Are you a do-it-yourself-er? Do you use home remedies to battle insects in your house or treat the common cold? Would you rather try to fix your car or appliance, instead of hiring someone else to do it? We choose to sometimes do tasks ourselves, for a variety of reasons. It could be a hobby. Perhaps we need to budget our resources more carefully. And other times, we are simply curious about how something works, or want to prove to our spouse that we are useful. The range of do-it-yourself (DIY) tasks we can do at home is virtually endless. Should hot stones for massages be included on the list?



The school of life

Today, do-it-yourself-ers perform tasks that range from plumbing to painting, and from audio systems to aircrafts. But where did this trend originate from? Since the 1960s, the DIY movement has evolved significantly. Towards the end of the 1960s, society began to realize that many important "life skills" were not being learned in schools. In other words, schools were teaching abstract concepts, but few applications existed in the "real world."

Bookmarks then and now

The first do-it-yourself projects were basic, focusing on the restoration of older homes. However, as time passed, informational "tools" such as journals, books, and classes; and concrete "tools" such as garden tools, carpenter's tools, and mason's tools, became the means for completing do-it-yourself projects. As the decades passed, magazines, television, and the Internet were added to the means of DIY instruction. In particular, DIY enthusiasts began to focus on personally improving their homes.

From the river to the heater

Today, as a do-it-yourself-er, you can create or fix nearly anything in your home, including hot stones for massages, with the right materials and tools. Well, you cannot make new stones, but you can prepare stones for the function of massage stones. Here is how:

1. Rock River. Go to a rock quarry, to collect river rocks. Some rock quarries and landscape companies actually sell river rocks to the public.

2. Size matters. All of the rocks that you select should be flat and relatively smooth in texture. You will need to select three sizes of rocks: small, medium and large. Choose eight small rocks whose sizes range from approximately the size of a quarter, to roughly the size of an egg. Next, you will need seven pairs of medium-sized rocks that are easy for you to grip in your hand. Finally, choose two huge oval stones. They should be roughly eight inches in length and six inches in width.

3. The heat is on. You will also require a heater for the stones. You can purchase a massage stone heater on the market. To use a more do-it-yourself approach, a slow cooker with a capacity of at least 6-quarts (to heat all of the stones simultaneously); or a huge tabletop skillet that includes a lid and sides of at least three inches tall, would be ideal.

4. Accessorize, accessorize. Accessories that you will need for the hot stone massage include:

• food thermometer

• massage rocks

• strainer

• tea towels (2)

• tongs

5. Get ready to rock and roll. Prepare the hot stone heater, slow cooker or skillet. Then clean the rocks and stack them in whichever warmer you use. Next, fill up the warmer until the rocks are completely under water. Lastly, position your hot stone kit and accessories on a solid surface, nearby an electrical outlet.

In our Information Age, do-it-yourself projects have become easier than ever. With the right equipment, some diligent studying and an innovative spirit, what we make or fix can include almost anything-including massage stones. However, keep in mind that these homemade stones can never replace the original and best smooth-as-silk hot stones!