COVID-19 has changed a lot about the world, and if you're an avid DIY-er, you've probably noticed a few changes to the world of internet hacks and doing it yourself.
Supply Shortage Last week we finished chalk painting a dresser but needed a little more paint to touch up the side. The problem? The paint we needed was sold out at our local store, and all of the stores that carried it within a fifty-mile radius...and online. Supplies that once came in surplus are nowhere to be found, making some DIYs hard to tackle. Fabric stores have run low on fabric. Elastic, dyes, basic construction supplies, and even specialty parts are hard to come by. With the global disruption of the supply chain, factories cannot make the supplies and stores cannot distribute them. If you're tackling a big repair DIY style, you may find yourself waiting weeks for particular parts and, no surprise, you may have to pay more for the few you can find. While some big chains that supply DIY-ers with their tools of choice, smaller stores may have had to raise prices to keep the doors open during COVID. And those smaller stores may feel the sting of dwindling supplies more than most.
What does this mean for you? You need to really plan ahead with your DIYs to make sure you can get everything you need ahead of time. Get Creative The lack of supplies and access to industry experts has led to a surge of creativity. People are going fully DIY barber and hairdresser with the help of TikTok tutorials and advice for hair magicians on the internet. Without access to salons, spas, and even some food establishments, people have had to get creative. The recent surge in people wondering how to make your own sourdough start? Or the thousands of online searches wondering how to make your own dye? That's creativity meeting crisis. Sometimes this creativity is born of necessity—which is kind of awesome. If your dishwasher repairman isn't allowed in your home, you and your friend Youtube may need to tackle the tinkering on your own. The same goes for patching holes in jeans, changing your own oil, and growing your own garden. The need to get scrappy with DIYs has also led to an increase of online tutorials from the pros. DIY professionals have been forced to find a new source of income. Some free, some not, these tutorials are being created to help even the most seasoned DIY pro learn a few new skills.
How to Get Creative: If you've got a DIY that you can't tackle the way you normally would, hit the internet for help.
More DIYers COVID has broadened the DIY community too. People trapped inside, who didn't know they had the DIY gene, are discovering their love for crafting, creating, and doing the hard stuff themselves. The surge of DIY has also come from people discovering their love of creating with their hands as they come into more isolation and seclusion. Because crafting can connect and creativity can boost serotonin, hobby crafters are popping in to join the DIY community. Connection in a time of COVID? Join online groups on Facebook or other platforms that connect DIYers to each other! This can be a great way to stay connected without getting infected.
Home Base DIY One of the most noticeable changes to DIY has come within the walls of your home. Home DIYs are up higher than ever, and that includes yard related DIYs as well. The more time we spend quarantined at home, the more time we have to tackle that long list of projects. Whether you've always wanted to start a garden or if you've been itching to knock down a wall and re-do your living room, quarantine might have presented you with the perfect opportunity. Before you tackle a big home DIY though, make sure you have all of the tools and knowledge you need. On the rise with home-related DIYs? Home-related DIY injuries. So be careful out there! No matter how COVID has rocked your world, you can still get crafty and creative—maybe just not in the ways you have before.
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