When people hear the words “crafting” and “DIY,” (do-it-yourself) many think of little kids crowding around a table gluing fuzzy balls onto popsicle sticks. However, there is more to crafting and “DIY-ing” than what most may think.

Crafting can vary as it can involve anything from knitting your own hat to making a photo collage of your friends. Many people find DIY inspiration through social media, such as the popular app Pinterest.  

“[I got into crafting] by seeing [ideas] on Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and other social media sites that I wanted to try,” junior Angelique Ngo said.

Collages, an easy and fun DIY project for beginners and experts alike, are very versatile, as they can be made for a variety of different purposes. For example, senior Ellen Wray enjoys making photo collages to gift to friends and family.

“For my friends’ birthdays or Christmas, I’ve made collages of their favorite things, like quotes and movies, on a canvas board,” Wray said.

In addition, people create collages for academic and personal purposes to express opinions in a creative way.

“Collaging stood out [to me] because I was able to take bits and pieces of magazines and give each collage a theme that portrayed a message of some sort,” Ngo said. “[For example], I did my last [collage] on feminism.”

Others channel their creativity through making clothes. For example, ripping old jeans or cutting them into shorts is another common DIY project. These methods are an affordable way to update your look.   

“I like my [DIY] shorts because I didn’t realize how easy and cheap it was to go to the thrift shop, buy an old pair of mom jeans and just design it as your own,” Ngo said.

Inspiration for making your own clothing can also come from shopping.

“If I see a knit hat I like at Forever 21, I try and think of how I could make that at home or find a similar pattern online for it,” Wray said.

For some, crafting serves as an intergenerational link between students and their families.  

“I think the first crafty thing I started doing was knitting,” Wray said. “My mom’s best friend loved to knit, so she encouraged my mom and I to try it.”  

Others are inspired to start crafting by their parents, and some later branch out into their own style of crafting.

“My mom scrapbooks, so we have a crafting room. I’ve always kind of been into it,” senior Katie Wu said. “I went to a camp in fifth grade and there was a camp counselor knitting, so I just decided to try it too.”

Bath bombs are popular DIY items for teenagers, and various YouTube videos are available to learn how to make them.

“It’s a balance of dry and wet ingredients; if you add too much water, then the bath bombs won’t fizz in the bath,” freshman Julia Chehab, who makes her own bath bombs and gifts them to friends and family members, said. “If you add too much of the dry ingredients, then they’ll fall apart in the molds.”

Summer provides a welcome break and the perfect opportunity to take on new DIY projects. The internet is full of great ideas, and crafting projects can be an engaging way to tap into your creativity, relieve stress and have fun.