I grew up in a home with parents who taught me how to be a do it yourselfer. My mom is a master seamstress (she even made my wedding dress!) and amazing cook. My dad could fix anything he touched and always found new uses for old and discarded items. They taught me to see possibilities, not limitations and encouraged my creativity. I took lots of art classes all during my life.
One of my first major DIY projects began when I was in middle school. Braided ribbon barrettes were a big trend in the late 70's and early 80's but I thought they were a little expensive on a babysitting budget. I decided instead of using the money I had for one pair of barrettes, I'd use the money I had to buy the supplies and make a bunch of them myself. If you're too young to remember ribbon barrettes here is a picture of Olivia Newton John selling her own version.
Who am I kidding if you are too young to remember the barrettes, you might not remember Olivia Newton John either, unless you've caught
Grease or
Xanadu on Encore.
My barrettes turned out great. I made tons of them for myself, my sister and my friends. It was the beginning of a life long DIY pursuit. I still love to make things myself. As you can tell by my posts.
