DIY…everything!

Living in the developing world with limited access to resources leads to a culture of do-it-yourself in every department. Here are some of the my common DIY projects…

Food

Our Christmas Tree

It has been said that here, we do scratch from scratch. The classic example of this my Gluten Free friend who made a cheese cake on a biscuit base, having first made the biscuits, having first made the flour for the biscuits. On a less ambitious scale, bread, yoghurt, spice mixes and a range of ethnic dishes are all made from raw ingredients. Any quick and easy freezer meal is because you took the time to cook in bulk and freeze things.

Celebrations

Decorations, invitations, special foods, party games… they are all limited by resources, as creativity does not seem to be in short supply. Kids’ parties are not fancy, but they are fun. Adult parties often revolve around food and re-gifting is acceptable as the gift supply is limited.

Christmas

Last year at Christmas I crocheted a variety of green wools that I then wove into the window security screen to become a Christmas tree. The nativity set was made with pegs and scrap fabric. Beth made a ginger bread house using a toaster oven and I cooked the fruit cake in a cast iron camp oven over coconut husk coals. Gifts given were handmade or recycled.

Fun

Games nights, movie nights, a bush dance… the only scheduled events are things you decide to plan, schedule and host. Going out to the movies is not an option, but we do know who has a good movie supply. Helping with home renovations, borrowing books from the community library, it is all DIY entertainment. Sometimes there is a coffee shop, but that is only because someone decided to run it.

Sewing

Previously a second hand quilt
cover, now kids clothing.

My favourite hobby is sewing, so DIY clothes are common. As good fabric is hard to come by, I often purchase second hand bed sheets or quilts and use them as my raw materials. I have taken the DIY of sewing a step further this year, but working on learning to draft my own patterns. Bedsheet + tape measure + paper and pencil + scissors + sewing machine = new fashion.

Others are into wood work, home renovations, quilting and all sorts of other DIY projects, but it is a common theme in all our lives. Living more simply than our home cultures is part of living in this place, but it can be fun.

To make DIY possible most of us invest in favourite tools. Mine is my sewing machine. Gluten free people have their grain mill. An electric drill is a good investment. A hand drill is a better one for a village situation where power is scarce. Hand crank sewing machines are readily available in shops for village use…although that is a challenge I am yet to try. I find myself eyeing off things in museums as appropriate technology for the life I live and getting ideas for things to try.