National DIY Day

The average person can spend a lot of money getting other people to do things for them—cutting their hair, fixing their cars and computers, mowing their lawns, baking their bread and cakes…and so many other things.

Of course, it is true that there are things that people would (and should!) prefer to have experts with knowledge and experience doing for them, like performing surgery or filling out our tax papers. But more and more people are starting to agree that people these days have become too dependent on others and, as a result, too helpless when left on their own.

Sure, not everyone knows the construction of an engine in detail, but surely most average people could learn to change a tire or the oil in their car on their own?

And, yes, it’s true that most people are probably not anything close to being Jamie Oliver or Martha Stewart, but surely they could still manage to bake a birthday cake on their own? Not to mention, it would probably be better than most of those bland store-bought cakes anyway!

So why not get ready for National DIY Day by learning to do something new yourself?!

History of National DIY Day

National DIY Day was created in recent years by the Craft Box Girls team, and 2016 was the first year that it was celebrated. The mission of Craft Box Girls is to celebrate makers and to inspire regular, average people to create things on their own without having to hire a professional to do it for them.

From fruity cocktails to wreaths, from vases and pillowcases to just about anything else that can be imagined, Craft Box Girls can make it all by themselves, with just a few easy to come by knick-knacks and supplies. And their desire is to encourage and inspire others to do things on their own as well.

The history of DIY itself probably goes back to the beginning of time.

In fact, Italian archeologists recently unearthed the ruins of a 6th-century BC Greek temple-like structure in southern Italy that came with detailed assembly instructions and is therefore now being called an “ancient IKEA building”. Much like the world-famous IKEA instruction booklets, various sections of the temple were inscribed with coded symbols showing how the pieces slotted together.

As it turns out, DIY has actually got quite a fascinating history! Over the years, the do-it-yourself culture has ebbed and flowed, but ingenious and innovative people continue to learn and create whether out of necessity or because they just love to do it.

And now it’s time to get busy celebrating National DIY Day!

How to Celebrate National DIY Day

National DIY Day is the perfect time to learn how to do or make something new in celebration and observation of the day. Try out some of the following ideas for enjoying the day–or come up with some of your own:

Watch a DIY Television Show

One of the best ways to learn how to do more projects yourself is by watching tv shows where they teach different DIY skills. Try out some of these shows to be entertained while learning some new abilities:

• This Old House. This classic American television show has been airing since 1979–for more than 40 seasons! The Emmy-winning series airs on PBS and has had two spinoffs, Ask This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop.
• House Crashers. Airing since 2009, this show reveals the fun way that a team of experts surprises unsuspecting homeowners with a renovation and transformation.
• DIY SOS. Revolving around the idea of bringing a community together to transform homes around Britain, this show has been on BBC One since 1999.
• Making It. This reality competition show features talented craftspeople who are challenged to create new handmade projects. The show is hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman and started in 2018.

Host a National DIY Day Event

Whether at work, at school or in the neighborhood, National DIY Day is the perfect time to host a little event or party that celebrates the joy of doing it yourself! Turn the lunchroom at the office into a place for coworkers to learn a new craft or set up the art room at school for kids to learn a new DIY skill. Or turn that garage into a place where neighbors can learn how to create a new household decorating project.

Read a DIY Book

Libraries and bookstores are filled with a wide variety of books that help people do it themselves! Whether there is a need for learning how to install a light fixture in the living room or teaching yourself how to create stained glass art, reading a book can really help to learn. Even better, get a DIY book to learn how to make a bookshelf on which to store those DIY books!

Learn a New DIY Skill

Perhaps someone has something they can’t do that they are a bit embarrassed about because they can’t do it? Maybe it’s something relatively simple that they just never learned. Whatever it is, this is the ideal day to make an effort to learn to do it.

Most people know the old saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” So ask a friend or a family member to teach you to knit or change a light bulb or cook something more than water.

Becoming more independent has never hurt anybody! The more things you know how to do, the more self-confident you will be, and that has never hurt anyone either!

Of course, learning how to make a dish instead of settling for a tray of unhealthy frozen goop from the supermarket is a much shorter process than, say, learning a foreign language so you don’t have to rely on others while traveling or during business meetings.But that doesn’t mean you can’t make National DIY Day the day you start learning! The first step is always the hardest, but it is also the most important, so let this day be the day you take a step in the right direction and change your life for the better! Don’t forget to share all of your new projects on social media to share that joy and inspire others as well.