Hi, I’m Heidi Gustad. I grew up on the prairie, Fargo to be exact, and was raised by a mom with a passion for gardening and the homemade and a dad who did things like built a house out of reclaimed utility poles. Hands Occupied was launched in 2010 to keep myself DIY motivated. If you check out my oldest posts, you’ll notice that this was definitely a personal project to begin with – I didn’t even know at all how to take a decent photo when I launched this site!

Nowadays, Hands Occupied has become a DIY & lifestyle blog primarily focused on craft project tutorials, DIY inspiration, style guides and tips. Whether it’s a first time knitting project or simply incorporating DIY elements into your home decor, Hands Occupied is here to help you infuse your busy life with a little DIY.

Want to work with me? Learn more about that and my experience here.

FAQ with Heidi

What do you do?
I’m a librarian! Since I work with teens, I can’t tell you all about the nitty gritty details of my work here. Anyway, that’s boring and this is my place to share FUN stuff!

How do you pronounce Gustad?
Gus and Ted are two best friends. One day they realized their undying love for each other and got married. Gus + Ted = Gustad (GUS-tehd).

Why Hands Occupied?
I’m not very good at sitting still, and I’m a nail biter. Crafting is my favorite way to spend time, but it also keeps my hands busy.

What’s your favorite craft to do?
The reason I knew from the start I didn’t want to brand myself as one particular kind of crafter was because my craft interests vary widely, and I think learning new crafts and techniques is really fun! When forced to pick one fave, I always go with knitting. It’s my go-to when I want to marathon a whole TV series or am really stressed. I love knitting, but this is not a knitting or crocheting-specific blog.