Coming up with an idea for a DIY project and bringing it to life can be exciting. However, handmade creations aren’t always as straightforward as they might seem, and diving headfirst into them is rarely a good idea. Those who tackle DIY projects without a clear plan of action often end up with craft fails that are just unredeemable.

Many of such DIWHYs await you in the list below. Collected from the Facebook group ‘That’s It, I’m Craft Shaming,’ they prove that making something from scratch requires some level of skill, not just some enthusiasm and a few tools under one’s belt.

While you're busy scrolling, don't forget to check out a conversation with experienced crafter Heather Donohue, who kindly agreed to give a few tips on how to recover from a failed DIY project.

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Every avid DIYer would tell you that their projects have failed at one point or another. In fact, it was found that UK homeowners spent £6.6 billion on fixing DIY disasters, with one in five struggling with their DIY projects.

22% of those who failed had to call professional help to fix it, while 9% made it worse when trying to repair it themselves. Almost half of DIYers admitted that their creation was unsuccessful because they lacked the necessary skills for it, while 40% overestimated the scope of the project.

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“Everyone makes mistakes and we’ve all had our fair share of ‘oh no’ moments of DIY interior design projects gone wrong,” said Samantha Jane Agbontaen, founder of House Designer.

“From choosing bad lighting to not working with measurements, not budgeting before starting, using redundant curtains, buying wrong sized furniture, and choosing wrong colour schemes, we’ve done things that make us question our capabilities.”

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The tradesmen who have to clean up people’s DIWHYs believe that the surge appeared due to people taking on ambitious projects inspired by videos on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. This seems to be true, as 57% of crafters said they attempted a DIY because they were influenced by social media to take on the task.

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“The popularity of social media, especially DIY content and home improvement tutorials, has resulted in a false sense of DIY confidence amongst some homeowners,” said Jonny McHugh, Head of Small Business Insurance at Direct Line.

“Tradespeople take years to learn their craft and while something may look easy on social media, it is often far from it. Anyone taking on DIY should consider the limit of their skills and whether it would be better to call in the professionals to ensure the job is done properly and with the right tools in the first place.”

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Indeed, some projects should be left to professionals for the sake of everyone’s safety. However, if DIYers have taken on a fairly easy (and safe!) craft and failed, they shouldn’t feel disheartened. Instead, they should try again, advises experienced crafter Heather Donohue.

"If you don’t like how a paint job came out, let it dry and paint it again, tweaking the color or painting tools to get the desired look. If a sewing project came out wonky, the fabric could be salvaged to make another project, and buttons and stuffing could be saved for another day," she suggests.

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As an example, she shared her own fail that she managed to turn completely around. "Once I baked a cake in a rabbit-shaped mold. Even though the cake had skewers inside for support, the poor thing broke in two as it was being decorated. The cake was cubed and layered into a trifle bowl with whipped cream and strawberries. What a delicious fix!"

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To guarantee success when tackling any DIY project, Heather recommends reading instructions before starting and making sure one isn't taking on an overly ambitious craft. "For example, if you’re newish to woodworking, try building a stool to practice the basics and learn to use electric tools safely before moving on to a more complicated project."

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Even if a project fails, people should persevere. After all, we learn from our mistakes and DIY can be so much fun. "DIY can be a great way to repurpose something for your home while keeping it out of a landfill. Plus, you can create something beautiful that no one else has!" says Heather, motivating every crafter out there.