Have you ever mowed your lawn using not a mechanized or motorized mower, but the old mechanical, push and pull type?

A week ago, I did. It is one of those “do-it-yourself” things I love to do. This time, however, there was nothing lovable about it  It was pure hard labor I almost quit several times during the two-hour ordeal.

The problem was not in the mowing but of the thick grass cover of my lawn. Each push and pull of the darn, old clickity-clank of the mower was pure agony.

My stubbornness paid off. Not only was I able to make my lawn look fresh – again – I also kept myself busy with what could have been another lazy Sunday.

It saved me a few bucks and kept boredom away. Though dead-tired afterward, my self-esteem was given a big boost.

Of course, you don’t have to mow your lawn to accomplish what I did. There are several ways of keeping yourself busy and your self-esteem happy. Here are five super cool ideas to choose from:

1.  Wooden toolbox:

You can make a simple, yet elegant, wooden toolbox from bits of wood, a few nails, and a small tube of wood glue. Then you must have a hammer, jigsaw and a planer.

Of course, you can buy one from Costco or any other hardware store, but making it yourself is more fun and satisfying.

2.  Bacon candles:

A bacon candle is a candle made from leftover fat after cooking bacon. It makes your home smell like sizzling bacon long after you have washed down your bacon-and-egg breakfasts with brewed coffee.

You can learn how to do this from a short video tutorial at diyjoy.com.

3.  Knife from used saw blades:

I am a recycle and reuse guy but I have not tried this one yet. It is difficult to lay my hands on discarded saw blades. If you can, recycling them into kitchen or utility knives.

Small knives like this will be good for cutting or dicing vegetables of pruning small branches from your garden plants.

Detailed instruction on how to make this is shown at artofmaniliness.com.

4.  Paracord recliner:

If you want a comfortable recliner in your garden or porch, don’t buy it. Make one.

All you need are a few pieces of wood, carpentry tools, and a parachute cord. It’s lightweight, elegant and you can move it anywhere you want to.

You can refer to Instructables.com to help you build one.

5.  Signature camera strap:

No, I don’t mean a camera strap from Salvatore, but something more personal, something that shows your personality – your signature camera strap.

It is really quite easy and cheap. All you need are an old polo shirt, a frayed belt, and an old leather boot.

Several DIY websites offer instructions on how to do this in your free time.

DIY things may require some effort, probably a stiff learning curve. But that’s the challenge – to flex your mental muscles a bit, test your resourcefulness and ingenuity.

But the feeling of having done something is very exhilarating; it makes you feel superb, gives you purpose.

I take pride in what I do. It is evident in my writing. Yes, writing keeps me busy. In fact, I wish I can stretch the hours a little more so I can do more learning and writing.

Try it. You will never regret it.

Please share to encourage other seniors the beauty of self-satisfaction one gets from DIY things.

Image: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/senior-men-hobbies-carpenter-carpentry

~oOo~

The post 5 Cool Ideas to Keep You Busy and Happy first appeared on Age With Charm.

Are you a DIY (do it yourself) kind of guy I am. Though at my age, some things are more difficult to do than others – like changing a flat tire where I need to squat on bend my knees for long periods of time.

If not, then it is time to start being one. There are a lot of easy DIY things to do at home – if you care to look for them. Here are a few good reasons why…

Benefits of DIY things

DIY things are very fulfilling. The feeling of having done something worthwhile is astounding. They give a new dimension to your purpose and meaning of life. Aside from these “feel good” benefits, they also give the following benefits:

Save money:

You save money by doing it yourself instead of paying someone to do it for you.

It may not make you rich, but it can ease some pressure off your budget for groceries or utility bills.

Don’t mind if other people call you stingy. There’s nothing wrong with pinching a few bucks here and there.

earn Money

You can earn good money by selling your “DIY” expertise around the neighborhood. If some Moms sell their pastries or cookies to close friends, why can’t you do the same by doing minor car repairs, or fix a broken sofa or bed?

There are always a few people around the neighborhood who need your specific skills. They may not be much but they can help you ease your financial burden 

It keeps you busy:

There are always a lot of simple DIY projects at home to keep you occupied; keep you from being bored.

For example, you can mend torn socks, iron your clothes, fix a leaky faucet, or change a busted bulb.

These are a lot of things around the house to do if you look for them.

Slows down cognitive decline

DIY things may look simple on the surface, but they require close coordination between hands, legs, eyes, and brain. Simply put, they make you physically and mentally healthy.

DIY things help bolster your ego, your self-worth, and give you purpose.

connect with others:

There are thousands people out there happily doing DIY things. Check out Meet Up to see what groupd you may want to join.

Joining any of these groups is a good way of establishing a network of people with similar interest. It allows you to help each other grow, find solutions to common problems, and know the best suppliers of DIY things. Or, on the simplest level, get to know each other better.

learn something new:

Anthony J. D’Angelo said, “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”

Learning is a never-ending process – from birth until death.

Or take it from Henry Ford who said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty…”

With the availability of the Internet, learning something new is just a mouse click away. Without any trace of hyperbole, I can say that I am smarter now at 72 than I was at 30.

It is liberating:

Doing things yourself when you want it, and however, you want it is liberating. It frees you from getting stressed out by a job done wrong by others. If don’t go out as expected, you have no one to berate but yourself.

Doing things yourself liberates you from these unproductive concerns and allows you to focus on what is at hand.

How to start your DIY adventure

It is not difficult to start DIY things around the house. Just look around and check what needs to be repaired, improve, or remove.

There is the leaky faucet that needs fixing, drainage that needs declogging, hanging roof eaves, creaking door hinges, the lawn that needs de-weeding, or hedges that need pruning.

What were you so passionate about in your youth but never got the chance to pursue it. Now is a perfect time.

If all these don’t ring a bell, Bored Panda has a chunky list of DIY things for elderly people, like you.

Whatever catches your fancy, the following tips can help you get on with it successfully – and without unfortunate incidents:

• Do something you love to do or have a passion for. It will keep you motivated; be on track. It’s so easy to lose steam or be sidetracked doing things that you have no natural inclination to.
• To keep things easy, do something you have had an experience of, or trained on.
• Should you lack Item 2, ask a friend who knows how to do it. Or consult YouTube. It has tutorials on practically everything.
• Most of the DIY things at home are easy. They require no college degree or years of experience. But they do require a lot of common sense. For example, changing a light bulb or repairing a flat iron can be done by a kid. But common sense tells never to handle electrical appliances with wet hands. Or stand on a platform that can’t take your weight, or out of balance.
• Be patient if can’t do it right the first time. Everything has a learning curve. Just keep at it. Practice makes perfect

At this point in our lives doing nothing at home is like putting a bullet into your head. It can cause anger, anxiety, indifference, substance abuse, and depression. Nobody dies from business, but many have died due to idleness. So lighten up and brighten up and start puttering around the house. You will be amazed to see how many things you can do and be astounded by the results of your labor.

~oOo~

The post Why are DIY Things Beneficial to Elderly People first appeared on Age With Charm.