kitchen cabinets—plus
basic car maintenance, interior decorating, and woodworking (among other jobs).
DIY Network's detailed videos
and instructions make home repair a cinch by making it easy to tackle wallpaper
application, drywall hanging, or kitchen remodeling. Easier projects—like
hanging holiday decorations or learning to knit—get the same treatment.
Acme How-To. Packed full of
information on home repairs and maintenance, you'll find instructions for any
project on your list. This site is meant for people who have a project in mind
and are looking for "how-to" more than "what-to"
information.
The Natural
Handyman offers his 35+ years of experience to do-it-yourselfers. There’s
nothing this man hasn’t seen, and he shares it all. There is an extensive list
of articles on everything related to home maintenance and repair. If you can’t
find the answers you need you can submit your question to the Natural Handyman
himself.
BHG's
diy section. This site features many quick projects that can dress up a room or
give you storage space you never knew you had. There are lots of instructions
for easy projects that can add a certain something to any room, or the
finishing touch to any project. The community section has a design star of the
week and encourages you to share your project with everyone.
Blogs
Some more creative ideas
& projects from the blogosphere, can be found at :
ScrapHacker is your Hub for Scrappy Chic
Inspiration & doable, hands-on D.I.Y Hack Tutorials. Clever -yet stylish-
ideas on clever re-purposing, upcycling and recycling take centre stage.
A
beautiful mess diy section
DIYDiva
is an extensive hands on blog for around the house small and large projects.
2modern blog's diy
section
Freepeople Bldg 25 blog diy section
Lowe’s Creative Ideas A ton
of projects by category and ease. They have threaded comments on each project
and mods that will answer your questions on what materials to use or how to
modify the plans.
Curbly DIY design community. With the right
tools and knowhow, every person can create a place that fits their personality.
Curbly helps you bring out the best in your home.
Design Sponge blog's diy
section
Dornob daily design
ideas and diy projects for the home
Blue Velvet
Chair, diy inspirational gallery
I Spy D.I.Y, spot the style and make it
yourself
IKEA Livet Hemma, IKEA
inspiration
IkeaHackers, projects and moding of IKEA
products
Made by Joel stylish craft projects
Tip Junkie, with loads of tutorials and
howtos
The art of doing Stuff, from
Karen a regular diyarian
A very comprehensive list for
DIY fashion blogs can be found here.
And a list of the top DIY
blogs (in accordance to various rankings), can be found here.
Pinterest boards
Again the list, does not attempt
to include all ; get into Pinterest and search under "DIY", to get
you going :
SavvySugar. From easy DIY crafts to
smart solutions for organizing your home or work space, SavvySugar is full of
intelligent inspiration.
Learnvest. You'll find smart
ways to make your home and work life easier with organizational tips along with
crafty DIYs.
Real Simple.
New Uses For Old Things. Here's a board that shares clever ways to repurpose
and use old items to make your life easier around the home and out in the
world.
AllYou Mag. This is the
destination for seriously smart and clever ways to upcycle, reuse, and
repurpose everyday items.
Young House Love.
From tips for painting furniture to how to transform boring votives, you'll be
ready to tackle all your home DIYs after perusing these ideas.
The 36th Avenue. Here's
a board packed with smart and simple ideas for cleaning your home and keeping
it in tip-top shape.
SavingsMania.
Along with simple DIY tutorials that will make your life easier, you'll find
cleaning solutions and fun and colorful ideas for organizing your home.
Have fun surfing !
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