Every so often, one finds oneself confronting a DIY project so poorly constructed and inconceivably designed that it begs the question: what were they thinking? These baffling moments apply to public places as well. For instance, there are only so many ways to design a functioning public restroom… so why do so many of these bathrooms involve flaws like stall doors that are so exposing that one simply cannot use them? You would think someone would test these out before signing off on the project…

OSHA does NOT approve

All of these DIY projects started with the best intentions! A person saw a problem or felt inspired, and started their craft. Too bad that doing a DIY project isn't always as easy as it looks. No matter how well you follow that YouTube video or set of directions, some things need to be left to the pros. While I'm a big fan of the Spaghetti-O Furby and other art projects , it's harder to love all of the wild car DIYs (as you can see below). For example, one person built a fan into the roof of th…

This 1965 Ford Mustang may never drive, but it's my passion project

Thanks, I hate it

It can be easy to get fixated on minor flaws, especially if you're a perfectionist. Personally, I tend to be a perfectionist about my own work, but when it comes to design flaws in my apartment, for instance, I usually can get over them. Of course, I have friends and family who spend far more money than they should ensuring that their kitchen renovations are perfect and that their countertops are flawless. For me, I can fixate on writing the perfect email, but I can let go of a small stain that…

This DIYer got schooled by a teenager on how to treat employees. That's because this dude really thought that employee worked for the store he was at. Even though the kid literally told this guy, a random stranger, that he wasn't an employee, this guy just wouldn't take not for an answer. And in that case, as u/wing_nut_101 puts it, “be careful what you wish for.”

If you pay attention to your surroundings, you are likely to discover a series of design choices that make absolutely no sense. You know, the kind of aesthetic decisions that make you wonder who in their right mind signed off on this? You might stumble upon these design and structural flaws on the street, in a public restroom, or even in your friend's house. Sometimes, these flaws are too hard to ignore. I distinctly remember touring the so-called “perfect apartment” and informing my roommate t…

First-time home buyers have over-inflated confidence in their DIY skills

If you're debating on hiring someone or DIYing it, this is your sign to hire a professional.

These days, every DIY enthusiast sees ‘amateurs’ online who are achieving their home improvement goals without any experience. Armed with a flathead screwdriver, hand-me-down power tools, and a whole lot of gumption, a lot of DIYers feel builder's confidence flowing through them before ever setting foot into a hardware store.

Internet tutorials make DIY projects look like a walk in the park. Watching a sped-up video of a professional woodworker dismantling, staining, and rebuilding a piece of street furniture makes upcyclers green with envy, but whenever an amateur grabs the same set of tools, most people realize they're all thumbs.

You can't expect the average person to know how to fix large household appliances . If your washer or dryer breaks, it's not exactly recommended that you start taking the thing apart to discover the issue. Most of us don't have the capacity to fix a refrigerator or a stove either---there are some things you just leave to the professionals. That's why it's so odd that u/nopanicprepper's landlord decided that when appliances break , their tenants are the perfect people to fix them. The poor OP ha…

DIY is a fun hobby … some crafters just take it way too far. Upcycling and downcycling have been trendy past times in recent years. Upcycling refers to recycling something into an item that's more valuable than before, like turning a bunch of plastic bottles into a fancy chair. Then there's downcycling, which is what these crafty people below are doing. That's when you take an item and recycle into something less valuable, like the dad who tried to make a lamp classier, using only spray paint a…

Many of us are DIYers and YouTube tutorial survivalists by necessity. Sure, an online tutorial video can help an amateur complete a project at a lower price, but none of us are out here diluting the value of an actual professional's skills. As I stare at the cattywompus angles of the tilted tiles in my DIY bathroom, it becomes painfully clear that a pro would have done it a lot better than me.

Ah, the homes we come across on Zillow...