Celebrating Makers and DIYers

By ShirtSpace | Oct 04, 2019 |  Updated May 25, 2023

I’m 29 years old and I’ve noticed that my generation loves to watch HGTV, stream cooking shows on Netflix and YouTube DIY channels all while endlessly pinning on Pinterest. But why is that? I think it’s because we have begun building families and even homes. We need a roof over our heads, food on the table, furniture in our homes and even a cute Halloween costume to wear trick or treating. And while all of that is easy to get using our smartphones and a handy shopping app, for many of us, that just seems hollow. Born out of that hollow experience is a movement of people who want to make things, and an even larger group of people who want to buy those hand made items. 

Image Credit: Unsplash - Benjamin Thomas

Image Credit: Envato - friends_stock

I believe the desire to make things is an essential part of the human experience but many of us weren’t taught any of these skills growing up. So now we’re trying to learn the DIY skills we missed out on. Generations before us took home economics and woodshop, while we on the other hand, were stuck talking about our feelings after learning the Pythagorean Theorem. So it was up to our parents to teach us these DIY skills. But they were often busy working and living in a time when the perceived need to teach kids how to do things like sew and woodwork seemed to be fading away.  

Image Credit: Envato - diego_cervo

So while the need to be a “maker” has certainly faded, the desire has not. This has all led us to the Maker Movement. 

What is a Maker? 

A maker is just that, someone who makes things. But this idea of being a maker has grown far beyond what it once was. DIY has taken on an expanded definition, including anything from food to crafting to even technology. A Maker is someone who uses their creative skills to make or design something on their own. This can be anything from making festive cupcakes for the upcoming office party, designing and making t-shirts (for really any occasion) or even building your own website. The possibilities are almost endless.  

Image Credit: Unsplash - Anthony Roberts

Maker Movement 

This takes us to the Maker Movement. My generation has started DIYing so much it has developed into a movement. We are forming groups. Instead of heading to Oprah’s Book Club, we are headed to Paint and Wine night. We post in facebook groups, asking what the best Cricut machine to buy is. We scroll Pinterest to find the best place to buy totes so we can decorate them ourselves. And this all started after our 9-5 jobs, as a “hobby.” We wanted to learn, build and grow together and thanks to numerous internet platforms, social media, and the Chip and Joanna spirit, we were able to do so. Without the internet, this Maker Movement wouldn’t have been able to grow like it has. 

Celebrating Makers

So let's celebrate the Makers, many of which have moved their  DIY “hobby” to a full-time business. People have started putting their butts on the line, building businesses around their self made craft. Just proving, we may not have been taught DIY skills as kids but that desire to make things never went away. 

So thank you to the chefs, crafters, website builders, and especially all you little t-shirt shops out there. Here at ShirtSpace we appreciate and celebrate you. Of all the things you’ve made, undoubtedly, the most important thing you’ve made is this very Maker Movement itself.