DIY

It is not uncommon to imagine someone working on a Sunday afternoon putting up shelves or putting together units. Those that do this on their own without the help of a trained professional are doing it themselves they are doing a bit of DIY. It's such a common expression that most of us probably don't know where exactly the phrase comes from. Most people will trace it back to the 1950s where the phrase came into use when people started taking up tasks themselves at home instead of paying a professional to do the same job.

That said, the idea of DIY is also related to various arts and crafts movements of the 19th and 20th centuries and is closely related to rebellions against the consumer cultures of modern capitalism. It suggests that instead of paying money for things we do not need, we can do them ourselves (much in the same way some people grow their own food instead of buying it).

However, there are still shops that specialise in DIY products to make working on tasks at home easier. They sell tools, paints and all kinds of accessories necessary to make DIY possible.