Who are DIY Divas?
Established in 2007, DIY Divas are an organisation founded by Janice Anderssen that offer DIY workshops around the country.
07/11/2018
Janice Anderssen, owner and founder of DIY Divas (front row - left)
With workshop venues in Cape Town, Durban, Joburg and Pretoria, DIY Divas continues to spread the word about how easy it is to DIY, whether you want to make your own furniture and decor accessories, or do home repairs, or even home improvements
Launched in 2007 by Janice Anderssen, DIY Divas is all about DIY, from learning how to use power tools, basic woodworking techniques and, most importantly, informing women (and men) how to go about making their own furniture and accessories. For over 10 years they have been empowering women in the basics, providing plenty of tips, tricks and techniques along the way
Workshops in Johannesburg are hosted by Janice herself, who is also the founder and owner of Home-Dzine.co.za. From her home workshop in Randpark Ridge, Janice hosts regular Saturday morning and full day workshops that cater to all sexes and all ages for anyone wanting to know the basics of doing it for themselves. Her tongue-in-cheek sense of humour definitely ensures that everyone has a good time, while imparting as much of her knowledge as possible.
"I've been doing DIY since I was about 12 years old, and have picked up a fair amount of information over the years," says Janice. "When I started doing DIY it was definitely something different. These were the times when women stayed in the kitchen and men did the DIY around the house," she continues. "I had to endure more than my fair share of jokes because I was more interested in DIY than in baking cakes and doing the washing," And we have to agree that times really have changed since those days.
Nowadays, we are seeing a complete gender swap; more women are doing DIY and repairs in the home, while men are taking a back seat on the DIY front and letting the women do it for themselves. And the results are amazing. Pop onto YouTube or visit Pinterest or Instagram and you will see just how women are really taking DIY very seriously.
Janice Anderssen believes that it's important to be very hands-on when presenting her workshops, and is continuously helping out where she can.
Janice believes that the popularity in DIY continues to grow, as more and more women sign up for do-it-yourself and furniture-making workshops. Janice says, "It's not just about fixing things at home, it's about having the know-how to change a tap washer, fix a broken cupboard, or put up a wall shelf. Women want to know how to do these things for themselves without having to rely on someone else to do it for them," One of the most popular workshops hosted by DIY Divas is their upholstered storage ottoman, and Janice estimates that she has made over 500 ottoman's to date at her workshops.
While in the past Janice made regular appearances at home exhibitions, on the radio and television, she now focuses more attention on doing DIY projects for her Home-Dzine website, for magazines and digital publications, and hosting the DIY Divas workshops.
