20 Days of Chill 2022: DIY (Day 12)

I’ve been working on learning new things, which includes woodworking. I can’t say I am some sort of an expert, but I’m learning tools and what they do and how to use them etc. 

I’ve never been much of a handyman. And truth be told, I probably never will be. But, with things like YouTube out there, and having friends who are awesome woodworkers, I see no reason I can’t learn to  do some things. 

It’s important, too, as I will need certain skills in the future for different things. Plus, why should I worry about buying things when I can build them. They might not be as shiny as something out of the box, but I’ll bet it’s a more sturdy setup than if I bought something from a big box store. 

So over the course of the year, I’ve purchased a lot of tools. I honestly had nothing, so I was starting from scratch. My “tool chest,” so to speak, has grown much larger now. I have most of the basics, as well as some power tools. As I start using each of these, I learn new things. Those learned items can be anything from basic use to safety, to tips and tricks. 

My goal, eventually, is to build some furniture for the house and my place. I have all sorts of DIY plans. Originally, I had dreamed of building a “man shed,” but I’ve backed off on that because of space. Instead, my goal is to build a smaller outdoor shed for everything I need to keep outside, and then have a patio/pergola sort of thing for a place to hang out with Harper when outside. 

Now, that’s still a bit away. I’m learning afterall. 

But, since I started this DIY thing, I’ve had the chance to work on some things with some friends. What that’s allowed me to do is watch them work, but also be hands on in helping with a build. That has included some shelving and a few benches. I now have some leftover pieces of lumber that I plan on messing around with. There are some tools that I really need to learn and understand that will make this process a bit easier. 

On one of the benches, I had to make some alterations after it was originally done. That allowed me to have to think the situation out, figure what I had to do to fix it, and then carry it out. I also realized when done originally there were some things I would have done differently, and I did that with the fix. 

I’ve enjoyed the aspect of learning and I look forward to making more items. There’s so much to learn! From selecting wood to stains and paint to tools and what they do to the process as a whole. I know a lot of items I’d like to build (let’s say I have a very big DIY list on YouTube as well as Facebook … I should probably start one on Pinterest, too) and I want to find a way through a lot of these items. 

How about all of you? Are you DIYers? If so, what kind of things do you work on?

This post is part of the 2022 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the links (intro I themes) if you’d like to see the setup and  themes! You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want to! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

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