Our love for DIY is as old as our relationship (actually older). Before we even started dating, Andrew graciously volunteered to help me attempt to make some string art. I really wanted to gift it to someone, but the Etsy prices were out of my broke college student budget. I was terrified of hammering my finger (still kind of am), so Andrew tackled that part and then I did the stringing. We ended up making string art over and over again in the dorm room for various people. Once we started dating, we even used our profits to fund our first few dates!
Then came the hutch. This was our first DIY that wasn’t a craft. We re-painted an outdated hutch that we found at a consignment shop. We sanded and painted it in my dorm room (in hindsight, that probably wasn’t allowed). The feeling of accomplishment we got from completely changing the look of the hutch made us feel like we could do anything, so when it came time to move into an apartment, we decided to try our hand at DIY furniture. A coffee table snowballed into an entertainment stand and a dining room table and now we’re completely obsessed with DIY and showing people how amazing it can be. The main reason why we love DIY has changed over the years, but for us, it always boiled down to four main reasons.
Saving money
In the beginning, DIY was just a way to save some money. We couldn’t afford nice string art or a bright blue hutch or a fancy wood coffee table, so we decided to tackle it ourselves. DIY is a great place to turn if you’re feeling like you can’t afford what you really want. It empowers you to take matters into your own hands and make things happen.
Meaning
After we finished our first few projects, we started to realize that building, not buying, brought us so much joy. Our home was a showcase of hard work and fun memories from completing projects together. People talk about building a home all the time, but it’s a pretty incredible feeling to look around your home and know that you actually built the things in it with your own two hands.
I’ve also found that we’re much more satisfied with things in our house when we build them together. I’m much less likely to want to replace the things that we’ve built. They make me happy so why would I get rid of them? My random pieces from IKEA and Wayfair though? I generally am over them pretty quickly. They don’t bring me joy. Marie Kondo’s method of tidying up is really popular right now and if you aren’t familiar with her philosophy, it boils down to the idea that we should only keep things that spark joy. Does your nightstand really bring you joy? Mine does because we built them with our own two hands.
Customization
Ah, this is the really fun one! If you’re anything like me, you’re really picky. You’ll love the color of one thing, the detail from another, and something else from another thing. Well in DIY, YOU get to make the plans. Or you can use other people’s plans and change pieces here and there to make it exactly what you want. It’s 100% custom and original to you. You aren’t going to walk into any other house and find your exact bed, table, entertainment stand, etc. DIYing means I get to flex my creative muscles and design something that fits our space, our design, our style perfectly.
That feeling of accomplishment when you see the before/after
Andrew’s favorite part of DIY is one I always forget about. But, whenever he brings it up, I remember that it is a pretty awesome perk of DIYing. Seeing the before and after, the transformation. It reminds you of where you started and how you took it into your own hands to make something beautiful that you really love. If you’re looking for a sense of accomplishment in life, look no further than DIY. Seriously, the pride and excitement you feel when your vision comes to life and you know that YOU made that transformation happen is amazing.
That’s why we DIY, but there are a million more reasons to. Why do you DIY? Tell us in the comments below!
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