Unless you never use the Internet, it’s impossible to never have heard of Pinterest. On the online virtual bulletin board, you can collect gorgeous photos of places, clothes, food, hairstyles and can even be taken to the website the photo came from simply by clicking on it. This means you get instructions, a recipe or a store cart for ordering.
Pinterest is free and easy to join. All you need is an email and a Facebook or Twitter account. After joining, you can create your own boards to store all your favorite “pins.”
For crafting, it’s a dream come true —simply scrolling through the pages of creative and simple projects is inspirational enough. Because of this, I’ve created a special board—“Craft Corner Corkboard”:www.pinterest.com/katekreates/craft-corner-corkboard—as a companion to this column.
While I haven’t personally made everything pinned there, I’ve followed as many links as I can to make sure the instructions are complete and easy to follow.
Listed below is a description of some of the coolest, most innovative projects you can find pinned to Craft Corner Corkboard:
-Comic book shoes
With a simple pair of faux-leather flats, heels or oxfords, you can create a pair of very cool shoes covered with awesome superhero comic images. Nothing fancy or expensive is needed (a jar of Mod Podge and some clear spray sealant) and a pair of fun, unique shoes are yours. Similarly, there are also pins for how to “flock,” or spray paint superhero symbols onto wedge heels and how to cover ballet flats with character fabric.
-Solid perfume
Mess-free, creamy solid perfume is a sweet luxury and a great gift. It’s also easy to make using some beeswax, coconut oil and essential oils. This is a great, eco-friendly, all-natural alternative to mainstream perfume. Pour it into an old makeup compact or tiny jar from the jewelry aisle at a craft store.
-Zipper bracelet
A thrift store old metal zipper can become a trendy bracelet with a few charms and a drop of glue.
-Boys’ to girls’ shirt update
For the sewing-savvy, this is a really creative way to repurpose a guy’s dress shirt into a cute peplum button down. You don’t need a lot of supplies, but a sewing machine is definitely a big plus to make all the seams straight and secure. There’s also a similar tutorial for repurposing a guy’s T-shirt into a sweet peplum top.
-Star hair clip
Pinned from one of my favorite blogs, The Beauty Department, the tutorial for Anthropologie-style hair clips is detailed and beautiful. Using store bought appliqués and blank hair clips, it may not be the cheapest DIY project, but it’s certainly worth it for the glam accessory.
-Key fob wristlet
Pretty and functional, you can make a wristlet for your keys with some simple hardware and assorted ribbons and trims.
-Customized cellphone case
Use a clear cellphone case and printed scrapbook paper to make an interchangeable case for your phone or iPod.
This is only a sampling of the projects you can find on Pinterest. Not only are there photos with links to tutorials, there are also video instructions so you can watch and learn complicated techniques and new concepts, like crocheting or sewing in zippers.
Pinterest is full of fun, creative ideas, at all different levels of price and difficulty. From full-length mirrors made of vintage doors to knotted tassel earrings, there’s something for everyone.
