sigh... nothing ever feels finished.

My parents and grandparents are/were big DIYers, so I learned a lot watching and helping them. When that knowledge isn't enough, I check online. A basic google search is usually enough - thisoldhouse, instructables, lowes and home depot are generally good sites for advice and instructions. If I still need more info to fill in the gaps, I ask someone at the hardware store.

My mom was a big DIYer. I remember coming home from school one day to find the wall between the DR and LR gone. I think my dad had something to do with it, but she usually had the idea first. That being said, I think the best "skill" for a DIYer is fearlessness. Don't be afraid to have to do it over- it's a learning process. I'm 53 y.o., and just this past year learned how to build kitchen cabinets and drawers (NOT fine woodworking, mind you).

And google.

There is no substitute for doing. Best of all is to find friends who are DIYers and offer your free labor in exchange for tuttoring, but short of that, pick a small project, check a couple different books out of the library and watch as many tutorials as you can find on youtube and get started. You WILL mess up, but then you'll find a way to fix it. It will also take more time and more money than it "should" the first time. But you'll get better and it will start to pay off.

Oh thank you, this is such a good question, and I was just wondering the same thing myself. I was thinking about youtube tutorials, but are there any specific youtubers or other video sources that do great tutorials?

Both of my parents were big time DIYer. My mom always joked that she knew it was time to move to a new house when all of the walls had drywall on them and there wasn't any exposed plywood on the floor. My brothers and I were always helping with the various projects that went on in our home.
The funny thing is, even though my parents still can't be happy unless there is at least one project happening in the house, as soon as my youngest brother moved out, they stopped doing things themselves and started hiring contractors!

My parents and grandparents were very much hands-on people. My grandfather had a woodworking workshop and although he was long retired when I was a kid, he was always working on some small projects and I constantly begged him to let me paint, hold something or assist him in some other way.
I guess I have it in my genes. My mom, long widowed and living in a house all by herself, decided the concrete steps (outside) were falling apart so at the ripe age of 75 or something she built a new frame, mixed up some concrete, poured it in and that was it. She did not think it was anything worth mentioning - just the usual house maintenance issue.

And as pbsteele said, fearlessness is crucial. Don't be afraid. Start small. Ask neighbours (who are obvious handymans) for advice. I always talk to the Home Depot staff. Most of them are great. When I have service people in the house, I always watch and ask them what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Oh yeah, and a million of light years of watches shows with Mike Holmes, Jon Eakes (way back) and other DIY shows also help - you slowly build the knowledge, little by little.
The internet is a great resource, too.

I grew up with a family that was DIY. Check into classes at you local home improvement store. Lowe's and Home Depot offer free classes.

My parents forced me to help them do it as a child. I did not really appreciate it at the time. If I don't know how to do something now I look it up online, but back them my mom got a lot of her ideas from tv do-it-yourself shows.

I used to watch my Dad painting and learned a lot. When I was older he let me have a go. Eventually, with his help I repainted my bedroom. The sewing I'd learned from Mum enabled me to make curtains and nets. I gained a tremendous sense of achievement from doing this when I was in my late teens. I still wouldn't be confident about doing anything involving dismantling and rebuilding.

youTube!!! Nothing else matters.

A great way to learn a lot is to volunteer regularly with Habitat for Humanity. Our local HFH will post what they are working on each workday so you can pick the ones that interest you. I learned how to install a bathroom fan there.

It's amazing what you can learn by watching home improvement shows on HGTV, DIY Network, This Old House, etc. rather than "Dancing With the Stars"

My father. DIY Network. And several friends who (lucky me!) work professionally in the construction trades.

Some from my dad
Some from helping friends on renos
Some from working on Habitat for Humanity houses

i got my DIY streak from my family...i come from a line of carpenters, sewers, and make-do'ers..which is where a lot of DIY comes from.

so after i pick my family's brains, i head on over to Google...there are instructional videos for nearly everything...have faith in yourself and you'll do wonderfully in a self-taught setting!

My grandparents - they had a huge garden, and we lacked nothing except bread and meat when I was growing up. Little did I know I was eating TRUE organic back then! My dad was ever the fixer-upper. He practically built the second edition to our old home single handedly. And I can't count the no. of days/weeks/months we had to live with the smell of curing varnish from some project in his basement work area. I guess I was blessed with an eye for doing 'stuff,' but Dad, Grampa, HGTV and Google definitely helped!

I grew up in a house that my parents built, mostly by themselves. I should note that they started when I was one. I'm 27 and it's STILL not finished.

Anyway, that gave me a good skill set for DIY, although only in specific things. I am super confident laying flooring and building brick walls, but anything involving pipes or wires is just beyond me. It's important to know your limits - but don't be limited by them! I know that I don't have the knowledge for those things, so I get someone to help me or do LOTS of research. I'm a crafter, too, so the idea of making things from scratch - the idea that I CAN do that - comes natural.

You'd be surprised what you can do when you put your mind to it. I'm often terrified right before I start a new project. Do lots of reading - on the internet or otherwise - and check out youtube. Make sure you have a good idea of what you want, but also know that nothing ever turns out quite how you want it. It's not that you're doing it wrong, just that that's how the universe works. If you're going to DIY, sometimes it's going to look a little... rustic.

And also I try to remember that learning new things is hard. These are skills that people spend decades perfecting. Of COURSE I'm not going to be perfect at it the first time I do it. Doesn't make it not worth doing.

Myra, it seems as though most of the comments are from those who grew up with DIY'ers. Please don't think this is something that has to be handed down. My husband never worked on a car before he went to grad school, and there he learned to totally drop an engine and fix it all; just to get out of the lab for a bit. There are books, classes, websites, tutorials, and older people who love to pass on their knowledge. I just finished making draperies for the first time, and saved about $9K in the process. It wasn't fun, but I am so glad I did it. Start small and build your confidence. Removing a wall or installing a toilet are NOT starting out small.

Same here, DIY was the LAST thing my parents were into. I took some adult high school woodworking classes, which taught me to work with saws, got me over that scary hump. Then I lucked out and got to volunteer on the building of a residential zen temple, where I did most of the electrical wiring, another scary hump. For that reason, I'd second debtx's suggestion to do some Habitat work; nothing beats hands-on.

I also watched a ton of Saturday home-improvement shows and learned a lot. Just realize, they always make it look about 80% easier than it actually is. But one of the valuable things is seeing HOW they approach tasks; making templates, and other clever ways to solve problems.

Not long after I bought my house, I found out nobody had ever done a tear-off on the roof, in 75 years. A total of nine roofs had been put on (code usually requires a tear-off after every second roof). I knew this meant there would be lots of rot to deal with and that it was completely out of my budget to hire out the problem. So I got all five roofing books out of the library, and bought my supplies from a local (not big-box) roofing supply store, where they gave me a ton of advice.

I hired laborers at $20/hr to do the tear-off; there was so much material that JUST the hauling and disposal of it cost $1,000. Otherwise, I did almost all of the work myself. It took forever and was really hard, but I, a 50-something woman in mediocre health, DID do it. AND, three other neighbors had their roofs professionally done that year, and mine was the only one of the four that didn't leak.

So you can do it. Just use google like you've never used it before, vehemently; expect the job to take about 9 times longer than you think it will; take your time; and enjoy. And be proud.

I have taken classes, but don't underestimate Youtube. While its not the most reliable from a safety perspective, it is really handy for learning tricks beyond the ones you know.

I learned how to solder entirely from youtube videos.

YouTube, ftw. Google what you want to do, read a few how-tos, find a YT video. And just try it. Yes, some things will get screwed up, but you'll find someone who can fix it. And most things won't get screwed up, and they'll be great!

You tube, google, and This Old House website. I'm a fairly experienced DIYer but I always check in with what other people advise to pick up any pointers.

Alos, just TRY something. The more confidence you build, the better you'll get. Also, doesnt hurt to ask a friend for help - great way to learn

I think the best DIY comes from experience, lots of failure, and patience. I can't stress the last part enough. I've destroyed so many things from doing them hastily.

I guess the other thing that helps was the carpentry class in high school, my grandfather (welder/woodworker/jack of all trades.) My other grandfather (photographer/tinkerer.) and watching my dad screw up a lot of things.

Best advise: research whatever it your trying to do; measure twice(three maybe four times) and cut once.

Be Brave...
and repeat the following words-
"It can't possibly look worse than it did before."

My dad. He is like a jedi master with a tool box.

When I tackle projects myself it often turns out less than stellar, but that doesn't stop me from starting new ones a week later. I consider it learning experiences.

Experience, This Old House website, DIY Network & a whole lot of patience to prevent unfortunate incidents :)

I had never picked up a tool in my life, but when I was 22, the handyman at the school where I worked showed me how to use an electric drill. PRESTO! I was no longer scared of power tools, as if they would immediately take my fingers off.

I don't much care for big saws, still (though I can use them), but having a drill and being able to attach wood screws is a wonderful first step!

When I was in middle school, then called junior high, all students were required to take shop or home ec, so I took home ec. The sewing class was difficult, but I managed to pick up enough basic skills to improve every home I've had. I'm very glad I took that class, although at the time I resented being required to take it.

Trial and error. Mostly the latter.

Canada's Worst Handyman.

Not only does it get me laughing, but they teach you how to do it right. And then the contestants show you the many ways you can do it wrong.

Buying a fixer upper house. ;)

Not much DIY experience prior to that, except spray painting furniture and painting walls. I did recently purchase a drill prior to that and had a staple gun. I did a couple of small projects in my tiny apartment, like painting and reupholstering chairs (painted behind my parking spot with tarps).

Excessive viewing of HGTV emboldened me, which was stupid but good. Definitely got us into a house in a neighborhood we couldn't have afforded otherwise!

Lots of Youtube videos and online tutorials helped. Plus, make friends with the crusty old knowledgable old guys at the local hardware store. And follow DIY house blogs like younghouselove.com, etc to give you faith that you in fact CAN do it. Blogs like that gave us the confidence to tackle a bunch of stuff. That, and build up a good chunk of vacation time to tackle everything. It'll take more than you think!

And Home Depot has some DIY classes...

However, leave electrical, plumbing, framing and drywall to the pros!! And rent the right equipment if you don't have it! Most hardware stores rent power tools!

For classes the hands-on classes at the non-profit Building Education Center (BEC) in Berkeley, CA, can't be beat:
http://www.bldgeductr.org/

After taking some classes I've volunteered with several different BEC instructors on their work for Habitat for Humanity and it's been invaluable to practice 'in the field' and be able to ask further questions.

For books anything published by Taunton offers step-by-step detailed instructions. Be hyper-aware of the building codes for your areas - there are regularly published guides available for those as well.

For details, so that you can complete a truly professional-looking job, scour magazines and duplicate the finish details for tile, trim, etc. If I can't figure it out from that example, and from my Taunton books, I take that picture with me and ask how to complete it when I'm buying supplies.

I learned a lot by volunteering with my local Habitat for Humanity. There are pros on job sites who will instruct you on a project that you work on your own or with other volunteers. I learned power-tool proficiency, siding, roofing and lots of other things. And it's a great cause.