This guest blog post was written by Kellie Spicknell of new craft blog HMade. Whether you’re a Pinterest addict or novice, Kellie shares her thoughts on the latest social media phenomenon, with a summer holiday crafting theme, and warns that pinning can be very addictive!
The summer holidays are here and it’s time to hit the parks, beaches, theme parks and zoos… but what happens when it rains and you can’t go out? There’s only so much CBeebies you can watch before going slightly mad…. so next time the little ones are enchanted by Peppa and Dora, why not take a look at Pinterest to find some novel things to make and do over the summer break?
If you haven’t discovered Pinterest yet, make sure you have some time on your hands because it is quite easy to become lost in time on this beautiful site. Did I say Dora was enchanting? Well this is the adult equivalent. Don’t forget the task at hand though… you’re meant to be looking for something creative for the kids, remember?
The concept of Pinterest is quite simple – if you like an image then you ‘pin it’ to a virtual pinboard. You can pin images that you find on other websites, or simply re-pin images you like which other people have pinned. The main page is a continuously updating array of other peoples ‘pins’ (a bit like the public timeline on twitter but with pictures instead of words). If you see an image you like, simply click ‘Pin It’ and save it to one of your own pinboards. Don’t wait until later to pin a good idea as they quickly disappear as new ones come up.
To start pinning, you first need to request an invite – the easiest and quickest way is to ask on facebook or twitter for one. I’m sure someone will oblige, with a line saying ‘I can’t believe you’ve only just found Pinterest!’. To get started, it’s a good idea to follow a few other peoples boards – just like on other social networking sites – and see what they’re pinning. There are so many different images to browse through – from interiors to fashion, craft projects, recipes, beauty tips and even wedding ideas. You’ll soon be pinning like a pro!
You can use Pinterest in so many different ways, such as moodboards, tearsheets, research and even blog ideas. Just remember when you’re pinning to give credit where credit is due and wherever possible to link to the original source of the image. Below are a few creative ideas I’ve found on Pinterest to keep the kids busy over the summer holidays. But this is just the tip of the iceberg – so why not have a go yourself? You can request an invite to join at www.pinterest.com.
Clockwise from Top Left: Vintage Book Bunting via Papercrave; Butterfly ‘Feet’ Canvas via Project Balancing Act; Crayon Hearts via Flickr; Banana Split Mini Bites via Bakers Royale.
