As this month’s issue of WIRED magazine describes, we live in a culture where we “Make it, tweak it, mod it, hack it: This is the age of DIY.” The way to identify something as being uniquely our own is to personalize it: “If you want something done right, then do-it-yourself!”

In our consumer culture, mass production enables us to have everything we need. Yet, how can we avoid being generic? When given the chance why not experiment with your own creativity and express your individualism? Sure, it may be a gamble whether or not the project will be a success, yet the cool thing playing with your own ideas and customizing your creations to suit your exact needs and interests. Discover how to invent, develop, and produce something meaningful that you can share with your friends or family.

There are all sorts of opportunities to DIY:

Whether you are interested in designing and adorning yourself with your own intricate jewelry, there’s a Chainmaille - Byzantine Bracelet and Earrings Class in Cambridge, MA using ancient techniques for working with sterling silver. For the literati, explore Bookbinding: The Art of the Handmade Book in Brockton, MA to develop techniques to artfully preserve your writing.

Perhaps you’ve always wanted to stand behind a real bar and play bartender? You can entertain your friends during Nightlife Sundays and Mondays at Excelsior’s Muddling Bar in Boston, MA and get behind Excelsior’s do-it-yourself cocktail bar to make muddled cocktails with ingredients like mint, basil, watermelon, Muscat grapes, lychee, berries, and jalapeño, along with fruit purées and syrups, perfect for pairing with gin, vodka, or light rum. Or if you are in Detroit, MI and want to take the entertainment level up a notch, why not try the Pole or Lap Dancing Workshop and seriously DIY?

Of course, for the more reserved crowd who has an interest in designing and building houses, bridges or airplanes, try Engineer It! in Portland, OR. This workshop allows you to experiment with your own innovative designs and test them.

Search Zvents for crafts, electronics, music, design, and other things you can DIY and see what happens!

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