The Pinterest Challenge: Turning Pinned Dreams into DIY Reality & My Scrap Wood Ampersand Adventure

Welcome to the latest edition of the Pinterest Challenge and link party! As the seasons shift and the inspiration boards on Pinterest grow, it’s the perfect time to roll up our sleeves and bring those long-saved projects to life. This challenge is all about moving past the “someday” and embracing the “today” in our DIY journeys.

Embracing the DIY Spirit with Our Favorite Hosts

I am absolutely thrilled to co-host this inspiring event with some of my favorite DIY divas: Katie from Bower Power, Sherry from Young House Love, and Carmel from Our Fifth House. The core philosophy of this challenge is wonderfully simple yet profoundly effective: it encourages us to stop endlessly pinning those beautiful “someday” projects and finally dedicate the time and effort to actually complete them. It’s a chance to transform digital inspiration into tangible creations that enhance our homes and build our skills.

I am genuinely excited to witness all the incredible projects you’ve been working on. Who knows, I might even discover a few new ideas to add to my own Pinterest boards – it’s a wonderfully vicious cycle of inspiration and creation! Are you ready to dive into the challenge and share your accomplishments?

My Initial Vision: A Front Porch Storage Bench

As a host, it was imperative that I also participate and tackle a project myself. Just last week, when we first announced this challenge, I shared my ambition: to draw upon several pinned ideas and construct an outdoor storage bench. This bench was destined for my newly repainted front porch, which recently underwent a delightful makeover. The thought of getting back into my garage and immersing myself in woodworking again filled me with immense excitement. It had been a little while since my last significant build, my versatile craft desk, thanks to a lengthy guest bathroom renovation that consumed much of my DIY time and energy.

Full of enthusiasm, I headed to the hardware store, carefully selected and purchased the necessary lumber, and returned home, eager to begin. The rhythmic whir of the saw as I started cutting the initial pieces for the storage bench was a truly satisfying sound…

The Unexpected DIY Setback: A Tool Failure and a Budget Constraint

…And then, just as momentum was building, my drill’s battery completely gave out. It simply wouldn’t charge. The gears were silent, devoid of power, and all efforts to revive it proved futile. Frustration mounted. This wasn’t just a minor hiccup; it was a complete halt to my progress.

A sinking realization dawned on me: my drill was an inexpensive, non-brand model. This meant finding proper replacement parts at my local hardware store would be a challenging, if not impossible, task. (By the way, a huge thank you to everyone who offered brilliant suggestions on Facebook regarding which brand to choose for a new, reliable drill!) However, this unexpected expense was entirely outside my current budget. I simply wasn’t prepared to invest in the “drill of my dreams” right then. Double frustration. Or, as Sherry and John from Young House Love would humorously lament: wop, wop.

I was incredibly bummed. All my pieces were meticulously cut and ready for assembly. What was I going to present for the Pinterest Challenge? The thought of being a co-host with nothing but a pile of pre-cut wood scraps felt like a major failure. It’s a common DIY dilemma: you plan, you prepare, and then an unforeseen obstacle throws a wrench (or in my case, a dead drill battery) into your meticulously laid plans. The initial disappointment was palpable.

From Frustration to Innovation: The Scrap Wood Solution

But when the going gets tough, tough girls get creative. Instead of letting the setback define my challenge experience, I decided to pivot. I remembered my dedicated Build/Make board on Pinterest, a treasure trove of ideas for projects using scrap wood. I was constantly pinning resourceful ways to utilize leftover materials, so why not take a second look and see if I could transform my “pile of scrap wood” into something beautiful? This approach typically involves simpler fastening methods like nails or wood glue, rather than relying heavily on power tools like drills.

This unexpected turn certainly injected a new layer of “challenge” into the Pinterest Challenge. While my storage bench project might have to wait for a new drill, this scrap wood endeavor would allow me to participate fully and creatively. It’s a testament to the fact that DIY is often about adaptability and finding innovative solutions when faced with obstacles. Embracing imperfections and making do with what you have can often lead to some of the most satisfying and unique creations.

Find these inspiring scrap wood projects here. UPDATE: I later completed the couch armrest sleeve project! You can see the full photos and details here.

Crafting the Ampersand: A Step-by-Step Scrap Wood Project

The original ampersand sculpture that caught my eye on Pinterest (and was initially spotted on Design*Sponge earlier this month) was crafted from 2x4s. However, given that I had a generous collection of 1×3 scraps remaining from cutting the pieces for my ill-fated storage bench, I envisioned a slimmer, more delicate version. I thought it would look particularly striking in my newly renovated guest bathroom (more details on that project are coming later this week!).

Designing with Intuition and Angles

For this project, I deliberately opted for an intuitive approach rather than precise measurements. I began by simply eyeballing the desired size and proportion of each individual piece. While it certainly took more than a few cuts to achieve the perfect fit, I knew that my inner “DIY geek” would eventually prevail, especially since I was limiting myself to only 45- and 90-degree angles. The process involved a bit of trial and error: making a cut, testing its fit, and then recutting if it proved too long. A handy tip for any woodworker, novice or experienced, is always to “err on the long side” – it’s far easier to trim a piece shorter than to try and lengthen one that’s too short! Gradually, piece by piece, an unmistakable ampersand shape began to take form on the sawdust-covered floor of my garage.

Assembling and Finishing the Piece

Once all the pieces were perfectly cut and arranged, I moved my operation upstairs for the assembly and finishing stages. I meticulously joined the wooden segments using a strong wood glue, ensuring a solid bond. For the finish, I opted for Rustoleum’s American Walnut stain, which imparted a rich, warm hue to the wood. A quirky but effective tip for applying stain: use an old sock! Seriously, old socks (especially those belonging to ex-boyfriends, husbands, or even children) are fantastic for this purpose. After countless washes, they become virtually lint-free, making them ideal for smooth, even stain application. Following the stain, I applied a layer of poly (polyurethane) to protect the wood and give it a subtle sheen.

Throughout the entire process, I had my trusty helper closely monitoring my progress, ensuring quality control every step of the way!

Lessons Learned & The Final Reveal

This scrap wood ampersand project was a wonderful opportunity to experience a few “firsts.” I had never before attempted to cut 45-degree angles on a compound miter saw, so it was a valuable learning experience. Additionally, this was one of the rare projects where absolute precision wasn’t the top priority, which was surprisingly liberating and allowed for more creative freedom. (And yes, if you’ve noticed the rather ridiculous overuse of ampersands throughout this post, you’ve caught on to my playful little theme! 😉)

After allowing ample dry time for the stain and poly, my finished ampersand sculpture officially found its new home in the guest bathroom, proudly becoming the very first piece of art in the newly renovated space. It adds a touch of personality and warmth, transforming a functional room into a more inviting one.

That’s right – my new bathroom renovation now proudly features “toilet art.” It’s just how I roll!

Cute, isn’t it? I absolutely adore it. This entire experience, from the initial cuts for one project to the meticulous finishing of the ampersand sculpture, brought a crucial realization to light: there’s one incredibly important piece of furniture missing from my home – a sturdy workbench (or perhaps even two!). Since moving into this house, I’ve relied on plastic folding tables for all my DIY endeavors. After numerous attempts to make do, it’s become abundantly clear that there’s simply no substitute for a proper workbench that:

1. Offers integrated storage solutions to keep tools and materials organized.
2. Features a perfectly flat top that accommodates clamps effectively (a plastic top that bows under tight clamping pressure is far from ideal).
3. Can confidently support the weight of power tools, like a circular saw, and withstand the enthusiastic hammering of a dedicated DIY enthusiast like myself.

I guess that’s a new challenge for a different day! Thankfully, I’ve already pinned these excellent plans to build two robust workbenches myself. It just goes to show that the DIY journey is never truly finished; there’s always another project waiting to be tackled and another skill to be learned.

Your Turn: Share Your Pinterest Challenge Projects!

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: it’s time for you to share your own wonderful projects! Did you accept the Pinterest Challenge? Were your efforts successful? Remember, it’s perfectly okay if things didn’t unfold exactly as you planned. The true essence of this challenge lies in making your pinned inspirations a tangible reality, even if you encountered a few obstacles along the way. I would genuinely love to see what you attempted, celebrating both your triumphs and your creative solutions to unexpected problems.

Even if you don’t have a blog, you can still participate! Simply upload a picture of your project to an online album and share the link. If you choose to share in the link party below, please do me a favor and include a mention of the challenge (with a link back to this post) in your blog post. And, of course, don’t forget to stop by the blogs of my incredible co-hosts: Bower Power, Young House Love, and Our Fifth House. Share your projects on their link parties too, and definitely check out the amazing challenge projects they’ve completed!

(Oh, and just a quick friendly reminder: Pinterest is not sponsoring this challenge. Katie and Sherry simply conceived of it as a fun, motivating way to encourage us all to step away from our screens, get our hands dirty, and truly share what inspires us to “get ‘er done!”)

Ready? Set? Link! I absolutely cannot wait to see all the fantastic projects you’ve been working on! (If you’re reading this in a feed reader, you’ll likely need to click over to the blog itself to access the link party and share your project.)

Project Updates & Practical Additions

Following the initial post, some of you inquired about the specific cutting process and dimensions for the ampersand sculpture. To assist fellow DIYers, I’ve created a simple, color-coded graphic that hopefully provides a clearer idea of how each piece was cut and fitted together. Precision isn’t paramount, but understanding the general approach certainly helps in replicating the design.

Furthermore, several clever readers suggested a brilliant practical application for the ampersand in the guest bathroom: using it to hold extra toilet paper rolls! Since this is indeed a guest bathroom, I certainly want my guests to easily find the toilet paper when they need it. So, without further ado, here you go, folks – the much-requested money shot, demonstrating both form and function!

(Also sharing this inspiring journey with One Project Closer’s Humble Brag Link Party!)