The subject of DIY body modification is one that has turned out a heated debate for as many years as regulated professionals have been working in the industry. Some say “never ever do it yourself, have a professional punch holes in your skin”, and others say “piercings for everyone, regardless of skill level”. My personal stance is: “you have to learn somehow”. Whether it’s having willing skin (friends) to get some jewelry in to perfect a technique you learned, or self-piercing to get a feel (mind the pun) for the work, either way it’s a 100% hands-on job, and not one you can learn by only watching others. Practicing on grapefruit is pretty good, but it’s not a substitute for getting down to the nitty gritty as soon as you’re able. Just remember your three E’s, kids: Education, Experience and Equipment!

Here’s how you can get started in the body piercing field in a very DIY fashion.
                      
          ( the anti-DIY piercing argument )

4 Instructionals until the LADYADA sponsored contest!

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This is a really cool way to easily and cheaply etch things into a piece of wood. All you need is the sun, some aluminum foil, and a magnifying glass. Who hasn’t wanted a mighty log with their initials engraved into it? Or maybe a face! Anyone remember Ren and Stimpy?

[note!] Take care of your eyes, don’t do this without protective eyewear, remember there are concentrated sun particles shining directly into your eyeballs. No ants were harmed in the making of this post. [via]

5 instructables until the contest (win LadyAda prizes!) 

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This article explains how to use low amperage microcontroller signals to control high current devices. Also instructs the reader on how to use transistors to get from the logic of a microcontroller to the power needs of a motor. If you understood that, you’re good to go, and here’s the link!

6 Instructionals until the contest - sponsored by LadyAda!

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This instructable is pretty cool, if you have longer hair and you want to trim it and make it look good, without spending $12-$15, and having a potentially saggy (pokerface) woman leaning over you, making you look like MacGuyver. Not to mention blabbing your ear off. But hey, we don’t all have bad experiences at hair salons and barber shops. But just remember, avoid emo… cut your hair, not yourself.

[note!] This was a tip we received, hooray for tipdroppers. TIPS@DIYHAPPY.COM.

7 Instructionals until the contest!

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No, this isn’t some sort of euphemism, it really is Hungarian moustache wax! Anyone who wants a walrus, Fu Manchu, or Dali, here’s a recipe that will take you well on your way to the moustache of your dreams!

[note!] It smells good, there’s bergamot and rose water in it. THANK YOU SCOTT WARD! We love you.

8 Instructionals until the LOGO contest!

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Since it’s summer time, and Burning Man is right around the corner, it’s time to dig out the ball of hemp twine from last year and make a sweet necklace to pick up hippie chicks (hey man, I went to the Tamarack Music Fest in Bear Valley in ‘01, and I’ve crafted hemp jewelry, plus I went to the Dead show back in August ‘04, and many before I was born - point is, you can pick up a hippie chick if you smell like the right kind of patchouli and have a sweet hemp necklace). So here are directions, go forth and be groovy.

[note!] This is the easiest necklace to make ever. It’s the same knot over and over, and the knot takes .5 seconds to learn.

9 Instructionals until the contest!

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Wickedhowtos.com is pretty neat. This post teaches one how to tie four different kinds of ties (for your neck, in case you were wondering), so you can work your way up the corporate ladder more effectively (love is in the details)! Armed with diagrams, videos, and step-by-step typed instructions, you’ll never have to bother your wife (or mom) early in the morning again! 

[note] The tie-types are Windsor, Half-Windsor, Four-in-Hand, and Pratt.

10 Instructionals until the contest!

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This is a very helpful post for anyone who’s always wondered how to take things apart and make new things out of it. If you open up electronics, they generally look pretty similar, but this site allows you to figure out the proverbial melting pot of electronic components. Yay, now you can tell a resistor from a capacitor! Life’s complete.

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This is an instructable I saw a while ago, but it was complicated and a wee bit obnoxiously written. This instructable tip we received from Ben Schechter is uncomplicated, yet simultaneously genius. Easy, cheap, and long-lasting, making your own carbonation system is rewarding and everyone will come to you for their beverage needs.

11 Instructionals until the contest!

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This instructable has a lot of positive feedback. DIY:happy’s not sure what kind of iPod it is, or what the original problem was with the iPod, all we know is that there is a problem with at least 30 comments worth of iPods, and they were magically all fixed with a business card except one that almost exploded. So, it’s worth a try if your iPod fizzed out and you’re looking to fix it without spending more than it’s worth in repair costs.

Or you could just smash it. Either way.

12 Instructionals until le contest.

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This sprinkle/watering system timer makes having a garden easy to maintain. No more dead flowers, no more hassling angry wives at dead flowers. This project costs around $3 to make, and will save you probably $300 in plants over the course of a couple of years (plants are expensive in case you don’t garden constantly). The site gives you resources on where to buy certain parts if you don’t have them, also.

13 Instructionals until the contest!

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Alright kids, it’s time to go get your favorite cool-tasty beverage from 7-Eleven. That’s right, Slurpees are FREE today. Why, you ask? Because it’s 7/11 of course! The Slurpees are small, at just 7.11 ounces, but whose complaining - it’s free, right? Start at the north end of town and hit every 7-Eleven within a 20 mile radius. But get down there quick, because the deal ends at 11pm (of course).

(Your local 7-Eleven may not be participating)

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This post was another tip we received from 88bytes(send us tips to kristi #at# diyhappy #daht# com)! How to take your huge ugly RF mouse receiver and make it into something cute, small, or at least discreet. It’s cool, useful, and makes life less ugly!

[note] We think that magazine has Greek writing on it.

14 Instructionals until the contest begins!

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 No, DIY:happy hasn’t succumbed to spam hackers, we’re actually telling you how to keep your house or life cool without spending a billion hard-earned dollars (or a billion of your parents’ hard-earned ones).

30 Ways To Lower Your Heating Bills
The Dollar Stretcher
Ben’s Tips To Keep Cool
MSN’s 25 Tips
Lifehacker’s Reader Tips

15 Instructionals until the contest!

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Okay, while this site may be a wee bit adolescent, the idea is timeless. Making a fan out of paper feathers rules no matter how old you are, or how grown up your kids are (even). Bust out the glitter glue, sparkles, felt and cardstock - and beat the heat!

[note!] This is NOT the fan from the site. Google won.

16 Instructionals until the contest details are released!

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