Become a DIY travel nurse

The do-it-yourself (DIY) movement has been gaining steam across the United States. Hundreds of thousands of websites and blogs are dedicated to showing off, providing instruction and sharing tips on how to complete projects right at home. As a travel nurse, you're not always going to know where to look for various services and reliable brands, which is why learning to take care of some of the small things yourself can be beneficial.

In addition, learning to do a number of projects yourself could provide you with a new hobby that allows you to spend your leisure hours doing something both fun and productive. Tasks can also be conversation topics and allow you to meet new people in a community that you may never have come across without the shared interest.

Here are three DIY projects a travel nurse may want to consider:

1. Sewing. Sometimes scrubs are just not tailored to fit your body – the legs can be too long, the collar could dip too low and the sleeves might drag into everything. If any of these things happen, consider ditching the costly expense of sending scrubs to the tailor and learn how to fix your scrubs yourself with just a needle and thread. While you can invest in a sewing machine, you don't have to if you have a steady hand and are willing to spend an extra 10 or 20 minutes on the project.

2. Homemade candles. Surrounding yourself with comforting scents can help you relax in a new apartment or house while on location for a travel assignment. Creating your own candles will provide you with the scents you enjoy, an interesting hobby and the ability to make gifts for new friends without spending a lot of money.

3. Lotions and face creams. If you're tired of spending your hard-earned money on expensive face creams and lotions, you are not alone. There are a lot of recipes and tricks to mixing the perfectly balanced acne solution that can be found on popular DIY social media networks such as Pinterest. Making your own face washes and shaving creams is especially thrilling for those people who are interested in using organic products that don't include common chemicals.