UMN DIY Fest!

What awesome timing! This is the most perfect way for me to end my project. I will definitely be checking this out this evening!

http://metromag.com/blog/fashion/unraveled-diy-festival

What I've learned

Everyone has different passions and skills. Everyone has access to different materials (based on location, money or what you can steal from work, for example!). But DIY is great. It gets people thinking about products in a new way. Many times the things we buy become these mysterious objects, because we lose touch with the ways they are created. Many people have no idea how computers work, what goes into making a couch, the process behind obtaining certain materials. I am saddened by this. I personally like to know how objects are made. I like knowing that I can make those things. I don't need to spend obscene amounts of money or support a negative business strategy in order to obtain the things I would like to own.

DIY is awesome. I can't wait to keep going! After a little break, of course.

Other Thoughts

One thing that has been bugging me about "DIY" is the definition. Well, I don't really know what the definition is. There seems to be a stereotype of the DIYer that includes a grandma knitting little rosettes or something kitschy and tacky. I personally think it should be applied to everything. Anything you create mostly yourself can be DIY. And anyone:

Kids - All that crafting you did as a child? That's was DIY. Now you just have better taste (hopefully).
Teens/YAs - Searching for a unique identity; perhaps don't have much disposable income to buy expensive designs
Homeowners - Can save a lot of money by DIYing
Politically Motivated - Opposed to worker exploitation, Environmental harm
Gifters - Yes Grandma's afghan's can be considered crafting or DIY
Tech Savvies - Wish to create better objects or ones tailored to their uses- DIY computer!
Drinkers - The growing popularity of beer brewing...

I just believe that DIY is such a broad term! Lots of things are DIY. I'm not sure people realize that or make the connection. I don't know that it matters, it's just something I've been thinking about.

Or when a company steps in and curates your DIY experience, what then? Is it HDIY? Hybrid DIY? Plain ol' DIY? Not DIY? I'm not sure!

Examples:

Nike allows consumers to design their own shoes, Build-a-Bear allows kids to make their own teddies. What can this be called? Just customization? Is that really different from DIY? Is it?

And techno/virtual DIY. Recording your own music on garageband? Photoshopping your own photo? It's art, I will definitely argue that. But is it DIY? People are indeed doing it theirselves...but the term DIY has such a strong connection to physicality that confuses me. I'm not sure there is an answer, and I don't need one. But I will say that I think the DIY mentality and wants are becoming more mainstream, as evidenced by these other forms of 'customization'. It's all very interesting. Maybe the whole world is just becoming more hipster & we all want to be unique. ..have something no one else has (or has even heard of, for that matter).

TOMS>>BOBS??

Today we had a discussion about TOMS shoes. Tonight I learned about BOBS shoes, Skecher's total knock-off of the company:

"There is no problem with Skechers or any company copying the TOMS concept. In fact, Blake Mycoskie has stated that he hoped others would copy his business model. But by mirroring the TOM's concept so blatantly, Skechers not only showed a lack of creativity and originality, but they left themselves wide open to accusations of disingenuous social concern."

This is so shocking to me. The fact that the shoes look the exact same and are for the same cause DOES make their efforts seem disingenuous. What a negative twist on such a positive thing.

Read more at: http://www.fastcompany.com/1696887/toms-vs-bobs-how-skechers-shot-themselves-in-the-foot

#10: The Big One

This is the project I've had in mind since I started this blog. I am so excited about it! My bed currently sits against a radiator rather than against a wall. The worst part: I have no headboard. So I've been sleeping without leaning my pillows against anything all year--it's been a problem at times. Last summer I sewed some yarn in the pattern of a curly French headboard on some cream colored fabric. I think it turned out really cool, but it is very impractical at the moment because It's just hanging over the radiator, so I can't really touch it or it will fall down...

Now I've been planning to make my own headboard since this sewn piece's creation 10 months ago. And I finally have the motivation to do it: I am doing it for college credit! Fantastic!

First, a trip to Home Depot for the wood. This was a great experience. Everyone who helped me (5 people) was insanely kind. They all wanted to know what I was making and we had nice chats. It was really fun! And I even got a discount on my wood (it ended up being only $3! woohoo!).

And I already have foam, because I've known for a while I would eventually make this headboard so I bought it while it was on sale a couple of months ago.


Stapling on the foam... man I love that staple gun...


Next comes stapling on the fabric. I tried to be really careful about making sure it was straight and taut. It took a bit of time, but was worth it.

And here's the finished headboard! I'm pretty happy I was able to pull off this DIY. It wasn't hard at all, it just seems like something I never would have imagined I could make. But this was so cheap and so easy to make! Anyone could/should do it! Really!

#9: The Shirt

Since the nautical look is "in" this summer, as it is every summer, I want a classic striped shirt. I had this idea that I could use the leftover spray paint from the chair I reupholstered to make it. With a little bit of tape and a little bit of sprayin', my plain white tee went from so-boring to swashbuckling! That was a dumb joke. Here are pictures:

#8: Mod Podge Proj Two

I'm insistent on making this Mod Podge work. Today I will make a plate. This is cheating, because I've actually done this before, but I want to prove that Mod Podge is awesome after yesterday's tragedy. Since I've made a few of these I've got the process down pat.

First trace the size of the plate on nice scrapbooking paper and cut a half inch around that.

Next cut slits from the edges toward the center of the paper about 1/4 way in.

Then Mod Podge the back of the plate.

After that lay the paper on top of the plate where you just Mod Podged, good side facing down, and Mod Podge it all again. The slits allow the paper to curve around the edges.

Let dry, make a little hanger out of duct tape, and stick it on the wall in a cool pattern! Like so!