Story by Karla Pulido
Photos by Jan Ross Piedad 

Pinterest has become the go-to source for wedding inspiration and DIY tutorials. The site makes it easy for users to find DIYs, but their attempts are often unsuccessful. ORANGE tackled some of the more popular DIYs on Pinterest to divide the possible from the practical.

Crayon lipsticks

When I first saw this, the concept made sense — most lipsticks are made out of wax anyway. The process to make the lipsticks was easy to follow. The only downside was having to go out and buy the material. The end product wasn’t really a lipstick so much as it was the “lip gloss” found in a 4-year-old’s play makeup kit. The color doesn’t transfer well, and it is really greasy on the lips. Yes it works, but it’s too much effort to make something that isn’t effective.

Flubber

Dear Pinterest, do you really mean I can make a cute dancing wiggly man? No. The process to make this was easy to follow and the materials were easy to find. But it was very messy — you definitely have to get your hands sticky for this DIY. The final product wasn’t flubber, but it was so easy to make, a child could do it. Though it’s a semi-successful project, what am I going to do with this? When I finished mixing it, I was so tired of how sticky my hands were that I let the Flubber sit on my desk for a few days.

Galaxy in a jar

There were various galaxy-themed DIY tutorials, but the Mason jar containing the galaxy seemed the least messy. This tutorial says it uses materials you already have at home — a lie. Since I tried to adapt the tutorial with things I did have, it turned out way different than the one pictured. Don’t use spray paint, as it ruined the product and my bowl. This project was quick, easy and useless. This DIY was presented as a possible gift, but I wouldn’t give my friends this. I would rather buy my friends Whataburger, which costs about the same anyway.

Nail marbling

This was the most frustrating tutorial. Although the steps say you have to be very fast between dropping polish colors, in reality you have to have supersonic speed. I would move relatively quickly, and after the third drop my polish was already dry. I couldn’t get any funky designs. This tutorial was also the messiest — my fingers were polished weird colors for a day. Nail polish remover would have prevented this, but I didn’t have any. This project can be executed well if you move with the right speed and rhythm. It also seemed the most practical, if not for the messy fingers. Maybe this one needs practice.