The Best Shows for DIY Addicts
"Do it yourself" starts by picking up the TV remote. Then simply press the "Power" button -- you're doing great so far. Now flip through the channels or hit up your favorite streaming service till you find one of these DIY addict-approved shows. Because learning painting, interior design, or woodworking is just a teensy bit more impressive than turning on the TV.
Good effort, though.
'DanMade' (2011 - )
Did you know you can make a wine glass holder from an old belt? A candelabra from PVC pipes? Or a super-hip pair of planters from kids' plastic dinosaur toys?
Don't lie, you didn't know that before. But it's OK, because now you do, thanks to Dan Faires' DIY extravaganza, "DanMade." Seriously, this guy could teach you how to make an oversized pendant light out of two sticks of gum and a stapler.
'Craft Wars' (2012 - )
With a little help from host Craft Wars" gamefies the craft world. Even if you love things like stenciling on shirts, making homemade crayons, or whipping up headbands out of old fabric, crafty DIY pastimes might not make for the most riveting TV. That is, until you turn them into a cutthroat, team versus team timed sprint to the craftiest finish line ever, "Iron Chef"-style. This war is televised -- and it is fought with glue guns.
'Design on a Dime' (2003 - )
Do-it-yourself home improvement shows are a dime a dozen, but HGTV's "Design on a Dime" focuses on the DIY stuff you can actually do at home -- like, without $20,000 and a team of sassy contractors and a camera crew following you around for a week. In every episode, down-home host Casey Noble teaches you how to craft a shabby chic headboard from scraps, texturize your wallpaper, or repurpose your household castaways into all sorts of knickknacks. And the best part is, you'll still have a few dimes left after the credits roll.
'The Woodwright's Shop' (1979 - )
When it comes to DIY shows, you've got to hand it to The Woodwright's Shop" has been teaching the country how to whittle and craft everything from pine boxes to Welsh stick chairs to baby cradles for going on 40 years. And there's just something immensely comforting about that.
'Mighty Tiny Houses' (2016 - )
Let's face it, the tiny house is the endgame for all DIY-ers. You can't get much more do-it-yourself than building your adorable, possibly mobile, probably eco-friendly house yourself -- tiny houses essentially combine all the elbow grease and the cute craftiness that DIY aficionados thrive on into the ultimate project. And "Mighty Tiny Houses" is the ultimate tiny house show -- one couple takes their tiny house across the country to meet other tiny houses, and learn how those tiny houses were made.
'The Joy of Painting' (1983 - 1994)
We've covered some of the best shows for DIY addicts, now here's some of the best news for DIY addicts: You can stream every episode of Joy of Painting" for free, just about anywhere. Whether you're a professional paint slinger or you've never held a brush, the beauty of Bob is that he makes you feel like you can do anything; just follow his soothing, folksy voice through a few anecdotes and flicks of the wrist, and suddenly your paint globs become shimmering ponds and swaying pines. If only we could all just be happy little trees on a Bob Ross canvas.
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