Cassie Tatone borrowed a sewing machine from her mother-in-law in the spring of 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic robbed her of her job and shut down most businesses and activities.

With no income and lots of spare time on her hands, the millennial put the beginner sewing skills she acquired from a class earlier that year to practice.

She used fabrics she owned around her home, asked community members in an online forum if they had any extra scraps lying around, watched YouTube tutorials and got to work.

Soon enough, Tatone fell in love with the craft.

Now, the thrifty 32-year-old91裸聊视频檚 wardrobe is made up of 80 per cent of clothing she made 91裸聊视频� from overalls, to dresses, to underwear.

91裸聊视频淭he clothes I would realistically love to buy, because I91裸聊视频檓 now so picky about quality, would be really expensive,91裸聊视频� said Tatone, who shares her DIY sewing journey on social media.

91裸聊视频淪o I get to make the clothes that I want at a budget that works for my lifestyle.91裸聊视频�

And she91裸聊视频檚 not alone. Many young Canadians are turning to do-it-yourself (DIY) projects in an effort to save money as the cost of living soars.

Alex Antrobus, a 28-year-old living in Vancouver, started cutting their own hair in August 2021 for two reasons 91裸聊视频� to avoid catching COVID-19 through close contact at salons and to save some dough.

And while they admit they91裸聊视频檙e still perfecting the art of hairstyling 91裸聊视频� they said they91裸聊视频檝e incorporated a 91裸聊视频渟cruffy91裸聊视频� hairdo into their aesthetic 91裸聊视频� they91裸聊视频檝e kept up the DIY activity ever since.

91裸聊视频淎 decent salon in Vancouver is pretty dang expensive 91裸聊视频� I generally keep (my hair) at shoulder length or so, so anytime it gets past that, normally it would have been a $100 salon visit or whatever, but this is much cheaper,91裸聊视频� said Antrobus.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 happy about it, especially with the cost of living. Every little bit of thriftiness I can incorporate, I always feel pretty good about it.91裸聊视频�

The pandemic and rising costs of just about everything have also inspired Canadians to tackle their own home improvement projects.

Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault, a design and DIY expert based in Burlington, Ont., said there are many appeals to DIY home decor and design. For one, there91裸聊视频檚 the customization factor.

91裸聊视频淒IY allows within your space to really show off your personality,91裸聊视频� the self-proclaimed DIY ninja said.

There91裸聊视频檚 also the knowledge that whatever project you undertake can be reinvisioned later on, she said.

Most importantly, Allaire Perrault, who calls paint her 91裸聊视频渟ecret weapon91裸聊视频� and has painted everything from furniture, to bathtubs, floors, countertops, cabinets and backsplashes, said it91裸聊视频檚 helped her save 91裸聊视频渢housands and thousands91裸聊视频� in the last decade that she91裸聊视频檚 been DIYing.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 almost priceless because you can91裸聊视频檛 buy these pieces,91裸聊视频� she said.

To tackle home improvement projects on a budget, Allaire Perrault recommends writing down the steps as well as the associated list of materials and costs for each project, doing some research to find the right product and visiting community tool libraries or renting tools if you don91裸聊视频檛 want to invest in tools you might not use again.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 one thing to save up for the next five, maybe 10 years for your dream kitchen to get those quartz countertops and new cabinets, but why put off the dream 91裸聊视频� when you can get that look for less by doing a few little DIY tweaks here and there?91裸聊视频�

Allaire Perrault encourages those thinking of giving DIY projects a try to not be afraid of making mistakes and to give themselves the time to really develop a skill.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not as easy as going and buying something off the shelf, you do have to put in a little bit of effort to do the research, and then what you91裸聊视频檙e saving in dollars, you have to invest in elbow grease,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淏ut at the end of the day, there91裸聊视频檚 nothing like the pride of completing something and being proud of it.91裸聊视频�

When it comes to making clothes and giving your hair a trim, Tatone and Antrobus also suggest doing research beforehand to get the best results.

For sewing, Tatone suggests watching online tutorials or learning the ropes from a loved one.

She also recommends borrowing a sewing machine from someone you know, buying fabrics and sewing patterns at thrift stores, practising techniques on unwanted fabrics and checking out clearance sections at fabric stores to save some money.

91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频橧91裸聊视频檓 making really, really high quality clothing for a fraction of what it costs to buy and for me, that is where it is worth it,91裸聊视频� said Tatone.

Antrobus, the DIY hairdresser, also recommends watching online tutorials to get hairstyling techniques down.

91裸聊视频淚 feel like it91裸聊视频檚 a choice that not everybody would want to make, sacrificing having a good haircut, or having a completely inexpensive one, a free one, but the little things that you can save on do tend to add up.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频擭oushin Ziafati, The Canadian Press