Pinterest Success is possible! It might not seem like it, but it’s true. We’ve all seen countless photos of Pinterest projects gone wrong. The before photo shows a perfectly executed craft or recipe while the after photo shows a complete disaster that often doesn’t even look like the before photo at all! Then there’s always the funny tagline: Nailed It! Heck, there’s even a funny show on Netflix called “Nailed It” where contestants try to recreate professional baking masterpieces with hilariously bad results.
But, don’t let this stop you from trying! Pinterest is a great resource for ideas for recipes, crafts, and activities to do with your kiddos. Of course, many of the pins that you see are created by professionals, chefs, and expert crafters. Many of the projects and recipes have been photographed with professional cameras using professional lighting. So, of course, those are going to be unattainable simply because you and I are not experts and we probably don’t have a lightbox and a big-time camera in our homes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t try out some pins that pique our interest! Just because our finished product may not look perfect, doesn’t mean it won’t be impressive to our kids!
Before you pick out a project on Pinterest, here are a few things to look for so you can end up with a Pinterest Success, not a Pinterest Fail!
Step By Step Instructions
The most important thing to look for in a pin is clearly written step by step instructions! You may find a pin that has beautiful pictures of a finished craft, but if the steps are unclear, you are setting yourself up for a fail! Typically if you are looking for a particular craft, there will be more than one blogger who has done a post about it. Click around until you find one that has the steps listed out clearly, even if the pictures aren’t as pretty.
Plenty of Pictures
In addition to looking for clearly written directions, try to find a pin that has plenty of pictures that go along with the steps. This will help you stay on track! Plus if you are a visual person, it might help you understand the steps better than just reading the text.
Skill Level: Beginner
We’ve all seen some pretty incredible recipes and crafts on Pinterest, but before you attempt one, check out the skill level needed for the pin. Read through the entire post and ask yourself honestly if you have the skill to complete the project. If you don’t, pass that pin by and look for something similar that is a more within your ability.
Easily Acquired Materials
When looking for a pin, make sure you take a look at the materials needed to complete the project or recipe. If you need to buy something to complete a pin, take a minute to ask yourself if it’s really worth buying something new and if you’ll use it again. For example: Are you willing to buy a router saw for a Pinterest project? Are you really ever going to use that pasta maker again? For Pinterest Success, you’ll probably want to stick with easily acquired materials or things you already have in your home.
My Pinterest Success
Photo Credit: Fab Frugal Mama
Using the tips above, I searched for a pin to make a treat for my daughter’s spa birthday party. I found this tutorial from Fab Frugal Mama. It had everything I was looking for clear directions, easily acquired materials, and lots of pictures. Was hers the best looking pin I found for marshmallow nail polish? Honestly, no. But it absolutely was the clearest and gave me the best results. There were other pins that looked like an expert candy maker put them together and they were photographed professionally but they either didn’t have any directions, or they were using fancy cake and cookie decorations that I was not willing to buy. Fab Frugal Mama hit all the points for writing out an easy to follow, easy to replicate pin. I am happy with how my nail polish bottles came out thanks to a great pin!
Don’t get intimidated by Pinterest! Don’t let all the fancy photos scare you off! Use the tips listed above to take your time searching through Pinterest to find a pin that will guarantee success!
