do it yourself

Boy building a model airplane, Texas, 1942 (photograph by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration) "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the practice of undertaking the construction, modification, or repair of objects or spaces independently, without the assistance of qualified professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as a behavior in which "individuals use raw and semi-raw materials and parts to produce, transform, or reconstruct material possessions, including those drawn from the natural environment (e.g., landscaping)". DIY behavior can be driven by various motivations previously categorized as market-based (economic benefits, product unavailability, poor product quality, need for customization), and identity-enhancing (craftsmanship, empowerment, community seeking, uniqueness).

The term "do-it-yourself" has been associated with consumers since at least 1912 primarily in the domain of home improvement and maintenance activities. The phrase "do it yourself" had come into common usage (in standard English) by the 1950s, in reference to the emergence of a trend of people undertaking home improvement and various other small craft and construction projects as both a creative-recreational and cost-saving activity.