Monday, November 19, 2012

Pinterest Fail

Many moons ago, when I thought I was going to have a big wedding, I made 75 of these pretty pinwheels in various colors and patterns to use as part of my centerpieces:

Ooooh, pretty.
They really work, too!

They've just been stored away in a buffet (not one per jar like that, obviously) because they were so tedious and took soooo many hours to make that I just can't bear to throw them away.

Anyway, I was thrilled when I realized they'd be cute in a nursery--a few of them, I mean--not 75, and one day last week, I decided to dress up a boring ol' mason jar to put them in.

I followed this tutorial, fully expecting my mason jar to turn out like these beauties:


Looks impossible to mess up, right??

Instead, I ended up with this monstrosity:


The directions said the streaks would disappear when the jar dried--
which is a giant lie because the jar was completely dry when this photo was taken.

After I destroyed my innocent mason jar, I read some comments people had left on that tutorial page. Apparently, the poor Mod-Podge users, like myself, didn't fare as well as the lucky people who went with Elmer's glue. Live and learn, I guess (and buy a pretty vase).

14 comments:

Erica said...

Your pinwheels are lovely! Sorry, about the mason jar :(

Erica said...

You could use the pinwheels at his first birthday party! And give them out as favors if you want.

Amanda said...

Hehe I thought about the first birthday, too, but they might be kinda dangerous because there's a pin poking through the front. I bent them down as flat as I could in the back, but I'm still hesitant. I'll probably end up taking 75 pinwheels to a retirement home with me someday.

Erica said...

Oh, yeah, parents might not like their children playing with sharp, pointy objects. At least you'll be a hit at the retirement home!

Amanda said...

I did go examine them to see if they were as lethal as I remembered. Looks like I actually snipped the ends of the pins off in the back. I'll send you one in a few weeks, so you can help me determine how hazardous they are. :P

Erica said...

For some reason I was thinking of these pinwheels as I was trying to fall asleep and brads popped into my head. I think that's what they're called.. Those metal thumb tack looking things with two prongs that you bend back after you push them through. I bet they make fun colored ones. Those might be less dangerous.

Amanda said...

But you can't pound them through a wooden stick! I tried EVERYTHING before I resorted to the dangerous pins. :)

Erica said...

Well you're just difficult, aren't you? ;) Haha.. I was wondering about the stick. It looks kind of like a straw. You could wrap the brads (Is that really what they're called? Not sure why I'm too lazy to look it up.) around the wooden stick. But it might slip down. Glue and wrap.

Not sure why I became obsessed with these pinwheels. I guess I know I'd be bummed to make something (and a whole lot of something) and not get to use it.

Erica said...

I had to set up an account because I was sad I didn't have a picture :-)

Amanda said...

But they wouldn't spin then! Not that they spin well now, but they DO spin if you figure out the perfect angle to hold them whlie you blow on 'em.

Erica said...

They would spin! I think. The glue and wrap would just be n the stick and prongs, not the pinwheel part. A grommet in the pinwheel might make it spin more smoothly, but not sure if that'd be worthwhile.

Amanda said...

Oh, they're grommet-ed, believe me. :)

Amanda said...

Also, there's no taking these apart. If I try to take the pin out, the head pops off, and the pin gets stuck in the stick forever. The stick cracks if I try to use pliers, etc. to remove the pin. These are officially done. :P

Erica said...

Well, we tried. They still look pretty!