Doing something yourself just hits different. If you’ve ever managed to successfully complete a challenging DIY project, you’ll probably know the feeling of accomplishment, pride and that new-found boost of confidence. Plus, there’s a good chance you saved some money by not paying another person to do it for you. But, of course, that’s only when things go right…
There’s always the very real possibility that your best efforts don’t result in “Oh wow, I made that!” but rather, “Where did it all go wrong?” DIY projects have an uncanny way of exposing the gap between confidence and competence. And a 5-minute simple YouTube tutorial isn’t always the girl she claims to be.
Fortunately, even the most disastrous attempts aren’t a complete waste of time… If anything, they can provide endless entertainment and comedy for other people. There’s an entire online community that showcases hilariously bad DIY fails. Bored Panda has put together a list of the best posts from the page. Feel free to refer back to it the next time you consider fixing anything yourself.
#1 I Needed To Take Over An Inch Off The Door. I Don’t Have Many Tools. Sandpaper Was Taking Too Long. It Fits Like A Glove!
Image source: unicornduck
When they’re good, they’re great. But when they’re bad, they downright awful. If you’ve ever attempted a DIY project, only to stand back at the end wondering where it all went wrong, you’re not alone. The internet is filled with perfect examples of DIY fails. What they lack in practicality, they make up for in comedy gold.
“It’s no laughing matter,” you may be thinking, while staring at the crooked shelf, leaking pipe, or bathroom tiles that look like an explosive just hit them. So where did it all go wrong? The answer, say some experts, often lies in the planning stage.
This can be especially true if you’re taking your cue from a perfect Pinterest post or a quick and “simple” YouTube tutorial. These expert guides often fail to properly explain all the prep work and pre-planning that should be going into your project.
#2 Chair Kept Sinking
Image source: hawkerocker
#3 A Portable Charger. It Works But Probably Might Cause Damage If Used For A While
Image source: artificialstarlight
Preparation isn’t exactly the most exciting part of a DIY project but skipping it can come at a cost. And that cost might only rear it’s ugly head long after you’ve completed everything.
“Painting walls, installing new flooring, or updating cabinets without taking the time to clean, sand, or apply primer will reduce the quality of your finished product,” explains the Tuff Home Inspections site. “For example, skipping primer before painting can result in uneven coverage, peeling, or the original color showing through. Failing to level a floor before installing tiles causes cracks or loose tiles later.”
#4 My AC Went Out Today
Image source: iambilliam
#5 Had No Normal Hooks, Only An S-Hook And Some Nails
Image source: dsprenkels
#6 Portable Pizza Warmer
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
The Tuff Home Inspections team says another big mistake many people make is underestimating the time and effort a project requires. Replacing a faucet, painting a room, or even hanging a few shelves might seem like a fast and simple fix. But these ‘easy’ jobs can quickly spiral into something much bigger.
“Many DIYers fail to account for the time needed to prep, troubleshoot unexpected issues, or wait for materials to dry or cure,” they warn. “Always research the steps involved in your project thoroughly. A realistic timeline saves you from rushing, making errors, or giving up halfway through when things take longer than expected.”
#7 Bad, If Effective, Tubelight Cover
Image source: [deleted]
#8 DIY “Sport-Style” Earbuds Using Twist-Ties
Image source: CymbalBangingMonkey
#9 My Friend’s Safe Spa Pool Supports
Image source: __DeadFool____
Many DIY experts suggest that beginners start with easy projects to build confidence and skill. It might be tempting to save a few bucks by trying to do your own electrical work, plumbing and entire home renovation alone. But if things go wrong, which they often do, you could find yourself forking out a lot of money.
Sometimes, it really is better to call in a professional while you focus on things like painting a feature wall, building a cube shelf, or basic landscaping. Never be afraid to ask for help.
#10 Car Modification At Its Finest
Image source: SgtMac02
#11 Made This Thing In An Afternoon For Comfortable Wildlife Camping
Image source: 16_story_bits
#12 Someone Has Taken A Lot Of Time On This Tiling
Image source: UnoriginalUrsula
One survey found that the majority of Americans who’ve taken on DIY home improvement projects mostly did so to save money. Many admitted to biting off more than they could chew. 80% of those polled admitted to making mistakes during a DIY project, while 45% said they’ve “completely butchered” a project.
A separate study, conducted by Porch.com, surveyed more than 1,000 people to find out which projects DIYers are failing at the most, as well as how much time and money it takes to fix the mistake.
“On average, when DIYers made a mistake [on these projects], it cost them $310 and took five and a half hours longer to complete the job,” said Porch’s senior communications manager Amanda Woolley.
#13 LCD Wall Mount
Image source: CymbalBangingMonkey
#14 How To Transform Your Desk In To A Stand-Up Desk Using This One Cool Trick!
Image source: AnotherSmegHead
#15 1 Halloween Mask And A Lamp = Children’s Nightmares
Image source: RedDevilMan
One of the most costly and time-consuming projects to fix is floor installation. Before you decide to buy a few bathroom tiles and “stick” them down yourself, you may want to bear in mind that the tiniest of mistakes can come at a massive cost. And again, planning and preparation is critical. You have to make sure the floor is level, as well as measure and cut the new flooring precisely.
#16 When You Don’t Have Time To Learn How To Knit But You Want Your Tea To Stay Warm – Yes I Cut A Holes In A Beanie
Image source: TheGreatTyrant
#17 New Wheels For An Old Vacuum
Image source: BlueberryKind
#18 3 Day Build: Custom Wooden Tripod Stand For Webcam
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
“If you make a mistake early on, it could cause major problems down the line,” Woolley says. “For example, hardwood can cost homeowners thousands of dollars, and when those poorly laid floors need to be replaced, it’s costly.”
In fact, Porch’s survey reveals that one mistake can add an extra 13.8 hours to your project, and set you back around $829. If you aren’t absolutely sure you can do it properly, you might want to enlist the help of a professional.
#19 Custom Shower Curtain Rings
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#20 We Didn’t Have A Door Knob… This Had To Do
Image source: DerWaechter_
#21 My Backdoor Has Terrible Insulation. Fixed!
Image source: counttess
#22 Improvised Humidifier For Tonight
Image source: CharlieBwa
#23 Nailed It
Image source: randoh12
#24 Hmmm… I Didn’t Quite Think This Through
Image source: Jackster21
#25 I Made This Shelf With A Piece Of Wood I Had Laying Around, And Two Big Cups. Pretty Much No Effort Or Skill Required
Image source: timchanter
#26 The Bathroom Light Fixture Caught Fire, So I Replaced It… With A String Of Xmas Lights. That Was 3 Years Ago
Image source: cincymatt
#27 Flawless DIY Pressure Cooker
Image source: dazoidberg
#28 Shoutout To The Previous Tenants Of My Apartment For This DIY Attempt
Image source: grimyseabutt
#29 I Made A Really Nice Bathroom Shelf
Image source: FL00RISLAVA
#30 Landlords Are The Kings (Lords?) Of Bad DIY
Image source: RIPNightman
#31 DIY Floppy Disc Coaster
Image source: [deleted]
#32 The Potato Kindle Stand For Hands-Free Netflixin’
Image source: mike_pants
#33 Just Installed My New Radiator
Image source: RyanSamuel
#34 AC Venting
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#35 Roommate Was So Proud Of The Shelf He Installed For His Projector
Image source: Papa_Moon
#36 Build Some Stairs For The Deck… They Said. You’ll Have Fun They Said
Image source: randoh12
#37 Dirt Bike Sidecar
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#38 Set Up My AC To Not Create Standing Water
Image source: Mindless_Wrap1758
#39 Indian Restaurant Didnt Give Me Utensils, I Had A Rolling Plate, A Broken Eyeglass Arm Cardboard And Electrical Tape, Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
Image source: BukkakeAtAFuneral
#40 Fixed The Door Lock
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#41 My Brothers Screen Shattered, So He Fixed It With… Plastic Wrap
Image source: dallasdarling
#42 Da Final Touches
Image source: RIPNightman
#43 Apparently My Dad Doesn’t Need Help Making Garden Plots
Image source: [deleted]
#44 Upgraded Phone Case For iPhone7
Image source: stuyshwick
#45 My Guitar Sounds Great Now That I Fixed The Bridge
Image source: diggerB
#46 Instead Of Wasting Cans, I’m Putting Them To Use
Image source: CracklesCousin
#47 Just Because Our Bathroom Is Cold
Image source: heatheriswaiting
#48 Didn’t Like How Little The Old Sprayer Held So I Zip Tied Some Tubing And Put It On A Two Liter
Image source: Ya_boi_agatha
#49 Used My Bad Woodworking Skills To Make A DIY Headphone Mount
Image source: lexwebb
#50 I Tried Making A Knife Sheath, I Think I’ll Just Say It’s “Post Apocalyptic Themed”
Image source: [deleted]
#51 Designer Shower Head
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#52 How My Dad Decided To Install Our Toilet Paper Holder
Image source: SyntaxProblem
#53 I Decided I Needed A Headset For Games
Image source: AtomicSans
#54 It’s A Roof, I Guess
Image source: SpaceCadet0629
#55 Couch Charger
Image source: narc1s
#56 My Android Gaming Station
Image source: hannsn
#57 No Vertical Screen, No Problem
Image source: carbonat38
#58 Dog Proof Trash Can
Image source: baby_trex
#59 Home Printer Station
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#60 Credit Card Bottle Opener
Image source: _Stewie_Griffin
#61 A Wall Mount For My New Projector
Image source: todays_
#62 Literally Just A Coca Cola Bottle With A Soap Dispenser Lid On It Being Sold On Etsy
Image source: [deleted]
#63 Very Outhouse
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#64 Should I Attach The Deck To The Framing Or The Siding?
Image source: randoh12
#65 I Made A Table In The Garage To Smoke And Drink At
Image source: hardtoremember
#66 I Made This Shelf To Organize My Tools, Then I Painted It Black To Cover Up How Bad It Is
Image source: Insist365
#67 My Wife Wanted A Digital Wall Clock. Say No More Fam
Image source: BadSmash4
#68 Street Legal Again
Image source: MK_Ultrex
#69 Hot Grease Hack
Image source: maldio
#70 Stick Shift Broke, Had To Improvise
Image source: ewikanderson
#71 New Business Starting Up In My Town
Image source: portofly94
#72 Come Upstairs
Image source: pugs_are_death
#73 Now For The Spackle
Image source: Breezezilla_is_here
#74 Just Noticed That The Boiler Repairs Guy Replaced The Leaking Water Line With A Gas Pipe A While Back. It’s Now Leaking Red Water On Both Ends And Probably Galvanized The Hell Out Of The Boiler
Image source: higgs8
#75 Custom Made Flip Flops
Image source: Powder_hunter
#76 New Headlight And Turn Signal
Image source: randoh12
#77 I’m Not A Smart Man
Image source: lunarlumberjack
#78 Installed A Gutter For My Chicken Coop
Image source: [deleted]
#79 Parents Created This Handy Contraption To Remove Stickers Off Windshields
Image source: drudd84
#80 Best Mousepad Money Couldn’t Buy
Image source: jimboy241
#81 New Side Mirror Project
Image source: randoh12
#82 Mobile Gaming Set Up For Apex Legends Mobile Lolol
Image source: No-Advice-7797
#83 I Drive Past This Mess Every Day. The Longer You Look At It, The More Things You See Wrong
Image source: SlothGSR
#84 Made A Roof For My BBQ
Image source: [deleted]
#85 Improvisation
Image source: Grimmbles
#86 Custom Made Journal Lock
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#87 I’m A Guitar Player But I Forgot My Capo So I Thought I’d DIY One Real Quick
Image source: ilostmycapo
#88 The Rim-Liner On My Sun Hat Peeled Off, Nothing A Little Duct Tape Can’t Fix
Image source: [deleted]
#89 Thermal Baby Gate To Keep AC Air From Spilling Down Stairwell
Image source: TotallyHumanPerson
#90 Friend Of Mine Has No Heater In His Bedroom, So He Built A Delicious Vent System To Bring The Heat In
Image source: MoonKnightFan
#91 Electric Mixer On The Fly
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
#92 A Wall Light Made With LED Strips, Wax Paper, And Poster Puddy
Image source: wet-badger
#93 I Wanted An Alarm Clock With A Wake Up Light But Didn’t Have A Bedside Table… Behold, My Masterpiece
Image source: JohnnyJVL
#94 Quality Craftsmanship On This Truck Stop Mirror
Image source: thunderrooster80
#95 Children’s Lawnmower
Image source: demechman
#96 Not Enough Room You Say?
Image source: LaLongueCarabine
#97 Turned The Arm Of My Chair Into A Mousepad
Image source: thiscontradiction
#98 How Many Things About This Room Corner Bother You?
Image source: MiddleFroggy
#99 Home Pool Slide Installation
Image source: RalphiesBoogers
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