In the mid-70s, Michael Reynolds, an American architect, was working very hard in a sand dune of New Mexico. Fed up with what he saw as the typical house mortgage trap and unsustainable living, he wanted to come up with a design for homes that people could build and maintain themselves with little skills. Re-using …
I recently found myself on my knees, in front of a toilet in Home Hardware, being taught how to install a toilet by Megan Fuller, plumbing and electrical supervisor. Fuller fell in love with the “Lego aspect” of plumbing and electrical work while working part-time at a hardware store in Forest, Ontario. She recommends calling …
I am a “DIYer.” I like making things for myself, family and friends. My kit includes wool, paper, stickers and beads. Books and magazines give me inspiration. This year I created craft baskets for my youngest friends. The craft baskets included pencils, glue, a few buttons, stickers, beads and construction paper. I used little bits …
You don’t have to be an auto mechanic, or a computer wizard, to handle many of your vehicle’s basic springtime needs. According to Doug Muir, assistant service manager at Canadian Tire, there are several things most vehicle owners can do on their own, and save money in the process. “Tire pressure is always an important …
Every serious do-it-yourselfer knows you have to own a bunch of tools. Right? But surely, it’s cheaper to rent them. Right? Maybe yes, maybe no. Bruce Beemish, who describes himself as “chief cook and bottle-washer” at Yukon Service Rentals, isn’t shy about giving advice. If you’re thinking about renting a reciprocal saw, or a cordless …
For the sake of argument (and who doesn’t like a good argument?), let’s define our terms. To me, a hobbyist is someone who does something as a pastime, a creative outlet, a pleasurable way she/he can temporarily escape the mundane realities of life and produce something of delight: a quilt, a meal, a lathe-turned soup …
