Portland, OR

Again, another rather misleading title, but then again I never said I didn’t take liberties with this site. It’s not like Portland has a monopoly on DIY stuff or that no one else in the country is into DIY, but bear with me as I try to give you a cross-section of Portland, Oregon here, people.

So, I was reading an article in the NY Times about the recycled materials market taking a nosedive in terms of prices and buyers, and I happened upon a link to another article about how the “crafts” industry is showing signs of being an anomaly in today’s bleak economy/holiday retail season. And wouldn’t you know it, Portland’s own Scrap was mentioned in the article.

First a little something about DIY, for newbies. It’s Do-It-Yourself, obviously, and that kind of mentality is alive and well in Portland, Oregon. From creating your own fashions to building your own bike, if you talk to ten people in Portland, I’ll bet that at least six of them are DIY’ers in some sense. Personally, I am into DIY skincare right now. I grow things in my garden and stick them in a food processor and then slather them on my face…

Anyhoo, arts and crafts are becoming popular in the midst of our economic downturn and depressed consumer spending. As someone who teaches after-school classes in which I build science-y projects with little kids, I can attest to the fact that I have just as much fun making stuff as the kids do. As an extra bonus of being a “crafty” chick, my house is full of pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks which my cats love to bat around. I think it is great that people are more interested in making their own xmas and holiday gifts, regardless of why.

And if money is an issue, kids love making stuff, so why not put them to work in your very own cottage industry/sweatshop in your kitchen or family room.

Ok, ok, I kid. Child labor is not funny. But seriously, whether you have children or not, making your own stuff is a wonderful outlet for all that creativity inside of you that you may not realize is there.

Here are some PDX resources to find you inner Martha Stewart…

Destination DIY

DIY Lounge

DIY Alert

Craftzine

Portland, Oregon, DIY, crafts, children, child labor, arts, holiday, gifts