Some of us are born with a talent for arts and crafts coursing through our blood while others of us... are not. And lucky for you, we've got these hilarious DIY fails to prove it. From the disastrous to the dangerous and outright weird, these photos show why certain ideas are best left as just that - ideas. So keep scrolling for inspiration on what not to do for your next DIY.
This Is the Stuff of Nightmares
These crocheted dolls are truly the stuff of nightmares and would surely scare children. We're hard pushed to work out where you would display one in your house...unless you wanted to frighten your guests. Or play a practical joke. All that to say, 600 of these crocheted dolls might have been ambitious. Sadly, we think the guy in this post will be stuck with a house full of creepy dolls for a good while to come.
However, we have to hand it to the lady who made these dolls. Creepiness aside, the one pictured on the far-right is impressively realistic! That must have taken a long time to create.
When Gardening Becomes Dangerous
'Cardening' - apparently, this is the latest craze within the plant community. Until now, we had never heard of the phenomenon, and frankly, we're shocked it ever took off! Although these tiny car gardens are adorable, it's also so dangerous! It's such a lovely idea in theory, but in the unfortunate event of a crash, think about the damage that cactus could do - especially since it's right over the passenger's airbag. We won't dwell too much on that prickly subject (yes, pun intended!).
Perhaps softer plants or flowers would be safer? That said, we still don't like the idea of doing an emergency stop and a ton of dirt flying in our faces!
A DIY Mask Like No Other
When the pandemic first came onto the scene, and countries worldwide went into lockdown, face masks soon became a key part of our day-to-day lives. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before people started getting creative with ways to make their own face masks and posting their creations online. Of course, this prompted some pretty weird and wonderful DIY mask-making ideas, but this tops them all. Yes, what's pictured here is a mask made out of an old bra.
But, the thing about bra sizes is that they massively vary in size - and in this case, bigger doesn't always mean better. We love that this woman had a sense of humor enough to post just how absurd these masks are by having herself and her family model them!
The 2-In-1 Combo We Didn't Know We Needed
When we first glanced at this snap, we had no idea what the DIY creation was. But, once we realized what it was, we couldn't unsee it. This is hands down one of the funniest DIY projects we've ever seen. We have to give this woman kudos for having the courage to wear it out in public. Still unsure what the DIY beauty is? Zone in on the woman's top/sports bra.
Yes, that's correct. Your eyes do not deceive you. That really is underwear she's wearing as a top. Why oh why oh why?! That's enough YouTube crafting videos for one day.
Creepy Crawly Eyelashes
*stunned silence* - that's what followed when we first saw these bad boys. Why would anyone ever think to do this, and worst yet, act on it? These homemade false eyelashes are all kinds of terrifying: they're made of cockroach legs! This has to be someone's idea of a joke, right? The very thought of harvesting the roaches, whether they're dead or alive, is gross. More sinister yet, having to pluck their legs. But even more horrifying...actually wearing them!
We have to ask ourselves whether she sold any. If so, how many pairs? And who on earth is buying them? Do they decay after a while? So many questions...all of which we don't really want to know the answers to.
A Fire Hazard Turned Sweater
We hoped this man was donning grey-colored plaster when we first saw this image. But, sadly, no. Instead, he's created a sweater out of dryer fluff. To state the obvious, this is, of course, pretty gross. But aside from that, we have to wonder how long this guy waited to collect enough lint to fashion this bad boy? We know that upcycling is good for the planet, but perhaps give this DIY project a miss.
If you try this at home, try not to take any deep breaths once wearing your sweater...you'll get a heck of a lot of dust caught at the back of your throat. Gross!
Earthquake-Proof Furniture
First things first, we're not 100% sure what this cabinet is made out of. We're going to take a stab in the dark and guess that it is crafted out of foam. It looks a little weird...to say the least. So, it has us wondering why anyone would want such a piece? Our best guess is that it's earthquake-proof, offering some protection to the china housed in this foamy structure.
To our amazement, this structure looks like it's freestanding - but surely, that can't be the case. Instead, it seems like it would need gluing onto the wall to remain upright!
Apparently, Hygiene Is Overrated
We're all for knitting around tree trunks, street benches, but public toilets... that's one step too far. There's nowhere on this planet cold enough that would tempt us into thinking this would ever be a good idea. Just think about the number of people who might sit on this on any given day, and then think about the kind of filth toilets gather. In short, this has to be one of the most unsanitary things we've ever seen.
Hygiene concerns aside, we have to admire the talent and time someone spent crocheting this - it must have taken some real skill to pull off! But it still leaves us thinking, "Why?"
Broken Door Turned Useless Table
Upcycling an old door and transforming it into a quirky table is pretty awesome. However, you need some decent carpentry skills to pull such a project off. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be the case here. This literally looks like someone pulled a door off its hinges and set it on some table legs. Also, you would have to be very careful where you put your glass - those raised panels are a recipe for accidental spills.
Perhaps if this door were sanded down so that it was flat and given a decent paint job, the end product would look pretty good? Who knows. On a separate note, the glass bowl is a nice touch!
This Gives ‘Family Tree’ a Whole New Meaning
Upon looking at this horrifying infant tree, a few words spring to mind: scary, the stuff of nightmares, sinister - the list goes on. We have to wonder how at no point in the creation process did the artist stop and think: actually, this looks creepy. We're sure if that time ever arrived, they would have stopped painstakingly gluing together these tiny baby dolls into the shape of a tree.
Did someone follow a tutorial for this? Or did they just wing it? We would be interested to know where the inspiration for this piece came from. How does someone even conjure up an idea like this? Answers on a postcard, please?
Why Bother With Curtain Rods?
Whether on social media or news articles, we're well-accustomed to hearing horror stories concerning landlords. But, in this case, it's the landlord with the grievance...and for a good reason. What we're looking at here are freshly installed curtain rods. These were newly installed before the tenant moved in. However, they clearly didn't know how to use them. Or maybe they prefer the look of their DIY curtain holder? We think 'curtain holder' is a generous phrase for this creation.
It's just a curtain nailed into the wall. Of course, this begs the question, are there curtain ties similarly fixed into the wall? But, more importantly, what did they think the rod above is for? The mind boggles!
A Knife Block for the Intellectuals
Out of all the DIY fails on this list, we can at least appreciate why someone might do this. Granted, this isn't the most aesthetically pleasing knife block - but at least it seems to serve its intended purpose. So, fair play to the person who gave upcycling a try instead of throwing their old books and knives in the garbage. We just hope that the string is tied tight enough...otherwise, the structural integrity of this creation might be in jeopardy!
We can only imagine how carefully you would have to insert the knives into these books. Otherwise, you would undoubtedly risk hacking this charming creation into shreds. Gently does it!
Those Poor Shoes
Okay, so ten out of ten for creativity and innovation - very few people could look at a pair of converses and think, "Do you know what? I'm going to transform these into a bodice." Yet that's exactly what we have pictured here. That aside, it seems like such a waste of beautiful (and pricey) shoes. Perhaps we can console ourselves with the thought that these shoes were beyond repair before they were hacked to pieces.
However, we can't deny that whoever made this has some serious talent - if she could make this out of shoes, what could she do with regular materials?
The Parks and Recreation Department Needs a Bigger Budget
In all honesty, this looks like such a fun idea! However, it doesn't look like those flimsy metal frames would be robust enough for anyone actually to swing on these picnic chairs. We also bet you would have to balance out the riders pretty carefully to ensure the bench didn't topple over. But, warnings aside, it would be a pretty fun experience if it worked! But they're probably not the best picnic benches to eat your lunch on...
Upon further inspection, we have to wonder - how on earth did the creator manage to hook these benches to the frame of this old swing? It must have taken lots of strength and effort! Thoughts anyone?
A Christmas Ornament for the Spaghetti-Lover
These spaghetti balls are making us gag just looking at them. Is this someone's idea of 'being funny'? Or perhaps it's an in-joke? We're scratching our heads trying to work this out because we highly doubt that anyone, least of all an Italian person, would want this 'gift.' Again, we have to assume this post is the husband or wife's idea of a joke. Surely, no one would actually pay for a Christmas ornament with cooked spaghetti inside?!
But most of all, we're saddened by the fact it's such a waste of delicious spaghetti...and kind of curious to see what color these balls will turn in a week's time...
This Material Isn't What You Think...
Upon first inspection, this looks like a nice, hand-woven bowl. But, take a closer look. Does it look a tad furry to you? That's because this item is made out of human dreadlocks. Yes, you heard correctly. Someone out there on the internet thought it was a good idea to chop their son's dreadlocks off and transform them into a cat bed. That poor cat. It's making us feel sick just thinking about it.
Admittedly, as gross as this cat bed is - this must have taken a heck of a lot of skill and time to manufacture. She certainly has an incredible talent!
You Can Look but Don't You Eat
You would be forgiven if you thought this was some jello meal for a festive dinner. But, no, look again. It's actually a jello lamp (yes, we too had no idea these even existed - until today...). Of course, other than the obvious questions like why would anyone want this in their sitting room, we have to ask whether it's edible and if the creator intended to eat it at some point?
Does the lamp have an expiry date? Also, what exactly is encased inside the jello? We can see peas. But are those carrots at the top and meat towards the bottom? Either way, it's making us want never to eat jello again just thinking about it.
The Creepiest Straws
We didn't know straws could get creepy. But, this picture tells a very different story. Of course, we've heard of those cute paper straws - these come in tons of pretty colors and patterns. We've even stumbled across the raunchy-style straws - you know, the kind you get for bachelorette parties? But on what occasion would anyone want a straw piercing a Barbie doll's head? Is there a demand for such a terrifying product?
We really hope these weren't bought by a whimsical parent thinking they would be the perfect way to round off a Barbie-themed kid's party. On the contrary, these are a surefire way to give your children nightmares!
The First in Farm-To-Human Fashion
As earings go...this is a pretty bold statement. At first glance, we thought this was an extra security tag you see stapled to high-value products in retail stores. But it's actually a cow tag refashioned into an earring. Perhaps it's some sort of protest against animal cruelty - which we're all for. But, unless you're a farmer or someone who's heavily invested in animal rights, it's not immediately apparent what it is.
Not only is this a bold fashion statement, but we have to raise some hygiene concerns. If this has been used on a cow, we hope this tag was thoroughly disinfected before the person in the picture wore it themselves.
What a Waste of a Priceless Antique
Sewing bees universally adore old Singer sewing machines - and for a good reason. They're pretty hardwearing, so they should last for years to come. So this makes us wonder why anyone would want to repurpose this diamond of a sewing machine into a weird-looking lamp? We really hope this sewing machine was broken. In that case, upcycling would be a good idea. But given how robust these machines are, we doubt it.
Although we think this is a waste of a beautiful Singer sewing machine, we're pretty impressed that someone was able to re-wire it to transform it into a functioning lamp.
Buffer Face
Have you seen the EE advert with Kevin Bacon? If so, you know when he talks about the face we make when our phones buffer and images and videos online won't load straight away? Perhaps this is the modern-day problem this artwork represents. But, failing that, we're stumped as to why anyone would want to blot out what otherwise looks like perfectly good portraits. Perhaps the artist doesn't like the people in the paintings?
On the plus side, we love the pretty pastels and the artsy way the creator has organized the frames - that's pretty cool. Perhaps we don't know enough about art to understand this piece fully.
No, This Isn't a Dirty Protest
We have to wonder whether a dirty protest inspired the artist that painted these walls? If we came across this design, we're not sure whether we would be brave enough to check whether this was a weird paint job...or something else? What we're looking at here is a snap of someone's apartment hallway. To our horror, this isn't the only wall painted like this - apparently, someone's done this all over the building!
There is nothing wrong with a neutral wall, especially in a communal space. But, if you're going to go for something a bit different - why the poo-colored paint? Maybe next time, go for something with a bit of life to it?
A Skeleton Guitar... Literally
We don't believe this one. Allegedly, we have a picture of someone rocking on a guitar made out of his deceased uncle's skeleton. This has to be someone's idea of a sick gag. We reckon these are fake bones - because even if his uncle was a massive music-lover, why would anyone violate their dead relative in such a way? Not to mention the hygiene concerns - surely this has got to smell?
It's just so wrong on so many levels. Thankfully, this guy looks like he's wearing a costume and wig, so this is probably just a 'funny' social media post...we hope!
Book-Lovers Look Away
If you're a book lover, look away now. Our hearts broke when we realized these beautiful old books were chopped in half to create a faux library. Admittedly, this makes for a pretty impressive backdrop. But it just seems like such a waste of gorgeous books! Couldn't you create the same aesthetic with regular books? Why do you need to cut them in half and spoil them for future readers?
Perhaps it's for a budget movie set? Or, someone wanted to create a professional-looking Zoom background with limited funds...and only a handful of books to work with?
He's Offering a Price You Can't Miss!
Why on earth would anyone think of offering this as a legitimate service? Moreover, who would spend their hard-earned cash on such an idea? Again, this has to be someone's idea of a gag social media post - surely no one can seriously be offering to come over to someone's house for $10 to glue together all their TV remotes? On a more serious note, how would you go about changing the remote's batteries with their backs stuck together?
We also hate to point out the obvious, but if, unlike us, you think this is a good idea. Why not save yourself $10 by gluing your remotes together yourself?
Upcycling to the Max
We love this! We don't know about you, but we've never seen anything quite like this before. It's such a creative way to manufacture a piece of furniture while upcycling plastic bottles... a well-known environmental pest. However, we must caveat everything we've just said by saying it doesn't look very comfortable. Plus, you would have to ensure the couch wasn't positioned in direct sunlight - otherwise, it might melt!
We also reckon this sofa would make the most horrid squeaky, crunching noise whenever you touch it. It also doesn't look very stable; we suspect you would have to perch very carefully on this couch for fear of it collapsing!
Hanging on by a Thread
At first, we weren't sure what we were actually looking at. But, this is a router strapped to a cord attached to plastic cable ties. This is then hung from a rather flimsy-looking dart pinned into the wall. Granted, this isn't the most traditional home router setup. But, this has got us wondering whether the router would just look better on the floor? Or were they hidden away in a cupboard somewhere? Maybe the person who executed this DIY project did it just to prove they could?
Or, perhaps they wanted to test the strength of the dart? Maybe they were looking to utilize some old cable ties, and this was the result? Any other suggestions? That's all we've got...
Outdoors Meets Indoors
This is what you get when you bring the outdoors inside. In theory, this actually works, it's pretty rustic-looking, and we love that antique-looking lantern. But, what's wrong with adding a door to the bathroom stall? We're also not sure what kind of property this style of bathroom would suit. Perhaps a cozy log cabin in the woods, where you head for a secluded getaway? That could actually work.
If it's just you, on your own - at least you don't run the risk of someone getting an eyeful when they come to use the bathroom. Admittedly, the wall provides some privacy, so perhaps this novelty bathroom would work in practice? Thoughts?
Some Things Just Don't Need to Be Repurposed
Sadly, this horrifying visual goes on our list of things you can't unsee...no matter how much we wish we could. We fully expect this DIY planter to come back to haunt us in our nightmares. So, we are scratching our heads, wondering who would want such an item in their home? Perhaps someone who hates dolls but loves plants? Or maybe someone with murderous rage, with a knack for indoor gardening?
Whoever thought of this DIY project probably didn't realize how terrifying the end product would look. We're just hoping there aren't matching planters in this collection. As the only thing worse than one mutilated doll's face with a plant inside it would be several.
An Innovative Wedding Dress
This is exactly what it looks like. YouTuber Micarah Tewers has successfully managed to create a stunning wedding dress out of adult diapers...clean ones, of course. Tewers is well-renowned for her engaging fashion videos, where she recreates celebrity outfits for a fraction of the cost. Needless to say, Tewers's creativity and talent are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Looking at the picture on the right, we wouldn't have any idea that this wasn't a 'proper' wedding gown.
Despite its genius, we have to wonder at the structural integrity of the dress? What would happen if it rained? Would the dress swell? Would it fall apart? That would give the guests something to talk about...
This Could Be Yours for £25
As you can see, this isn't your average Harry Potter doll. Look at his glasses. To our horror, we've been told his glasses are made out of natural human teeth. Concerningly, this monstrosity was being flogged on Facebook's marketplace for £25! Is there really a demand for this?! But, more worryingly, where on earth did the creator harvest these human teeth from? Who agreed to donate their pearly whites for this project?
We imagine this is the kind of DIY project that only serial killers would dabble in. But, unfortauntely, this did not stop the creator listing this online. Urgh. So gross!
That's Gotta Hurt
We have to admit; we don't have the full facts here. But, from what we can tell from this image, it looks like these lens attachments are pierced into this person's nose bridge. If that's the case, that's super intense - and gotta be pretty painful! We're really, really, hoping these little metal bars are magnetic rather than a permanent feature on this person's face. We have to ask ourselves what the appeal is?
Is it fashion? Is it convenience? Was it a dare? Is it photoshopped? If anyone reading this is familiar with this kind of eyewear or knows someone who is, we would love to hear more!
A Day-To-Night Outfit for Robbing the Bank
We're all for innovative fashion design, but we're struggling to see the appeal, and frankly, the point of this balaclava meets a pair of jeans combo. You couldn't wear your jeans while wearing your mask, so your face might be toasty and warm on your face, but everything below the waist might be a bit chilly. While we're on the subject, who on earth would want to wear this kind of face-obscuring mask?
A burglar? An avid skier, perhaps? Whether you're making a quick getaway from a heist or hitting the slopes, we doubt either would benefit from a pair of jeans flapping behind them.
Just a Cute Little Choking Hazard
And the award for the most useless set of kitchen utensils goes to the gem-studded, diamonte-gilded spoons and spatulas pictured here. We're trying to stifle a laugh as we're writing this, but this set actually retails at an astonishing $55! Admittedly, we love the color. However, the bedazzling of these utensils is unique for a reason - they're completely impractical. Perhaps they're just for display? If so, that seems like a waste of counter space.
We're assuming those pearl-looking beads on the wooden spoon are made out of plastic? So surely, they would melt if placed in a hot pan? It all adds to the flavor, right?
An Ear so Nice, She Wore It Twice
This gives us the creeps. We are peeping through our fingers at this ear-shaped earring, trying not to cringe. Perhaps it's a joke about listening? Or maybe the creator wanted to showcase their ability to re-fashion an image of their own ear? Why anyone would want to do that, who knows? But, ten out of ten for innovation and creativity! On a different note, we love those gorgeous blue earrings!
Our personal favorite, the little flower stud - it's so pretty and delicate! But back to this DIY horror, we would love to know whether she's selling these earrings? And if so, who's buying them?