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Being an abbreviation for "Do It Yourself" term, DIY world is just another pursuit. Myself is a fan of this world. So lets try to look from the big picture, to see what this world offers and what kind of categories we can deduce.

Dictionary lookup

Cambridge Dictionary:

• The activity of decorating or repairing your home, or making things for your home yourself, rather than paying someone else to do it for you.
• Done or made without paying someone else to do it.

Collins:

• DIY is the activity of making or repairing things yourself, especially in your home.
• DIY things are things that you make or do yourself, rather than buying them ready-made or paying someone else to do them.

Oxford:

• The activity of decorating, building, and making repairs at home by oneself rather than employing a professional.
• Done in person by someone without the relevant qualifications.

We can not list all the existing dictionaries, but two common things appear from above, one is the mentioning of home and the other is the task being accomplished by self occupation. I think we can not confine DIY into home, but the meaning by mentioning home is, I guess to emphasize using materials or tools that can be found at home. At least back at emerging days it should be like that. Latter concept of "self" is clear, you use your hands...

Varieties

Up to now I heard or read about various DIY hobbies that are listed below:

• Mechatronics/Robotics
• Science kits - astronomy/physics/biology/chemistry etc...
• Cooking/food prep
• Repairs - electrical/mechanical/structural
• Gifts - hand crafts
• Recycling - plastic bottles/cardboard boxes/wooden crates etc...
• Decoration/paint/furniture/home/garden
• Toys/contraptions/mechanisms/models
• Vehicle modifications

Don’t you think that after having a little thought about these activities, education can be put at as top category? DIY education? Since, self learning comes prior to making something yourself!

Motive

On the other hand, one can always say that any performance of art, is a “do it yourself” type occupation, like the music genre Indie, self publishing a book or painting, but lets try to stick to usual meaning. According to wikipedia DIY is born due to lack of materials, need for customization, economic causes etc. Or nowadays it is another market that sell products being unique, hand crafted, authentic or creative.

I believe, there is another group of people doing DIY activities just to enjoy. They try to build,modify or repair the things with the gear and material at hand, and still “make it work” close to original :) And sometimes this activity can lead to socializing groups. One example is “maker space” places.

Social events and communities

So here you can see a list of some of the social events, organizations or communities that live with DIY culture:

• Burning Man - Black Rock / Nevada / USA
• Maker Faire - Worlwide
• Craft Lake City DIY Festival - Salt Lake City / Utah / USA
• CoderDojo - Worldwide
• Maker Cities - Online
• Hackerspaces - Worldwide
• List from makezine
• Another list from wikipedia

Remember voting education for top category in DIY ecosystem? Thanks to Lloyidium Underground about the video, lets seal the post with a quote from philosopher Alan Watts, which is, i think, another drive for DIY culture:

Our educational system, in its entirety, does nothing to give us any kind of material competence. In other words, we don't learn how to cook, how to make clothes, how to build houses, how to make love, or to do any of the absolutely fundamental things of life. The whole education that we get for our children in school is entirely in terms of abstractions. It trains you to be an insurance salesman or a bureaucrat, or some kind of cerebral character.