How to Fix Common DIY Fails Like a Pro

DIY disasters happen to the best of us, right?

Every picture-perfect Pinterest project seems totally doable … until we actually do it.

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Well, Brit Morin -- decor expert and founder of women’s media company Brit + Co -- played “DIY doctor” when she visited our show and tackled 3 common DIY fails right in front of our eyes.

As it turns out, most of us are making the same mistakes -- and you can find out how to avoid them below.

We’re all in this together, after all!

PENDANT LIGHTS

The perfect light fixture can light up an entire room (literally and figuratively) -- but the nicest ones can often cost a pretty penny.

“They usually cost many hundreds of dollars if you buy them in stores,” Brit says.

So why not make your own, like this one?

Rachael Ray Show

Common problem: To put it simply, pendants tend to indent and collapse, like so --

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Solution: You’ll need two balloons (the second one is key to fixing any indentations), mod podge and string (NOT yarn, as it doesn’t stick as well together).

Watch Brit walk Rach through the process in the video above!

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DISTRESSING FURNITURE

In an attempt to achieve a rustic look, many crafty homeowners will attempt to distress their furniture -- and end up with splotchy pieces.

But, don’t fret, not all furniture-distressing projects have to be -- well -- distressing!

Common mistake: Brit says most DIYers start distressing the piece of furniture too early or too late.

Solution: Time your paint! After painting over your abstract colors with black paint, Brit suggests letting it set for 10 minutes before distressing it with a wet rag.

If you’re feeling fancy, use sandpaper to distress the piece a bit more once the paint is dry.

How stunning is the finished armoire on the right?

Rachael Ray Show

CRAYON ART

This colorful canvas definitely seems like the most fun! But according to Brit, “[It] might be one of the most popular Pinterest projects ever that people really mess up on.”

Common mistake: Most people adhere their crayons with tape (not the best move) and blow dry the crayons incorrectly, causing the different colors to collide in a way that’s not the most ideal (like in the photo on the left, below).

Rachael Ray Show

Solution: Adhere your crayons with hot glue onto a blank canvas, put the canvas inside a cardboard box to avoid dripping elsewhere in your home and put your blow dryer on hot to essentially melt the crayon wax, like so:

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Now, the key to mastering this project, Brit says, is to blow straight down on the crayons so the colors don’t mix in an odd manner.

Be sure to watch the video above to see how closely Brit holds the blow dryer to the crayons (people mess this part up, too, she says!).

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