June Photo Challenge: DIY

Can you believe June is gone? It seems like it just started. June was a crazy month for me. I’ll be recapping it in a couple future posts. But, today is all about PJ’s photo challenge prompt: DIY.

DIY…Do It Yourself. We do it all the time and might not even realize it. The phrase, necessity is the mother of invention, could be code for DIY projects. And then, there’s my alternate favorite: mother is the necessity of invention.

DIY 1:
Last year when the pandemic hit and there were no masks to be found, I went into mask mode with my sewing machine. I must have made 50+ masks from material I had squirreled away over the years as well as buying novelty prints from the fabric store. I made masks depicting our favorite athletic teams. I made the grand girls masks to wear to school for every season and holiday. They became a fashion accessory. We don’t wear them too much anymore since we’re vaccinated, but I’m keeping them around…..because I’m sure we haven’t seen the end of this yet.

DIY 2:
Remember when the shelves containing hand sanitizer were bare; when it was considered the equivalent to gold when you were fortunate enough to find a small bottle for an exorbitant amount of money? At that point, I resorted to making my own hand sanitizer….provided I could find alcohol. Mine smells a whole lot better than the store bought stuff. I still make my own even though the shelves are well stocked with the stuff now…mainly because I have this gallon jug of aloe vera juice with nothing else to do with it.

DIY 3:
A couple years ago when I jumped on the essential oil band wagon, I switched to making my own bug spray. I have to say it works pretty darn well. I use 2 oz of witch hazel, 2 oz. of distilled water, 20 drops of lemongrass, 20 drops of lavender and 10 drops of peppermint in a spray bottle. You’re welcome.

DIY 4:
When grandkids come to hang out at my house, we try and do stuff that doesn’t always require a screen. This day, we were making our own jewelry and bookmarks with wire and beads.

DIY 5:
Another lifetime ago when I was a youth leader for Camp Fire Kids, we did a lot of “do it yourself” projects while camping. Rigging up hand washing stations with milk jugs and soap on a rope was one. Cooking meals over campfires and tin can stoves was another, which leads me to this photo. These are DIY fire starters. Take a fiber egg carton and stuff dryer lint in each of the wells. Pour hot wax over the top and let cool. Then, tear off wells as needed to start your fire. The grand girls and I made these with old citronella wax so they might serve double duty when we have fire pit campfires.

Bonus DIY:
Did you know there are a gazillion things one can do with those styrofoam pool noodles? A few have been sacrificed in my house to make boot forms so my boots stand up in the closet.  Genius.

If there is a need for something, chances are there is a DIY project for it. Granted, DIY is not for everyone or everything. We need to know where our strengths and weaknesses lie before taking on a DIY project. There are times when it just might be more cost effective to hire out the task instead of mucking it up ourselves!

Take a look at what other DIY projects were created over at PJ’s place on July 1st. This monthly challenge is a great way way to practice with your camera and have some fun at the same time. The expectations are not high…..take pics, post five and link up! What could be less stress free? Come on….join us?!