Pinterest can help you take pretty much any old piece of junk and turn it into something magical. But, there is also an entire hashtag dedicated to #pinterestfails. Which means you may not hit the Pinterest pay dirt with every craft you do, especially if you’re attempting something you’ve never done before. Keep these 4 things in mind before you Pinterest and craft.
1. Take your Time
Take a minute, or a week, to think about the project and if it’s the right one for you. Just like you would making any decision, take some time to think about what you truly want and if it will be a right fit for you. It’s easy to get carried away with all of the fun things you can make from garbage around your home, like this board dedicated solely to DIYing with scrap metal. Making split decisions on crafting can lead to chaos.
2. Measure Once, Cut Twice. Right?
Double check all the measurements. If you’re starting a project that will be a big one (re-doing kitchen cabinets for example) make sure you know how much paint to buy, how much wood you’ll need, the type of screws. Pinning a picture on Pinterest and then going straight to work isn’t going to give you a beautiful kitchen – it’s going to give you a disaster.
3. Acknowledge you’re not a Pro
You’re going to make mistakes. There’s no way around that, but preparing for it can make it easier to handle. Don’t forget to add in the extra cost of extra materials when you (most likely) mess up your creation (or in case something pops up to cause the use of more materials). This isn’t to say that you’re going to make a fool of yourself and you won’t make a great project in the end, but mistakes happen, even to professionals.
4. Add your own #PinterestFails
Know that it may not turn out like the picture, and that’s okay. When you’re DIYing, the picture 9/10 will look much better than your finished project, especially if you’re a beginner. Once you get your footing, your project can end up looking better than the Pin! My first outdoor bench is made from scraps of wood and makes people give it the side-eye when they sit down, but it’s holding up and does the job. Other projects I’ve started with wood? Looking better and better.
There are so many Pinterest fails out there, all you have to do is laugh at yourself and take it a little less seriously. If it’s a serious project, repeat the above steps until you feel confident to move forward. Or, maybe just start with something smaller.
