When Is It Worth It to DIY? 

If you’ve ever spent any time on Pinterest, wedding sites like TheKnot.com, or watched HGTV, you’ve probably seen the signs and heard the siren song:

….do it yourself….

The “sirens” could be dressed like Martha Stewart or Bob Villa or any number of people. But their song is usually followed by a few key phrases: Save money! Make it personalized! And, my personal favorite: How hard could it be?

There are tons of reasons to DIY. And quite a few for why you shouldn’t. While I could just say that it boils down to a simple formula like time + desire, in reality the decision to DIY is a little bit more complicated.

How complicated, you ask? Well, I think it's complicated enough that it calls for a venn diagram. 

A venn diagram is just a different way to look at "logical sets." In our case, the sets are questions you ask about whether or not to DIY. The three questions are:

• Do I have the materials already?

• Do I have the time or the skills to make this item?

• Do I really need it?

Yep, these are simple, yes/no questions. And the venn diagram visually shows the overlap - the common elements - between those questions.

Okay, let's take a closer look. If the answer to all three of the questions is yes, then DIY your heart out!

If you ever find yourself answering the "Do I really need this?" question with a NO, then do not - I repeat, DO NOT DIY. Don't even buy a ready-made version! It doesn't matter how cute those personalized sunglasses are. If you don't really need them (as in, your party's at night...), then save your money.

Things can get a little more complicated when some of your answers are no. What if you need it, and have the material, but not the skills? Or the time? Then it's time to delegate.

If you have the skills/time and you really need it, but no material... that's a big maybe. (It might need a venn diagram of its own!) How much money can you spend on this item? Is it cheaper to make it yourself? Think carefully before proceeding. 

All that being said - if you're still fired up to go out and DIY that party - here are some supposedly easy DIYs for you to investigate.

Invitations

These can be as simple or a elaborate as you like. And the example above, from Create & Babble, is definitely not for beginners. But if you’ve got good handwriting, a cricut maker, or any kind of artistic flair, then invitations can be an inexpensive way to express yourself.

Hangover bags

Supplies for hangover bags can be picked up at any hobby store. Keep in mind, though, that these bags tend to be inexpensive already (ours are around $3 each) so if you’re DIY-ing to save money this might not be the way to go.

Customized glasses

You can glitter up the stems of wine glasses, bake cute words onto coffee cups. This one might require the least amount of talent, although the glitter thing would be a messy clean-up (at least in my house).

Temporary tattoos

I have to be honest here. Most of the DIY temporary tattoos I found images of didn’t look all that great. Eyeliner or permanent marker on your wrist might be cheap, but it looks… like eyeliner or permanent marker on your wrist. Again, if you’ve got artistic flair, then this might be for you!

You can go the more expensive route and purchase printable temporary tattoo paper (a 2-pack of 8.5” x 11” sheets is about $15 at Wal-Mart). Then you can either draw your own, or, if you have a good printer, download templates for use.

Photo booth backdrops and props

Maybe it’s because we at Bachette don’t sell anything like this, that’s why I think this might be a fun DIY project. The list of necessary items might get a bit long, at least according to HGTV! More fancy items might need to come from a hobby store, but a lot of what you need can be found at a Dollar Store or Wal-Mart-type place. Have fun with this one!

So there you have it. Time to make some decisions!

Do you have any DIY fails you want to share? Warnings for other would-be DIY-ers? Post it in the comments below!