Do-it-yourselfseems to be the motto to get exactly what you want; whether to increase the utility of a product, re-use it, or just make it look better than it originally was.
While people today have taken DIY’s a step further by designing their own furniture and jewellery, popular choices for beginners are T-shirts, shoes, and accessories.
Pooja Pandey, a student of design at the Srishti School of Art and Design, has designed several T-shirts and notebook covers.
“I’ve always had an inclination towards designing things. Seeing how some of the brand merchandise are overpriced, I decided to take things into my own hands.” Pooja further elaborates that all her designs are original, taken from elements and themes of the particular fandom she is basing her design upon.
Though she recommends using cotton shirts, she adds that anything, apart from synthetic fabric, will work just fine. Acrylic or fabric paints work the best on cloth. DIY’s, Pooja says, are a “creative outlet”, and adds that there is nothing greater than seeing one’s design come to life.
Vacations are a great time to create DIY’s. Arundhati Rao a biomedical science student at the University of Edinburgh, decided to make stuffed toys during her summer break. “YouTube tutorials helped me start off. I got a lot of my design templates from there.” With several online tutorials to choose from, one can make almost anything. These tutorials not only help create your own designs, but also make life easier by offering crafty tips and alternate material to choose from.
Arundhati says she re-used certain material like leftover felt, threads, and small pieces of cloth while making her soft toys. DIY’s are a great opportunity to re-use old fabric, electronics or just about anything.
Diya Rajan, a second year communications student at Mount Carmel College, decided to give her canvas shoes a colourful makeover. A big fan of the Star Wars series, she has designed a pair of Star Wars themed shoes. On how she goes about designing them, Diya says she first looks at other fan art creations, followed by an in-depth analysis of what her customer wants. She then begins by roughly chalking out her designs on the shoe, adding details with the help of black and white pens. Finally she uses paint to add more layers and detail.
DIY’s are fun, easy and definitely worth the effort. So put on your thinking caps, painting aprons, and get creative.
