Publications
Partners
She’d never touched a power tool in her life before a financial situation forced her to.
And DIY sensation Ndivhuwo Nelwamondo-Dlamini hasn't downed her tools since.
The 30-year-old Joburg mom has been documenting her woodwork projects and sharing tutorial videos and tips on social media, which have been a hit with her 39 000-strong Instagram followers and thousands of YouTube subscribers.
“I never imagined that I would get this much attention,” she tells YOU.
Her penchant for power tools started when she couldn’t afford to buy a bed for her daughter, Ngilosi Dlamini (4).
“We had moved from a flat to a bigger place in 2021 and I needed to buy a bed. I didn’t want to get into debt for buying a R7 000 bed so I thought I'd make my own,” she says.
She scoured the internet for tutorials, bought wood cut to size, picked up a drill and got to work. Two days later, she'd made a bed for her little girl.
“The material cost me less than R600,” she says proudly.
Since then, she’s made home furniture and décor pieces, including a study desk, toilet paper holders, a flowerpot stand, planter beds, bookshelves and outdoor sofas, among other useful items.
“The study desk is one of the projects I’m most proud of. It was an easy project and it looks good,” says Ndivhuwo, who is a property accountant by profession.
“I’m also proud of the bed I made for my daughter because it’s the first project and there’s a story behind it.”
Before she became a DIY pro, the biggest misconception she had was that she needed more tools than what was available at home or what could easily be bought without breaking the bank.
“One of my challenges was not knowing the actual tools I needed and that there’s always an alternative.”
This, she says, is probably one of the reasons people spend big bucks on furniture rather than make things themselves.
“All you need is a drill and drill bits, measuring tape, sanding paper, paintbrushes, personal protective equipment like glasses and gloves, screws and a screwdriver set, a hammer and a handsaw,” she says.
You can also buy wood that’s already cut to size instead of buying equipment to cut it yourself, she adds.
Ndivhuwo decided to document her projects because while she was doing research for her daughter's bed, she realised that there was a lack of South African DIY content online.
Though there was plenty of American DIY content, having to convert inches into centimetres wasn't ideal, so she decided to cater her projects to a local audience.
It’s also an easy way to destress, she says, as she finds it therapeutic to hammer things down whenever her mood needs lifting.
While she does the bulk of the DIY work on her own, her daughter sometimes helps her paint and her husband, who she prefers not to name, is always helping behind the scenes.
READ MORE | This artist uses household items to rip off high-end fashion and it's pretty hilarious
Though her furniture and décor items are worthy of being sold in stores, Ndivhuwo doesn't plan to profit from them because the purpose of her videos is to equip people with the skills to make their own pieces so they can save money.
“There is power in our hands and it needs to be embraced,” she says.
“Whatever you do with your hands, do it with pride."
Her videos are available on her YouTube channel, Remedial DIY.
