Most of the time, DIY is not easy, contrary to popular belief. Here’s why.
DIY is not easy.
When you view these quick, 30-60 second clips of various projects of various sizes, you may feel inspired. “Looks simple enough,” you tell yourself. You may read the description of the social media post to get a little more detail, but in the end, you decide to forage ahead.
You buy all of the supplies that you saw in the description or in the video itself and choose a day. If you’re my sister, you call your sister and divulge your plans (LOL).
But when it’s time to start the project, you can tell immediately that this isn’t going as smoothly as when you saw it in the video. Frustration, wasted materials, and hours pass by an you begin to wave your white flag.
As a blogger and content creator, I am constantly strattling the line between being informational and entertaining. Of course, the best content on the internet are BOTH. Many times, great content can often feel attainable.
Here on hellohomegirl.com, I aim to provide you information about common DIY projects of varying degrees of difficulties. Many of the projects I show are attainable enough for unskilled people to complete.
Nonetheless, I try to be honest with you guys about all details of a project and please hear me out — DIY is not easy (in general).
Let’s be real…
Not all DIY is created equally. Seriously — “DIY” itself is a misnomer! For example, DIY could refer to DIY renovation projects. Think removing popcorn ceilings.
It is not easy to remove popcorn ceilings, although my five second clip is quite satisfying to watch. But, to be honest, this is a 3 minute action condensed to 5 seconds. You know what else isn’t easy? The aftermath of removing those popcorn ceilings.
Hours, days, and weeks were spent skim coating our ceilings after that fun, five second clip was posted. It was not easy.
Additionally, “DIY” could also refer to woodworking. That may be refinishing old furniture or even building something new. I refinished a rattan chair myself instead of taking it to a professional furniture refinisher.
But as you watch furniture videos and read blog posts, it may be worthwhile to ask an important question: When does a DIYer transition from novice to professional?
DIY can be easy (sometimes)
There ARE some easy DIY projects, but the majority are not. For example, my Anthropologie art swap is extremely easy. I showed my process to encourage folks to think outside the box for a chic look on a budget! In this case, DIY refers to a decor project.
Admittedly, this project is not a renovation project. This is a great place to start for people new to do it yourself projects of any kind.
That project was so easy, I got a disparaging comment on IG. However, this is a perfect example of how some do-it-yourself jobs are as easy as it looks. I share simple projects like this to inspire you to think outside the box.
Most DIY is not easy, but do it anyway.
This is not to dissuade you from pursuing DIY projects. I’m just saying to assume that it will be hard. You aren’t a professional most likely, and that’s perfectly okay. Just go into a project with realistic expectations of yourself and a growth mindset.
Most likely, your foray in refinishing a beat up dresser will be imperfect. If a person who frequently refinishes furniture often takes 3 days to paint a dresser, plan in your mind it will take six!
Conclusion
Blogs and long form YouTube are worth checking out as they are more likely to show more reality of what can go wrong during a project. Here at Hello Home, Girl, you’ll get details and nuance about what can go wrong! This is not possible in a singular short TikTok video.
DIY is not easy (at first). But it gets easier with practice. And sometimes, it doesn’t get any easier; your tolerance gets better. Just take those quick videos as entertainment.
Speaking of entertainment — come follow me on Pinterest! I have some great clips of entertainment yet informative DIY projects with detailed descriptions!
Sincerely,
Felicia.