If only DIY efforts were always smooth sailing. Nope, we’ve all undertaken home projects that don’t go our way. Suddenly we find ourselves with a hammer in hand one weekend, with plaster crumbling around us, and our visiting in-laws due at the door any second. In that moment, we often fall victim to our basest selves as all manner of bad behavior and thoughts creep out. We aren’t proud of this very human tendency to transgress, but yet time and time again, we do. Here are the seven deadliest of DIY sins…
1. Lust: It all starts here. You are on Pinterest, you see something that you like, and intense desire takes over. It’s cute, you want to make it, and you feel an ache deep, deep down that won’t be slaked until you do. Your passion for that wooden trivet/lamp shade/duvet cover knows no bounds and you cling heatedly to the thought of it.
2. Greed: Have you ever seen something in a store and thought to yourself, “Oh, I can certainly make that for a lot less than what they’re charging?” Then, with a knowing nod, you put your wallet away and walk out. What you don’t anticipate is having to run and buy all tools and craft supplies known to mankind before you get started. Then, it winds up costing $200 to make a single tea cozy. Face it: your ill-placed greed overshadowed your good sense.
3. Envy: It’s terrible knowing that there are people out there that make beautiful things and make the whole process look effortless. Their handmade projects are styled and photographed beautifully in their tasteful homes, with nary a dropped stitch or crooked cut in sight. Meanwhile you are the poster child for Pinterest Fail and everything you touch turns to DIY dust. Damn them all.
4. Gluttony: You set yourself up to weave a room-size rug out of braided and dyed plastic shopping bags. Or, you pledge to make something every week until the end of the calendar year. Yep, you overindulged in grand plans, and bit off more than you could possibly chew (or make in this case). In this case, your eyes were bigger than your toolbox.
5. Pride: Pride rears its ugly head in many ways. It’s there in the moment you decide to ignore assembly instructions in favor of «winging it» instead, or wave off the advice from those who’ve done it all before. It also pops up at the end of project, when you decide to brag on social media, secretly fishing for compliments on your latest accomplishment.
6. Sloth: It’s Day 30 and your upholstered headboard STILL isn’t done. The tools are lying around, supplies are everywhere, and your spouse is pissed to be sleeping on a mattress on the floor for the past month. Yet nothing, NOTHING will get you from watching another season of Scandal on Netflix.
7. Wrath: You jumped in with both feet. But, where once you were motivated and confident, either inertia or rampant mistakes mean the project is on hold. You’re sweating and shaking, and the whole fiasco spurs uncontrollable feelings of self-loathing and anger. You want to rip the whole project apart, and throw it against the wall.
Sound familiar? If you want tips on how to make it through a DIY project — with your soul in tact — check out the following posts. You’ll soon follow House of Mandy’s Meow’s lead (from the image above) and be saying «Not Today, Satan. Not Today.»
- Ditch or Double Down: When You Should (or Shouldn’t!) Give Up on a DIY Project
- Wise Ways: Tips for Maintaining Patience During DIY Home Projects
- Budget DIY: Tips for Stretching Your Project Dollars
- Doing It Yourself: 7 Tips for Finishing Your DIY
- 8 Tips for Destressing During a DIY Renovation
(Image credits: House of Mandy Meow)
