3 reasons why I love Pinterest.

I am completely in love with Pinterest.  Have you tried it yet?  Several friends told me about it, but I was hesitant to take the plunge, because I just knew I'd love it.  Well, that's the understatement of the year.

"What's Pinterest?" some of you might be asking.  It's a site where you can create virtual "pinboards" of anything on the web and browse through what your friends have pinned and repin the things you like to your own boards.  For instance, I have a pinboard to collect ideas for creative ways to use chalkboards.  Or wood pallets. Or color inspiration or inspiring wordsCheck out all my pinboards for yourself!

So, why do I love Pinterest so much?

  1. It's inspiring.  Finding moments to be creative everyday is an absolute necessity for an artistic soul like myself.  Taking just 5 minutes to browse through Pinterest satisfies that need, even if I don't have time to actually do a craft that day.
  2. It makes both the left and right sides of my brain happy.  My creative side loves browsing all the photos, especially how they're arranged as collages on the page.  My organized side finds it a wee bit too fulfilling to put all my pinned items into neat little categories.
  3. Easy and fun DIY ideas.  Previously, I bookmarked ideas for DIY projects or crafts in various places on my computer but never did anything with them. Now they're all in one place and for some reason, I'm actually doing them - score!  Most of them I can do with materials I already have, or for just a few dollars.  Here are the links to each project I've done so far and then my version below...

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Fall yarn wreath

This was so much fun and a lot easier than I thought it would be.  I'm also now nerdily obsessed with felt.  There's so much you can do with it!  I used the wreath tutorial above and also this easy tutorial on how to make felt flowers.  Doesn't it look purty with our orange door?

 

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Autumn leaf garland

I do like how this turned out, but next time, instead of using thick yarn, I'll probably use a needle and thick thread or at least a thinner yarn.  To make this garland, I had to cut 5 small notches in each leaf and hand-thread the yarn through.  I asked my husband what he thought of it when it was done and he said, "Nice!  What are they?  Kites?"  Awesome.  So I think I'd like the effect a lot better if it was hand-stitched with thread like this so it creates a more realistic "vein" line down the center of the leaf.  I'd also love to try using textured felt.


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Paper punch heart garland

This was totally free.  I already had a heart paper punch and a bag full of paint color samples I'd collected over the years.  Add a needle and thread, and voila, a cute little garland for above the door in Luci Belle's room.

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Mason jars with acorns

It was fun walking the neighborhood collecting all different types of acorns for this project!  I used a hot glue gun to add some burlap trim and a green felt heart around the rim of each jar.  They made great decorations for a fall-themed baby shower I threw yesterday, and I love them so much they're staying on the table!

Other projects I can't wait to try...

AHHHHH!  See?  I'm outta control!

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Have you tried Pinterest?  How has it inspired you?