What is DIY?
The expression DIY is one of the most trendy at the beginning of this year 2021. Meaning Do It Yourself, literally do it yourself, DIY consists in making by your own means something that you could buy ready-made in the shops. If today more and more French people practice DIY, it is as well to let their creativity express itself as to make a gesture for the planet, because DIY consists most often in reusing things that could have been thrown away to transform them and give them a second life. This trend can be found in different areas of everyday life: it can be to create your own clothes, furniture or decorative objects, but also to make your own cosmetics or recipes to control the composition. Carpentry, mosaic, gardening or knitting, DIY gives pride of place to manual work and craftsmanship, which thus regain their credentials in the face of standardized mass consumption.
DIY as a new mode of consumption
If the consumer society has known its glory hours in France from the 1960s, it seems no longer unanimous since the beginning of the 21st century. Not content with denouncing industrialized production methods that are often not very transparent about their practices, DIY enthusiasts are turning more towards the lifestyles of yesteryear, advocating homemade products and essentialist consumption, free of all superfluous items. The DIY appears as a solution to consume in an eco-responsible way, and this through several aspects. On the one hand, it celebrates recycling and reuse as an alternative to the accumulation of waste, but also to the waste of raw materials. We also note by re-establishing a certain control over the elements used: cosmetics and homemade cleaning products for example generally contain natural materials such as oil or baking soda, unlike industrial products often filled with multiple chemical components, sometimes harmful to health. In the same way, by buying linen by the meter to make your own curtains or bed linen for example, you will avoid consuming cotton whose production has a much greater impact on the environment. Thus, by acquiring the know-how to satisfy his basic needs, the DIY enthusiast frees himself from the various constraints imposed by industrial production, and takes back the power over his consumption, both in terms of quality and quantity.
DIY as a means of self-fulfilment
Beyond its committed and militant aspect, the practice of DIY is also perceived by many as an excellent means of expression and development of creativity. Having for principle to create unique and original pieces, far from standardized products, this manual work is ideal for children as well as for adults who want to increase or quench their spirit of resourcefulness, their curiosity and their thirst for learning. Valuing a certain recognition of craftsmanship and creative work, DIY invites to express one's singularity and thus to develop one's personality through one's works. By buying fabric by the meter, you will be able to create your own models of clothes and accessories that no one else will wear. Moreover, in a society where everyone lives at 200km/h and struggles to find time for themselves and their loved ones, it is also a way to emphasize time and personal involvement, rather than money. A handmade gift will always be more gratifying to receive because of its personal touch and the intention it reflects, than a purchased product even if it is chosen with care. Finally, these moments of creation can also be an opportunity to gather around a fun and entertaining activity, with family or friends. So, don't hesitate, you too can start creating your own objects!