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Design Court: IS DIY Actually A Waste of Money Or Am I Just Really Bad At It? Arlyn Explores (& Talks To An Expert)
I have a confession: I have the heart of a DIYer, but…I’m not sure I’m actually good at it. To the point that I know many of the projects I’ve taken on have ended up costing me more money by trying to save money. Oh, the irony. This is due to several reasons: I complete a project that eventually falls apart and needs to be replaced, I start a project and just never complete it, I take on a project where the material costs aren’t really much cheaper than just buying the dang thing.
Don’t get me wrong: I think DIY is an absolutely amazing thing, and have seen many people do things that make my jaw drop. DIY is a fantastic tool for creating your own custom-designed anything. Can’t find it on the market? Make it! Can’t afford what’s on the market? Make it! Want to renovate rooms in your home little by little without the wild cost of labor? DIY it!
But I think to say DIY is always a money saver, no matter what, is simply just not true. In fact, at times, it may cost you *more*. Sure, you get the satisfaction of completing something, learning a new skill, and putting a personal mark on your home. But things don’t always go according to plan. The Internet has fooled us all into thinking we can and should just do it all ourselves (more on that later—keep reading) but, ::gestures with finger to come in closer:: …we don’t.
Now, there are some things I’m fully adept at doing, and we each have our own list of things, even if it’s a short list. I can sew, am fairly handy with crafting, am a very good wall and furniture painter, can install my own lights (thanks Jess for teaching me!), and I can work a drill fairly well. Do I dream of being able to use a table saw to build my own bookcases and raised garden beds? Absolutely! Will I have wished I just bought them or hired an expert to make three seconds into those projects? Absolutely!
My DIY Successes: A Short List
Let’s take a look at what I have done successfully, and then we can explore all my failures.
For my bedroom reveal a few years back, I sewed that extra-long lumbar pillow because I couldn’t find a king-size pillow in a fabric I liked. I’m very adept at sewing easy things like pillows, so making soft decor items like these, napkins, curtains and even bedskirts will almost always be worth it to me. For a similar pillow, including the insert but not the fabric, it likely would have cost me at least $100 for a workroom to make (you can see some numbers on this site to get a sense).
Another DIY I made because it simply wasn’t something I could buy was my picture frame above my sofa. It was so easy, and is still going strong in my current dining room. The same goes for the window bench, though admittedly, I did not make the bench itself (Shade, Sara’s brother, made it for me but I know I could have done it with the proper tools and space). The bench cushion on the other hand was not within my wheel house and I ended up pinning parts of it together when I couldn’t figure out how to get the corners right…ay.
Two more sewing projects: The little chair pillow in my previous bedroom and the cafe curtains in my current kitchen, though if you look at the curtains closely, the edges are pretty wonky because I find linen very hard to sew square without bunching or shifting/stretching.
But alas, let us explore my failures:
DIY Kitchen Fails
When I completed my rental kitchen refresh back in 2023, I was SO very happy with it. The end result looked great, warm and welcoming. I managed to save a ton of money buying second-hand appliances, making my own Roman shades, putting up a peel-and-stick backsplash and even making my own light fixture. But well, it didn’t all hold up its end of the bargain.
The Disastrous Backsplash
You know those things in your house that you’ve gone blind to? That you forget are the way that they are until someone new comes over and then suddenly you see EVERYTHING, panic, feel embarassed…all the things? That is my plastic kitchen backsplash. It was peeling off so badly on some stretches of wall that I just took it off. On the other side, only a piece or two are missing or kind of sadly just hanging limply off the wall. It’s so bad.
Honestly, I should have known. The reviews weren’t great, claiming the adhesive wasn’t strong. Some reviews said they had re-engineered it so I was hopeful, but from the very beginning, it was a bust. My walls are slightly textured, and the paint is semi-gloss, which together, works against anything sticky.
This was clearly a failure of product, not a failure of DIY, but still, I want to break down what I spent on this, and what I might have spent on a proper tile installation, just to see:
What I spent on peel-and-stick tile: $35.99 x 4 packs to cover ~30 square feet + 10% waste and reserve = $144
What a tile job might have cost: ~$287 for this tile. Install could be anywhere from $10 to $20 per square foot (it’s a simple subway tile with no funky angles, just three outlet cutouts, so it would likely be closer to $10-$15 per square foot, so roughly $500 in a best-case scenario). Total cost of material and labor = ~$800
So, while no, a DIYed peel-and-stick backsplash was not more expensive than a real tile backsplash installed by a tradesperson, I wasted $145 because I’m just going to peel it all back and then throw it away (god, that hurts with how wasteful that is). I will likely not replace it as this is just a rental, but in retrospect, if I were an owner, I know the sub-$1,000 project would be long-lasting and well worth it.
DIY Cordless Lift Roman Shades
Oh friends, I was so hopeful for this project. Before getting my fabric glue out, I considered sewing actual Roman shades with dowel ribbing. But I was super intimidated by it every time I watched YouTube tutorials. I also went so far as to get a few quotes from local seamstresses. One woman quoted me $600 which at the time felt high, but in retrospect was very fair. I have a GIANT window (70″x72″) so I’d either need two shades or one very wide one.
Seeing those numbers, I hunted around for a “hack” and found this cordless mini blind project. It was easy, cheap, and impressive. But what I didn’t factor in was that my kitchen windows are south-facing, and they get absolutely blasted by afternoon sun. Strong sun + plastic + fabric glue = Bad news.
Probably about three months in, I had to start re-gluing some parts of it. Not even a year in, they were nearly inoperable, just having completely fallen apart, not to mention looking all kinds of a warped, broken mess from street level. Sigh.
I’ve since considered just buying some Roman shades from Select Blinds, whom I used for a shade for my daughter’s room, and was happy with. Having my $600 custom sewing quote in mind (in addition to the cost of fabric), I explored what it would cost to buy direct from a store.
First, here’s what I “spent” on the DIY:
- Cordless lift mini blinds x2: $88
- Fabric x5 yards @ $35 per yard: $175 (transparently, this was gifted to me)
- Lining fabric x5 yards @ $10 per yard: $50 (also gifted)
- Fabric glue x2: $24
- Total: $337 ($112 out of pocket with gifted fabric)
Here are some pretty Roman shades I’ve been looking at from a fairly discounted website:
So, around $420 for two custom shades, which frankly isn’t much more than the cost of my DIY using the fabric I used had I purchased it out of pocket. Perspective, people!
Peeling Wallpaper & Wonky Cabinet Hardware (Sort Of My Fault)
These are both sort of my fault. Part of the “not very good at this” angle, rather than “DIY is a waste of money.” Chasing Paper, who provided my beautiful wallpaper, warned me that the texture of my walls might create an issue with adhesion. They sent me a large sample piece to test for two weeks. If it stayed put and didn’t peel or bubble, my walls were compatible. That sample fared pretty well, but it wasn’t perfect. I wanted that paper in my kitchen so badly, I just looked past a few little bubbles and maybe a very slightly drooping corner. I’m not happy with myself for this, alright?
And the hardware was acquired very cheaply during a Prime Day from Amazon, when I still regularly shopped there. What they don’t tell you about very cheap hardware is that the measurements might be just slightly off. A knob is no big deal, but if a pull is even a few millimeters off, it will be very difficult to install or keep in place. I pushed forward anyway, not to mention, the screws were too long, and I didn’t bother to just get smaller screws or even nuts for the backs to keep them in place. Every time I open my drawers (which take some pressure because they are soft-close), the handle pulls out about half an inch, and I have to push it back in place. It’s fun times over here in Casa Hernandez.
Now, is it fair for me to proclaim that DIY is actually a waste of money just because I skirted the finer details in my own personal DIYs? Not, not in the least. The delusional designer in me still believes I could probably buy a storage banquette for a breakfast nook or even renovate a bathroom top to bottom. Maybe I could, but maybe it would just be worth it to pay someone else to do it…
I, however, am no professional, so for the sake of a fair argument, I enlisted the knowledge of my friend and DIY content creator Fariha Nasir of Pennies for a Fortune. Ironically, we’re working on a book together about DIY, though I thoroughly believe in her talents even if I don’t believe in mine.
A transcript of our recent chat, edited for brevity, on the matter follows:
What Does A Pro DIYer Have To Say?
EHD: There are things I’ve done in my home, especially my kitchen, that have not been worth the time or money. It was great for a photo, but everything is now broken. You’ve made a career out of DIY. Have you had anything similar happen to you?
Fariha: Yes! First and foremost, before I start a project, I research what others have done, really for that reason. I don’t even attempt a DIY if someone else hasn’t already tried it out and knows whether it’s worth it or not, or all the pitfalls. And even then, it can be risky. For example, I kept seeing people online making cabinets (for storage or for kitchens). It looked so easy and fun. Part of it, making the box, was easy, but when it came to doors, it just was not easy at all. Aligning the doors, making sure the hinges are right…it was such a pain. In the end, just to get my picture, I had to nail some of the doors shut. I was so embarrassed and never disclosed it to my followers. Even after Photoshopping out the nails, things were still slightly crooked. I had spent so much money on this stupid cabinet for my media room. It looked great in the photo, but it wasn’t functional. It was such a waste of money.
EHD: But I saw you make upper kitchen cabinets lately to extend them up to the ceiling. What changed?
Fariha: Oh, I hired those out! After that first cabinet project failure, I decided that I had to either give myself enough time and more material to practice making cabinets, or it just wasn’t worth my time to learn that specific skill. Knowing what I knew, it just wasn’t worth my time or money. I ended up paying a cabinet maker around $35 a door for my kitchen project, plus they installed them. It was far and away a better use of my time and money (less actually) when I hired this project out.
Something similar happened in a bathroom I was renovating. I tried to use Muscle Bound to put up some beautiful tile myself, but it was a disaster. The Muscle Bound made it so that I couldn’t actually adjust the small tile I was using, and it was so crooked. I ended up having to bring in a tile guy to do the tile justice and install it the traditional way.
EHD: I guess it’s all in knowing your limits?
Fariha: Yes. Unless you’re super determined and want to learn a new skill, I don’t see a reason for everyone to be doing challenging DIYs when it’s actually cheaper to get someone else to do it properly. It’s not always the case, but for my cabinet project, it was.
EHD: But you know this all in retrospect. How does someone know on the front end if something is going to be a waste or not?
Fariha: Unless you really want the satisfaction of making something yourself, you should always get a quote from a pro before starting. That way, you know what it would cost to buy or do before you go into it. You might be surprised that something doesn’t cost as much as you think it does. But, of course, sometimes things are cost-prohibitive, and doing them yourself is a huge money saver. You have to know yourself. Are you going to be working on that thing for months and months and then walk away from it unfinished? These things happen. You might not realize you’re in over your head until you’re there, and that’s a huge waste of everything!
EHD: So…when is it worth it exactly?
Fariha: The building process can be such a high; even if you fail and have to do things more than once, it can make it worth it in the end. If you’re a beginner, know that it’s going to be harder than anyone online tells you. You might not save any money, or spend more money than just having bought the thing or hiring someone, but if pride and satisfaction is your goal, it’s always worth it in the end.
EHD: iring things out. My mind goes to woodwork and carpenters. Even me, who knows design, wouldn’t know the first thing about hiring a carpenter. Do you have to draw things out for them? How do you find them?
Fariha: First off, a skilled finish carpenter is not someone you’re likely hiring for small home projects. They work for contractors. Find a handyman who’s good at a lot of different things. You can find them on Yelp, Angie’s List, and Craigslist. Ask around. But yes, you have to give them pictures or even just super rough sketches with measurements for what you want the end result to be. Most carpenters/handymen can work from inspiration pictures and measurements. For my kitchen cabinets, I hired a cabinet maker, so there are some specialties, but for most small things, a skilled handyman can handle most tasks.
EHD: You create home content for a living. Do you think there are a lot of just…bad tutorials out there? Done for them just to check a box and post a TikTok or video?
Fariha: [laughs] Oh, yes. For example, I saw a tutorial for a curtain pinchpleat hack where they take the pleater tape, and attach it with iron-on hemming tape. I don’t know who they are fooling, but that does not hold. The weight of the tape, let alone the hooks…it just doesn’t work. I tried it myself and was so excited to share this “no-sew” hack with my community, but I ended up just sewing it. What a waste of a project.
The job of a content creator is to make things look easy. But it’s not. Especially not for a beginner. It’s so intimidating to even go to a hardware or hobby store for the first time by yourself. You don’t know where things are, what questions to ask. My friend, for instance, was trying to make a DIY bulletin board for her daughter from something she saw on TikTok, and it ended up being such a mess. Nothing about it was easy: It wasn’t easy to cut the foam board like in the video, so she had to rebuy it and have Home Depot cut it for her. The tutorial didn’t show how to hang the board when done, and it was so frustrating to figure out.
EHD: All that said, would you say DIY is a waste of money or totally worth it?
Fariha: No, I don’t think it’s a waste of money if you have a basic level of skill for home projects. It’s a learning curve, though, for sure. Projects like painting, installing wallpaper, installing your own light fixtures, sewing pillows and even curtains, or more craft-based DIYs are great places to start to feel some accomplishment. Figuring out how to put up wallpaper will save you thousands. Woodworking is on another level. You’re going to break a lot of eggs, figuratively speaking, in the process. Things might not always work out. Things will break. Things will not get finished. Things will not be precise or polished, possibly. It’s all part of it.
The Final Word On DIY: Solid Time Investment Or Waste Of $$$?
I can’t necessarily bring down the hammer of justice on a final verdict here, because everyone has such varying skill levels, tolerances and desired outcomes. You need to know yourself, understand how comfortable you are with redoing things if they don’t go according to plan, and even with things not being picture perfect. Will you be able to look past the somewhat shoddy caulking job on your picture frame molding? Do you have the patience to precisely cut 150 pieces of tiny tile for a bathroom reno? Are you afraid of even going into a Home Depot without a savvy buddy? Maybe start small, or not at all.
Find a project in your home you can feel good about completing that won’t cost you in confidence, patience, and money. Maybe spray mount some linen fabric onto a picture mat. Swap out the knobs in your kitchen, or lay some peel-and-stick checkerboard floors if you’re feeling frisky. But maybe get a quote for those custom arched bookcases you saw someone else do on Instagram that you swear you’re capable of doing, even though you couldn’t pick a miter saw out from a collection of hammers.
I say this with love. Prove me wrong…see you in the comments.
Until next time, friends.
Opening Image Credits: Design by Arlyn Hernandez | Styling by Emily Edith Bowser | Photos by Veronica Crawford | From: Arlyn’s Rental Kitchen Reveal Just Might Have You Wishing You Had Brown—Or Even Cherry— Cabinets (Yes, Really)
Arlyn, out of all the incredible projects shared on this website, your kitchen remodel has been one I just can’t forget. I still think it’s a WIN! You turned an outdated kitchen into something special and displayed an incredible amount of creative and ingenuity here. As a fellow renter you honestly blew my mind 🤣 and gave me lots of inspiration. Yes, the DIY projects didn’t hold up but they just have easily could have worked too! I appreciate your honestly and do think it’s important to note when DIY isn’t worth it or when we’re being played by influencers, but I think the intention behind this project is the best part of it!
I blame HGTV for evangelizing the false economy of DIY. I think we’ve all cringed our way through a project “reveal” (damn you, Trading Spaces) that was just BAD. I’ve been both the victim and the perpetrator. Where I think DIY makes the biggest impact is in finding custom solutions to one-off problems. Pretty much any project that entails vintage components requires a little ingenuity to tackl: a cracked or missing tile, or a gap created by replacing a damaged appluance or fixture, for example. I also think there is something to be said for tackling things like painting or minor trim carpentry as long as it is understood that these jobs are far more difficult than they appear on TV. That said, a professional painter always has to balance time and attention with pricing the customer will tolerate and sufficient margin to make a fair wage, but a (good) diy-er knows that time is the luxury – time to do (and sometimes redo) as slowly and meticulously as needed. The DIY result can absolutely be better than a professional job. I cherish my relationships with trusted electricians (but it’s absolutely worth learning how to install a simple light fixture… Read more »
Tile setters, I meant!
I have literally no time, patience or skill for DIY so I don’t ever even try (too many disasters) but from friends I have who love DIY and are great at it I’ve observed you need 3 things – 1) Genuine Passion – if you are really into DIY you’ll be happy to put in however much time it takes to learn, watch 20 tutorials and get joy when you’re actually doing it 2) Patience and perfectionism – I think at heart you need to be a perfectionist and be okay with redoing things 6 times to get them right. Everyone I know who has done things that look amazing has a story of the 7 stuff ups they patiently fixed (I had a friend who removed all the grout from her floor tiles, regrouted, realized she used the wrong grout and did it all again. My nightmare but she loved it). 3) Actual spare time. This is this big one. You actually need time to I plan, do, re-do and finish off. If you don’t actually have the time it does not matter how much skill you have, or won’t get done Generally if you have all 3 you’ll… Read more »
Thank you for pointing out spare time, lol. In a household with two working parents, three kids, a couple of pets etc. etc. – I would actually enjoy spending the time to sew a cover for my bench cushion, including all the failures/lessons along the way, but NOPE I don’t have the time. I’ll let my upholstery guy do it in like 50 minutes and pay him accordingly.
Arlyn, I love your honesty! Thanks for starting this conversation — you’re so right that DIY often gets oversold. I’m a perfectionist who really enjoys doing things with my hands as a break from my computer-focused job. I’ve done a number of DIY projects; some of them worked out great, and others taught me that I’d rather hire a pro. For example: simple subway tile on a kitchen backsplash is relatively easy. Mosaic tile on a bathroom floor is very difficult to do properly without leaving visible lines between sheets of tile, and you can’t see whether you’ve done that until you grout it, at which point it can’t be redone. I now know that (a) I’m capable of simple tile projects, and (b) I’m slow at tiling and I hate doing it. So any tile project gets hired out to a tile contractor I know who’s a true artisan and charges reasonable prices. It’s a win for both of us! Building custom shelves or restoring old doors, on the other hand, gives me joy and I haven’t yet found a handyman who’s as picky and patient as I am, so I do it. Things I’m generally happy to DIY… Read more »
One other aspect of DIY that folks sometimes forget is: tools! My husband and I are always joking about how “the right tool for the right job” makes things a million times easier … and this means that if you’re committed to DIYing something, you’re committed to buying / renting / borrowing the right tools. And tools can be EXPENSIVE. That part of the budget adds up fast!
Check your local area for tool libraries! Near me, there some community-based ones and some through the local libraries.
I think it is even more important to learn how to fix things. I personally can’t, but I am married to someone who can fix anything. We never pay anyone for repairs. He has saved us a fortune on electricians, plumbers, pool repair, handymen, mechanics, etc… Learns most of it on YouTube, but also really enjoys doing it. Sometimes gets a little tired of it when too many things break at once.
I’ve got the same kind of husband (he can do everything but cabinetry/woodworking) and it IS wonderful. We have been able to buy homes that are handyman’s specials and make them… special. Does it take five years? Yes, yes it does, and sometimes it would be nice to be able to throw money at the projects instead of time.
Arlyn, I ordered samples from that peel and stick tile website (I found them because of your link from your kitchen reveal). I ordered three of them for the house I’m renting. Be glad that you were putting them on textured drywall and not on top of other backsplash. I went to remove the samples yesterday (six months later LOL) and the top tile part completely separated from the sticky styrofoam part. I had to wet it with Goo Gone and scrape it off with a metal putty knife. It took around 45 minutes for one tile. I couldn’t bare to do the other two, I’ll have to save it for another day. It’s so crazy that this post was today because as soon as I went to remove the tiles yesterday I thought of you and wondered if you experienced the same thing or if I got a bad batch. I only glanced at the reviews before ordering and the problem is that the majority are from people who have just installed them, not from people who have lived with them or who have recently removed them.
What was the brand? I would like to avoid it if possible… I did not see the link. I am considering using SmartTiles brand for a backsplash in case anyone reading has experience with them. Thank you.
Commomy Decor. It was linked in her kitchen reveal post. (Why do I feel like I’m going against internet etiquette by calling out a brand? I feel bad lol.)
Thank you, I appreciate it.
I’ve heard good things about SmartTiles actually. I sampled them but I couldn’t find a color that worked for what I was going for.
I have done tile (turned out pretty well), installed cabinets (turned out well), built and installed custom wood trim around cabinets and mudroom fixtures (turned out well by my standards, possibly would not satisfy a professional), drywall (did not turn out well), and painting (usually fine). I also fix/install appliances and other random stuff around the house. I’m sure I’ve saved money on all of it, and I enjoyed learning new skills and having the satisfaction of accomplishing something to improve my home. But as I’ve gotten busier I’ve tried to think about placing some kind of value on my time as well. We recently did a larger renovation project and needed a small amount of tile work (laundry room floor). I had tiled the floor in the first place and knew I could do it again, but I just…didn’t want to. Remembering how to use the wet saw, running up and down the stairs 20 times (it’s a 2nd floor laundry), making sure the wonky old floor was level, making sure I got all the tile even before the thinset dried: none of that sounded like how I wanted to spend my weekend. So we had the pros do… Read more »
I grew up in the 60’s with a DIY mom and dad. Yes, there were some debacles (the wall papered window shades falling on me in the middle of the night come to mine), but mostly I learned to tackle things, that mistakes happen and can usually be fixed and the pride of doing something myself. Of course back then it was cheaper to do it yourself and there just wasn’t that many choices if you wanted something unique, so that drove me and mom to take things on. Though, even with the cheaper products and the many choices we have today I still cannot bring myself to purchase a ready made pillow when I “can make it myself”.
I don’t consider those two main examples you gave as true DIY. Those were more quick fix or stop gap measures. If you see someone on social media doing a hack that a professional would never do then that’s not really a DIY that’s an attempt to avoid the true DIY. Glue guns, iron on hemming tape, anything peel and stick a huge red flags. I remember when you were making that Roman shade, Arlyn, and I remember just shaking my head and saying girl you could make your own shade so easily with your sewing machine. Why are you doing this hot glue gun fiasco? If you’re trying to take a shortcut, it’s gonna show eventually.
Lia – this is exactly what I came here to say. There is a huge difference between DIY and taking a shortcut. They are not the same and you can see that in the projects mentioned here. I really applaud Arlyn being willing to look back and reevaluate. The comments here have been great. Know yourself and what you are willing to really do / go through in doing a project. Will I take an old piece of furniture, sand it, and repaint it and sand and paint again and do free hand flourishes? Yes. Will I put on new veneer or redrill lots of holes, or take doors off and rehang them? No. And over the years of buying a piece I end up never refinishing, I’ve learned what I like to do and what is a mistake. When we moved into our renovated home I wanted custom curtains and had something very specific in mind. And I was sick of the shortcuts and cheap curtains I’d purchased ready made from retailers. I was willing to watch hours of videos comparing techniques, had basic experience in sewing, and was willing to purchase a heavy duty sewing maching. I purchased… Read more »
Yes you’re right. I think if a DIY actually feels “easy” or like a “hack” it’s really just a shortcut, whether in terms of time or money. There is some painstaking DIYs out there that are beautiful and stand the test of time, but you need all the things noted to accomplish.
This, 💯. HGTV has unleashed a horrible amount of hack jobs into the home universe. It’s why I’ll never entertain buying a flipped house. Extrapolate the glued together Roman shade fiasco to the basic underpinnings and finishes of a home structure itself. Nope. Either do it right and we’ll —true DIY, not shortcuts — or hire the professionals.
I agree that’s it’s really important to be realistic about the tradeoffs, and to find good, trustworthy resources if you’re still learning. A good resource can tell you things like peel and stick tile isn’t going to last, curtains need lining for UV protection, etc. It’s really not helpful for an influencer to photoshop a project or otherwise hide how it didn’t work out! My husband and I both DIY a lot, but there are some things we won’t do. I very rarely sew curtains or shades. You don’t save a lot (or anything!) buying drapery fabric at retail prices, and I hate dealing with and trying to square up yards and yards of fabric + lining. He won’t pour concrete unless it’s just like one or two bags. Mainly this comes from trying it once and hating it. To me, the biggest tradeoff is time. We’re two years into a DIY gut reno/restoration of a Victorian cottage. With both working full time and having a kid, it’s slo-o-o-ow. For big projects like this, the other issue is planning, figuring out the best order of operations and trying to finish one thing before going on to the next. We have… Read more »
Arlyn, I have been planning on your roman blinds DIY for a year, collected my materials, and was intending to get started this very week! Wahhh!! My three miniblinds were from a closeout store as was my fabric, so not a huge financial investment but still, I like my fabric and cannot afford to buy ready made ones… do you have a dowel rod tutorial you can recommend instead?
Julie, what you want to purchase is Roman shade tape. It has little eyelets sewn at regular intervals though which you will thread some strong cord. Then you just make a sleeve for one dowel at the bottom of the shade. Your library will have some books with instructions but I promise it is very doable.
I don’t have one in particular but YouTube has a ton of videos. I like to find things from an actual work room or fabric store, for instance, where I know the person doing the job isn’t out there just trying to get views, but rather be informative. I will say, if the Roman blinds you were going to make were for a window you don’t operate daily, and doesn’t get harsh sun, it should probably be okay. It will still just be glued together, but the sun really just warped and dried out everything and so they both broke.
I was sad to hear Fariha admit she nailed her cabinets shut and photoshopped them out in her original post for that project. I had actually referenced that project for one I was thinking of doing in my daughter’s room and I’m glad I never tried it.
More than anything I value honesty in life and in content creators, including posts like these, eg “DIYs gone wrong.” When the DIY goes wrong and the creator misrepresents the outcome in the moment (including dishonesty by omission, and photoshopping) it just perpetuates the impossibility of online culture and we don’t talk about this enough. I believe in the EHD community and ethos and hope we can set a better example.
Yes, I love Fariha’s content so I was surprised that she seemed blasé about lying to her followers!
Yes. Not nice at all.
What a great and insightful article! Every word so true. I’ve done some great DIY jobs that I’m proud of (mainly painting furniture) but only because I wanted a customised finish. Took me ages because although I’m not a perfectionist, I most definitely have high standards. I’ve seen many friends proudly showing off either their or a partner’s DIYs and they’ve frankly looked pretty slapdash and p average and I’m surprised they’re okay with it. Then others are amazing. For me, time is my most precious resource and as a FT worker with a v demanding job, DIY is just not a saving and first and foremost has to be a creative and pleasurable endeavour. I also don’t have the right tools and tooling up is expensive. But most of all, I value the expertise of true craftspeople and want a job well done (which makes word of mouth imperative!) and that won’t happen if I do it. I’m frequently amazed and impressed by different DIY Instagram accounts but I’m realistic enough to know my own limits and when I am simply throwing money down the drain. PS I still love your kitchen and don’t know if fashion has shifted… Read more »
Something I think a lot of people don’t realize is how much a photo or video can hide. That’s how HGTV and content creators get away with such shoddy work. They can make it look pretty in a picture, but you can’t live with it.
100% accurate. I’ve heard some WILD things from behind the scenes people over the years.
I did peel and stick tile in my kitchen as well, because what it really needs is a complete redo, but I don’t have the money for that right now. I ended up having to actually use a glue stick to glue it on. The original adhesive wouldn’t last longer than 8 hours, the glue stick has lasted 5 years. That was a 25¢ solution that worked for me.
Just coming here to say if anyone is reading this post reconsidering peel and stick kitchen backsplash tiles I just wanted to share I used textured grasscloth peel and stick wallpaper and it is holding up so well and was so inexpensive. The goal for me was to lighten my backsplash (it was the same super busy stone that matched the counter) and it’s held up really well. DIY forever and you’ll always win some/lose some!
Arlyn! If it’s not too late (because you already disposed of it): you can straight-up glue that pretty-if-not-sticky peel & stick tile onto a thin plywood cut to the size of your backsplash and then just slide it into position (my kitchen is currently enjoying the ‘fabric and cardboard’ version of this as a slightly impractical but quite charming backsplash experiment) for a reliable & very rental friendly upgrade.
Love this post!
I totally agree with the sentiment here, but I want to share that I used that iron-on hemming tape pinch pleat curtain hack on a small cafe-curtain/undercabinet covering, and it’s held up for over a year just fine. That was before I owned a sewing machine, so I would just sew it now or fix it by sewing if it ever fails, but it still looks perfect. Caveat, of course, is that a cafe curtain is a lot less heavy than full-length drapes.
I have painted a lot of furniture over the years, and have refinished precisely one piece. It turns out that I don’t have the patience for it, because I require relatively instant gratification in projects. Painstakingly refinishing a piece over months? No thanks. Once I realised this, I quickly figured out the limits of my DIY abilities: superficial changes that don’t take a lot of time and effort. Give me a tablecloth and I will make a curtain out of it with some sewing and clip on curtain rings. Give me a roll of fabric to make a curtain from scratch and I start checking out the price of shutters.
Hi Arlyn,
Have you considered using Alien Tape on the kitchen tiles? That stuff is crazy strong and may keep them up so you don’t have to throw them all away :) Thanks for this spotlight on DIY. Content creators do make it look easy but it isn’t always! I very much appreciate when content creators also share their fails or how things are holding up much later because some things don’t last or hold up over time.
I had to look up what alien tape was but I think I actually have something very similar. My only issue is not wanting to use something *too* strong because when it comes time to move, I may damage the wall behind the tile. It’s a catch 22. You want something that holds well but not TOO good!
Can I be honest? I don’t follow Fariha, but I found it pretty frustrating as a consumer of a lot of home/DIY content that she admits long after the fact, and not even on her own platform (where her followers/those who attempted her DIYs would most likely see it) that not only was a major project a fail, but she manipulated the project itself and THEN photoshopped it to further obfuscate reality. That’s kind of insulting to followers.
Yes to this x 100. The original “look how easy this media cabinet was and here are my links” is still up, no mention of the extreme difficulty she now admits she had at the time. That’s super icky. Like are we so far down the “must shill and look good” rabbit hole that we don’t even recognize how wrong that is?!?
That is precisely how far down the rabbit hole we are.
I wanted to leave my own comment, but there’s no way to do it! Is there a short timeframe for commenting, or is this a bug? I’m using Chrome 138.0.7204.169 on Sequoia 15.5. Anyway, I wasn’t familiar with Fariha Nasir. Truthfully, Emily and her team are the only influencer types I follow on any level, precisely due to the level of transparency I perceive. This admission is incredibly disappointing. I’m not entirely surprised, but this just gives me more of a reason to discount these kinds of people who contentize and monetize their work. That’s not entirely fair of me, and I’m sure that there are other honest creators out there. I am glad that she put the truth out there publicly, but this could/should become more content to share. There’s no shame in hiring pros! There’s no shame in trying something and having it not work out. It’s all part of learning. Not that I’m any kind of influencer but, when I do share my own DIY projects publicly, I’m always honest with my small audience, because what’s gained by fooling people? In the context of an upcoming book, unless there’s a new effort made at transparency, I’m afraid… Read more »
Came here to say that the comment community is lovely and informative. Ive learned so much reading the post and the replies. Thanks for such a generative, relatable topic.
Thank you Arlyn! I’m wondering if any one has tried the Epoxy Paint Kits for kitchen countertops. I really dislike the countertops in our kitchen but feel terrible removing them just because I don’t like the color. I thought it might be an option until we can save for a kitchen remodel down the road.
I have used paint kits on my counter tops in a kitchen and bathroom and they worked great. Though, the bathroom counter was not up against the sink so it stayed dryer. In the kitchen I bought cutting boards and got used to using those. I sold the house two years later and just had to do a couple little touch ups.
I really appreciate the reality check! I do wish that you’d updated the original DIY post after the sun broke down the glue…I just bought supplies a few weeks ago to emulate your tutorial before knowing that it wouldn’t work…
I’ve DIY’d a lot in my smallish, hundredish year old house, and a lot has turned out well. Among other successes, I’ve tiled the kitchen backsplash with subway tile, laid marmoleum floors, painted everything (including the fireplace black), sewed numerous curtains and pillows, macramed plant holders, built and installed lamps from scratch, and hung cabinets, all successfully. The thing (imo) about DIY is, it takes a non-negotiably giant amount of time, patience, and tolerance for failure. My kitchen tiling success led me to tile my bathroom, which resulted in very successfully tiled walls (again, subway tile shaped) and a floor that went half done for literal years because I was sure it would be no problem to figure out how to lay scallop-shaped tile on the floor… LOLOLOLcrying. I eventually ended up hiring a guy who was very amused by my choices and did what he could to repair my work. It will be wonky forever (or until I can stomach the thought of ripping it up and starting over). I did all these projects myself, sometimes inexpensively, sometimes using reclaimed materials (from tile to cabinets to fabric). I’m mostly a lurker but I wanted to pipe in to encourage… Read more »
We DIYed for a part of our kitchen last year and I as much as loved our kitchen there were mistakes made that a professional wouldn’t have. Thankfully, we sold our place and I don’t have to see those flaws anymore! But yes, my take is if it’s an old home sometimes it’s better to leave it to a professional!
Same boat! It looks amazing at first glance but there were a few things that were totally avoidable but are now not possible to change. Short of going back in time knowing what I know now, it will remain a trade-off between spending an additional $10,000 for perfection or the $1,500 for almost perfection. I’d probably still choose the cheaper almost perfection.
Did buyers of the house notice the imperfections? That’s one thing I’m curious about…..how much are the mistakes noticeable.
They didn’t notice but they were also first time buyers so their inexperience probably helped us.
Fwiw, I have the chasing paper wallpaper and it peeled/bubbled on my perfectly smooth walls. Peel and stick wallpaper just isn’t great.
I put some peel and stick wallpaper up in a bathroom I intend to eventually renovate, and I was shocked at the difference in the quality of the brands when I ordered samples. Some of them were TOO sticky, some of them didn’t stick much at all. I found Spoonflower to be a good happy medium. Tempaper is also good (more expensive).
Pretty please have a conversation with xomacenna on DIY now that you brought up this conversation. She has been single handedly doing her 1920s (i think?) Texas farm house including kitchen and just finished a bathroom which is STUNNING. But also paid to do a kitchen she designed in her storybook LA home. It would be a great perspective to feature.