Some of us are amazing at repurposing items that come in and out of our daily lives. I do it because there's no reason not to, and I'm usually the first one to raise my hand and say, "Why would I buy that when I can make it?" The question is this: does your love of DIY get in the way of actually putting items in your home, or do you find yourself with less satisfactory temporary items until that DIY project gets crossed off your to-do list?
I'll be the first person to say out loud that I fully support and enjoy the works from other artists and craftsman. I love purchasing items for my home that make it feel warm and enjoyable, especially when they're handmade or produced from sustainable materials.
That said, it can be difficult at times to just walk into a store and purchase something. Often times I see something and think I could make it and then the project gets added to the mile long list of things to make and do. (And if your list looks anything like mine, then I wish you good luck with that.)
For example, the rug above. It's a designer piece that is stunning in its own right, but I immediately thought of scouring through Craigslist to find rugs with stains that I could cut up. I could make that. I could stitch together pieces of old (or even new) rugs and make the look you see above. I could make it the size I want in the colors I want... I could make that.
My sofa requires a large rug to anchor it, and since we've moved into our new place with large open floor plan, the only rugs we've found that are the right size run in the several thousand dollar range. Personally, I can't fathom spending that much money on something that will take abuse from shoes and my dogs puking on it, so I naturally turn to less expensive options, but am unwilling to sacrifice design and quality.
So I think to myself that I can make the rug above. It seems like the best of both worlds, right? But it would roughly take me past the upcoming holiday season to track down enough rugs from thrift stores, antiques and Craigslist to make it work. It would require hand-stitching it all together and making a giant mess with all the scraps. It would consume me. I might save money in the process, but it would overtake all my brain power and free time. And although I enjoy a good hunt, is it really what's best for me and my family?
It's a back and forth game that's easy to struggle with when you're like me and repurpose what you can while still having designer tastes in home decor. How do you deal with the internal struggle? Sound off in the comments below!
(Image: Lo Bjurulf via Plastolux)
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I often have this crisis, and there are a lot of things I'd attempt by DIY. For me, it boils down to:
1. How long will it take me to make it myself?
2. Do I have the materials to make it on hand? If not, are those materials readily available or difficult to find?
3. If I make it myself, will it be structurally sound as last as long as buying a quality pre-made product?
4. Is the cost of said pre-made product prohibitively high?
At the end of the day, I'm more likely to support an independent artisan who made a rug like the one shown above than I would be to buy the same rug from a bigger retailer.
No internal struggle; I'm domestically impotent. I can't even paint a wall decently. The cheapest, safest, and least headache-induing way for me to get anything done is to buy it or hire someone to do it for me.
wow i'm the same way. and sometimes, i start a project a realize that it will take more time and effort than i anticipated, and i get frustrated. it's gets tough to manage my own expectations of how the process will go, and how much i will like the DIY when it's done. i hear ya, sister. at the moment i'm not allowed to buy things to start a new project until i either 1)start/finish one i have already, or 2)get rid of the materials for an undone project and move on. i do love the feeling when one is completed tho. you should see my laptop cozy! :)
How do you know me so well?
I am consumed by DIY, and for every project i finish, I probably start at least 10. Buy something? Seldom!
yep, recently it's DIY or don't have it.
Same here!!!! DIY or try my best to find it through freecycle friends or don't have it! and the DIY list is getting longer everyday! If I didn't procrastinate so much it wouldn't be so much of a problem, but I do. However my procrastination does help me edit my room designs a WHOLE lot LOL.
everything everyone said above is true! while we are fairly handy around the house, free time, play time and everything else... DIY would be really satisfying, but supporting local artists/crafters/businesses can also be just as heartwarming. I know that our culture supports "I want it now" but that also must be balanced with our lives. Buying secondhand, or freecycling...local artist, these are all better options (I believe) than just running out to buy a mass-produced, albeit "perfect" item, w/o considering the source.
It is a tough decision, that's for sure.
Has to be DIY whenever possible, and the satisfaction factor makes it worth it for me
The permaculture principle of "long thoughtful observation" applies to inside the home as well as out. Here's my method, the first step is to quell the urge to rush out and buy it, whatever it is. Sleep on it, mull it over, weigh the options, try to do without it, see if it can be DIY'ed, see if you can find it in someone else's waste stream. This can take weeks or longer. Be patient, there is almost always a way to avoid consumerism.
That made me laugh so hard that I cried...because it is like you were in my brain. I have this same problem and I will go without rugs, lights, chairs and even scarfs, just because I think to myself...that's cool, but I can make it myself and my 'make it' list is extensively long and overwhelming at best. Ahhh...what to do!
I am lucky to have my wife. I like to pretend I can do anything, but at times need a voice of reason to let me know that a. this might be out of my league, b. I have 3 other things I said I would DIY, & c. am a wonderfully proficient procrastinator. This isn't to say I don't have plenty of DIY projects, but she generally keeps me away from ones that would ultimately be a nightmare.
I agonize about this everyday. Luckily and unfortunately I live in NYC. This means I don't have the room to make things especially bigger things much less collect and store materials for projects. Having moved into a two bedroom recently I now have a small dedicated space for my projects. If I can't make it myself buying sustainable, high quality, hand-made, or local reduces the sting of it not being DIY.