There Are No Rules When You’re a DIY YouTube Star Like Lauren Riihimaki

(Photo: Shannon Bray)

There are Directioners, there are Katy Cats, there are Beliebers, and then there are #PrettyLittleLaurs. At 21, Lauren Riihimaki is a YouTube star with a loyal following just about anywhere she goes.

The DIY and lifestyle blogger, known online as LaurDIY, has 2.5 million YouTube subscribers, 869K followers on Instagram and 269K on Twitter. Her comments are what most brands can only dream of, flooded with compliments and positive feedback from fans, self-proclaimed Pretty Little Laurs (a spin on the popular TV show, of course).

So who is she, anyway?

Yahoo Makers caught up with the Toronto-based YouTuber to find out. Riihimaki shed some light on her favorite DIY projects, overcoming creative block, and the importance of breakfast. Check out our interview with her below.

When did you first DIY?

I’ve been DIYing for as long as I can remember! As an only child, I think this is what I turned to to occupy my time. Everyone in my family has a “laurDIY original” DIY gift that they so graciously accepted from me when I was 10 years old. Bless their hearts — most of them still have the DIY gifts to this day.

If you had to pick one song to describe your crafting style, what would it be?

Probably a remix between “Panic Attack” by Atmosphere, “This Is the Way I Live” by Baby Boy (total throwback) and “Make Them Gold” by Chvrches.

If you could collaborate with one celebrity crush on a project, who would it be, and what would you want to make?

Hands down Justin Timberlake (based on looks and also how hilarious our video would be), and I would make anything Justin Timberlake wanted to make.

(Project: DIY Notebooks and Pencil Case)

If you were a nail polish, what would your color be called?

“Glitter Bomb.” I can’t decide which exact color I would be (going back and forth between an orangey-pink or a bright blue), but it would be glittery for sure.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was all over the place with careers while growing up. I can specifically remember going through phases where I wanted to be a hairdresser and then an interior designer. But after that, especially around the time when I had to seriously be considering which career I might like in high school, I was a total lost soul. So thankful for this amazing career I’ve fallen into!

If it were up to you, what would YouTube look like 10 years from now?

Oh, my gosh, considering how far YouTube has come in just the past four years that I’ve been using the platform … the possibilities are endless! To be honest, though, I think YouTube is doing such an amazing job of offering a wide variety of tools, analytics, and resources for creators on the platform that I can’t think of much I would like changed! But technology is moving insanely fast, so YouTube could be streaming in 4D by then. Or 5D, whatever that would mean.

(Photo: Shannon Bray)

You roll out of bed and only have five minutes to get ready. What do you do?

Frantically scavenge for food! Breakfast/food is so important for me. I’m that friend who always has the emergency granola bar in their purse.

Describe your biggest DIY fail, or a time when a project went terribly wrong. Were you able to salvage it?

I’m usually pretty good at salvaging DIYs that are headed in the wrong direction, but this one time I was trying to make this “R” initial pillow, and for whatever reason I could not figure out how to glue it together so that when it got flipped right side out there would be a hole that would make the top area of the “R.” It was bad. I scrapped it and made an “L” instead because it had no holes.

Tell us about a project you did that made you really proud. Why did this particular project stick out to you as a proud moment?

I have this one DIY that I did last season in one of my room decor videos using this amazing vintage globe that I inherited from my grandfather. I based it off of a popular decor piece I had been seeing on a ton of different sites for way overpriced, so not only was it super cost-efficient but it had sentimental value to it that I would never be able to buy from any retailer.

(Project: DIY Halloween Costumes for Teens)

How do you overcome a creative block?

Creative blocks definitely happen when you’re pumping out, on average, three DIYs a week! Usually the first place I turn to is my audience! I love being able to fulfill someone’s DIY request, and it’s also a great way to get new ideas for DIYs. Looking to the home decor sections of websites like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters can also be super helpful to inspire some affordable room decor DIYs.

What is the most useful creative advice anyone has ever given you?

In conversation with another YouTuber, they blatantly made a remark along the lines of “I do what I want.” As simple as that sounds, it’s a helpful mantra to keep you inspired to create! The best part about DIY is that you can DIY practically anything, using materials of your choice, and the end result can be whatever you want it to be. There’s no set guidelines, rules, final anything that needs to be achieved. You can seriously just do what you want with DIY.

(Photo: Shannon Bray)

What is one piece of creative advice you’d give to our readers?

Creating and DIYing can mean anything. I know Nike already coined the phrase “Just do it,” but a lot of people find that they don’t know where to start or are scared to bomb the project, and that can so easily be overcome by just giving it a shot! Being creative can be anything as little as adding a little color to something you already own or as big as completely reno-ing your dresser, and that’s the beauty of it! There are no rules but the ones you give yourself.

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