Sunday, June 2, 2013

Monday Made It - Craft Fail Edition {FREEBIE}

I'm gonna just start this post off with the positive first because after this it's all downhill. I finally discovered how to use my iPad to make graphics! Yay! I whipped up these 3 borders for you all to share for Manic Monday with Classroom Freebies.

I haven't linked up for that in weeks now and I owed you! I plan on trying to tackle more borders, frames, and ultimately clip art in the future! If you use them in your creations, just give a link to my blog or share my blog button on the credits page.

Click on any picture to download the frames
 
I had such high hopes of this weekend being a wonderful crafting weekend! After all, it is the first week of Monday Made It with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics and I was aiming to start this off with a bang.
I picked out my favorite new pins and got ready to get my craft on. It started out like a dream. However, this weekend turned out to be craft fails 3, me 0.

Note: None of these photos have been edited in any way so that you can see the full effect fails.

First up, and *most* successful are these fun colored jars.



This pin seemed simple enough! All you have to do is mix Elmer's glue with food coloring. Paint it on, let it dry and you have these beautiful jars! 

Absolutely not the case with me! Here is how my version turned out.

This is the before version - Right after I finished painting.


Here is the end result - Looks alright but not really up to par! 


Let's talk about the downfalls of this project:
1. Paint did not cover evenly at all. It was very streaky and uneven.
2. Paint brush hairs kept falling out and sticking to the sides.
3. Dried bubbly and really thick on the bottom. Did not dry all beautiful pearly looking. 
4. Food coloring stained your hands if you touched it.
5. The polka dots on the jar kept getting messed up and looks a bit strange with the half see through jar.
6. This jar requires an insanely long drying time for just a simple coat of glue. Been roughly 24 hours and still it is not drying yet and don't know if it will ever be!
Overall, I wouldn't try doing this project again. It would have been easier to just spray paint the jar in one coat than paint multiple coats of this gluey mess.

Next, I did my own spin on these upcycled containers. 
They look so perfect and so easy to make. Just wrap in scrapbook paper, seal with modge podge and voila! Instant adorableness!



Here's my version, the most unsuccessful pin of the weekend.



I had this leftover food container that I thought would be perfect to turn into some container to use in the classroom. However, everything that could have possibly gone wrong went wrong. 
1. Ran out of spray paint before I finished. 
2. Spray paint got all messed up in the process drying on the tarp.
3. Modge Podge just hates me and always gets streaky.
4. Scrapbook paper didn't align right and just looks crazy stupid.
5. After spray painting and modge podging, the lid no longer fits on the container.

Yup that is a definite failure in my book! 

Finally, the most disappointing were these DIY glitter sneakers.


This was a pin that I was just dying to try! It was all dependent on finding some canvas sneakers. After finding the perfect pair, I thought it was going to be a match made in shoe heaven! During the process, it seemed like these shoes were going to be my new favorite shoes ever. However, after they finished drying, they were practically unwearable. So sad!


Here's everything that went wrong with these shoes:
1. After taping the sides, the shoes remained eternally sticky even after using goo gone, nail polish remover, you name it. Anywhere you walk, you pick up tons of dirt and dust.
2. The shoes dried in one solid layer of modge podge! With each step you take, the shoes crack and glitter falls off. 
3. The shoes don't really fit anymore because they don't stretch.

This one pin I would be willing to try again though. I just love it that much. Here are the changes that I would make:
1. Buy different sneakers. I'd probably buy keds which are softer material and then might still stretch more in the end.
2. Use very fine glitter. I think that the glitter I used was too big. It required more modge podge than finer glitter might have and as a result made the shoes crack. 
3. Ignore the taping process and just be very careful with the glitter. I think it would be easier to scrape off glitter if it dripped rather than having dirty shoes 24/7.

As it is clear to see, these were not successful pins by any means for me. If you were to pin them on Pinterest, or share on instagram, the might look fantastic as a tiny little image. However, when you really dive closer the major flaws are revealed. Oh well! Better luck next week! Hopefully I will be able to share some craft successes. Otherwise, I might need to start a new weekly series: Craft Fails with The Polished Teacher. Now head back over to Tara's blog and read about some successful pins! I know that's where I'm headed!

18 comments:

  1. Aww! I'm sorry you had so many pinterest fails. Being crafty doesn't come easily to me, so I understand. Mine would probably turn out worse! Thanks for the cute frames. I'm your newest follower. :)

    Sarah
    Miss A's Kindergarten

    ReplyDelete
  2. Every craft I attempt turns into a fail so I just quit trying! I do love your borders though! Thanks for the freebie!

    Lisa
    Always an Adventure in Kindergarten

    ReplyDelete
  3. I could write a book about my failed pin attempts. I just keep trying though.

    so glad you shared because I am happy not to be the only one!

    Elizabeth
    Hodges Herald

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awww sorry about the fails. Here's good luck on the next ones you try!

    Journey Of A Substitute Teacher

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awwww, you tried so hard! And they all seem so simple yet they are NOT! I hate when that happens! At least you show true perseverance! Your borders are adorable though!!

    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

    PS- this post did make me laugh though because you kept your sense of humor! ;O)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love your cute frames!
    I'm sorry your crafts didn't work out. Everything always seems easy on Pinterest, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am sorry that your crafts didn't work out but I have to say I kinda laughed because every single thing that happened to you is exactly something that would happen to me. Which is why I fear crafting these days!
    Gina
    Third Grade Tidbits

    ReplyDelete
  8. What if you used painter's tape? It peels off easy and wouldn't leave a sticky residue.

    I don't know if I have commented on your blog before or not, but I love your color choices. Mine are very similar.

    Kristin
    Teachntex

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops! The painter's tape comment was for the tennis shoes craft.

      Delete
  9. Oh no! lol! Your page borders are cute though! :) :)
    ❤Teri
    A Cupcake for the Teacher

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ha! I'm cracking up! I love when people share their faults! You should try (and see) some of those pinterest recipes I tried! EPIC FAILURE!!!! :)

    Sarah
    Kindergarten Korner

    ReplyDelete
  11. Girl, you are not the only one who has had crazy failures with Pinterest pins! Mine have been soooo embarrassing that I just throw them away! I love that you posted about them, though - makes me feel better!! Love the idea of glitter shoes, though!

    Sara
    Miss V's Busy Bees
    ventrellasara@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've had a few fails. At least you gave it a try. Thank you so much for the frames.

    littlelearnersinc.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. My crafty things NEVER turn out! I've given up on trying the cute Pinterest things. Love your blog. Glad I found you. I'm your newest follower.
    Petersons-Pad

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the borders, but can't seem to open it. It tries to open in googledocs, but then there's a blank page?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well, you get an A for effort. You tried so many cool things. I had the bag container planned as a next quick project. Thanks for all the helpful tips on each one. We can all learn from each other

    Heather
    room 4 imagination

    ReplyDelete
  16. And that's why I rarely try to recreate the stuff I find online! I'm just not good at stuff like that!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This makes me laugh so hard because this is how every thing I do ends up. The borders are adorable! Thanks :)

    Erin
    http://brummettmath.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete