Your Favorite DIY’s–frugal? entertaining? both?
Do it yourself and simple/frugal go hand in hand.
I’ve found that every 10 hours I cut off my work week has changed my outlook on time and money
Sourdough starter
drastically. When I worked 70 hours a week, I would not have even contemplated making homemade bread, designing my own makeshift closet, making a thermal cooker or learning to do pottery, for example. I counted my minutes out like a miser counts his pennies. No way was I going to spend my precious time watching yeast do its thing! And if I could spend $20 to buy back a few hours of my time from chores, cooking, financial planning or working–the money would fly. Likewise, reducing the time spent working freed up time to do money-saving activities. . .
The simple act of cutting back to 50-60 hours a week felt like some kind of revolution for me. Suddenly, I had the patience to call and argue about a mistake on a bill, or plant potted herbs and lettuce on my balcony. Some of these activities, I even found I enjoyed–once spending the time no longer meant sacrificing my sleep or my health.
DIY–saving money while having fun.
My recent foray into unemployment has lead me to contemplate DIY projects in an entirely different manner. I find that I do things myself for a variety of reasons:
- To save money (baking bread and most cooking fall under this category for me)
Homemade bread--a favorite DIY.
- Higher quality (any food item, home grown vegetables and fruits and potentially homemade clothing)
- Entertainment, a sense of mastery and fun! (pottery-making, for example)
- Satisfaction–that I don’t have to rely on a specific manufacturer, grocery store etc for what I want or need: (shampoo alternatives, homemade deodorant and my makeshift closet fall under this category)
DIY and ‘What do you do all day?’
People have the most amusing ideas about being bored without their jobs and paid entertainment. I’ve been unemployed for coming up on a year (not on purpose, but hey!). I’ve never been bored mainly because given a little spare time to work with my mind rattles off all kinds of oddball ideas. . .what if I could make my own soap? What if I built an insulating window-covering? What if I grew my own sourdough starter? Some save more money than others, but the creating and learning process certainly keeps me entertained.
in progress--tomato seedlings
What are your favorite DIY activities and why?
I certainly don’t think that money is the only purpose for engaging in a DIY project. I’m curious to know what your favorite DIY projects/activities are. Do you chose activities for enjoyment or because they save money? Is there a new DIY activity that you’re particularly proud of or one that you hope to take on sometime soon?
Making cushions, curtains, bags etc, refashioning new clothes from old and making alterations, covering boxes, making candles in teacups, making new cards from old ones, patchwork, crochet, painting, distressing and waxing or varnishing crummy wood furniture, gardening (flowers and food) and so on…! My husband made a great radiator shelf cum tray rack from a surplus piece of shelving. A few years ago, I replaced the worn fabric of a folding garden chair with some floral vintage fabric and it looks and works great.
I will just about do anything myself as long as it doesn’t involve a ladder; I do it for enjoyment and to save money; I would never have imagined making my own biscuits would make me so happy, but it does.
Like you I never get bored and having the time to do things myself is a gift.
For me, the luxury of time flowing from simple living and the challenges of frugality find their expression in the garden, the kitchen and my reading chair. A day spent tending the vegetables and herbs, then throwing the produce into some inspired culinary creation easily transitions to an evening spent reading the latest novel, mystery, bio or book of science-for-the-non-scientific-mind. Food for the body and the mind. And they can both be shared with friends, which only magnifies the entertainment value.
My only regret is that I did not persist in learning a musical instrument as a kid. I can remember family gatherings around my grandma’s piano with everybody singing “Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder” or “Dinah’s in the Kitchen”; simple, maybe silly, but very satisfying. And I still love to listen to a well-played classical guitar. The person who can entertain others with music offers a wonderful gift that doesn’t have to cost a penny.
I recently started baking bread and have found it quite enjoyable. It’s simple and takes little active time, but because it can require the baker to be present for quite a while, it is perfect for someone with time and less-than-perfect for someone with a hectic schedule.
This evening: honey whole-wheat bread!
Our favorite wall art is the three piece set that we made ourselves for $25.
We bought five yards of burlap in three pieces, multiple colors of spray paint, and three cheap wooden frames used to stretch fabric.
Then we went outside, scrunched up the burlap, and spray painted like crazy with one color. After that, we unscrunched, rescrunched, and sprayed like madmen with a different color. We just repeated that process for 45 minutes until we were really happy with the outcome.
Once they dried, it was easy to staple them onto their soft wood frames.
I posted about it on 4/16 and put up pics. We made the set 4 years ago and have never gotten tired of seeing them in our living room.
Now that I am not working I have more time to indulge in thinking about doing things I never had time for before. Truth is, I still have little time (for reasons which will stay unspecified) but when I do have some I like to indulge in trying new dishes in the kitchen, read more, browse more websites and read more books to learn and to relax, browsing thrift stores, sewing to mend and to create, etc. I am now about to embark on learning to knit. Some thing I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. DIY activities I undertake are primarily for enjoyment (sewing, knitting, cooking) but they can sometimes save money too. That’s a nice combination. Over time I hope to do much more creating.
Oh I love all kind of DIY activities 
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I grow vegetables in my garden, do a lot of home improvement (with all the family involved with me of course!), in the kitchen I cook a lot, bake bread, make yoghourt and so on, I sew a lot, decoration things for the home and clothing for me and my kids…
I only work 22 hours a week outside of the home, it’s not so usual for a french woman, most of my friends work full time jobs, even with several kids, but I feel it’s not for me anymore…
Don’t get me wrong, I also love my job, but I think I will never go back to a full time job, I have so much other things I love to do !
Wow, this post speaks to me. I’ve recently started really getting into DIY projects, as my job continues to bore me and takes less time. I’d been doing crocheting for years . . . but then I got a sourdough starter from my grandfather, and then moved to milk kefir. And then water kefir. And then worm composting. And then homemade lip balm. And moisturizer. I can’t wait to see what I come up with next!
My favorite kind of work with my hands is fixing/building bicycles. I do this even though I really don’t need more than, uh, the 3 ones I already have.
My favorite kind of work with my head (other than blogging) is investing.
I love to learn how to make ethnic dishes that most people think you can only get in a restaurant: Chinese, Mexican,Indian,Thai, even Indonesian. Mr. FS makes bread and yogurt. In fact, somewhere on my blog is a video of his breadmaking.
I just love using my hands and feeling clever. Sometimes it’s about saving money (I am a thrifty Swiss-German by ethnicity) but most often it’s enjoyable and satisfying.
I see your little peat pots and I have to tell you: my husband is starting up an urban garden plot this year and he made little pots like that out of newspaper from our recycle bin!
Another thing: I recently have picked up some tutoring hours and that has crunched my time at home. I resonated with what you said about the more hours at work, the more miserly you were with time. Unfortunately for me, I have children that I’m influencing with that behavior right now. Feeling guilty, but we do need to make a living (my husband is unemployed and the local economy is still very depressed).
Thought I’d say hi; don’t know how I stumbled across your site but I did. I really just love what your doing here (the site)!
My wife and I cook a lot as far as diy, not much else… hmm… making my own wine sounds appealing
I’ll be reading more from you, we’re planning a move to Europe ourselves; it’s nice to relate to your lifestyle. Cheers.
Jennifer–You are very right to mention that in addition to time stress taking a toll on your creative/DIY pursuits, that money stress takes its toll as well. And I see the two as being related–ie, if you can cut your costs more, it makes it easier to find ways to cut your work hours, change jobs etc. You just have more options and more energy available. I love the trailer idea. You will have to let us know how that goes–with pictures! And as for reselling things on e-bay. I have an aunt who does that with vintage clothing that she selects and I also have a friend here in France who buys mainly corkscrews of all different kinds at garage sales and then sells them on ebay as well. He’s made 3-500 euros in a month. . .um, but he knows his corkscrews!
My favorite DIY activities?
Cooking and baking, definitely! In the kitchen, especially if I’m alone, I find the most of my relaxation. I am quite an active person and when I am tired an I have to lay down and rest, I feel somehow restrained.
Cooking is such a great activity with so many benefits. I start cooking firstly because I don’t like restaurant food. I know a lot about food hygiene and I know as well a lot about how people treat food in restaurants. I think food needs a loving touch to become a fulfilling healthy meal. (loads to talk about cooking, but enough for now ).
Knowing that I offer my family the best quality meals at the best price and proper nutritional balance makes me feel content, secure and most of the time happy.
There is no word to describe the feeling when I get happy faces from my family members while they chew into their meals.
Talk about DIY… I love to make things with my own hands.
These days I started to make my own yogurt and my own cheese. Well this is fascinating for me. It is cheaper this way, but in the same time I am so content with the process and the fact that I get to be less and less dependent on various things. Add the fact that I know exactly what is in my yogurt and cheese and the result is fabulous for me.
Then my sewing machine which I both against my husbands will. He kept talking about our lack of space and he was right, but he was more afraid i will actually never use it. And I didn’t for a while, as i couldn’t fit it into my busy routine, with a full time job and a baby. But hey, I trusted that things will settle and the time for it will come. And now I am using it! And I love it. I learn how to sew from my grandmother when I was as little as 5. I was such a curious little girl! I use to make clothes for my dolls. Now I make things needed around the house.
I keep my dirty laundry by colors in paper bags, which don’t last much. Now I started to sew my own laundry bags from fabrics I don’t really need for other projects. i am halfway into this project. the next one will be a bag for recyclable stuff, one for recyclable glass. Then I will try my hand on a few little pregnancy clothes projects.
Think about it, I have a full time job, a baby, an other baby on the way and this (almost) daily job of providing cooked food and desserts to my family. Before having a child I felt overwhelmed most of the time by all I had to do. Now I think you can always do more of the things you like and enjoy if you concentrate more on it. I learned to leave my job behind when I closed the door to my office. Then I learned my family is more important than my job. And I learn that extra unpaid hours at work is a big loos for my family time. All these helped me to preserve my time and energy for things I really like and enjoy and from which me and my family benefits most.
I learned to use my lunch break for food shopping which is a great time saver.
What I want to say is that even with a full-time job one can still get to do loads of DIY projects if we learn to maximize our resources and prioritize.
Laura LOL–anything that doesn’t involve a ladder. I feel rather the same way. I don’t go on the roof! But I’m willing to take things apart and find it fun.
Maus My husband picked up the guitar as an adult and plays really well–he also trained himself on the flute. I realize that he would have probably been better starting as a child, but it’s not too late. And I secretly yearn to learn to play the violin. It’s an instrument that’s fascinated me since childhood–we’ll see. It’s hard to accept being a beginner as an adult sometimes, but I hope to keep an open mind on the topic. I love the image you conjure up of gardening then cooking and then reading. It sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day alone or with others. We used to go to the library together and then sit in our cozy chairs and read in the evening back in the Silicon Valley. I kind of like reading time . . .even with other people around.
Jay Mmm. . .bread is such a satisfying DIY project. And I haven’t made honey-wheat bread since I lived in the States–I think I’m just conforming to the local culture. As for being around for the bread–it does help to be home, but the first rise you can actually leave for well over the 1 hour time limit. I’ve done first rises of 6-12 hours before. So you can leave if you have to. But yes, if you’re working from home, bread is so much easier.
Budgeting in the Fun Stuff that is an excellent idea. We were recently browsing in an art gallery where the artist had a similar style to what you describe (ok, she also had a Master’s in Fine Arts from Paris and her art probably has some deep, profound meaning etc). We loved her work, but couldn’t see ourselves spending the $ on buying something. And when it comes to home decoration, I personally draw a line between art and decor. Just because I love a work of art doesn’t mean I want it hanging in my living room!
Muriel a 22 hour work week sounds ideal! And it sounds like you take advantage of your time to work on quite a bit of projects! I can’t wait to make my own yogurt, by the way . . . or cheese!
Tracy Those sound like some fun projects! I love tinkering with ‘cosmetics’ too. I think part of it is just the thrill of thinking, “See, I can do this myself.” As for Kefir–I’ve never tried it! Sounds interesting.
ERE I think that the fact that you get to fix more bikes than you actually own probably allows you to progress much faster with maintenance. The learning process is relatively slow when you have to wait for something to break! Well, unless you find a broken bike in the first place. My father in law fixed up others’ bikes as part of his career and so, is now an expert in the area. And expertise seems self-reinforcing. Once you’re good a fixing bikes, people bring you more bikes to fix. . .I also like that you included investing as DIY. It’s not physically hands-on but it is definitely a learned area of expertise that you mainly can acquire through practice.
Frugal Scholar I love learning to make those dishes you think you can only get ‘out.’ Right now, I’ve learned to make sushi, spring rolls, many Indian dishes and breads and tons of Mexican dishes–like chile rellenos and tortillas. Next, I’d love to learn more about Moroccan food! I’m waiting for the opportunity–by which I mean, I’m waiting to see if I can get to know someone from Morocco who would be willing to let me do some culinary espionage 
Margo I’ve seen homemade newspaper seedlings and I wanted to try them, but I’m growing mine in my mother in law’s house right now (we’ll be here a bit longer as my husband finishes up his outpatient physical therapy). I dunno, being not in my own home, I’m less comfortable using re-used materials as I’m afraid things will look ‘tacky’ . . .I don’t think my MIL likes ‘tacky’ much and there’s no place for these little guys to hide. . .but next year I’d love to try the newspaper. Can he just plant them straight in the ground or do you remove the paper first?? As for the extra work hours . . . maybe your children won’t see such a downside from it as you think. Perhaps they will learn some valuable lessons about making do during difficult times!
Ryan A move to Europe sounds exciting! Can’t wait to hear more, and I’m glad you like the blog. And making wine DOES sound fun, doesn’t it?
I make my own cards and most of my gifts. My husband has taught himself to juggle and is now talking about teaching himself to play guitar.
Having time does certainly open up the possibilities to DIY in all sorts of areas.
Michelle, welcome! Making your own cards sounds like fun. . .and is a great reminder of mother’s day!!! I think it’s important to remember, as you point out that DIY can be teaching yourself something.
I just take pride in being able to do things myself. It’s good to be handy and be able to do things like painting, swapping light fixtures, and replacing traps under your sink…plus it save you a fortune from not having to pay a pro to do it.
My next little project is installing a kitty door on the door to the basement.
Mike–I can see why you’d take pride in being able to fix little things around the house. I actually find activities like that to be kind of fun. Plus, not only do you save money, but you probably build up a good set of tools for future use. . .
Oh those tomatoes are going to taste wonderfully with some of that homemade bread. My neighbor got us hooked on homegrown tomatoes. Now I know why they say you can eat them like an apple. The store tomatoes are simply plain tasting to a home grown.
Sadly, I am not doing any DIY projects in my home. There’s no time!
Like a lot of the others, I’ve been doing more cooking and baking than I used to. Can’t say I’m a great cook, but it does taste better than frozen dinners.
Also doing more home improvement projects. Getting better at that too. Along with saving little money(buying new tools seems to offset that), there is the sense of accomplishment of doing it yourself.
That’s very true.
BF and I used to go out to eat at restaurant a lot because we love yummy food. Then we discovered that we could cook a lot yummy food ourselves, and really started to question the quality and cost of food we were getting.
We still like to eat out, sometimes. But we do it a lot less often, and we have so much fun making our food
We also tried to make a DIY mini herb garden in the kitchen. Unfortunately, that was a DIY fail. 
Did you really work 70 hours a week? That’s a lot! I think we should cap our work hours to 50 a week and no more!
I would spend 3 hours playing/recording music, 3 hours playing tennis, and the other 4 hours working online on my site and other things.
Best, Sam
Not much of a DIYer but am currently making my own decorative art by taking pictures of wildflowers and such that we’ve taken on our trips and printing them out to put in frames to decorate our house. Also, Katie and I made our own Sushi last night (yum), and I like to grow my own herbs and tomatoes and bake things from scratch. That’s about as DIY as I get!
Christine–I think your blog counts as DIY. . . or is that just a full scale business at this point? And yes, real tomatoes are heaven and yes, we eat them like any other fruit! CSA tomatoes are pretty darn good as well, if you need a backup plan.
David I think that you bring up two interesting points: First–that the tools sometimes mean not saving money (at least short term) and that part of the greatness of DIY is the sense of accomplishment. I kind of like trying out something completely new to me–that I’m bad at–and mastering it.
Aspiring Minimalist Yep–when you can make better food at home, it’s a great thing. And as for the DIY fail with the herb garden, I always have terrible luck with indoor plants, although indoor herbs sound great! I’m a little nervous about my tomatoes because I started them indoors and am ‘hardening’ them now. We’ll see. . .
Financial Samurai Yes, I used to work 70 hours a week. Education can be a very messed up sector to work in. Not everyone works that many hours, but it all depends on what you’re teaching, how many students you have, how many levels etc. It definitely happens. And yes, a 50 hour cap a week would be so great. . .but sometimes you just have more work than time! I like how you have projected yourself into the possibility of having much more time on your hands. Sounds like an interesting way to spend your day–and I didn’t know you recorded music! That’s a fun/time-consuming hobby–my husband does it once in a while.
Stress Warrior I really need to make home made sushi again soon. It is so good! And I think decorating your home with your own photography sounds clever and rather DIY-ish!
[...] Simple Life in France discusses her favorite DIY projects. [...]
I think that DIY projects are fun and allow people to get creative. It’s not always about saving money. For example, I’d rather design and plant my own garden, if I had a place of my own , than hire someone else to do it. As for cooking, I’m not much of a cook, but the place I live now has a fig tree. Every summer I try out a new recipe with the figs for fun (I have more spare time in the summer – whoo hoo for teachers, huh?!) Thanks for sharing some of your own DIY projects.
Little House–you have a fig tree! That’s an excellent score. I love making fig jam. I agree that money is certainly not the only reason for DIY–and like you, would love to have my own garden someday!
I like to do creative tasks. Painting (but I’m not good at painting *pictures* or anything, I like taking little wooden boxes or birdhouses and painting them.) I love to make dresses. I haven’t done as much of this as I would like. Because you are right, when I come home from a long day at work I have no desire to do anything anymore.
My ultimate dream is to find something I can make some extra money off of and pay off my car, though at the moment things are financially tough and if I ever want health insurance I’m going to have to do that. Perhaps I ought to find something cheap on Craigslist and then turn it around and sell it for profit on eBay. I’ve heard this works great for some people.
I’ve got my eye on a 28 ft. vintage trailer. It’s in great condition on the outside but the inside is falling apart, and its listed as “best offer”. I’m hoping I can make an offer of something really low, $250 or $300, and put some elbow grease into it and live in it. In my parents backyard for the time being, but then save up some more and buy a small piece of land to put it on.
I feel if I can free myself from some of my financial restraints I can feel less stressed. Although you were talking about the working itself being what turned you off of these sorts of projects, the stress of bills can put a lot of pressure on you as well, that can do the same.
I deal with being one of those scatterbrained individuals as well. I find I work better in a clean space, but I live in a constant mess, a combination of having too much stuff for my small room, and not knowing where to start first to put it into order. I know if I could just *get* it in order, I could keep it that way.
It is a goal for me to start making dresses to sell–I need to improve on my quality first, and I need to be in a state of mind to work on it more to do that. So yeah, it all fits right in with this.