You know those DIY projects that look so beautiful and effortless on Pinterest, but then you go to execute them and you end up with a paint dripping piece of stationary and some half-glued on cotton balls?…I do. Since launching myself into the world of DIY crafting (before I was more into DIY building…decks, sheds, tile backsplashes) this past fall, I’ve learned the ins and outs of DIY crafts that actually work…and those that don’t.
I worked on several DIY projects this winter, and I’m here to share with you which Pinterest phenomena are huge hits, and which ones are better left to the Pinterest pros.
But first, a note on surprise gifts: nothing says thoughtfulness like a surprise gift for someone throughout the year! Don’t wait until Christmas to make someone a DIY gift. Go ahead, spread kindness every day.
Custom Photo Hotplate
What do you make for a Momo (grandmother) that doesn’t like knick-knacky DIY crafts?…A photo hotplate! Hotplates are functional (for those who use them, and my mom does), and a great way to incorporate your favorite photo of your kids and a cute phrase about grandma’s cooking. I had seen photo coasters plastering the web walls of Pinterest and blogs, and thought I could easily modify this idea to make a hotplate. Was I wrong?…
The project was a semi-success…I ended up logging more hours than any other DIY project (which I’m happy to do for a gift for my amazing mom!), and spending more money than any other project (again happy to invest in my mom), and ended up with a product that I think looks nice, but the catch is that it may or may not work…yup, you read that right…we’re not sure if it works because my mom’s too scared to try it. She doesn’t want to put a hot pot on the adorable face of her grandson and have it singe the tile forever, so instead it’s being used for cold dishes only, but we secretly suspect that hot items will stick and make permanent marks.
Custom Photo Coaster
What do you make for a husband who also lacks an appreciation for knick-knacky crafting nightmares?…a custom photo coaster! This project would be a smashing success if it weren’t for one very important detail…everything sticks to them. I just LOVED the photo coaster idea. This one was plastered all over Pinterest and in the weeks leading up to Christmas I jumped on the bandwagon big time. I considered making this kind of ink-transfer coaster, but went with this one instead (since it looked a bit easier). My photo hotplate is a modified version of this (by using a bigger size tile, gluing it to a wood backing and adding finishing wood trim) and I’ve made several different types, most notably the one’s I made for my husband’s studio of his favorite Beatles song which went over very well.
These are incredibly easy to make! The only catch is that glasses and cups stick to them. L I even did my research and modified the original how-to by adding two coats of Polyvinyl sealer which was supposed to fix the stickiness issue, but it didn’t. If I could find a way to fix the stickiness then these would be my absolute favorite DIY project. They’re simple, cost-effective, you can’t really mess them up and they look great!
Felting
Have you ever heard of felting?…I hadn’t! A friend of mine suggested doing some felting at a baby playdate and I thought it sounded like a great idea. Of course I learned later that felting is somewhat of a dangerous sport given how sharp the felting needles are, but so long as the babies are occupied, it didn’t seem to be an issue…just don’t leave the felting supplies lying around! We started with a simple project of a snowman. Felting is essentially just poking wool with a special needle until it turns into something…I kid you not…it’s like knitting minus the skill, so it’s a great activity to keep your hands busy if you’re someone who likes to constantly be doing something. After our little felting party, I took my snowball (that was as far as I got) home and turned it into a snowman quite easily with no instructions. My qualms would be how sore my hand got given the length of time it takes to make such an item, but the tediousness aside, it’s a great starter activity for beginner crafters and looks great! You can easily put an ornament hook through at the end to make it a tree ornament, or just place it on your sleeping husband’s head like I did.
Scrabble Tree Ornament
I attended a friend’s Christmas Crafternoon and this was the crafting project. They were so easy to make and looked great! You need to know who you’re making it for because not everyone likes homemade Christmas tree ornaments, but my sister-in-law does! All we needed was a glue gun, some pipe cleaners, scrabble pieces, and little Christmas felt decos. I would give this project two thumbs up!
What do you think of these projects?
If you have any how-to questions about any of these projects, just comment below.
