DIYs, a godsent during a pandemic

Shri Hasanthi, a working woman from Chikadpally, had a tough time restocking her medicine cabinet during the 2020 lockdown.

HYDERABAD :  DIYs (Do It Yourself) have been trending for all the right reasons ever since the pandemic broke out. Right from cooking, home decor and makeup, many who have some extra time on their hands are trying out hacks which have made their lives much easier. 

Shri Hasanthi, a working woman from Chikadpally, had a tough time restocking her medicine cabinet during the 2020 lockdown. For someone who suffers from migraine, going a day without pain-relief pills is nothing short of torture. So, she decided to try out some homemade quick fixes using essential oils, which she picked up from the Internet. 

Prasanna, a college student, has turned cardboards
into a canvas to showcase her love for Marvel
heros and some cartoon characters

“I bought some essential oils and started experimenting with them after watching a few DIY videos. I used to binge on such videos even before the pandemic, but never found the time to execute them. Finally, in 2020, work from home started and I had plenty of time to finally put what I had learnt to test. And, they worked!”says Shri Hasanthi.There have been a few others who took to DIY interior decoration.

Prasanna, a college student, refashioned cardboards which were lying in her house for “God alone knows how long”. She turned them into a canvas to showcase her love for Marvel heros and some cartoon characters. “I redecorated my house after watching a few DIYs on my phone. I’ve always wanted to paint but never got the chance to learn. But the pandemic gave me the time and I painted my favourite fictional characters on the cardboards,” she says.

How can we forget the foodies. DIYs have been such saviours for them -- they crave for variety but also something that they can stir up in a jiffy. Akanksha Mishra, who is pursuing her graduation, has all the time in the world to refine her culinary skills. A perpetual food lover, she’s always been on the lookout for new recipes, and DIY cooking hacks just made her job easier.

With restaurants shut and supply of essentials thin, she could barely get the required ingredients nor could she order in. “For me, DIYs are godsent. My Instagram explore page is flooded with cooking hacks,”she says. Covid is here to stay and things might just get worse, you never know. Let the DIYs make you wiser and independent. Binge away!

Give these a try

Rustic glowing jars

You’ll need: 

• Jars
• Thin jute ropes
• Light-coloured paint/spray paint

Do it: 

• Wrap the ropes randomly around the jar and secure it with a knot
• Paint/spray paint them. You can give a couple of coats depending on how light/dark you want the paint to be
• Once dry, cut the string and unwrap it from the jars 
• Place a tea light or rice lights and brighten up your home with these rustic glowing jars

Homemade lip balm

You’ll need:

• 1tbsp oil (coconut/almond)
• 10 drops essential oil
• 1 tsp beeswax 
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Small storage container 

Do it:

• Grate the wax and add it to the oil in the bowl. Heat it in a double-boiler 
• Once melted, whisk it up well 
• Take it off the heat, add the essential oil 
• Carefully pour it into a storage container and cool it overnight

Wine bottle planters

You’ll need: 

• Empty wine bottles
• Caps/corks
• Soil
• Cactus or succulent plants
• Glass cutter

Do it: 

• Cut the bottles using the glass cutter either in half or scoop out the centre 
• Wash them thoroughly n Leave them to dry 
• Spray paint them or leave them as it is 
• Place soil and pat it down
• Seal the bottles’ mouth with its cap/cork 
• Wet the soil slightly
• Sow cactus or succulent plants and watch them grow